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“Now that I think about it, maybe the downfall started the very moment the royal family embraced power. Placing a curse on your own territory ain’t a sane thing to do.”
One of the causes of the decline of the Amara Kingdom was the land quickly turning into a desert. After the royals created dolls using the earth as a material to use in wars with other countries, the earth just ended up losing its energy.
To make up for the land's lost strength, the Amara Kingdom took a simple action: Invasion of neighboring countries.
“The power struggle that seemed to last forever gnawed at the heart of the royal family. They felt no shame in expanding into full-blown war. Of course, Milady was no exception.”
Menace, the successor of the Amara dynasty, always faced the threat of assassination. She was only able to thwart them thanks to the advice from the Living Scepter Setra, and her own martial arts skill.
She had learned murderous fighting techniques after all, and felt no qualms about using them on her opponents.
‘To overcome fear, one must become fear itself.’
Menace usually put her father’s words into practice, and treated her subordinates as things, not as people. Friends were not needed for a ruler.
That was another thing her father taught her.
“Even with Milady acting like that, she did have some people she confided in. Anarista, her martial arts teacher, and someone sent as a tribute from the neighboring country Sadler: the Silver Songstress Saria… your lookalike.”
“So she resembled me that much?”
“Yup, like twins.”
She was a wonderful singer who had been brought from a distant land, and went on to create many musical pieces for Menace.
“I also loved the gal’s songs. If only that hadn’t happened…”
“That thing?”
“That Anarista rat betrayed Milady. Saria tried to stop her, but…”
“And just who was this Anarista?”
Fio's question spoke volumes to Setra about how time hadn’t been kind to them. In the present world, the story of how the Amara dynasty had met its ruin wasn’t portrayed accurately. The name of the court lady Anarista, the one who pulled the decisive trigger, had been lost to time.
“She was the court lady who taught Milady her fighting techniques. That is, she was absurdly strong.”
Anarista had climbed the ranks of society - from a slave to serving in the royal palace. She was a living example of the fluid status system in Amara, where quality and effort could lift even slaves to high positions.
“The king mustn’t have been very popular if that strong person could betray him, was he?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that… Anyway, due to her betrayal, the country perished.”
“And that Saria?”
“She died as well.”
Anarista decided to usurp Amara after being tempted by the neighboring country Sadler. They used the dissatisfaction of slaves to start a rebellion - and the royal palace quickly went up in flames.
“In retrospect, I guess being known as Milady’s favorite might not have worked great for her at the time.”
“Eep.”
When the ruling class got overthrown, it wasn't hard to imagine what kind of experience those related to it went through.
“When we found her, Saria was already dead - her throat crushed. Abused by the slaves too, it was a sorry sight… if she sees you now, I think Milady will grieve again…”
“This is a story from long ago, isn’t it? How old is Princess Menace again?”
“She’s only as old as she looks. It’s just, she was revived recently.”
“Revived?”
“Yeah, this person callin’ herself ‘Swamp Witch’ or whatever seems to have revived her. I never met her, I don’t know the deets.”
A witch who could revive the dead… the thought made Fio remember the Mistress who had given the order to Airi back at Sheldan.
[She was in need of my power to revive the dead… however, the witch had succeeded at reviving Menace without me by then. If Airi’s Mistress was so keen on reviving somebody, I wonder if Menace served as an experiment…?
Maybe those people, Airi included, will go after me again.]
“Well, back on topic.”
As Fio was wondering about something else, Setra kept talking.
"When Milady and I reunited, I had a thought: 'This time. I should train her so she can carve her fate with her own two hands!'"
Setra knew that the Queen of the Continent was decided by the Queen's Blade, and trained Menace to achieve victory in it.
"And with sex appeal, of course! More than any other fighter! I'm so lucky, getting to fight bouncy, curvy warriors!"
He was in high spirits now. It seems he was happy to be fighting female warriors with Menace.
"By the way... you really don't know anything?"
Setra's eyes began to glow.
"Huh?"
"About the witch, or Saria."
"I don't. This is the first time I've heard about them."
"I see. Stay still for a while, then."
Setra's eyes grew brighter, emitting a ray that illuminated Fio from the top of his head to the tip of his toes!
"Wah!"
"I said stay still! This drains a lot of magical energy!"
The ray went up and down once again, making sure to take in all of Fio's body.
Overwhelmed, the boy could only freeze in place.
And once the ray stopped...
[...Is it just me, or is he starting to spin faster and faster?]
"What? What is it?"
"Searching! Searching! Searching complete."
Setra kept muttering as he rotated, then came to an abrupt halt.
"Hmm... seems you really don't know anything."
"...What did you do?"
"A bit of a check up on you. Thanks to that I found something interesting... Mister body of the Sword of Unicorn."
"How do you know that!?"
"Simple, really - I'm the one who cast the spell on the Sword."
Fio's eyes went right to his crotch, then back to Setra - burning with anger.
"YOU? YOU did this to me? Dispel it! Dispel it right now!"
“Kukakakakaka!”
Setra floated out of Fio's reach while letting out a hearty laugh.
“I will... If you promise me something.”
“A promise? Deal.”
Fio didn't hesitate.
[I'd do anything to get this fixed. If he asks the impossible, it’s okay not to keep the promise.]
“An easy-going one, huh…”
It was no wonder Setra was amazed.
“Of course, if you break your promise, a curse will be placed on your genitals. Hope you’re ready.”
“Ack.”
Setra sensed what Fio was thinking, adding that to be sure.
Normally, the Sword of Unicorn could invalidate any curse... But Setra's magic had already proven its efficacy on Fio.
“Why’d you place a terrible curse like this? You sleazebag!”
“Kukakakakaka, this is Amara’s curse!”
“So what’s this promise? Out with it!”
Fio rushed him, demanding quite a bit despite their positions.
“I only want you to promise one thing: don’t fight Milady with the Sword of Unicorn!”
“...That’s all?”
“Yeah, that’s all.”
“That’s pretty easy. In the first place, I'm not the owner, Leina is.”
[Plus, if Leina comes back to her senses, she probably wouldn't use the Sword in a preliminary battle.]
“Leina... is she the warrior I caught?”
Once he figured out Fio’s real identity, Setra found he could be at ease.
[The body of the Sword of Unicorn is only pursuing its other half. It has nothing to do with the Swamp Witch, Milady’s enemy.]
“That’s right. I'm here to save her. If I have the Sword, I should be able to return her to her senses… where did you hide it?”
“I hid it someplace interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Lend me your ears for a bit.”
Setra lowered his body to level himself with Fio’s head, and whispered to his ear.
Then, the boy’s face twisted in shock.
“An interesting place, don’t you think?”
“Why’d you hide it someplace like that?!”
Fio’s shoulders shook, his cheeks dyed beet red. That explained rather well why he had felt that comfortable, soft feeling.
“I only wanted it to be a place Milady would never stick her hands into.”
“Hm…”
“I leave the rest to ya, do your best.”
[I know where the Sword is now. I only have to hurry back to the surface.]
“Say, Setra.”
“What?”
“Where’s the exit to the surface?”
Fio grinned and asked Setra how to get out. If he wasn’t his enemy, he might as well.
***
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