When the chimera burst from the ground, Elysia had already escaped from the tower. Philly chased after her.
The chimera was nowhere to be seen.
Elysia stood there, dazed. Her eyes looked soulless.
"…Elysia, from now on, you'll be treated as a criminal. The chimera is a grave crime, and using it to attack Constel is even more serious. Not to mention, attempting to kidnap the princess is the gravest of all."
Philly's cold words. Upon hearing them, Elysia showed a deflated laugh.
"That's right."
Her voice sounded resigned, as if she had given up.
Reading her demeanor, Philly said,
"Stop the chimera. Release Rafflesia right now."
At those words, Elysia turned her blank gaze to Philly. Then blinked a couple of times.
Seeing that, Philly felt an indescribable unease. It wasn't the activation of 'Foresight'. This unease stemmed from herself.
Philly felt an unspeakable sense of dread not because of her 'foresight' being triggered. The source of this unease was within herself.
"After Aten was born in the Imperial Palace, everyone praised her as the true daughter of the Emperor."
The reason was that Elysia's current predicament reminded her too much of herself when navigating the sharp edges of politics.
"Why me? This is actually an opportunity."
"…Elysia."
"Just as mother thought, the chimera was an experimental creature created for Rafflesia. The monsters heading to Constel are all parts of the chimera."
Elysia's voice, on the contrary, became calm. It was gentle enough to be considered soothing.
"But you know, while creating the chimera underground, it grew much larger than I expected. So, I never even thought about bringing it out, but now that things have turned out this way, it's actually good. If there's no one to see, there's no way to prove what I've done."
Upon hearing Elysia's words, Philly just kept her mouth shut. Elysia cocked her head at that.
"What's wrong, mom? Did you think I couldn't kill you?"
"Elysia. What is your purpose?"
"You know what it is. I want the 'promised position.'"
The promised position.
In other words, power within the Imperial Palace.
Philly knew. She had realized Elysia's intentions towards Aten and Rodric from the start.
"There was no need for this; you could have just waited a bit longer to ascend the throne."
"Are you joking right now?"
Elysia asked as if she was serious.
"You know it, Mother. Like this, I'll just end up rotting in the Imperial Palace. If we're talking about the direct line of succession, there's Aten who's monopolizing both talent and looks, and when it comes to appealing to the position of eldest daughter, Prince Roderick Terst has been steadily building up his power. How am I supposed to succeed to the throne?"
Philly felt it. This time, it was 'prophecy' activating. Elysia's recent remarks were some kind of signal.
After Aten was born in the Imperial Palace, everyone highly praised her as the Emperor's real daughter.
Her appearance was pure white and fragilely beautiful, and she had considerable talent as a wizard. Her disposition was calm and humble, and she had integrity that was not swayed by her position or power.
However, if that was all there was to it, Elysia's position would not have been in danger. No matter how excellent Aten was, the others did not question First Princess Elysia becoming the Crown Princess. Above all, Aten herself did not want to become the Crown Princess.
However, as Roderick Terst's influence in the Imperial Palace grew, the political landscape of the palace started to flow strangely.
Though not as much as Aten, Roderick, who excelled in ability and character, had outstanding talent. Furthermore, since he was a man, he was a safe choice to succeed the Emperor.
Furthermore, as Emperor Terst displayed strange behavior of not designating a successor to the throne, the Imperial Palace was divided into two factions.
The faction that supported Aten and the faction that supported Roderick. There was no place for Elysia in either one.
"Mother said so. That I would succeed to the throne. Since I was young, you told me so incessantly that I could hear your voice in my dreams even when I was asleep. That I would become the Empress, who would rule this Empire!"
Elysia said as if she was reminiscing about the past. There was a smile on her lips and her eyes sparkled. Just like a young child holding onto a shining dream.
Philly didn't let it show on her face, but she felt her mixed emotions pouring out.
"That's why, Mother. I will become the Empress. No matter what it takes, I'll do whatever it takes."
Philly felt it. This time, it was the activation of "foresight." Elysia's recent words were a signal of some sort.
Philly's eyes moved swiftly. Behind Elysia. From afar, she could feel the presence of the chimera.
Elysia is Philly's daughter. Elysia talks as though she lacks talent, but Philly knows. She knows that Elysia is the one who most resembles her own character.
A calculating nature, a brain that makes such calculation possible, the knack for reading people's affections—all of these things reflect Philly's past as if in a mirror.
And so, she knew. She knew what Elysia was about to do.
"Cookie."
Elysia called someone. A truly cute name, but there was no mistaking it was meant for the chimera.
"Bite, mom."
Like a whispering wind that couldn't even leak out.
Philly knew. She knew the chimera's massive presence suddenly turning towards her.
Grrrrk, a sound like scraping iron faintly reached her ears.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-!!!
The heavy sound of the ground being pounded burst forth, and from afar, the chimera revealed itself.
Even as it charged, its eyes on both sides moved independently. Then, at some moment, its pupils quivered and focused. On Philly.
Ice Magic Formula 1
Rapid Fire
Ice Spike
Philly quickly cast a spell.
A giant block of ice obstructed the chimera's path.
But the chimera's charge did not stop, and the ice quickly cracked. There wasn't enough time for a proper spell to manifest.
Ice Magic Formula 1
Rapid Fire
Frost Arrow
Rushing to cast the next spell, the ice arrow flew towards the recently created ice mass, sticking to the cracked part.
Philly knew. She knew that there wasn't enough time to set up her magic. That the ice would shatter in seconds. She knew she couldn't stop the chimera on her own.
Her gaze shifted slightly away from the chimera. She couldn't stop it alone. That's why she had bought some time.
The moment the chimera broke through the ice, Frondier had already reached in front of it.
"How foolish."
Elysia, upon seeing this, smiled. She had worried that the man might run away while the chimera attacked Philly.
But now, it was evident her 'cookie' could take them both out at once.
However, Elysia was a bit annoyed by the numerous wounds on the front side of the chimera.
Responding to Elysia's feelings, the chimera didn't intend to stop. After breaking the ice, it sped up even more towards Frondier.
"…You."
Frondier's mouth opened. He stood foolishly in the path of the charging chimera. His lethargic demeanor didn't fade even in this critical moment.
"You must have really forgotten."
Weaving, Obsidian
Grade - Legendary
Gram
In his hands, Frondier held a great sword, its origin unknown.
The chimera's eyes widened. Its feet halted. It seemed to want to stop, but the momentum of its charge was too great.
From the left side of the chimera's charging path, Frondier,
Like swinging a baseball bat, struck the chimera that had reached him.
That was all.
