Thus, Shia formed her first connection with the emperor of this world.
Whew…
How fortunate indeed.
If it weren’t for the Titan of Wrath Atalyd emanating an overwhelming and fragrant scent of human flesh, things might have turned out differently. If Shia had devoured the human knights battling against him instead, the tale would have veered dramatically.
She would have either died or, if not dead, found herself captured by humans, facing a pitiful fate.
To Shia, who had lost her sanity, both humans and titans appeared to her as mere meat, but at least she felt a greater appetite for the Titan Atalyd.
“W-what if, your majesty…?”
“Do not worry. I know who you are.”
“…?”
Menelapie smiled, leaning against a wall as she watched a bewildered Shia.
“Well done.”
“…Huh?”
The Iron-Blood Empress, with genuine warmth, looked at Shia, seated on the edge of the bed where Shia lay.
“Now, let’s get to the point. In fact, I observed your existence a year ago.”
“….?!”
A year prior marked the moment when Shia first transitioned into this world and awoke in the form of the Mangja Seongnyeo.
‘You knew about me right after I arrived in this world…?’
Shia later learned that her body, along with the power of the Mangja Seongnyeo, possessed an incredible strength, unparalleled in history.
The power of the saintess for the living, combined with the spirit of the deceased, had created a potent force. Moreover, her sanity and humanity, which should have long been lost, still remained. It was said that on the day Shia awakened as the Mangja Seongnyeo, the royal palace, far from the forest where she lived in hiding, could sense her birth.
Perhaps, the so-called Demon King, known as the master of beasts, or even monstrous disasters, might pale in comparison to Shia.
“I’ve watched you for a long time. Despite having the chance to lose your sanity to hunger, you never lost your humanity.”
“……..…”
“I would confess now, but there were times when the scent of blood filled the air near your hut.”
“…Yes…”
It was from that moment that Shia began to feel an appetite for the scent of human blood and flesh.
One day, without a hunter entering the forest and despite no battles erupting, a fragrant smell of blood drifted from the depths of the woods, provoking Shia’s appetite as she survived on deer meat and mushrooms.
From then on, Shia abandoned any thoughts of encountering humans.
Originally, she wanted to understand what kind of world this was, and with such immense power, she pondered becoming an adventurer to enjoy the world’s wonders. But the mere thought of the smell of human blood and flesh made her feel like she might lose her sanity, rendering her unfit for such endeavors.
“That was my command; I smeared human blood all over the forest where you lived intentionally.”
“…….!”
At that moment, Shia grabbed Menelapie by the collar.
More than just anger, she was grinding her teeth.
“Why did you do that!!!!”
“……Your anger is justified.”
“Justified or not, why did you do it!!!”
Shia had completely forgotten that Menelapie was the emperor.
What if, in a moment of weakness, she truly lost her sanity?
The thought frightened her.
Losing her mind and devouring countless beasts was not an isolated incident.
What if next time, when she lost her sanity, it wasn’t a wild beast or a rabbit or a deer in her hands, but a human child?
Such thoughts pushed Shia to the brink of madness; unfortunately, the only thing collapsing was her own mind.
The body of the Mangja Seongnyeo was robust and resilient aside from the hunger, forcing Shia to sever herself even more from the outside world.
But perhaps those years of hunger and suffering were due to this woman’s doing?
“If I really lost my sanity and devoured a human, what would you have done? Do you know what my greatest fear is? That I might eat human flesh, which I’ve dreaded, and find it so delicious that I wouldn’t feel a shred of guilt!”
At that, Menelapie smiled bitterly.
“If I… had truly developed a taste for human flesh… how many people would have died… do you know?”
“I’m sorry. However, I am a ruler. While I have caused you great pain, an emperor must fulfill her duties.”
“An emperor?! An emperor!! A person in power should….!”
“I needed to discern whether you posed a danger or if you’d become a new evil to my lands and subjects.”
“…….Ugh!”
“Calm yourself.”
Immediately after, Menelapie spoke to Shia in a soothing tone, as if comforting a child.
“I acknowledge your anger. Your rage is justifiable, and it should rightfully be directed at me. But those who carried out my orders bear no guilt; if you wish to release your anger, why not direct it solely at me?”
“………….”
The emperor bowing so humbly and sincerely admitting her fault was striking.
Even though Shia couldn’t fathom how high her status was, nor did she understand the laws and customs of the empire, simply knowing that the emperor was apologizing to her eased her heart somewhat.
“Explain…”
“What about?”
“Everything you know about me.”
“Ha ha, very well. I was just about to discuss that.”
Menelapie gently brushed Shia’s grip off her collar.
As if asking, “Won’t you let go now?”
And perhaps sensing her anger dissipate, Shia slowly released her hold.
“The observation of the Mangja Seongnyeo’s birth was noted not only by the palace mages but also myself. A Mangja Seongnyeo, fundamentally, should not exist. No matter how great a saintess, once dead, they return to the earth as mere soil. While it is rare to see a saintess unfortunate enough to become a corpse once every few centuries, that’s not a Mangja Seongnyeo; it’s merely a walking corpse. Lacking sanity and humanity, they cannot even wield the divine power blessed upon those chosen by the gods.”
“…And?”
“You are, in essence, a miracle.”
Miracle. Menelapie heavily emphasized that word.
“And the fact that the Mangja Seongnyeo maintains her humanity, sanity, and ethics is the greatest miracle of all, a glorious blessing for me and this empire.”
Then, Menelapie pulled out an old parchment from her garments.
The text, though unfamiliar, was legible to Shia.
Thanks to the knowledge left behind by her original owner.
“Y-You… Prophecy?”
“Indeed, it’s a prophecy. An ancient record of the Mangja Seongnyeo’s advent.”
“Do you believe in such prophecies?”
“Of course not. No matter how important what’s written may be, what truly matters is human will. Just like you.”
Clutching the precious prophecy in one hand, Menelapie gazed at Shia.
“The prophet always states that the Mangja Seongnyeo is neither black nor white, but rather closer to a gray existence. However, the tone primarily warns of danger. It speaks of the numerous disasters that could arise if someone like you becomes an enemy of humanity.”
“Gray? What does that mean?”
“It means you could become anything. If you were to become tainted, you could become more vile and monstrous, but the opposite is also possible. You are gray, a being that cannot simply be divided through binary classification. From the perspective of an emperor leading this land, I could neither unconditionally treat you as an enemy nor could I accept you without knowledge of who you are.”
Shia could understand that.
An emperor, someone in power, must consider all potential risks and worst-case scenarios.
“What if you were fundamentally an inhumane piece of trash who felt no moral guilt in devouring humans? Or what if your appetite as the Mangja Seongnyeo devoured your sanity and ethics? What would happen then? Thus, before reaching out to you, I needed to at least know what kind of person you are and the limits of your reason and ethics.”
“What if… I… No, if I were the trash you speak of… what would you have done?”
“Hm, ultimately, since you are not trash, there’s no need to know, right? There are many things in the world that one doesn’t need to know, ha ha!”
Later, Shia discovered that the emperor was referred to as the strongest of all humans.
It could have led to a fierce battle until one of them fell.
Menelapie’s words held truth.
Had the emperor approached Shia without awareness, only seeing the positive aspects, and had she unfortunately devoured a human, Shia would have become a more malign and fearsome disaster than the newly reborn Demon King.
“And you had many opportunities. Anytime you could have given in to your hunger and devoured humans, launching an attack on villages to solidify yourself as a new calamity. You had ample chances to consume the knights sent by me, not the Titan of Wrath.”
“……..”
Yet, you chose to reject every single opportunity.
At the emperor’s words, Shia felt the cold sweat wash over her from the realizable scenarios.
She had indeed had those thoughts before.
“Do you know something?”
“…….What?”
“When you grabbed my collar just now, I was rather pleased.”
“…What?”
What was this? Is she some sort of masochist?
“You’re thinking absurd thoughts. But it’s fine. What I wish to convey is that your justified and rightful anger proves that you are still human.”
“…..!”
“Once again, I must say: well done. Despite your hardships, you did not attempt to kill me. Rather than being angry at being deceived, the anger you displayed was because of the potential innocent lives that could have perished.”
Those words made Shia feel a tingling sensation in a corner of her chest.
“That anger is righteous and just. I believe it proves you’re still human.”
“…….”
“You’ve endured much, and you’ve done remarkably well. Thank you. Again, you are a tremendous blessing and miracle to me.”
Just moments ago, Shia had harbored a desire to slay the emperor.
But in an instant, with just a few words, her heart felt as if it was melting away.
Since awakening in this body of the Mangja Seongnyeo, without understanding anything, she had never once experienced happiness.
What had become of her parents back in the other world?
What was happening to her original body?
Could she ever return?
Even if she could, would she continue to live in this form?
How long would the hunger last?
Would she have to suffer eternally?
Did she have to devour humans to end this misery?
Would consuming the fragrant, exquisite flesh of humans end her suffering?
If nature’s rule of the strong preying on the weak existed, could she not devour them?
No, no. I am human. I want to be human.
Every day. Day after day.
Shia repeated and anguished over these thoughts.
But…
“What a marvelous job you’ve done.”
“……..Ah…”
With those words, Shia found herself shedding tears unconsciously.
Tears flowed down as if a faucet had burst in what she thought was an empty body.
She didn’t even understand why she was crying.
Had becoming the body of the Mangja Seongnyeo softened her emotions and feelings to be more feminine?
Once tears started falling, they did not cease, and Shia simply cried in silence for a while.
“…Huh… Huh…”
“Indeed, you’ve suffered. It’s alright to cry. You deserve to weep. You have every right to feel justified anger, and you rightfully deserve to be rewarded.”
“………Huh… Huh…”
Menelapie gently hugged Shia.
The scene of the emperor of a nation.
The strongest being of humanity comforting a woman weeping in her embrace would surely be termed an absurd comedy by anyone witnessing it.
“Now, have you finished crying?”
“……Yes.”
After a long while of tears, Shia nodded, and Menelapie took her hand, rising from her seat.
“Come along. There is much I wish to show you. There’s much I want to discuss with you. And if there’s anything you desire, speak it.”
The sunlit smile of Menelapie was enough to cause Shia’s face to redden.
“Anything you wish, anything you long for, anything you want to do, or anything you wish to eat, I shall provide.”
“…Really, will I be able to eat everything I want?”
“Ha ha! Of course!”
Hee hee… The unending benevolence of the emperor noona…
“I am the emperor.”
At that moment, Shia’s feelings for Menelapie likely began to overflow.
—
“Ah, I miss Menelapie and Teresa…”
—
I accidentally dreamed of the past.
Before returning here.
—
Grrr…
“…I’m… hungry…”
Should I turn on the broadcast…?
