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Everything was supposed to go well. Defeating Nigel, seizing the spirit, and restoring Fraus. And then, building a nation more prosperous than ever before.

Things had gone smoothly up to the point where the Queen of Nigel had been defeated, and we were just one step away from claiming the spirit. But then, everything fell apart. A girl named Finis, who claimed to be the reincarnation of Makoto, stole the spirit right in front of us and easily overpowered Takatoshi with overwhelming strength.

Then, with the sudden appearance of the Demon Lord, all I could do was watch. His goal, it seemed, was to kill everyone in the world, and when his eyes met mine, I felt fear like never before. I understood from the depths of my soul—this was an existence that should not be touched.

Like a child paralyzed in the gaze of a monster, I was filled with raw terror. And again, I came to understand just what kind of person Finis was—able to fight such a being on equal terms, or even surpass it. If she wished, conquering the world would likely be an easy task for her.

And that only made her outlandish words feel even more real.

When the girl who claimed to be a spirit was accompanying us as a bodyguard, I wondered if there was any way to capture her. But the trump cards I had prepared were already broken, and all I could do was clench my teeth in frustration. A tool supposedly left behind by the former Hero— without it, we couldn’t even lay a hand on the spirit. That truth hit hard.

Still, I racked my brain, trying to think of something—anything—I could do for Fraus. But no answers came, and then I heard an ominous phrase from Finis, “What used to be a kingdom.” Apparently, the Demon Lord had come straight here from Caeruleus.
If so, he would have had to pass through Fraus.

That meant ‘what used to be a kingdom’ likely referred to Fraus. After Finis, who had now become a God, and the Demon Lord stopped fighting, and the Demon Lord disappeared, I asked Finis about Fraus. She told me to go see it for myself. Then, using her magic, she sent us flying to Fraus.

To so casually send others through the sky—she clearly wasn’t human.
She wasn’t joking about becoming a God, it seemed.

The world’s collapse was also real, and no matter what we did now, nothing would change. As royalty, it was my duty to inform the people of this truth—whatever happened after that. That would be my final duty as a member of the royal family.

◇◇◇

Being taken back to one’s own country by an enemy—after reflecting on that, it was perhaps a bit too reckless. Flying through the sky also showed me how unsettling it truly was. But the fact that I arrived in Fraus unharmed meant Finis considered my being as not all that important anymore.

That was fine for now. I had to deliver the truth to my beloved people, and I was prepared to die as a royal. I couldn’t help but wonder how things had turned out this way—but even accepting that was part of being royalty. That was how my father and mother raised me, though much of it was also thanks to my nursemaids.

At the very least, my parents loved me. As did my older brother, my younger brother, and my younger sister. So why were their heads now displayed for all to see? Why were the people able to remain calm in the face of such a scene?

In that moment, my thoughts froze, and a citizen pointed at me.

“There she is! That’s Topersion!”

A man shouted, and instantly, many eyes turned toward me. So many stares. Eyes that had once looked upon me with reverence were now bloodshot and filled with rage.

“Your Highness, this way!”

Soter grabbed my hand, snapping my frozen mind into motion. I didn’t understand the situation, but I knew I had to run. There wasn’t even time to explain—I could be killed on the spot.

Soter slipped into a side street, leading us away from the crowd without hesitation. I hadn’t known Soter was so familiar with the city’s alleys. If things were normal, maybe I could’ve snuck out with her for fun. We continued deeper, toward places with no people, and eventually she brought me into a small shack.

Inside, the place was dusty and broken in spots—clearly neglected.

“Where are we?”
“A place prepared for emergencies—a hiding spot. I apologize for the poor condition. It hasn’t been used at all until now and has not been maintained.”
“It’s fine. This is no time to worry about such things.”

I knew full well I couldn’t afford to be picky. Having a place to rest in this situation was a luxury.

“Your Highness, please go into the hidden room. In the meantime, I’ll gather information from the city.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“But we can’t do anything without knowing what’s going on first.”

Soter was right. Without understanding the situation, I couldn’t act. If I moved now, I’d only make things worse. Soter was the only one I could rely on. She was trustworthy—but still, it was dangerous. After all, she had been seen with me.

“Understood. Be careful.”
“You as well, Your Highness. And take this.”

Soter handed me some hard bread and dried meat—emergency rations—along with a canteen.

“I’m going out now. These aren’t much, but for now, please focus on surviving.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be back by tonight. Until then.”

Soter left the room. The hidden room was barely large enough for two beds—hardly comfortable. But for now, I would endure it and wait for Soter’s return.