Cycelia shivers slightly when she enters the snowy address balcony to face the large crowd. In the distance, a golden dragon rises up to the sky from the streets, before plummeting back down.

「Here… You can have mine for now.」

Straf says as he pulls out his stylish coat out of his purple vortex and throws it onto Cycelia's shoulders.

「Ah, thank you…」

Cycelia smiles back at him, and slips her arms through Straf's oversized coat. Pulling the coat closed without quite buttoning it, she steps closer to the balustrade. Lily and Straf watch on.

「…Good citizens of the empire, I have important news for you! Doubly important for the mages! It's related to the sounds you may have heard a moment ago!…」

She brushes some of the snow away with the back of her hand, and leans onto the balustrade.

「…Due to irreconcilable differences with the Mage Federation, they have decided to invade, and made attempt to threaten the capital with the battle fortress!…」

Cycelia exclaims towards the crowd below. The weight of the information mostly flies over the heads of the majority, though the mages exchange shocked glances amongst themselves.

「…Needless to say, anyone who dares to threaten peace of the empire will be destroyed! The battle fortress is no more! It is safe to say that the Mage Federation is no more too!…」

With her hand showily thrown out ahead, she flaps Straf's coat's sleeve as she adds. The mages below become terribly confused and begin discussing the information between each other. Some of the interested non-mage citizenry appears to chime in too, seemingly asking them questions, only to also become shocked when the mages reply.

「…From now on, I declare that all mages of the empire are free and independent of any outside authority! Your only law is the law of the crown!…」

Cycelia continues with the address while Lily looks on at the crowd with bored, disdainful gaze through the balustrade's decorative bars.

「…Moreover, I declare the beginning of a new era! It is now the first year of the 4th era, marked by destruction of the battle fortress! The old makes way for the new!…」

「What the fuck?」

Straf blurts out as he and Lily furrow their brows in surprise at Cycelia. She briefly glances at them both, before Lily lets out an amused huff.

The citizens are unsure how to take the news, with most glancing at each other with confused eyes. Below, Will adjusts his glasses with shock on his face while Greaves is simply listening with his arms crossed, furrowing his brows, and bearing a disinterested grimace on his face. Shien joins his sister's side in middle of the speech, and the two discuss something.

「…There will be further announcements on the matter of magic authority! For now, Draconis guild shall be treated as a central authority for all mages until further notice!…」

Cycelia exclaims while pointing her hand in the general direction of the capital's mages' guild.

「…Also, there will be a feast to celebrate the victory!-」

「Hail Empress Cycelia! Hail Empress Cycelia! Hail!…」「…Hail Empress Cycelia! Hail! Hail!…」「…Hail! Hail! Hail!」

She adds, and before she can finish her sentence, the crowd erupts into loud cheering.

Cycelia anticipated this response, and simply waves her hand to the crowd with a smile on her face as she turns back around and returns inside. Lily follows her in.

Straf turns around to join the two, but stops in his tracks abruptly after just one step. He looks over his shoulder at the sky, furrowing his brows.

「Hmmm… Like someone's watching me… And not in a 4th wall way…」

With his gaze wandering around the cloudy sky, Straf rubs his chin. He notices something akin to a faint glimmer of mana dust sprinkling downward, but it disappears before he can catch a good look at it. He shrugs, and simply continues back into the palace while Lily and Cycelia stare at him with mildly confused eyes.

「Straf?…」

Cycelia tilts her head, blinking her emerald eyes at him.

「…Well, you're getting good at this, Lia.」

Straf declares as he nonchalantly shuts the balcony behind himself.

「Hehe… You think?…」

She asks, slipping Straf's coat off.

「Yeah. You know how to rouse the crowd now… But what's with the new era thing? Are you really allowed to just declare a new one whenever? What if everyone else doesn't want to?」

Straf asks, taking the coat off her hands and throwing it back into his [Portable Storage].

「Well… I believe I'm a little ahead of the time, but I'm certain it's a new era, Straf. It's the end of the Mage Federation, after all… I just wonder what'll happen to the Academy.」

Cycelia replies with a light shrug of her shoulders, smiling at Straf.

「Indeed… You severely underestimate your own power, Straf. It's possible the Mage Federation could have lost the battle fortress… Through a clever trick, or strategy…」

Lily chimes in, nodding her head with her arms crossed in agreement with Cycelia.

「…You simply used brute force. Raw power.」

She adds while looking up at Straf with a serious, scarlet-eyed gaze.

「Not through a clever trick?… First you call me a virgin, are you now calling me dumb, Lily?…」

With his hands in his pockets, Straf asks while furrowing his brows and an incredulous smirk on his face.

「Nonsense. There is elegance to be appreciated in a well-planned strategy and wit to be admired in a cunning scheme… But simply overpowering your opponents like that…」

Lily shakes her golden head, whipping her twintails about.

「…It's metal, Straf. Indeed, it is metal!」

She declares with a smug smirk on her pale face, baring her sharp fang.

「Yeah, I guess it's pretty metal, actually.」

After a brief moment of thought, Straf shrugs and nods in agreement with a nonchalant, tight-lipped grimace.

「Um, Straf… That being said… Are you planning to just leave the ruins be? Are you not going to investigate?… And what of those abandoned people they've mentioned?」

Cycelia chimes back in, gently furrowing her brows in worry.

「Tsk… Fine, I'm going to go inform them that their housing crashed… I might as well check out the ruins along the route. By the way, Lia, as for the magic authority…」

「Yes?」

Straf replies, rolling his eyes and shrugging his hands. Then, he looks up at the ceiling while rubbing his chin pensively. Cycelia tilts her chestnut head a little.

「…Think I'm gonna make my own. Nature abhors a vacuum, so if I caused an explosion, I might as well cause an implosion too.」

He adds with a shrug of his shoulders.

「Eh? Your own?…」

Blinking at Straf with confused eyes, Cycelia asks.

「Yeah. Is that a problem?」

Straf asks back. Lily scoffs with a smug smirk on her face.

「…No, not at all. It's a little sudden, but I think it's a great idea. Being such an incredible mage, I think you know what's best for mages, Straf.」

Cycelia shakes her head with a smile on her face. Lily nods along in agreement.

「Right… I gotta get going then. Guess I'll see Nona and the cat on my way out. Those two were probably dying to see me…」

Straf nods as well, and heads for the door with a nonchalant shrug.

「Yes… I think Nona especially wanted to see you…」

Cycelia replies with a nod as she and Lily follow Straf out of the balcony room into the hallway…

…

A few moments ago, far in the east…

「…There will be further announcements on the matter of magic authority! For now, Draconis guild shall be treated as a central authority for all mages until further notice!…」

Vertically slit violet eyes watch Cycelia's proclamation from above, staring down at a swirling, shifting rip in space.

「…Also, there will be a feast to celebrate the victory!-」

The eyes continue watching as the empress is cut off by a torrent of cheers. The chestnut-haired woman leaves the balcony with a smile and wave of her hand. The vampire follows soon after.

「…Hm?」

The woman hums in a gently surprised tone, narrowing her violet eyes as the tall, handsome man stops in his tracks and looks directly at her spell in the sky.

In the darkness, she quickly moves her clawed hand to wiggle her fingers and dispel the rip in space. It disappears, shrinking to nothing.

「Ha… Hahahahaha!…」

She laughs, and her eyes shift from curiosity to mirth as she laughs without holding back. Her voice echoes in the dark ruins of the throne room.

「…Ahhh. Straf Katastrof Vindict, huh?…」

Her slit pupils idly drift upward as she says, thinking for a few moments.

「…This century had barely just begun, and yet it's already shaping to be interesting. Maybe I won't be bored after all.」

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap…

She remarks, and her clawed finger taps on the throne's armrest in a slow, steady rhythm…

…

A little under two hours later, nearby the Mage Federation Autonomous Zone, by the downed ruins of the battle fortress…

…Fffffwoooooooooooommmmm…

The aircraft engines die down, softening into a loud whine as Straf casually walks down the lowered ramp with his hands in his pockets.

「…Hm. Metal.」

Straf remarks at the sight of the battle fortress. The entire city is still burning away, though less intensely than before, as most of its fuel has already burned to ashes. The flying city's flight path is littered with fragments of its rock base, perimeter wall, and shattered pieces of buildings. The rock itself has crumbled into many, many pieces, and there is no one city to speak of, rather, it's all reduced to rubble. The battle fortress itself lies in an enormous crater the size of the capital city at the very least.

The crater's depth is also very impressive, although it is more wide than it is deep. It stretches down deep, right to the bedrock, and roughly in the center it goes even deeper. The aquifer has been revealed, and water is pooling in the center. The earth itself is heavily scarred around the crater's rim, and the snow has either been melted, or thrown far, far away. Straf walks up to the crater, and tilts his head a little with his brows furrowed.

「…Huh? What the shit?…」

Straf says when he notices distinct wheel tracks on the ground. The vehicle that left them was certainly heavier than an average wagon or a carriage, and there were multiple.

「…Did someone with a car beat me to it?」

He scratches his head, and returns his gaze back to the city ruins.

「Well, whatever. I thought there might be something cool here, but it looks like everything of value was just vaporized. Shame.」

Straf nonchalantly shrugs and heads back for the aircraft. Without further delay, he climbs back up the ramp and returns to the cockpit with a hiss of the door.

「Minister? You're done already?」

The pilot asks, somewhat surprised to see Straf back so soon.

「Yeah. There's not much to collect after two weeks worth of mana flowed endlessly into them… We're moving on…」

Straf sits down in the seat beside the mage pilot, crosses his arms, and shrugs his shoulders with a tight-lipped grimace on his face.

「Eh? Two weeks worth of mana?…」

The pilot furrows his brows as he closes the ramp and restarts the engines.

…Ffffffffffwwwwwwwwwooooooooooommmmmmmmm!…

「…Still, kind of hard to believe this is the battle fortress, isn't it? The central seat of the Mage Federation, and now it's just gone.」

The pilot remarks while staring at the ruins, and the aircraft jolts them both into their seats as it forcefully takes off.

「That's why you do DEAD, or you end up dead. I only lost one dogfight, but in my defense, it was a civilian craft…」

「Eh?…」

Straf shrugs again as he replies to the pilot, only confusing him further as the aircraft soars through the cloudy sky…

…

An hour later, outside of the empire's north-eastern borders, beyond the mountains…

The pilot steers over a large lake, rolling the aircraft slightly as the two look down at the lakeside.

「Yup, that ought to be here… Land somewhere near 'em.」

Straf nonchalantly instructs the pilot with his arms still casually crossed.

「Got it, minister…」

The pilot nods, cautiously eyeing the magical projection for his speed, altitude, and descent speed.

「Eh?… What is that thing?…」

One of the camping men calls out while squinting at the black object descending towards them.

…Fffffffwoooooooooopfffff!… Ffffffwwwwoooooopffffffffffffmmmmm!…

The people stand up from their log seats, crawl out of their fur tents, and generally abandon their work to gather around as the mystery object descends and lands with an odd rumbling noise.

「Is this from the battle fortress?…」「It has to be magic.」「Why is the battle fortress not back? Are these the messengers?」

The people ask each other, deeply confused. The ramp opens.

「Oh? I see everyone's gathered already. Good…」

Straf remarks as he descends from the aircraft to meet the massive crowd of people out in the snow-dusted field, which has since been shoveled mostly clear.

「Who are you!? Where is the battle fortress!?」

A man from the crowd shouts towards Straf.

「He he… Well, I've got news for you!… Two good, one bad!… Which ones do you want first!?… Or do we do one each!?」

Straf asks with his arms spread, grinning at the perplexed crowd.

「…What's the good news?」

A man at the front asks after exchanging quick glances with the people at his sides.

「Heh. Well, the good news are…」

Straf replies with a smug grin on his face and his hands in his coat's pockets.

「…I'd say the worst is already behind you! I mean, you've got tents, and the spring is right around the corner!」

He adds in a loud voice, grinning at the people with his arms spread.

「…Huh?… That's great, but what about the battle fortress? What does this have to do with anything?」

The man who asked Straf simply becomes more confused, tilting his head at Straf's supposed good news.

「Well, I'm glad you asked!… I see you've got tents, and you're getting your production back!… You got knocked back in the tech tree pretty bad, but at least your lake isn't frozen!…」

Snap.

With a massive and smug smirk on his face, Straf snaps his fingers at the crowd, then turns towards the still-liquid lake, despite the snow surrounding it it.

「Tech tree?…」「…What is the talking about?」「…Is he one of those deranged mages?」

The people in the crowd grumble and mumble in confusion.

「Yeah, this lake never freezes. It's on a leyline, and that does something to it.」

A man follows Straf to the lake's waters, explaining with a shrug.

「Leyline? Huh. So I guess that's why you have a river, too…」

Lightly surprised, Straf glances up at the man standing a little behind him, then turns his gaze to a nearby river, flowing despite it making no sense for it to. Straf dips his hand in the water.

「…Huh. It's cold, but not really. Warms you, but it's cold?… More like both?」

Straf tilts his head as he pulls his hand out. The odd water drips off his fingers as he wiggles them slightly. Despite the water feeling cold, it also has a pleasantly warm sensation to it.

「So what's the bad news, then?」

One of the former fortress dwellers asks from the crowd.

「The bad news… First off, did any of you get your property in the battle fortress insured recently?…」

Straf asks with his fists on the hips, and looks the faces in the crowd.

「…No? Nobody? Figured. That'd be really lucky… Anyway…」

He raises his brows as he asks. Deeply confused, the people in the crowd glance at each other.

「…Your property is gone! Poof! It's rubble now! If you left anything valuable behind, sucks to be you!」

Spreading his arms, Straf declares with a smug grin on his face.

「Huh?」「What do you mean, gone!?」「Rubble how!? Some homes got damaged!?」

The crowd rapidly becomes outraged and nearly riotous.

「We demand an explanation! Take me back with you to the battle fortress! I want to speak with the grand master about this!」

One man steps forth, pointing his finger down at this feet as he demands.

「Hehe… Yeah, you'll need to learn necromancy for that. The battle fortress is gone. The grand master is gone. The Mage Federation is gone. It's the 4th era, get with the times.」

An amused chuckle escapes Straf as he grins at the man, who becomes further confused, then deeply concerned.

「…What's the last good news then? If our property is gone, does that mean we will be reimbursed for the damages at least!?」

A woman chimes in with her brows furrowed, and her arms anxiously huddled close.

「Hehehehe… Well, the last good news are…」

Lowering his head, he suppresses a chuckle.

「…The explosion was real fuckin' cool! You should have seen the crater!」

Straf exclaims with his arms spread, and a grin on his face…