Primary objectives are complete!

Alright! Awesome. Looking around, though, the throne room had become bloody. Not to my liking, as I liked this place as it was, oh well. Anyways, now that the leaders, royals no less, of the Empire have gone adieu sayonara to life, things should get a bit easier for everyone here.

I heard faint rushed footsteps from the corridor, coming towards here. So I immediately hid at the corners, blending into the shadows. A pair of imperial knights ran into the room.

“Your Highness — Huh?”

The two stared at the two corpses on the floor, their eyes wide in shock.

“T-They’re dead.”

“Shit.”

“What do we do now? Who’s in command now?”

“One of the elite that’s been leading us, of course. But…”

“This is bad.”

“Very bad… What do we even say to the homeland?”

“Fuck. Let’s tell the new leader or whoever.”

“Right. But what about the bodies?”

“We can’t just carry them right now.”

The man sighed. “... Very well. Let’s go.”

And with that, the two knights quickly left the throne room. I emerged from the darkness and into the center, right before the dead Cilas. I was planning on cutting their heads to throw at the enemy their dead princes, but oh well. Guess that’s less work for me.

I sighed, to be honest, I was getting a bit tired. Time to clean up the rest of the pests in the palace. I walked for the exit, but paused for a moment and looked back with narrowed eyes, looking around. There was nothing there.

Hm.

I must be getting too alert or something. With a casual shrug, I continued onward into the corridor. Back to the bloody scenery made by yours truly. Ah, before I forget. Drawing out a simple dagger, I touched the tip into one of the many blood puddles and the blood attached to my blade.

Huh, I wonder…

I can manipulate blood, so maybe I can control all of these or something. I held out my hand and tried to control the blood on the floor.

“Mm.” But nothing was working.

I tried again, but the same result. Tch. Guess my blood magic was limited to weapons. With a disappointed sigh, I moved on. Controlling blood would have been cool. As I reached the end of the corridor, a group of enemies were coming. Perhaps because they saw me, or they were coming to check on the princes.

My hand crackled with lightning, and thrusting it forward emerged a powerful bolt of lightning hurling through their center. In the bolt’s passing, it brought with it a wave of electricity, and all within range, all the way to the sides, were electrocuted. They shook as powerful electric shock coursed through their armor and flesh. Their eyes fried, and blood exited through whichever hole available. And they fell lifelessly without even a chance to fight back. I poured a lot of mana on that one. As I thought, my magic was way stronger than them.

When I took a step forward, the world suddenly turned and distorted.

“Ugh!” I placed a hand on my head and I leaned on the wall.

What the fuck! Already?!

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I was already having a headache and feeling dizzy. With that one spell? This is bullshit! I didn’t even use that much mana yet! Blinking my eyes, I took several deep breaths. I thought I had gotten better, but apparently not. This was starting to get annoying.

Good thing I didn’t use much powerful magic earlier… I’ll hold back on using spells for now.

Once I was feeling a bit better, I pulled out another blade.

Ugh, back to the traditional ways.

Clean house time.

And thus, I started hunting some bad guys. Mainly in places without any allies. Just to reduce the enemy forces and stop them from reinforcing the others. It will help greatly. It didn’t take long before the word of the death of their royals began to spread.

Their morale plummeted. That disturbance gave the Wisterian forces a chance to counterattack. Being discouraged is a dangerous thing.

And, as for me, well, hunting is always fun.

***

A black fog from the outside entered through the windows into the throne room just as the Princess of Wisteria left. The fog gradually turned into a man covered completely in dark fabric, not a skin to be seen.

“Hm. What is this? What is she?” He stood before the corpses of the imperial royals. Curious, confused, and stressed. It didn’t end as he wanted. Again.

The Princess was a beast. A predator, a dangerous hunter. The man placed a hand on his head. He had been waiting for an opportunity to put the Princess in his debt, but from how everything had been turning up lately, it would seem it was dreadfully impossible. Considering how savage she has been against several humans.

“Giving up already?” Suddenly, a man spoke from behind him.

The cloaked man turned around to see a bronze haired man. “Eternal Wanderer. Why are you here?”

“Hello, Heneis. Let’s just say I’m quite impressed by her, you know. Killing a beastman was one thing. But to kill every imperials in her way. Heh, she’s surprisingly ruthless.”

Heneis groaned. He had nothing to say. “You’ve come only to gloat?”

The Wanderer grinned and shrugged. “Basically, yeah. I just find it hilarious, honestly. Committing another transgression after your goddess cursed you to live a life of eternal suffering.”

“Transgression, you say?” Heneis glared at him.

“Mad? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” The Wanderer chuckled.

And then, another fog entered. “He is right, Heneis.” The fog turned into a draped man, like Heneis. “Stop trying to take advantage of her young Eminence.”

Heneis turned towards him. “You just won't stop, won't you?”

“Of course. I’m trying to make you stop this foolishness.”

“You’re the fool here. Trying to kneel at her feet.”

“What’s wrong with that? She is the descendant of our gods.”

“No, I will not stop.”

The man stepped closer to Heneis. “You must stop. You cannot hope to trick her. Don’t be stupid. You saw what she can do.”

“I’m being stupid?” Suddenly, in irritation, Heneis grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him up.

“Ggh!” The man tried to escape from his grasp, but couldn’t.

“I have grown tired of you, Aurel.”

“H-Haven’t we c-committed enough sins? Was killing her young Eminence not enough?!”

Heneis tightened his grip as Aurel flailed. “Shut up.”

Aurel growled. “K-Killing her as a b-baby is too cruel. Our p-punishment is o-only f-fitting.”

“No longer must we serve,” he said in a powerful and angered tone.

“Has our goddess never been kind t-to us? For you to d-despise her so?”

Heneis tightened his grip even more so.

But Aurel just kept on going. “Who is the c-cruel one h-here, Heneis?!”

Heneis broke Aurel’s throat with an audible crack and cast him aside. The Wanderer winced from behind. But it took no time at all for Aurel to groan and stand up as his body healeded.

“I am only doing what the generation before us started. Doing what is right.”

Aurel massaged his throat. “Utter fools, they are. You must stop before it’s too late. Change your ways.”

Heneis gritted his teeth in irritation. “Why are you so stubborn?”

Aurel sighed. “I’m trying to save you.”

Heneis scoffed. “I don’t need you to save me. Don’t let me see you again, lest I’ll make you suffer more pain.”

And with that, Heneis turned into a fog and left. Once he was gone, Aurel shook his head in disappointment. He glanced at the Wanderer who had been quietly observing.

The Wanderer smacked his lips and shrugged. “Heneis believes being free from your goddess is better. But you want to come back?”

Aurel lowered his gaze. “I heard the stories from my father before me.”

“What? Before he turned into a palpitating bag of meat?”

Aurel frowned behind his face cover. “... Yes. They were happy… Blessed with power, and gifted with a wonderful home. Here in Wisteria…”

The Blessed Children, they were often referred to as.

“But then one of you stabbed a baby. Of course your goddess will be enraged.”

Aurel lowered his head in shame. “That innocent baby was supposed to be a beacon of a good future. Our princess.”

“I see. A shame how everything went.” The Wanderer walked towards the window and paused for a moment. “But it’s good you’re doing what you believe in.”

And then, he left.

Aurel sighed and glanced back to the corridor where the Princess went through. He wanted to talk with her, even for just a brief moment. But he mustn’t, he couldn’t. Despite expressing his wish to talk, when he was a step closer, he found himself hesitating. Whether because he wanted to prove himself before meeting her, or perhaps he was just ashamed.

He closed his eyes before turning into a fog and leaving the place.