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The castle struck by lightning was ablaze, but the Demon King could only flail about, unable to exit the castle immediately. She realized how absurd the situation was as the lightning crashed down upon her head, yet the notebook belonging to Moriarty that she still hadn’t found weighed heavily on her mind.

Perhaps that notebook wasn’t even here. Allowing the flames to descend upon her head like this could mean that she had previously stashed the document safely away elsewhere.

Still, the Demon King busily searched the areas of the castle untouched by the fire. When it came to magical devices, the Demon King often lost her reason and behaved foolishly. Jeongjae steadily encircled the entire castle with flames, tightening the grip around it.

At this rate, the fire would swallow the castle whole. If all went well, they might eradicate the Demon King from the world forever. Margaret, watching her home burn, spat blood as she stated,

“The notebook is all inside, right?”

“From the original to the translations, it’s all there. This is a good opportunity. If it disappears like this, it’ll be convenient for everyone.”

“And what if that guy succeeds in getting the documents first?”

“Even if he finds the location, I’ve cast a defensive spell that can’t be broken in a short time. No matter what, even the current state of the Demon King, it’s impossible to undo it amidst the raging flames. Yes, Margaret. That notebook will burn. Along with your castle. Is this okay?”

“It couldn’t be better. Ignite the flames more. It’s getting colder… I’m freezing.”

Hearing Margaret’s words, Jeongjae hurriedly took her hand to check her temperature. It was clear that internal injuries had occurred due to the Demon King’s strike, and even the wound from her arm, which had just been injured earlier, appeared to be oozing blood as if it were about to tear open again. The Fairy Lord struggled to keep her consciousness alert, aware that if she lost it now, she would truly be in danger, but it seemed she was barely managing to hold onto her sanity amid perilous moments.

At that moment, a dragon swooped toward Margaret’s castle, tearing the roof off with its forepaws. Jeongjae flinched at the overwhelming force of the enormous dragon descending right before him.

“Let’s go, Your Majesty. As a servant, I cannot leave you behind.”

The fire of the blaze dealt significant damage to the dragon. They were a species that bore flames within them. The dragon scattered the flames enveloping the castle with a flap of its wings, then pulled the Demon King from within the castle and bore her upon its back before Jeongjae could gather his strength to enwrap them in flames again.

Though Violet didn’t walk out of the castle on her own, she didn’t resist the attempt to pull her out. She knew retreating was the right choice. The moment the dragon dragged the Demon King out of the castle, the blaze once again enveloped the entire building, and the fierce fires of Hell overturned everything in Margaret’s castle, including the Moriarty notes, to ashes.

Just a moment ago, Violet Moriarty, who felt like an untouchable incarnation of evil, seemed quite shaken by not obtaining what she desired, as she appeared pale while perched atop the dragon’s neck.

The Demon King looked down at Jeongjae, who was casting recovery magic on Margaret, while lying her on his thigh.

“I inhaled a lot of smoke.”

“Get lost. It seems neither of us can fight this time either.”

Jeongjae replied, looking up at the Demon King with a sharp voice. Violet’s attire was tattered by flames, turning her into a pitiful sight, and the marks of burns were evident all over her skin. The Demon King didn’t deny Jeongjae’s words, yet expressed rage as she gazed through the barrier of flames.

“What was that spell back then, Grand Mage?”

“What spell? I have no magic to reveal to the likes of you.”

“It’s the spell you intended to use to kill me. I’ve never seen such magic in my life. But, just by seeing the magic circle once, I understood. If you’d used that spell, I would surely have died. So, Grand Mage, how exactly did you plan on surviving?”

It clearly referred to ‘Manhattan’. Upon hearing the Demon King’s words, Margaret instinctively flinched, while Jeongjae merely stared at the Demon King with a sharp expression, saying nothing. Violet nodded, as if realizing something.

“Is that so? You had no intention of surviving. So that kid released the spell to save you, huh? Understood. If it’s just that, then I couldn’t care less.”

The Demon King kicked the dragon’s neck, signaling for lift-off. The green dragon, displeased with being treated like a steed, nonetheless began to soar into the sky obediently.

“But if it’s just that, then I can’t be defeated. No matter how I see it, it seems we’re going to lose this war.”

And thus, the Demon King disappeared into the sky alongside the dragon. While the full state of affairs was still unknown, Jeongjae felt that this battle had somehow come to an end. Indeed, pillars of fire were no longer rising from the forest, nor were the dragons visible overhead.

The Demon King’s army retreated. Eramenia had survived, at least for now. While this could be called a victory, neither Jeongjae nor anyone else felt like celebrating it.

Although no exact count had been tallied yet, it was likely that tens of thousands of elves had perished in this battle. In the realm of elves, this was no small number. No, it was a cataclysmic disaster where more than ten percent of the population had been slaughtered. Only after seeing the dragons retreat did Margaret relax a bit, claiming she would take a breather, and thus lost consciousness right there on Jeongjae’s lap.

She was in a state that required healing. Moving her somewhere could mean traveling the distance from a castle that was already burning. In the end, he decided to stay by Margaret’s side, keeping watch over her through the night. As dawn began to break, Margaret slowly raised her body and surveyed her surroundings.

“This time, you protected me.”

Margaret recalled the time she had laid Jeongjae down at Harker Baron’s estate, her words tinged with remembrance. Jeongjae stretched his numbed legs and nodded in response.

“I think it’s important to repay kindness when I can.”

“Let’s head to the royal capital. There are situations that need to be rectified. If we don’t take care of it now, it’ll be something we won’t be able to rectify later.”

Jeongjae understood Margaret’s words. The look in Margaret’s eyes as she gazed at her castle, which had been reduced to ashes, gleamed with rage and ambition. At this moment, she had thoughts of declaring a public stance. Before someone could object, before anyone could lead the atmosphere, she intended to be the first to step forward and give a speech to redirect the arrows of anger to the north.

The royal capital of Eramenia, where the two arrived, was in quite a devastated state after another air raid had passed. King Richard was personally healing the injured with magic as he walked around the capital, and Angelica stood firmly by the king’s side.

Upon spotting Margaret, who had just returned from the battlefield in a shabby state, Richard frowned with worry and raised his hand. Margaret gracefully bowed her head in greeting to her father. Richard asked Margaret,

“Will you do it, my daughter?”

“Yes, it must be done now.”

“I have arranged a place. Gather the fairies. I will support you, so go ahead and declare what you wish to say.”

“I’ll keep it brief. The longer it is, the less effective it becomes.”

After saying this, Margaret stepped up onto the platform. The elves gathered in the royal capital, even those who sided against Margaret began to crowd around to hear her words. Everyone, regardless, bore at least one wound. Aside from political stances, most were armed and ready for battle, and they had actually fought together.

If left to their own devices, a debate would soon begin. She had to suppress them decisively without allowing room for argument.

“The tragedy that has unfolded requires accountability. We, the people of Eramenia, have a very simple way to do this. Will you listen?”

The elves did not respond. Margaret took this silence as affirmation and continued to speak.

“It is to place all blame for this upon me, Margaret of Eramenia. It is a fact you all know. I killed the white dragon, Traz, and that became the direct motivation for the lizardfolk invading our holy territory of Eramenia while cherishing their own lives. It’s such a convenient explanation that even I find it hard to believe. How about it?”

The elves began to stir at Margaret’s words. Far from affirmative, their stirring was more akin to shock and unease.

“If anyone chooses this option, raise your hand now and accuse me! Speak clearly of who has struck the citizens of our kingdom under the guise of a harmless lion’s nostril. Who is it! Is all this the doing of Margaret? Is it me, a plague that summoned trouble when there should have been no fight? Who will step forward and accuse me? A council member? Will you do it?”

Spotting Deferis in the crowd, who had mixed in while wearing a commander’s helmet, Margaret pointed him out and asked. Deferis shook his head in a flustered manner, rejecting her words. The faint signs of burn marks remaining on his waving hand revealed that he had also fought on the front lines against the dragons.

“Then, it seems no one intends to make an easy choice. Very well! In that case, one hard choice remains. It is impossible for us not to hold anyone accountable for this tragedy. Will you listen to what I have to say?”

“Yes!”

This time, the elves responded to Margaret’s call, eager to hear the main points. From the very start, the elves had no intention of choosing an ‘easy option’. They hadn’t even listened to what it was beforehand. With a look full of outrage, Margaret raised her hand and began to shout loudly.

“The responsibility lies with the Demon King! It lies with the Dragon Lord! Those species, who know nothing but destruction and slaughter, inflicted irreparable wounds upon our kingdom, and we must eradicate them! Are you holding weapons in your hands? Good. Do not put them down. Are you donned in armor? Good, do not remove it! Is the entire north of the forest engulfed in flames, no longer part of the Eramenia woods? That’s even better! Let’s set up a camp there! Wear pumpkins around your neck! So when you leave home, you can return whenever! Make sure to say goodbye to your families. If you’re here listening to Margaret, you may never see them again!”

The fairy princess, spewing fervent outrage, paused momentarily to catch her breath.

“Rise, Eramenia! Shout with the voice of the fairies!”

“Era-Menia! Era-Menia!”

Once more, the name of the fairy kingdom echoed through the royal capital. The sound was quieter than before, but the grandeur was by no means diminished. Surely elves who disapproved of the impending declaration were mixed among them, but at this moment, their thoughts were overshadowed by rage against the atrocities committed.

With a final flourish, Margaret drew her sword and shouted.

“At this moment, in the name of King Richard, I declare the full-on participation of the Eramenia Kingdom in the war against the Demon King’s army!”

“Long live His Majesty the King!”

Cheers for King Richard resounded, though he merely stood distantly observing while it was Margaret who stood on the platform.

If another fairy had been in that spot, it would have seemed like a mere tribute to the absent king, but since it was Margaret, one of the most powerful high elves in the kingdom and the most noble fairy lord on the continent, it felt as if she had taken the king’s place to receive their cheers.

Some elves, especially those who were conservative and skeptical of Margaret’s policies, were greatly shocked that such a scene unfolded with the king not too far off. However, even they couldn’t go against this atmosphere, this trend, and this momentum. Speaking even the slightest criticism against Margaret now would surely result in being beaten by the soldiers around them.

They had to admit it. While Rose Caprice in Audrich might have been perceived as an existence akin to an emperor, even her status in the empire paled in comparison to the stature Margaret held in the kingdom. The empire’s hero was indeed popular and monopolized military power, being counted among the strongest figures in the world, but even Walter was not comparable to Margaret at this moment.

While suppressing the pain from her still-healing wounds, Margaret wore her most confident and steadfast expression. Jeongjae, gazing at her with a worried look, muttered.

“She’s a giant. To me, she’s an overwhelmingly huge giant.”

It was unclear whether Margaret heard his words.

 

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