Arthur opened his eyes again in the present.
Morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of the bedroom, painting golden streaks across the tangled sheets.
He looked at Shizu, sleeping peacefully beside him.
"…So it wasn't a dream."
She shifted slightly, moving closer to him even in her sleep. Her serene, adorable face and the steady rhythm of her breathing against his skin made it feel as though the previous night had been something natural—something that had simply been meant to happen.
Arthur watched her in silence for a few seconds.
Then he smiled faintly.
He brought a hand to his face and muttered, mocking himself:
"Right. I wasn't expecting that… It was good, but I really need to stop getting drunk…"
Despite the light tone, there was something different in his eyes.
It wasn't regret—he didn't regret it, and he was certain Shizue didn't either.
It was simply the awareness that this meant more responsibility now rested on his shoulders.
"Ahh~~ The blessings of being a king." He yawned with a soft chuckle.
"I should take a bath… and have someone clean this room," he murmured.
—xXx—
In the mansion's living room—
Angélica sat on the sofa, brushing Milim's hair.
'Is she really older than Dad? She seems even more immature than Saeko…' Angélica thought.
Milim sat on her lap, swinging her legs back and forth while humming a completely off-key tune.
"What did my best friend and that woman do all night in the bedroom? There were strange noises coming from there," Milim asked, tilting her head.
Angélica kept her expression impassive as she untangled a particularly stubborn knot.
"Maybe one day you'll find out, Milim," she replied with a sigh, continuing to brush her hair.
"When?"
"I don't know. I just hope it takes a long time."
Milim pouted at the answer.
"Adults are mysterious…"
Angélica closed her eyes for a second.
"Not mysterious. Problematic."
—xXx—
As another peaceful morning began in Nova Uruk, a message transmitted by Yuuki Kagurazaka through merchants finally arrived at the headquarters of the Holy Empire of Lubelius—the theocratic center of the Western Holy Church.
A meeting of the Ten Great Saints had been convened for today.
The Ten Great Saints were the Holy Knights at the very top of the organization known as the Western Holy Church. Only the strongest warriors could enter their ranks, and their hierarchy was determined by strength and ability.
The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy.
The silence was thick.
"Calling a meeting over a mere rumor… Hinata Sakaguchi is losing credibility by the day."
The speaker appeared to be a young "boy," though his actual age surpassed that of anyone present.
He bore an imposing title: Saare of the Azure Sky.
Upon hearing Saare's words, a man with a lazy demeanor looked at him disdainfully.
"Saare, if you want to reclaim your position as chief knight of the Tower Geniuses, act like a real man and challenge her yourself. Talking behind her back won't get you anywhere."
Bang!
Saare slammed his hand onto the table.
"Shut up, Fritz of the Wind! Only that otherworldly witch, Hinata Sakaguchi, would allow a bastard like you to hold a position among the Ten Great Saints!"
Fritz dropped his relaxed posture and removed his glove, ready to throw it in Saare's face and challenge him to a duel.
However, at that moment, a tall knight grabbed Fritz's hand.
"Garde, let go of me! He not only insulted our leader's honor, he insulted me as well."
"Fritz, don't cause trouble for the Captain."
Hearing Garde's words, Fritz stiffened, his anger subsiding considerably.
Saare was furious as well.
"Bacchus, don't stop me! Sharing the rank of Ten Saint with someone like Fritz is a disgrace."
Bacchus replied in a firm voice:
"Saare, if you still want your position back, you can challenge the Captain whenever you wish. If you win, the position is yours."
"You…"
Saare felt as though he had been struck in the chest.
He sat down with a scowl and sneered.
"One day, I will reclaim what is rightfully mine!"
The quarrel subsided.
The expressions of the other Saints varied, but they were all accustomed to such tension.
Leonard Jesta maintained his gentle smile, his true intentions impossible to discern;
Arnaud Bauman remained in complete silence;
Litus seemed restless;
Glenda occasionally cast a cunning glance, her eyes gleaming with calculated interest;
Grigori watched Fritz with barely concealed anticipation.
At that moment, a creak was heard.
The conference room door slowly opened.
Behind it stood a woman with short black hair and violet eyes.
Bangs covered her right eye.
The left side was tucked neatly behind her ear.
She wore the white armor of the Holy Knights.
No matter the angle, she was undeniably beautiful.
It was Hinata Sakaguchi.
She walked to the head of the table.
The mere sound of her footsteps was enough to silence the room completely.
"Since everyone is here, let us begin the meeting. Today's topic is… the new ruler of the Great Forest of Jura."
After a brief pause, she turned to Glenda and continued.
"Glenda, report the information you obtained from the Eastern merchants."
"Yes!"
Glenda stood abruptly.
"According to what was reported to me, the name of the new ruler of the Forest of Jura is Gilgamesh, and he is incredibly powerful. Yuuki Kagurazaka himself, Grandmaster of the Free Guild, fought him—and lost."
'Gilgamesh? Isn't that the name of the protagonist of humanity's oldest epic?' Hinata thought upon hearing it.
A murmur spread through the room.
Glenda continued, reading from the report:
"According to the source, Gilgamesh is an extremely arrogant and selfish man who believes himself to be the one and absolute king of the world. He exterminates, without exception, those who oppose his dominion. To him, all living beings are 'something that is about to die' or 'something that will one day die.' If he decides that there exists a 'being who must die at this very instant,' he simply carries out the sentence, regardless of race. Whether it is a shrewd judgment synonymous with universal truth or even a drunken error in governance, whatever he—the absolute king—does becomes the indisputable royal decree."
The air in the room grew colder.
'Why does that sound like it was copied straight from a Wikipedia description?' Hinata thought.
It was far too detailed and specific for her liking.
The image being constructed was clearly not that of a ruler.
It was that of a tyrant.
An absolute despot.
Someone who considered himself above all law.
"If we take everything reported about him into account, he is possibly a Demon Lord on the verge of awakening—or already awakened," Glenda concluded.
In an instant, everyone's expression turned solemn.
The word "awakened" was not something to be taken lightly.
Hinata showed no emotion, yet she could sense that something was wrong.
Seeing the grim expressions around her, Glenda smiled radiantly.
Indeed, that Eastern merchant had been exceedingly generous.
She had no idea how this Gilgamesh had offended him so deeply that he paid so much to tarnish Gilgamesh's image in their eyes.
But that was none of her concern.
"Additionally," she continued, as though placing the final piece on a carefully arranged board, "it is suspected that he has somehow inherited Veldora's powers, since he appeared shortly after the Storm Dragon's disappearance."
At once, everyone gasped.
The mere mention of the Storm Dragon was enough to change the course of history.
If that man had truly inherited Veldora's power…
Then he was not merely an arrogant tyrant.
He was a complete threat to them all.
Hinata finally spoke, her voice cold and steady:
"If he truly possesses such power… We cannot treat this as a simple rumor."
The atmosphere of the meeting grew even more severe.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: I forgot to mention earlier that I will follow this update format for two weeks as a test: Two chapters every two days.
I want to see if this improves my update rate with all the fics
Hinata Sakaguchi -