Brandish, both queen and knight, knew well what she had to do.
The work Zion and Enrite had done aligned with her own aspirations. The time was near, and she was ready to see it through, even if she had to step forward herself.
"I do not wish to die within the palace. I am a queen and a knight, a knight and a human. You told me so yourself."
Zion recalled refusing Brandish's royal command and bowed his head quietly. Hanette watched, feeling a strange kinship.
"As a knight, I should die honorably on the battlefield fighting the enemy. Just as I help you, I hope you will help me."
Brandish's serious gaze turned into a smile. She had believed that even with Setinos Quasar and Alain Kingdom's forces, defeating the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities would be difficult. But the black knight had eliminated them one by one, and now, the existence of Magic Swords had come to light. Just one more step, and the long-sought peace would be theirs.
"Your Majesty, you are the pillar of this nation, the most dignified and great one. Humans eventually face death, but if you were to fall, the kingdom would be shaken. While I would assist you in battle, I implore you to reconsider the thought of dying on the field."
Enrite, while maintaining formality, conveyed his sincerity. Though queens should not enter battle recklessly, a queen who was also a Magic Sword user must be supported. With Brandish's strong resolve, even other Setinos Quasar and high officials could not dissuade her. However, the queen's death would demoralize the troops, so ensuring her survival was paramount.
"The officials would say the same. But I can no longer stand by. I am also using a Magic Sword, like you."
"That is why I pledged to support you with all my might. I value my life, and I believe Your Majesty feels the same."
"……."
Brandish met Enrite's gaze, seeing the familiar impassive eyes. Enrite, serving her as queen but viewing her as a fellow human, made this statement.
"Let me ask you this. Knowing the value of life, why did you become a knight?"
"I’m not sure if this is a valid reason, but let me humbly offer this: I believed no one else could do it."
"Are you speaking of the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I thought only I could defeat those beasts. But later, I realized my thoughts were wrong."
Enrite glanced at Zion before looking ahead again. Joining forces with Zion had enabled the defeat of the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities. Without Zion, he might have achieved nothing but countless casualties.
"I became a knight, but I will not die. I once thought I should sacrifice my life, but now I wish to live longer. It’s the only life I have."
As a Magic Sword, the concept of life was foreign. As the consciousness of a Magic Sword, he only mimicked humans, untouched by death. Becoming human made him understand the value of life and grow stronger.
"Having only one life makes it precious."
Even a ruler of this nation cannot transcend humanity. Despite limitless power and glory, death is inevitable. Many strive to evade death to extend their shining lives.
"I only thought of what would happen after I die. But before death…."
Brandish pondered deeply before falling silent. She realized she hadn’t considered the present moment, only the past and future. Handling duties in the office, discussing matters with officials—what kind of life had she dreamt of?
"I ignored the present, focusing only on the past and future."
Before becoming queen, she aspired to be a knight, not a princess, earning her place as Setinos Quasar through achievements in the borderlands. As queen, she watched her partner leave and set her sights on exterminating the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities. She neglected to reflect on her own life, ignoring the present.
"Maybe it’s time to let go."
Humans pass through the past, live in the present, and look toward the future. Preparing in the present is key to a brighter future. However, dwelling on the past only brings personal torment and fixation on lost things.
"I am no different from Silver."
Brandish, engulfed in melancholy, realized she had criticized Caden for his limitations while clinging to her own past. Why had she been so lenient on herself?
"Was that why those two unsettled me?"
Feeling conflicted, Brandish looked at Zion and Hanette. Initially, she found them bold and fearless, reminiscent of her younger self, wishing them well. Yet, all this was a facade, an excuse to rationalize her own actions.
"Did I have my own desires too?"
Realizing something, Brandish slowly turned away. Perhaps she longed for a simple, peaceful life. Having experienced it once, she couldn’t forget those emotions.
"Because of you two, my heart has been in turmoil."
Brandish laughed lightly, feeling a burden lift. Watching Zion and Hanette, she had felt inexplicably frustrated, but now that emotion was gone. Though she said it troubled her, she realized it also brought a strange joy.
"Your Majesty, have I misspoken? If so…"
"No. You made no mistakes."
Brandish gathered herself, knowing what she had to do, but not immediately. Though she understood logically, her heart needed more time to accept it. She needed peace before moving forward.
"This matter will be discussed later. Everyone, leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The three left the office, puzzled. Brandish remained still, wrapped in silence. For some reason, today she wanted to embrace this solitude.
"Soon, we will vanquish them. Until then, what must I do?"
In the western region of Alain Kingdom, Mierne was a desolate land, filled with rocks and barren landscapes. It had no forests, no rivers, and no villages nearby. Only a few patches of grass and flowers grew in remote spots, offering scant hope for farming.
"Wasn’t this urgent?"
"The sooner, the better."
"Shouldn’t you have told the king?"
"I did. We’ll receive a letter when the schedule is set."
Zion walked through Mierne, observing the surroundings. Hanette stayed close, searching for shiny stones.
"Those creatures could attack suddenly."
"It won’t be that extreme. The Three Demon Kings are gone. The Four Calamities remain, but they won’t come now."
Demon God had lost much in the last battle and fled in a weakened state. Lesia had acquired Duran Calgonis, and the Ocean King’s invasion was repelled more easily than expected. With the Immortal King likely destroyed by Demon God, the Three Demon Kings were effectively gone.
"Demon God escaped alive. Who knows how he’ll return?"
"I should return your words to you."
"...Deal with it later?"
"This time, it’s true. He suffered a huge blow."
"Aren’t you disappointed he got away?"
"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But the outcome is good, so I’ll let it go."
The situation could be viewed positively or negatively. Demon God might die off slowly or gain unexpected strength from the remaining Incomplete Magic Sword. The Four Calamities would inevitably get involved, but they wouldn’t easily submit to Demon God. Hence, Zion judged the overall situation to favor Alain Kingdom.
"If that’s what you think, I won’t argue. But... where’s the gold?"
"Ah, you were looking for that?"
"You said there’s a gold vein here."
"There is, but we have to dig a lot."
"How much?"
"Hmm... it’ll take a long time."
Zion touched a large rock, looking at the ground. If the gold vein was easy to find, the palace or nobles would have claimed this land first. The gold vein was likely deep underground or in a remote area.
"It’s not impossible to find, right?"
"Finding it is easy. Digging is the problem."
"...Isn’t finding it harder?"
"I took this land because I’m confident. If it’s not here... we’ll farm."
Zion smiled at Hanette. Hanette squinted, displeased.
"Do you want to farm? Will you do it yourself?"
"I’d rather not. I’ll keep searching."
Zion gathered blue energy in his right hand, slowly turning. Hanette watched for a while before speaking.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for the gold vein. It has accumulated energy."
"Is that possible?"
"I don’t know why. I just know it works."
Zion answered casually, moving step by step. Hanette, skeptical but resigned, released her own energy.
"Are you helping?"
"Shouldn’t I trust my fiancé?"
"Who else but you?"
"Honestly... I don’t believe there’s a gold vein."
"Me neither. Who’d expect it here?"
"...Did you check properly?"
"I prepared for farming just in case."
"If it’s a joke, I’ll let it go. If not..."
"What will you do?"
"Prepare yourself. If you chose this place over others... sigh..."
Hanette sighed, then paused, sensing faint energy nearby. The source seemed to be underground, sparking a bit of hope.
"Is it here?"
"Hmm... looks like it."
Zion sensed the energy late and circled the area. Finding some stones, he picked them up one by one, just in case.
"As expected, we need to dig..."
Seeing a glimmer on the last stone, Zion examined it closely. Though mostly gray like any stone, its tip shone yellow and sparkled. Hanette, peeking over, confirmed it.
"This is gold, right?"