Lady Anna is in Norbelle’s quarters.
Simon knew this spelled trouble the moment that sentence escaped Meredith’s mouth, but the reality of the situation only hit him when he opened his half-sister’s door to find her hosting a tea party.
“You should have knocked, Simon,” Norbelle chided him.
No, he should have scried. “This is my castle, Norbelle,” Simon reminded her as he looked at the assembly she had gathered at the table. “I see you’ve been busy making friends.”
His half-sister had gathered quite the womanly court in her chambers: Lauriane, Tiella, Eole, Anna, and the newly arrived Cassandra. Half of them suppressed giggles when he arrived, except for Lauriane, who just gave Simon that same overbearing stare she showed him when she mistakenly believed he was dating Cassandra. Simon immediately knew he was too late.
Three days, Simon complained. Three days of this nonsense.
Simon had been hard at work overseeing various matters, from the wedding’s preparations, to overseeing purges in the administration and reshuffling resources across the empire, to mentally preparing himself to meet with Remedia again after so long. He had been so busy he had let Norbelle out of his sight, and true to her feline nature, she had immediately made a mess of things.
“What are you up to?” Simon asked, before noticing Eole looked terribly ashamed. He switched to elvish. “Are they picking on you?”
“No, no…” Eole avoided his gaze. “I…”
“We were teaching Lady Eole words in the Endymian tongue when a certain subject came up,” Cassandra explained in her stead to ease her burden.
“Namely, your romantic gesture to our dear Eole here,” Norbelle said, taking a strand of the kish’s hair, much to her embarrassment. “Not that I blame you. She is pleasant to look at and listen to.”
No wonder Thalas became the Berserker if he had to survive eighteen years of this, Simon thought with rising annoyance. I should use my Lord of the Demon Castle Perk to give Norbelle nightmares. I keep forgetting I can do that.
It was his first reign where he spent so long in Frightwall, so he was still figuring out the limits of those Perks. He should find a moment in his ever tighter schedule to experiment with them.
“I’m jealous,” Anna teased him. “You never told me that I was beautiful.”
“I did, Anna, when we were young,” Simon replied. And in a past reign too. “Things have changed though.”
“Because I’m no longer beautiful, or you don’t find me beautiful?” Anna sipped from her cup while Tiella giggled and Cassandra listened in polite silence. “Careful with your answer, Simon. I might not take it well.”
“We need to find you someone, Simon,” Lauriane said with a hint of disapproval in her voice. “Someone closer to your age than Euphemia, and who can stabilize you.”
Simon bit his tongue as he realized he had overlooked the greatest threat to any ruler’s privacy: courtly gossip.
“She’s just worried about her baby brother’s virginity,” Norbelle teased them. “You haven’t been an Overlord for a month and you’re already building your harem. You grow up so fast.”
Anna covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, Tiella giggled, Lauriane pinched her nose in annoyance, Cassandra raised an eyebrow, and Eole didn’t understand Endymian well enough to grasp the enormity of that statement. As for Simon, he managed to keep a straight face at all the nonsense.
“My harem?” he asked, the word dripping with annoyance.
“One can’t help but notice you have a lot more nubile young women in your retinue than men,” Norbelle said, chuckling once she saw Meredith and Leonard following him. “Oh, another one!”
Meredith bit her tongue and exchanged a glance with Leonard. Simon took a deep breath as he wondered how to deal with this situation. As much as he loathed to admit it, Norbelle had a point; many young women had flocked to his service since he took the throne; and considering his father’s prodigious sexual appetite and collection of concubines, many had probably concluded the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
Simon had to admit the idea of having all of his former lovers gathered under one roof during the very reign where he tied the knot with Euphemia didn’t sit well with him either. It felt like the universe was playing a dark joke on him.
A boy yields to his desires, a man masters them, Simon told himself. The people I loved are dead. They’re not the individuals in front of me.
“Aren’t you aware, Norbelle?” Simon asked. “Your mother and I love each other oh so very much we have agreed to a marriage contract. We’ll be faithful like doves.”
“Then why haven’t you signed it yet?” Norbelle smirked. “Methinks it’s still in the negotiation phase.”
“Hopefully,” Lauriane commented, having made no mystery of her opposition to the match.
“I say Elaine Malphas, Shabram, and our new Merchant may all be in the running.” Norbelle smirked. “Is it true you merged her former husband with a demon?”
Anna nearly spit out her drink. “You did?!”
“He tried to sacrifice his infant son to a demon, and his wife called for his death,” Simon pointed out. “He volunteered—quite eagerly, I might add—to a demonbinding experiment as an alternative to execution.”
“And divorce,” Norbelle quipped.
“He’s more useful and controllable in his current state rather than as a prisoner,” Simon replied. He had set Lorimor onto recreating his manuscript on primal fears in the hope of figuring out how miasma-aligned Libromancy worked.
“I have met Ser Lorimor,” Cassandra said. “My father and him have gotten along splendidly since His Majesty introduced them to each other.”
With such a glowing endorsement, Anna regained her composure, though she and Tiella looked rather unnerved.
“I see…” Anna said, gulping as she glanced at Eole. “I’m glad we didn’t teach enough Endymian for her to understand everything we just said…”
“Either way, Anna, I came to fetch you,” Simon said. “We need to discuss some…” He searched for the right way to put it. “Divine mysteries.”
Anna immediately caught on and rose up. “I’ll be back later, miladies.”
“Divine mysteries?” Norbelle put a finger on her lips, a look of curious mischief in her eyes. “Is that what they call it these days?”
“Tiella, don’t listen to Norbelle while I’m away,” Anna said, laughing, “She’s a baaad influence, and I can tell your brother is worried already.”
“I figured,” Tiella replied with a giggle.
“Do not worry, Ser Leonard,” Lauriane reassured her brother. “I will be watching them.”
“Many thanks, Your Highness,” Leonard replied politely.
Simon prepared to walk away when Eole cleared her throat. “Could I… talk to you later, Your Majesty?”
It only took Simon a glance to realize what she wanted to discuss: Norbelle had shared the fact that he had summoned Carbuncle and Culebre from the Sanctuary. That might not end well…
“I will have my secretary book you an appointment when I have more time,” Simon promised her. He then teleported away with his retainers and Anna, right as Norbelle began to pester the kish again. I have to save Cass and Eole before Norbelle ruins them both.
The group materialized into a laboratory in one of Frightwall’s many underground crypts, where Simon had set his more scholarly retainers onto the task of studying the Mana Sword. Belzemine, Duchar, and a newly possessed Lorimor were all casting analysis spells on the blade.
“Nothing about this place looks divine,” Anna commented upon spotting Lorimor’s many eyes. Though she hid her fear well, she moved a tiny bit closer to Simon. “Is this about the Light Megalith? Norbelle told me it favored you too.”
“I’m not sure if it’s connected,” Simon admitted, his finger pointing at the Mana Sword. “Could you hold that sword for a moment?”
Anna frowned at his request, but followed through. She seized its handle and blinked as the blade glowed slightly; not as brightly as when Belzemine wielded it, but enough to be noticeable.
“Nice sword,” Anna mused as she proceeded to do a few fencing moves with it. Lorimor instinctively stepped away from her out of fear. “This feels… powerful.”
“That is the very blade that slew my father,” Simon replied, his gaze settling on his scholars. “So?”
“The light hurts my eyes,” Lorimor complained with a hiss. “It is anathema to us.”
“I indeed detect a magical resonance of some sort, though not as strong as what we observed with Lady Firewand,” Duchar admitted. “The Mana Goddess’ blessing reacts to Lady Paimon, and she empowers it.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. “The Mana Goddess?”
“I see a… radiance coming out of you and Agnes,” Simon confirmed. “Someone told me once it might be connected to a ‘divine power,’ so I wished to check if it was related to the Mana Goddess.”
Simon had first thought the sword’s glow was a mere restriction that prevented it from being used at full power by specific individuals, but equipping individuals with the Warrior Crestone, which could use any weapon as if they met the prerequisites, yielded no results… except for confirming that it would always try to escape back to Louis. Tests showed that instead of unlocking a hidden ability, Belzemine instead passively strengthened the divine magic held within the sacred blade.
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As for Simon, he couldn’t even hold the weapon. Merely touching it without protection burned his hands, and not even Anathemic Secrecy could fool it.
“I thought the Mana Goddess and the Light Megalith were unrelated?” Anna mused. “Unless you imply the gods are fighting for my approval.”
Duchar scoffed. “Of course the Mana Goddess is connected to the Megaliths, child. As much as the Church of the Light would deny otherwise, they are still elementally charged pieces of manalith, and those all derive from the Manatrees. They are both strongly aligned with the Worldsoul.”
“And here I thought you had joined the Church Party, Simon?” Anna inquired with a small smile. “I would have expected such free-spirited scholars to be extinct by now.”
“Loyalty to the Overlord trumps party affiliations,” Simon replied as he pondered this information. First Mardok and then Valravn… two times now a Zodiac Fiend kidnapped someone with this innate inner radiance. It’s almost surely connected to the Maiden, since Valravn serves her and Anna could potentially serve as her host…
Moreover, if the Mana Goddess was indeed gathering power for some planned strike, why lend some of her magic to Anna? What purpose would it serve?
According to his scholars’ research, the Mana Sword was indeed almost entirely identical to its copies except for the divine power held within it. Duchar had noted something unusual, in that the effects designed to strike at the Overlord—like the anti-damage transfer—had been applied after the sword received its divine blessing. This suggested the sword had originally been created to slay abyssal creatures like the Zodiac Fiends before being later modified to specifically strike at the Overlord. Moreover, while the sword shone like starlight when held by Anna, it became brighter than the sun in Belzemine’s hands. The Mana Goddess hadn’t blessed them equally.
The artifact was so powerful that it instantly slew weaker demons in a single blow, purified Simon’s Dungeon core like the Paladin’s Sanctify Perk, and dispelled curses. That final particular property interested Simon a lot, since he had a pretty good idea why Remedia had chosen to personally attend the coronation…
The sword would be tremendously useful against the Zodiac Fiends, especially in Belzemine’s hands, but the risk of it falling back into elven hands is too great until I’ve figured out a way to neutralize it, Simon decided. I should check and see if it can destroy Zodiac crystals too.
“We are still investigating the situation, Anna, but I please ask that you keep this information to yourself,” Simon informed her once they finished their tests. “Very dangerous people are after this power of yours, whatever it is.”
“People more dangerous than the Overlord?” Anna teased him, though her smile faded when she noticed his serious expression. “Whom?”
“A dangerous, demonic cult and criminal syndicate called the Cobweb,” Simon replied. “I’m in the process of purging them, but they have agents in many places. I’ll have Meredith, Leonard, and other talented bodyguards assigned to your security detail until we’ve dealt with those vermin.”
“I’m sure Tiella will be happy to have her brother kept so close to her.” Anna scowled. “You had visions of me dying, haven’t you?”
Simon flinched as if he had been slapped.
“It wasn’t that hard to figure it out,” Anna said as she joined her hands. “You look like a soldier who has seen too much and avoids my gaze each time we speak. Marrying Euphemia after you despised her for so long, all these changes… they only make sense if you’re trying to prevent something terrible from happening.”
She was too insightful by half. Simon guessed he should expect that from his oldest friend. Anna knew him better than anyone when reigns started, and though he had perfected his acting skills over time, she could still pick up on details that others missed.
“It’s nothing, Anna,” Simon insisted. “What I saw won’t happen. I have taken the necessary precautions.”
It didn’t ease her concerns. “You don’t have to bear that burden alone, Simon. I can’t stand by and do nothing while ghosts of my future haunt you.”
Simon sighed. “I appreciate it, Anna, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“And how can I if you don’t open up?” Anna countered as she fearlessly grabbed his arm, startling him. “Besides, the best antidote to spooky phantom visions of what could happen to me, is my living presence.”
In spite of everything, Simon found himself smiling. “Thank you, Anna,” he said before clearing his throat. “Did you know your father and Euphemia were in talks for you to marry Thalas?”
“They were,” Anna replied with a shrug. “Now he’s on the fence.”
“Why?” Simon asked, even though he suspected the truth.
“Because he thinks you want to fuck me,” Anna replied with a laugh. “Norbelle isn’t wrong, you are gathering a lot of women around you, and your father was generous with his mistresses’ families. It gives people ideas.”
“Does your father think I will set aside Euphemia?” Simon scowled in distaste. His stepmother had fantasized about an alternate life where she had wed him, and here he was trying to displace her. “I thought your father would be above such petty schemes, especially considering how Euphemia holds him in high esteem.”
“My father wants to see me crowned empress and his grandchild on the Crimson Throne more than he cares for Her Grace’s approval.” Anna smiled to herself. “Between us, I would rather that he keep hesitating a bit longer. I have nothing against Thalas, but I’m not especially looking forward to marrying someone I didn’t choose.”
“You will never marry anyone against your will so long as I am in charge, Anna,” Simon reassured her, though her smile faded away. “What?”
“You are sweet, Simon, very sweet.” Her tone implied it was more of a flaw than a strength, though. “But I’m not your friend anymore. I’m the heir to the Berwick Islands, and whoever marries me will command the loyalty of thousands.”
“All the more reasons for you not to pick someone you cannot stand.”
“But what if that person becomes your enemy one day? Will you put my happiness over your and your empire’s wellbeing?” Anna didn’t let him finish. “As much as I would love you for it, Simon, you are the state now, and states don’t have friends; only subjects and interests. I fear you’ll learn that soon enough.”
The Overlord’s evenings were spent reading in his bedchambers.
Balzam Magnos famously liked to be informed of everything going on in his realm, and Simon followed his example. Shabram dutifully compiled daily files ranging from High Council meeting accounts to economic and intelligence reports, then assisted him and Euphemia in wading through them.
All in all, the state worked efficiently with an Overlord in charge and no two rival parties pulling it in two directions. The army was dutifully preparing to secure both the Dragonsea and the Tellurian campaign under Beatrice’s command; diplomats confirmed Cocagne, Valne, Muse, and even Lore would send delegations for the wedding and coronation; Duke Barbatos officially agreed to submit; and spies confirmed that Elaine Malphas had convinced her aunts to do the same. It seemed she had at least decided to play along with Simon’s offer for now, though he knew better than to trust her.
Meanwhile, Odette Kano had purchased Malphas’ levels at a brand-powered discount and put forward an aggressive economic reform plan to quickly fund the creation of more bunkers. She also suggested ending the continental blockade on Illusean goods due to its ineffectiveness and instead suggested mandating that all official business be passed through a single port for the time being. She argued that merchants would choose restrictive legality over dangerous contraband, and it would allow the empire to control that particular trade while easing diplomatic relations with the elves.
Simon leaned against that particular suggestion for now, considering how paranoid the elves had proved to be and the risk of further infiltration, but he could float the possibility to Elaine in order to obtain more concessions in the future…
“I don’t think I would be able to manage everything without you, Shabram,” Simon complimented her as he switched to accounts of Louis’ interrogation. “Your help is truly invaluable.”
“I live to serve His Majesty,” Shabram replied, while Euphemia didn’t say a word.
Still, Simon’s mood soured as he read. Louis had been both forthcoming and painfully honest about how the night of Balzam Magnos’ murder went. As it turned out, he hadn’t so much sneaked inside his bedroom as been summoned inside by his father to discuss the secret airship fleet. Balzam Magnos had harshly criticized his son for the constant delays, then rebuffed Louis’ suggestion that they attack the western continent instead of launching a riskier assault on Illusea. It seemed the Overlord had made up his mind about destroying the Oracle and intended to launch the assault on the very date when Frightwall was to be bombarded.
Instead of leaving after being dismissed, Louis had lingered close to Balzam’s quarters for a few minutes, avoided all the guards—being intimately familiar with Frightwall’s security details as Marshal of the empire—cast all his known buffs, and then waited for him to engage in sexual relations with his concubine to strike him while he was in the middle of coitus without his Class outfit on. The surprise blow had slain their father on the spot and Louis had proceeded to slay the only witness right afterwards without a thought. After realizing he hadn’t gained any experience and guessing his father might have survived somehow, he then calmly returned to his personal quarters and tried to clear his mind by reading a book, half-expecting Balzam to summon him back with a sharp rebuke.
All in all, it was shocking how easily this assassination attempt could have gone wrong. A single guard catching a glimpse of Louis, Balzam not paying attention to his concubine, a second thought or misstep… how much of it was the result of Louis’ accurate sense of timing or the Oracle’s guidance remained vague. Something felt wrong about this setup, though Simon couldn’t put his finger on what.
However, what bothered him the most was that Louis claimed to have no knowledge of his father’s corpse dropping a book after death. The crown-prince hadn’t picked up anything like an Abyssal Chronicle lying around.
“Are we certain his testimony is accurate?” Simon inquired, his Abyssal Chronicle materializing in his hand. “My father should have left a book like this behind after his death.”
“We thoroughly searched the prince’s person and quarters, to no avail,” Shabram replied. “Considering how little time separated his crime from his arrest and that his Infinite Armory wouldn’t let him store a book, I doubt he could have hidden it anywhere.
“My Judge abilities confirmed Louis told us the truth,” Euphemia replied, frowning. “Although we cannot rule out that he found a way to circumvent them, why would he lie about finding a grimoire after admitting to a much more serious crime of regicide and conspiracy?”
Because that book holds the secrets of the reigns, Simon thought. Then again, he couldn’t exclude the possibility that Balzam hid his Abyssal Chronicle away in a secure location. Louis’ Infinite Armory was limited to weapons, so it shouldn’t be able to store a grimoire either. But we’ve thoroughly searched Frightwall and the Tellurian archives. Where else could it be?
His father wouldn’t trust anyone with something so important, not even Maublanc—who also claimed to have no knowledge of the Abyssal Chronicle either. Where else could it be? One of the Operation Deepground’s bunkers? Elios Magnos’ private library? Or was it buried in one of Frightwall’s many secret vaults?
“Why is this book so important?” Euphemia asked, squinting.
“I need it to unlock some of my Class’ Perks,” Simon replied evasively as he changed the subject. “Anything else?”
“Two things.” Shabram cleared her throat. “I wasn’t sure if I should bring this to your attention, but rumors that Your Majesty is looking for an official mistress have spread like wildfire through Frightwall.”
Euphemia gritted her teeth, and for once, Simon shared her annoyance. “Is it my daughter’s doing?”
“I could not identify the source of the rumors,” Shabram replied diplomatically. “Nonetheless, the obvious political nature of Your Majesty’s union and your number of female retainers is fertile ground for rumormongering.”
“Let them gossip,” Simon replied dismissively. “This court is what it is. If we address the rumor, we will only give it credence.”
“We cannot let it stand, or our enemies will see a wedge to exploit,” Euphemia replied harshly. “We will share our quarters from now on, and publicly sign the marriage contract. That ought to silence these fools.”
Simon didn’t particularly like it, but it might be the best solution short of open displays of affection or actually consummating the marriage. “Must we share the bed as well?”
“It is big enough for each of us to have their own space,” Euphemia replied dryly. “Your father and I had no issue putting distance between each other during the early years.”
Good to know. “What’s the other matter, Shabram?”
“His Excellency Mastemo requested that Lady Eole enter his service as an advisor on the ‘beastmen question,’ after meeting with her earlier,” Shabram said. “Considering you asked me to book an appointment for her and that you wished to introduce her to Her Grace, I thought both matters could be settled at once.”
“You speak of the kish rebel my stepson shipped to us from Telluria,” Euphemia said. “I will judge her myself.”
“Judge her?” Simon tensed up. “Eole is no criminal.”
“If not a criminal, then she is a fool and a threat for inciting rebellion against us in our territories.” Euphemia scowled at him. “Don’t tell me those rumors are true and you’re enamored with her.”
Of course Norbelle would spill the beans. “It’s more complicated. We need her to access the crystal in Telluria, and she is… would make a good vassal to legitimize our conquest of the region.”
“I will be the judge of that.” Euphemia chuckled to herself. “Let us not waste time. Bring her in, Shabram.”
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