Book Chapter 8: Ruin is dead. It’s gone now.
"Why won't he wake up?"
I asked as I looked down at Cedric, who was sound asleep.
Felix had personally assured me that he was safe, so he would wake up just fine soon enough — but if possible, I wished he would wake up right now.
If His Highness, the only legitimately born royal, didn’t wake up, it would put the rebels in a very difficult position.
"If it were a contract with a devil, it should have been broken by now. The physician said there’s nothing unusual — he’s just asleep."
At Erica's words, Martina, standing beside her with her hood pulled up and leaning to one side, added with a smirk.
"Isn't this like one of those fairy tales where a true love's kiss is needed to wake the sleeping princess?"
It was a playful remark, entirely lacking in seriousness.
Kissing a sleeping person — wasn’t that a crime?
But then again, if the alternative was him never waking up, I could almost consider it like CPR.
With no other choice, I figured I might as well ask, just in case.
"So, is anyone here willing to volunteer for a true love's kiss?"
"Are you insane?"
Martina, who had first brought it up, recoiled in disgust.
Meanwhile, Claudia and Erica shot me glares, their expressions practically cursing me.
If they were going to react like that, why even bring it up in the first place?
Completely clueless, I glanced down at Cedric with sympathy, who had just been rejected by all three women.
With me included, that made four of us.
Sunlight poured in through the window, casting a golden glow over Cedric’s closed eyes.
As his expression scrunched up, seemingly bothered by the brightness, I felt reassured that he would wake soon.
Once he did, I’d need to get him to drink a potion.
Benjamin had undoubtedly drugged him again after he resisted the devil’s pact.
Anticipating this, I took out the potion I had prepared in advance.
At that moment, a delicate hand reached over my shoulder and smoothly passed the potion to a maid.
I blinked at my empty hand before looking up.
Claudia grinned mischievously and pulled me into a hug.
This must be what it means to understand someone without words.
We said nothing, simply embracing, yet somehow I could sense her thoughts.
A quiet warmth and reassurance washed over me.
Felix suddenly grabbed my hand and bit my finger, seemingly without reason.
Startled, I flinched and looked up at him.
His clear, innocent eyes met mine, and though he wasn’t a teething puppy, his gaze was filled with pure curiosity, making the moment all the more confusing.
It didn’t hurt, but the sensation was oddly unsettling.
If anything, he was becoming harder to understand, not easier.
His appearance, tone, and mannerisms had all returned to how they used to be, but something was undeniably different.
Even when doing nothing, he exuded an almost sensual aura, as if he was effortlessly radiating an alluring charm.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Felix, but Claudia only raised an eyebrow, offering no comment.
I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed that after bickering endlessly since their Walter days, she and Felix had finally found some sort of truce.
"Got it? You can start dating in 10 years and get married in 30."
"Hmm... Chloe, Ilypia is looking at you with a rather lonely expression."
At that, Claudia quickly turned her head to look at Ilypia.
"What?"
"...Nothing."
The day those two ended up together seemed even more distant than 30 years.
"Hey, who said you could flirt around here?"
But then it happened.
Cedric abruptly sat up — without receiving a true love’s kiss, having been rejected by all four women.
His voice was hoarse as he scolded us.
"Oh, you’ve awakened, hero."
I had a maid quickly give him the potion before asking him outright.
"Are you going to be emperor?"
"I told you I’m not interested."
"Hmm, as expected."
Cedric said with certainty, "While the moment of wielding power may be exhilarating, I've seen countless times how ugly the end of power can be. Honestly, you can tell just by looking at the irredeemable Three Useless Brothers."
Then he added, "Once things settle down, I’m going to travel around the world. As the last remaining royal with the right to succession, staying in the empire would only be a hindrance."
"Travel around the world?"
"Oh, it’s a dream of mine."
To be fair, everyone had dreamt of something like that at least once in their lifetime.
But in this world, travelling around the world wasn’t a leisurely vacation or sightseeing tour — it was a life-risking adventure.
“You really are a moth to a flame.”
Maybe this whole thing had awakened a taste for something dangerously thrilling.
Since he said it was a dream, it felt pointless to stop him, so I let out a soft, frustrated sigh and glanced over at Erica and Martina.
"I absolutely hate it. I’d rather pull the strings from behind the scenes than show my face in front of everyone."
"I feel the same way. Besides, I actually find what I’m doing now pretty fun."
At the comment that the work unexpectedly suited her, Martina flashed Erica a sly grin.
"Oh my, darling. You enjoy working with me that much?"
As Martina jabbed her in the side and called her by a weird nickname, Erica gave her a mildly annoyed look before brushing it off.
For all their bickering, the two actually seemed pretty close.
“Hmm.”
Claudia, who had been holding me tightly like a doll, let out a contemplative hum.
"I’ll do it."
"What?"
"I’ll do it. I’ll be the emperor."
Even if we gave her our full support, I’d always thought Claudia would refuse — just because she’d think it was too much trouble.
She’d often said in the past that nothing else mattered as long as the three of us could be happy together forever.
But maybe something in this whole ordeal made her realise something.
Her resolve looked unshakable.
・・・・・
For a brief moment, people were enthralled by the fresh and captivating festival known as the ‘Night of Heroes.’
But that excitement was short-lived.
The moment the emperor formally presented the heroes, a devil was summoned, darkness swept across the land, and a rebellion broke out.
In an instant, the empire was plunged into a cauldron of shock, fear, and chaos.
Amid the turmoil, the ones who drew the most attention were Claudia and Walter, who had dramatically revealed themselves and openly declared rebellion.
Yet their so-called rebellion was anything but conventional.
Claudia used the power of spirits to purify the corrupted land, offered safe refuge to the people, and even healed a mysterious disease.
Walter, on the other hand, wiped out not only the devil but also the entire group responsible for summoning it, all in a single decisive blow.
Even so, those who had been the loudest in condemning them as traitors held firm — at least until the truth came out: the one who had summoned the devil was none other than Benjamin Lamberg.
Wasn’t he the Duke of Lamberg? The one who had stood by the Crown Prince since his ascension and remained a central pillar of power in the empire?
Then came another shocking revelation: Duke Lamberg was also the ruler of the criminal underworld.
When his hideout in Carlisle was raided, the evidence left no room for doubt — a polluted sacred tree, the corpses of high-ranking priests stacked like mountains, and demonic sigils scrawled in blood across the floors.
The scene was unspeakably gruesome and grotesque, leaving everyone horrified and at a loss for words.
And yet, the worst part remained.
The devil still clung to Duke Lamberg like a shadow.
According to historical records, once summoned, a devil would never leave its summoner’s side until the contract was fulfilled.
This revelation only deepened the people’s unease.
Wasn’t there a chance that the nightmare of that day could repeat itself?
The devil had taken on a strange, wavering form — shimmering like a cloud of pure white mist — yet, bizarrely, it showed no will to attack.
And still, no one tried to harm the devil, nor did anyone strongly advocate for executing Benjamin, now imprisoned.
After all, they had seen with their own eyes just how powerful the devil truly was.
Who could say what might happen if they provoked it — or Benjamin — recklessly?
Gripped by an indistinct fear of the unknown, everyone chose to hold back.
As those stagnant, uncertain days dragged on, a new piece of news broke — one powerful enough to sweep away all the chaos in a single stroke.
Felix Chamberlain, the prodigious young sorcerer thought to have died prematurely, was alive.
And more shocking still: he was none other than Walter — the so-called “Butcher,” the war hero who had risen like a comet… and now stood revealed as one of the key figures behind the rebellion.
"Are you really okay with this?"
I had spread the rumour just as Felix had requested, through Martina.
But even as I carried out his request, I couldn’t shake my unease.
No matter how much Felix had once been loved and admired by the people, Walter’s name carried a heavy, terrifying infamy.
Even I had found myself biased after learning the truth about who he really was.
"You trust me, don’t you?"
Felix gently ruffled my hair as he spoke.
And then, the day rumoured to bring Felix Chamberlain’s important announcement finally arrived.
Just like on the Night of Heroes, the square was filled with people, drawn by curiosity, fear, and hope.
・・・・・
"Ah, can everyone hear me?"
Felix opened lightly, as if testing a microphone, and gave a warm, gentle smile.
His soft voice carried on waves of amplification magic, rippled out across the plaza, brushing the ears of the gathered crowd like a calm breeze.
When the news spread that Felix was alive and had been living as Walter, people were still doubtful.
After all, wasn’t this Felix Chamberlain, a man often called the “embodiment of justice” or “the last remaining conscience”?
Countless admirers of his character simply couldn’t reconcile him with Walter, the mercenary of judgment and ruin.
But now, at this very moment, the crowd could no longer hide their shock.
He stood before them dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, twin swords strapped at his waist.
That sight alone made one thing perfectly clear: he had deceived them all.
He was Walter.
A traitor wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guard?
It was nothing less than a mockery — an outright insult.
No matter how powerful the Chamberlain family was, even with their grip on the empire’s economy, how could this possibly be acceptable?
Wasn’t it the duty of a Vice Minister of Magic to carry out his orders, even unjust ones, and to devote himself wholly to the nation?
Amid the murmuring of the confused crowd, the members of the Ministry of Magic looked up at Felix with tearful eyes, calling out, “Vice Minister!”
But they dared not approach — he had personally forbidden it.
And because Felix was usually so gentle, that firm command had felt even more resolute.
With a calm yet unwavering tone, he had told them to stay put until the official announcement was over.
Among them, the one who felt most hurt was Elisa.
In Felix’s absence, she had been forcibly pushed into the role of Acting Vice Minister by none other than the Minister himself.
As for the Minister of Magic — he was a classic bureaucratic parachute, an incompetent planted by high-ranking officials solely to keep the sorcerers in check.
He dumped all his responsibilities on the Vice Minister and had the gall to treat her like an errand boy.
That alone had nearly broken her.
And now, during the rebellion, the Minister’s ties to the imperial court had completely collapsed — or more accurately, been killed off.
And then he had fled abroad under the cover of night.
‘Please come back to the Ministry and save me, Vice Minister!’
Even as Elisa wept in relief that Felix was alive, she was screaming inside with desperation.
If things continued like this, she was going to die of sheer overwork.
"Huh?"
But as she focused more closely on Felix, she let out a small sound of surprise.
The mana swirling around him — it didn’t feel right.
It was thick, volatile, unnatural.
Unconsciously, Elisa murmured:
“He feels even less human now than when I met him as Walter…”
He had already surpassed the limits of humanity.
So how much further was he planning to go?
The sorcerers, who were the quickest to sense the calm before the storm, kept themselves guarded and shrank back.
Seeing it firsthand, they began to understand why Felix had coldly driven them away and kept his distance.
"Everyone, have you ever heard of the Dragon’s Miracle?”
Felix began speaking with those words.
“Being born with mana blessed by the dragon is a divine mandate and destiny. A miraculous child is born with the fate of a messenger and must dedicate themselves loyally to the nation.”
Reciting a well-known truth as if it were poetry, he reached out toward the empty air and continued speaking.
“I was born as a miraculous child. But one day, four years ago, my god told me that my devotion was misguided. My true destiny wasn’t to serve the nation, but to protect the people from harm.”
At that very moment, Felix cast a spell.
From his fingertips, a silver radiance blossomed, undulating as it spread through the air, before rising to blanket the entire sky.
The sorcerers knew it at once — this was the very storm their senses had warned them of.
It was as if the ocean had risen whole into the heavens, its silver surface shimmering in waves across the sky.
Magic now veiled the imperial skies, and from that luminous canopy, droplets fell like the tears of stars.
The sight was so breathtaking that it drew gasps of wonder unbidden.
The commotion quickly quieted down, and everyone was busy staring up at the sky with their jaws practically dropped.
In Roxitant, there was a founding myth known to all, regardless of status or rank.
And there was also a play faithfully based on that myth.
Every year on the founding anniversary, that very play was traditionally performed in theatres and streets, including the imperial palace.
Now, a scene straight from that myth — one so familiar that every citizen could recite its lines by heart — was playing out in real life, right before their eyes.
“A blessing spell…”
It was the blessing spell — a legendary magic bestowed as a sign of the founders’ vow to protect the empire and spread its glory for all eternity.
A silver aura blanketed the sky, a magic from myth said to ward off any threat before it could even draw near.
It was the magic of a dragon.
Felix was not just a child of miracles, but the dragon itself.
Those who had dismissed dragons as mere myths, as nothing more than creatures of fantasy and imagination, now found themselves in turmoil — shaken to the core as reality shattered their disbelief.
"I proved myself capable of protecting the empire from devils, and only then did God entrust me with great authority. Therefore, until the end of my days, I shall devote my all as God's messenger and herald, and as the guardian of the empire."
Now, no one dared voice any complaints or objections to his words.
After all, who would dare oppose someone who claimed to be God’s messenger and herald, having received the magic of dragons directly from the divine?
“Benjamin Lamberg — who summoned devils and plunged the empire into chaos.Lucas D’Arrian Roxitant — who brought calamity through endless war and ruled with tyranny.And Constantine — the former commander of the Holy Knights — who dared to deceive the divine and slaughter His servants. I will personally carry out divine judgment upon them, in the name of God.”
And yet, despite hearing such accusations from the mouth of a supposed rebel, the people looked up to Felix with awe.
They welcomed this new protector who had, for the first time, stepped into the public eye.
In the very moment they accepted his proclamation — and his words gained divine legitimacy through the dragon’s magic — Felix was no longer a traitor.
He became a revolutionary.
“I shall stand with Claudia Chamberlain, the virtuous ruler who will usher in a new age of peace and everlasting glory for the empire. I will serve at her side as her devoted ally.”
For a moment, everyone was stunned by the unexpected declaration, but soon a thunderous cheer erupted.
This was because Claudia’s deeds during the devil crisis had become legendary tales, spreading far and wide through knights and bards.
I watched that historic moment with my own eyes, and the phrase ‘a grand public deception’ immediately came to mind.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a complete lie. After all, the God of this world truly wished for Claudia’s happiness.
Felix demonstrating his power before the people was the most effective way to convince them and clear the path for Claudia’s coronation. After all, Felix’s words had now come to signify the will of God.
But there was nothing to worry about. He would succeed. There was no chance he’d become arrogant or lose himself to the blinding lust for power.
And, of course, the same went for Claudia, who was to become the future emperor.
I clapped my hands proudly as I watched Claudia step forward confidently in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
The moment Felix stepped down from the podium and approached me, I gave him a quick, sharp glance.
“When exactly did you receive God’s revelation? And what’s this about dragon magic?”
I whispered softly into his ear, my voice betraying a hint of disappointment that he hadn’t told me beforehand.
Felix leaned in and whispered back, “Surprised?” with a playful smile that carried a shy, almost uncharacteristic awkwardness.
“Because my god is you, Irene.”
“...”
“Rin’s will is God’s will.”
When he called me a god, it was his way of claiming to be my messenger and herald.
His words sounded like a solemn confession, and I found myself hesitating, my cheeks flushing.
"Ah, really. You have a talent for leaving me speechless."
“I’ve been sincere from start to finish.”
Felix then added, almost as an afterthought, that it seemed like it was thanks to me that he suddenly gained the dragon’s magic.
“When I was desperately wandering through the dimensional rift for Rin, my magic’s range suddenly expanded exponentially. It felt as if I had embraced a whole new universe. Strange, isn’t it?”
He calmly explained and then softly asked.
“Don’t you plan to reveal it to everyone? The fact that Rin is the messenger of God?”
At those words, I shook my head.
The reason was simple: there was nothing impressive about a powerless viscount’s daughter turning out to be a messenger of God.
It would only disappoint the people who hoped for a more fitting hero.
At that, Felix, without needing to persuade me twice, smiled brightly and said—
"Alright then. Rin, please be my own personal god."
We clasped each other’s hands tightly as we listened to the new emperor’s clear and resonant speech echoing through the square.
⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡ ⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆
If you notice any errors or broken links, please let me know and I will get that fixed~ Additionally, if you would like to support me, I have a Ko-fi ~ Thank you! 💖