TL/Editor: raei
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: none
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"Why do you ask such a question?"
Zion asked Claire with an interested expression.
"I first became suspicious when Your Highness used 'Chronos's Five Questions.'"
Claire began speaking in a calm voice.
"I used that divine artifact before regression, so I know what abilities it possesses. And therefore..."
Her voice grew quieter.
"I know how impossible the sight Your Highness showed after using the Question was."
Even now remembering it, it was an unbelievable sight.
The collapsing world and vanishing light.
These were clearly sights only beings who had escaped fate could create.
"Since then, I've been thinking constantly. Just what Question could you have used to create such a sight?"
Though it was actually impossible no matter which Question was used, if she had to pick one with even the slightest possibility...
"The Second Question or Fourth Question. Since you seemed to use 'Time Theft,' the Second Question, in Lezero, it must be the Fourth Question."
The other Questions didn't even have that slight possibility.
Things like 'Time Fixation' or 'Time Reproduction' required the caster to have reached that realm themselves.
"As Your Highness knows, 'Time Theft' requires having directly seen the target whose time you're taking at least once."
Though she had been stuck here, Claire found the answer in an unexpected place.
"The power Your Highness normally uses and the power brought through 'Time Theft' look very similar. Similar enough to say they're the same power."
No, they were definitely the same power.
Then their source must also be the same.
"Moreover, only one being comes to mind as the original owner of that power."
Eternal Emperor Aurellion Khan Agnes.
Actually, Claire had glimpsed part of the hidden history in the demon realm's depths before regression, and had acquired some information about the Eternal Emperor then.
Therefore she had been suspicious all along and could confirm it this time.
Prince Zion overwhelming Pride using "Chronos's Questions" perfectly matched the Eternal Emperor's description from hidden history.
Though she only recalled that description after the battle ended.
And to begin with, beings possessing such power could be counted on one hand throughout all history.
"After reaching that point, I formed a hypothesis."
The hero's eyes began holding strange light as she continued speaking.
"That the Eternal Emperor didn't actually pass away but remained in the imperial palace's secret chamber, and about a year ago Your Highness happened to meet him by chance and inherited his power."
Though the probability was so low it deserved to be called impossible, and normally even Claire who formed the hypothesis would scoff at how nonsensical it was, this was all she had now.
Nothing else could explain the battle from a few days ago.
Moreover, if this hypothesis was correct, it could also explain Prince Zion's rapid growth.
'Though the witch's words about regaining power are concerning...'
That was truly nonsensical talk, so Claire had decided not to think about it further.
'So that's how she could think about it?'
Zion smiled inwardly while listening to the hero's words.
Well, who could guess?
That the person himself sat right before her, possessing a different body?
"Let me change my question and ask again, Your Highness Zion."
The hero stared directly at Zion with eyes holding not just strange light but longing as she asked again.
"Have you actually met the Eternal Emperor?"
Of course, Zion's answer to this question was already decided.
"No, I haven't."
It was natural.
Since he himself was the Eternal Emperor, it would be strange to say he had seen him.
If she had asked like before whether the Eternal Emperor was alive, the answer would have been ambiguous.
"Then how...!"
"Though you were right about me using the Eternal Emperor's power."
Zion smiled at Claire as she showed confusion and spoke.
"Focus on that fact and form your hypothesis again. Make your thinking more flexible."
While lightly tapping his head with his finger.
'So he won't tell me directly.'
Claire watched Zion with wavering eyes for a moment before closing them and taking a deep breath as if calming her agitation.
Though she was very curious about who Prince Zion had used the Question on, thinking about it further now wouldn't give her the answer.
Her base was already occupied and her forces scattered.
Then there was only one option.
Escaping the demon realm where Archdemons' eyes spread thickly and seeking revival elsewhere.
'A place that's close, has forces friendly to me, and where I can recover my power fastest...'
Then Zeloth's eyes brightened as she turned toward the place best meeting these conditions.
Fairy Forest.
That was her destination.
* * *
An elegant wooden round table showing no signs of artificial processing.
"Hah..."
A deep sigh flowed from the lips of one of the fairies, a middle-aged man, sitting at this table.
His name was Halegrion.
He was the First Leaf of the World Tree and leader of the Fairy Forest.
"...Is there really no other way?"
Halegrion asked while looking at the fairy in the form of a middle-aged woman sitting opposite him.
"Currently there isn't, we can only summon a Spirit King or spirit of similar status as quickly as possible."
The middle-aged woman, Spirena, shook her head and answered in a gloomy voice.
She was the Second Leaf of the World Tree and held the position of High Priestess.
"...This is serious. Truly."
The reason the expressions were so serious on these two highest-ranking fairies and Fifth Princess Diana listening beside them was because of the upcoming festival "Song of Leaves and Trees."
This event, called the Fairy Forest's greatest festival, was different in nature from other festivals.
Prayer to Akenidia, god of nature and spirits.
And maintaining the World Tree, which could be called the Fairy Forest's foundation, were its purposes.
Among these, what made the fairies so serious was the second purpose of maintaining the World Tree.
'To maintain the World Tree, a Spirit King-level being must infuse spirit power matching that status into the World Tree during the festival held once every four years.'
But the problem was that currently no spirit mage existed in the Fairy Forest capable of summoning a Spirit King.
"How many years has it been? Since we couldn't infuse Spirit King's spirit power into the World Tree."
"...Forty years. If we can't infuse spirit power this time either... we may need to consider the worst situation."
Spirena answered with bowed head to Diana's question.
"Haah..."
A sigh flowed from the Fifth Princess's lips.
Actually, Halegrion had visited the capital again after the World Conference ended to discuss this problem with Diana, but even she had no good solutions.
"To think no Spirit King-level summoner could appear for so long..."
Fairies receive Akenidia, the Spirit God's blessing from birth.
Therefore they should naturally excel at spirit summoning more than any other race.
It was clearly strange that not a single person capable of summoning a Spirit King existed among the entire fairy race.
Impossible unless the blessing had disappeared.
"Has Akenidia truly abandoned us..."
Then-
"Actually, the Spirit God gave an oracle about this this morning."
Spirena spoke up hearing this lamentation.
"Really? Then why didn't you say so?"
Halegrion stood up and exclaimed.
"Because its content was strange..."
"Strange how?"
"I'll recite it. One who will save the World Tree will soon appear. However..."
Before Spirena could finish reciting the oracle-
BOOM!
"Lord Halegrion!"
A fairy who appeared to be a soldier burst in throwing open the conference room door with an urgent expression.
"What is it?"
Halegrion asked the soldier while slightly furrowing his brows.
"H-His Highness Zion Agnes has arrived!"
"Hmm, so he's come? But why speak so urgently about this fact? Isn't Prince Zion's visit already scheduled?"
"B-but as soon as he arrived, he started slaughtering our fairies...!"
Before the soldier could finish these words-
BOOM!
Along with a tremendous sound that shook the earth, massive flames and darkness began erupting from the entrance.