Rumors spread throughout the allied forces that the hero, Ellen Artorius, had awakened another power.
Everyone who witnessed the vanguard sweeping away the monsters as the main force advanced could not help but be in awe.
A massive wave of flames pouring from the hero's Sun Cloak swept away the monsters.
Inferior monsters turned to ash within the wave of fire, while those that withstood the flames met their demise by the void sword that could sever anything.
Ellen was the very embodiment of the judgment of the sun and the moon, sweeping away the waves of monsters at the forefront.
However, the hateful flames pouring from the Sun Mantle did not discriminate against friend or foe.
Thus, no one could intervene in the middle of the battlefield where Ellen single-handedly swept away the enemies.
The majority of the allied forces were encouraged by the fact that the hero had grown stronger.
However, "majority" implies that not everyone felt the same way.
While everyone admired the hero's prowess, those who knew Ellen from the Temple felt uneasy about Ellen Artorius's appearance.
Something was off about Ellen.
She had always been quiet, but now she spoke even less.
Her pupils seemed unfocused and hazy, and she occasionally muttered strange nonsense while clutching her head.
After the march, they set up camp again.
Emperor Bertus and the Archbishops of the Five Great Religious Orders came to inspect the camp.
Although the visit was ostensibly to boost the morale of the allied forces and the Holy Knights, the Emperor had a hidden agenda.
Having received a report from Saviolin Turner that Ellen Artorius's condition was unusual, he came to check on her.
Inside the camp, Ellen Artorius's tent.
"Ellen."
"…Yes."
Emperor Bertus could not help but feel uneasy upon seeing Ellen's condition.
Seated across from her, he stared at Ellen, who was gazing into the void with her hazy eyes.
Saviolin Turner stood guard beside Bertus.
Ellen had awakened another power she hadn't been able to use before.
However, aside from growing stronger, it seemed Ellen Artorius faced a serious issue.
"You seem to be in pain somewhere."
"…"
Everyone who knew Ellen asked her about her condition.
Asking if she was in pain or if she was alright.
But each time, Ellen shook her head.
She would only say she was tired, as she glanced around with her blurry eyes, as if trying to confirm what was around her.
Ellen checked the figures of Emperor Bertus and Saviolin Turner standing beside him.
"A while ago… I met Reinhardt."
Ellen still maintained her sense of self.
Emperor Bertus and Saviolin Turner knew the truth about the Gate incident.
So, Ellen decided it was okay to tell them what she had been through.
Reinhardt was dying, and she took on his burden.
Upon briefly explaining the situation, Bertus and Turner could only be shocked.
It was a phenomenon caused by too many deaths. It had struck Reinhardt, and Ellen had inherited it.
Ellen's mental state couldn't be sound under such circumstances.
"I had no choice… I had to do it. That's what I think."
"…"
"…"
Ellen mumbled absentmindedly, almost out of her wits, that she had to save Reinhardt.
Both Bertus and Turner couldn't deny it was a reckless act.
However, they also understood Ellen's desire to save Reinhardt in that situation.
"My ego will probably fade away gradually. But, I won't harm anyone... surely."
Even if her ego vanished, bearing hatred for the Demon King, she wouldn't harm humans. She would become a puppet with only hatred for the Demon King remaining.
Ellen secretly met with Reinhardt not to tell Berthold and Turner about it, but for a different reason.
Now that she had unleashed the true power of Lapelt, Ellen had grown stronger.
"So, when the Gate Incident is completely over... please kill me..."
After the Gate Incident ended, it was certain that Ellen, having lost her ego, would try to kill the Demon King.
"Before I try to kill Reinhardt..."
So, she asked them to kill her once her purpose was fulfilled.
Ellen pleaded with Turner and Berthold.
"What is this?"
"..."
-Rumble!
Following the recipe Harriet provided, Lucinil concocted an alchemical potion.
After consuming it, Liana successively summoned three tornadoes on the seashore.
They didn't know if it was right or not, but nothing seemed better for drawing out her abilities.
Of course.
"..."
It was extremely painful to see Liana's complexion turned pale and lifeless.
"Let's use it only when absolutely necessary."
"I suppose so..."
As Lucinil spoke, Liana slowly nodded in agreement.
The drug was effective but excessively dangerous.
Though I no longer needed to provoke Liana to activate her powers.
Somehow.
Liana's appearance seemed painfully exhausted.
In some ways, it looked as if she was being properly punished.
Anyway, one thing was certain.
Liana, having taken the depression-inducing drug, was invincible.
The drug Liana took had definite effects.
Could it be called a drug, even?
Not a mood-enhancing drug, but a mood-depressing one.
Could a drug with the opposite effect still be called a drug?
No, perhaps it's more fitting to call it a drug because it has effects suitable for the very name itself.
Though there were no side effects, the drug's effectiveness was not much different from side effects, so it couldn't be used frequently.
The more it was used, the more the user would suffer from the drug's effects.
That's why Harriet warned against overusing it.
Liana focused on Harriet's words, not about avoiding overuse, but that there would be no side effects aside from the drug's effects themselves.
Even without my supervision, Liana was practicing on a deserted island with Lucinil, trying to explore the depths of her abilities.
It was good that her ability development accelerated, but was it genuinely a good thing?
Liana was tormenting herself.
The selection process for Olivia and the elite Vampires, as well as war preparations, progressed smoothly.
The moment we stepped in, the army's march would quicken, and the speed of suppressing the Gate Incident would also increase.
Meanwhile, separate from the war preparations, other tasks were progressing one by one.
Fighting Ellen in my dreams continued on alternate days.
Still, it wasn't going well.
Fighting without a proper mindset to harm Ellen put me at a disadvantage.
Moreover, the Void Sword Lament would cleave everything it touched, excluding divine relics.
Although I had become a master class, my overall specs were still insufficient, and I was not properly prepared for battle.
I had to experience defeat ending in my death, a hundred out of a hundred times.
The pain experienced in a dream at the moment of death was nothing more than a mere bonus.
"Is it already finished?"
"Yeah. It wasn't that difficult."
I stood with my mouth agape, looking at the white obelisk that had replaced the central fountain in Lazak's square.
Passersby would tilt their heads in confusion at the sight of the suddenly erected obelisk, but they had no idea what it really was.
Beside me were Harriet and Airi.
"Your abilities as a scribe are truly astonishing, the more I learn about them."
"Is, is that so……"
Unaccustomed to compliments, Harriet blushed at Airi's words.
The Dream Obelisk.
Not only had Harriet succeeded in deciphering dream magic, but she had also quickly managed to turn it into an artifact.
Somehow, she had spent the past few days scribbling in her research notes, and it seemed that she was working to create this.
"First, we'll test it out, and if it seems effective, we'll consider installing more in other areas."
"Sounds good."
Although getting a good night's sleep might not seem particularly significant during this time, I believed that the Dream Obelisk, which could fend off terrible nightmares, would undoubtedly be helpful to people.
Technically speaking, dream interference magic wasn't magic but a unique ability possessed only by succubi.
Harriet's ability to reinterpret that as magic and turn it into an artifact had long surpassed the abilities of most Archmages.
Harriet's capacity had grown incomparably since her first year, which made such a feat possible.
From a genius with the greatest magical talent in history, she had grown enough to fully utilize her abilities.
Ironically, it was thanks to Charlotte that Harriet could develop artifacts so rapidly.
When Harriet had to assist me and act as a secretary, she had no time for her personal pursuits.
However, since Charlotte efficiently handled her duties without needing to act as a secretary, Harriet could fully devote her time to her desired projects.
But still, it felt strange.
It was a good thing that Harriet could devote all her time to her research.
It was also a good thing that Charlotte had taken over my duties and was performing them even better than me.
But the fact that I had unknowingly been stealing Harriet's time all along became too apparent, and it left me feeling a bit…
How should I put it?
A sense of self-reproach, perhaps.
"..."
"What's wrong?"
That night, as I sat on the bed after preparing for sleep, Harriet tilted her head, noticing my silence.
"…What?"
"Are you angry?"
"No? Not at all."
"…You look upset."
I hadn't thought I'd shown any signs, and there was no reason to be angry. Strictly speaking, I should have been happy that my proposal had been implemented so quickly, not upset.
In response to my denial, Harriet stared at me intently.
Come to think of it.
Ever since I had usurped Edina's government, I had spent the most time with Harriet.
So, due to the long time we spent together, Harriet was the one most sensitive to my mood swings.
In other words, I couldn't fool Harriet, even if I could fool anyone else.
In the end, I had no choice but to sigh under her gaze.
"It's just… I've been thinking that maybe I've taken up too much of your time."
"My time……?"
"Come to think of it, with just this level of concentration, you could create something like this. If I had been able to handle state affairs alone, you could have done something else. Something more constructive and progressive… What should I say? You could have done something that only you can do."
Harriet was an overly talented individual to simply serve as my secretary.
However, everyone else around me was busy with their own responsibilities. Although Harriet reluctantly took on the role of my secretary, it was undeniable that she was an irreplaceable, exceptional talent.
If Harriet hadn't been my secretary and had focused on her research instead, she might have accomplished even greater things that only she could do.
If only I had been a little more capable.
Now that Charlotte, who undoubtedly had better qualifications for governance than me, had taken over the administration, I couldn't help but think about what I could have achieved but didn't in the time that had already passed.
"Wait… Was that it?"
"It's a bit of a foolish concern, but I can't help but think about it."
As I sighed, Harriet smiled wryly.
"Well… Hmm…"
Harriet sat huddled on the bed, lost in thought.
"I'm not sure what I could have done if I had taken on a different role… Honestly, I don't know. I was busy too, just like you."
"…"
"Still, I enjoyed it."
Harriet said this as she looked at me.
"I enjoyed being close to you."
"…Is that so?"
Her words left me speechless.
I couldn't bring myself to look directly at Harriet's face.
"Even if I might have been able to do something else, the things we accomplished together aren't erased. Even if Charlotte could do what we did faster and better, we can't say that what we managed to do was worthless."
"…You're right."
Yes, that's true.
At some point, age seemed to lose its significance.
At some point, I had been receiving too much help from those around me, and in some ways, others were wiser than me.
Not to mention saying pleasant things.
Pleasant words might not mean anything, but people need such things.
Harriet had always been close to me, and she still is.
That's why Harriet said she enjoyed it.
Leaving aside practical efficiency and other possibilities.
I also truly enjoyed it.
At some point, Harriet had become devoted to me.
She really tried to give me everything.
After finishing her words, Harriet returned to writing in her research journal.
Harriet, who no longer needed to act as my secretary, was still busy.
She continued to search for things to do.
"Still, take it easy. Is there more work left?"
"I think I should keep an eye on the obelisk. There's a lot of other work."
"Other work?"
"I'm learning about soul-subduing techniques from the Lord of Wednesday."
Soul-subduing techniques.
In the midst of all this, she was suddenly learning about soul-subduing techniques from Lucinil? At my puzzled expression, Harriet looked at me with a sad smile.
"Ellen, we have to find a way to bring her back."
"Ah…"
Her words left me feeling as if I was suffocating.
"I had no time, so I had no choice but to do it this way. There might have been another method."
"…"
"I won't forget that Ellen took on everything."
Harriet continues to write in her research journal.
"Ellen is also my friend, you know."
It wasn't Antirianus who had suggested to Ellen that she should shoulder everything; it was Harriet.
Ellen is also a friend to Harriet.
I had forgotten this obvious fact for far too long.
After writing in her research journal for quite some time, Harriet suddenly looks at me.
"So, don't try to thank me."
"Uh…?"
"Because then, I'd feel hurt."
At Harriet's words, I was left speechless, unable to respond.
