Eldest 184

184.

—Hoo, hoo! Aining really worked hard for Bellady! Bellady, are you happy? Did Aining do well?!

—Of course, it’s perfect, Aining.

—Kyaa! Bellady’s praise! I’m so happy!

Picturing the sweet smile of the little desert fox, I let my lips curl upward.

‘Honestly, I never expected to use Aining’s bead in this spot!’

And yet, everything fit together as if preordained—as though fate itself intended for me to punish that Prince and Caspar, so careless with the lives of others, and mete out divine retribution.

Vwoom—!

With Aining’s healing bead in place, the spirit blade let out a menacing sound with every swing.

A holy light now gathered around the blade.

‘So, even a visual effect like this?’

It wasn’t much of a battle, yet moving unrestrained, without regard for my opponents, left my body exhilarated.

I sharpened my gaze and processed the corpses with even greater speed. I was a fish in water.

“Cover Bellady, and collect the rags from the corpses! We’ll burn them together, and soothe the souls!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Behind me, the knights moved in concert, cleaning up the field.

The Crown Prince, his mind finally snapping, kept screaming and finally drew the sword from his belt.

Then, he charged at me.

“Die! Die! Die—!”

‘How does he always choose the worst possible move…?’

That, too, is a peculiar talent.

With one corner of my mouth raised, I shifted my grip on my sword.

Flicking a glance at the knight with deep blue-gray eyes hovering nearby, I smiled faintly.

My dearest right-hand, Zeppelin.

‘You’re keeping up, right?’

‘Of course, Lady Bellady.’

With those unspoken words, we each fell back to our tasks.

Deliberately, I displayed an attention-grabbing sword style as I destroyed the corpses. Simultaneously, I met the Crown Prince’s charge head-on.

Clang—!

“Graaah!”

The moment his blade met mine, the difference in power sent him rolling helplessly across the ground.

‘Phew, nearly took his head off there.’

Had I not adjusted my strike at the last instant, it would have ended emptily.

Unaware he’d only survived thanks to my meticulous control, the Crown Prince shouted at me, voice trembling.

“As if you… could ever become the Empire’s greatest sword after Theodore Aeltern! Just a woman! A plaything I toyed with since birth!”

I lifted my foot and slammed it into his face, silencing his worthless babble.

“Gah!”

“Filthy criminal, watch your tongue.”

“My—my face! My face!”

He squirmed in agony from a single kick.

I chose not to finish him off, instead focusing on dispatching the remaining corpses.

With every flamboyant maneuver, the holy light from my spirit blade shone brighter, and Zeppelin behind me gave a silent thumbs up.

But then—

‘What’s that…?’

By the side of the hideout, a teleportation circle flared, and Caspar Agla emerged.

His habitual smirk vanished as he took in the situation, and after a swift, calculating scan, he ducked into the tent.

Seeing a new target, I dispatched the last corpse and looked around.

Thanks to my efforts, the numbers had been quickly managed—enough to leave the rest to the knights.

“Zeppelin, let’s go!”

“Yes, Lady Bellady!”

I hurried with Zeppelin into the hideout.

There, before a box brimming with odds and ends, Caspar Agla stared back at me, a teardrop-shaped mirror in his hands.

His gold eyes, so like Sion’s, were wide and utterly crazed.

“Just wait, Bellady Aeltern! In the next life, I’ll crush you utterly, destroy your existence from the start!”

Caspar poured magic into the mirror.

It was only then I realized the assorted trinkets beneath were all spirit treasures.

‘How did he find so many, without even raiding the imperial vaults?’

Probably spent the cash Sion gave him.

Caspar muttered feverishly under his breath. The treasures beneath began to melt.

Zeppelin whispered at my side.

“Shouldn’t we stop him?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I answered lightly, watching Zeppelin.

“The broadcast orb is transmitting, right?”

“Yes. The stream is live.”

He glanced down at the ruby in his hand.

For reference, his ruby was linked directly to the central palace’s communications orb.

The Emperor and all gathered nobles must have been watching this moment, captive to the spectacle.

‘On the biggest screen, just as I requested.’

My condition for declining the imperial army, and for this operation, was simple:

Broadcast the capture of the Crown Prince and Caspar Agla live.

There was only one reason.

‘If anyone still dares to oppose my succession after all this…’

“They’ll know what fate awaits them.”

No sooner had I finished my mutter than the treasures fully dissolved.

The mirror flared and rose, gleaming in the air. Caspar shouted triumphantly,

“Yes! A new chance, for me—!”

Unfortunately for him, that exultant cry became a death scream.

“Kk—!”

Even Zeppelin, filming from my side, recoiled, his hand shaking around the ruby.

He stared wide-eyed, muttering to himself.

“My god… what is that…”

I never tore my eyes from Caspar.

His face had gone deathly pale.

“Kuk… Ah—!”

Because a massive hand had slid from the mirror, gripping his face and throat in an instant.

It lifted him effortlessly, like a rag doll.

Dangling in the air, Caspar kicked frantically, but he couldn’t break the grip.

“Hrk! Hrk!”

He could only choke out guttural noises as he gasped for air.

Ignoring that, I studied the hand reaching from the mirror.

It wasn’t a single hand at all. Uncountable hands had twined together, forming the shape of one.

The sinister sight made Zeppelin step back in fear.

I spoke softly, with a complicated sigh.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s divine retribution.”

“Divine… retribution?”

The mirror thrummed, and that accursed hand yanked Caspar into its depths.

“A—HYAAAAH!”

His ragged scream trailed off as he vanished.

And then, silence.

Zeppelin swallowed and spoke.

“Is it over?”

“No.”

As if in reply, the hands emerged again from inside the mirror.

Slowly, disgustingly twisted, they groped through the tent.

They reached toward me, but I said firmly,

“The other one is outside.”

Apparently understanding, the hand paused, then stretched out alarmingly.

The force of the wind tore the ramshackle tent apart.

Exposed in the open, the hand next reached for the Crown Prince, who was now pinned by my father.

“What the devil is that?”

“A new foe?!”

The knights braced for battle, but the hand ignored them, coiling straight around the Crown Prince’s neck.

“Kah!”

Before anyone could stop it, he was dragged toward me at a steady pace.

“NO! Let go of me!”

It was an utterly chilling sight.

I watched it all, silent and grave, and then Taudin’s voice sounded in my head.

[Now my power is finished.]

[Thank you for your help.]

[At least you know to thank me! You should thank the human mage, too!]

[I will.]

[Still, I worry… I have no strength left to shield you while keeping up this hand.]

[Don’t worry about me, just go and rest.]

Taudin must have truly been exhausted, for he gave no reply. I sighed softly.

‘I planned this, but it’s even more grotesque in person.’

Yes, this was the trap I’d prepared for Caspar Agla.

A man who believed regression was still possible would never abandon that mirror.

‘So I made use of it.’

A deadly and sorrowful snare, crafted with the help of Taudin, who could summon the dead, and the Tower Master, versed even in forbidden magic.

I had made the vengeful spirits of their countless victims manifest at last.

“Shall we attack?”

A few knights approached. Father, behind me, gripped his blade as well.

I shook my head.

“It’s not our turn. Leave them.”

Those spirits were not eternal. Sooner or later, the two of them would be returned from the mirror.

Until then, they’d endure the worst hell imaginable.

“No! Aaah—!”

Perhaps sensing his fate, the Crown Prince clawed desperately at the ground, fighting not to be pulled in.

His hands were quickly torn and bloody, but even those injuries were nothing compared to what the spirits had suffered.

‘Once he’s inside, I’ll just have to carry that mirror back to the capital.’

With a blank, numb face, I considered what came next.

Once I entrusted the mirror to Killian, his side would handle the matter.

And with Zeppelin recording everything, my achievements and warning would be thoroughly documented.

‘Once the High Council convenes and the motion for female succession is raised…’

Then finally—

As I let my thoughts drift, the Crown Prince was dragged to the mirror’s surface.

Our eyes met for an instant, and I noticed, clutched in his hand, the old bracelet.

Instead of a final plea, he flung the bracelet my way.

‘What…’

I had been about to catch the bracelet, still dismissing the prince as a fool—

“Bellady!”

Someone seized me, yanking my waist and pulling me back.

A tremendous explosion followed.

KWA-BOOM—!

It was nothing like the small bombs we’d thrown before—this was massive.

“Lady! The Duke!”

“Theodore!”

The shouts of the knights rang in my ears.

Everything seemed to move too slow, or much too fast.

Through smoke and debris, a dark silhouette slowly appeared—

His tattered cloak, nearly burned away, fluttered pitifully in the breeze.

“Father…”

My father, who had taken the blast in my stead, toppled slowly to his knees.

“Father!”

I lunged instinctively, catching his falling body.

Up close, he was a bloody, dusty ruin. His arms, in particular, hung useless at his sides—forever limp.

It didn’t feel real.

‘Why…?’

A mere bracelet? That worn old thing?

This couldn’t happen.

If it had been an ordinary bomb, the magical shield would have stopped it cold.

So why did he take the full force?

Why?

Driven by instinct, I pressed my ear to his chest.

Thump, thump, thump—

His heartbeat was faint.

‘Get a grip!’

Rallying myself, I barked orders to the stunned knights.

“Form up! We’re returning to the manor! Zeppelin, take the mirror!”

“Yes, Lady Bellady!”

Clutching my father tight, I pushed power into Killian’s magic diamond.

—Bellady, there are mischievous spirits who snuff out a person’s sense of danger. Always be wary of them.

As my rational mind froze, Taudin’s warning flashed through it.

It felt as if someone was laughing at me.