A flower bed, neatly organized as if tended by a skilled gardener.
Countless tiny creatures within it scurried about, diligently moving their bodies.
From ants to butterflies, ladybugs, and earthworms, these beings coexisted in a natural ecosystem—.
One might consider them insignificant little creatures, but the sight of them doing their best to survive in their tiny world evoked a peculiar sense of admiration.
“…How cute.”
Among them, there was an individual captivated by the scene, murmuring to herself.
It was the silver-haired woman, Liesta Saint Hatyandus, the saint of the Holy Church Order, gazing down at the flower bed.
Hmm~ Humm~♪
Not content with merely observing, she hummed a little tune, blessing each creature as she did so.
It had already been several hours, but there was not a hint of boredom in her demeanor.
She simply looked down at the garden’s inhabitants with sparkling golden eyes, as if fascinated by a new toy.
‘What marvelous and adorable little beings they are.’
What a delightful investment of her rare free time, Liesta smiled softly.
‘Things have been quite busy lately…’
Ever since the passing of the former Pope Hatyanus II, the Holy Church had been very much occupied.
Externally, they needed to continue leading the stabilization of the continent, and internally, they had to pay attention to filling the now-vacant pope’s seat.
‘A decision will surely come soon.’
In the Rosellia Temple, the six cardinals had gathered together for an in-depth meeting known as the Conclave to elect the next pope.
While saints and saints are direct agents of the divine, popes are representatives elected among followers of the holy god, making this a necessary procedure.
‘No matter who it is, it shouldn’t take long. If the cardinals stay away for too long in the current situation, they won’t be able to respond immediately if any incidents arise… right?’
As Liesta savored the calm air of her little sanctuary, she suddenly sensed an unusual discomfort.
An inexplicable foreboding began to creep into her thoughts, triggering her instincts and intuition.
‘…Ugh, this feeling, could it be…?’
Having experienced such things before, she quickly grasped the cause.
A revelation from the holy god.
It was akin to an unexpected realization or awakening.
While she clutched her head and staggered, an uninvited guest flew into the garden from outside.
Flap—
While she was still regaining her senses, a black-feathered crow flitted around the flower bed.
It briefly explored the area before, thanks to the blessings of the saint, it hastily began to feast on the plump bugs that had fattened up.
Caw— Caw—
It chirped in delight as if savoring a delicacy.
“Phew…”
Having just collected herself from the revelation, Liesta glanced at the crow, her brow furrowing slightly before wiping the cold sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and relaxing her expression.
It wasn’t unusual for such birds or insects to visit from the outside.
For ease of management and aesthetics, it would be better to completely sever the garden from the outside, but that would just leave it as a slightly larger model garden.
Isn’t the principle of survival of the fittest part of the holy god’s design for nature?
‘That aside…’
After taking a deep breath and regaining her composure, she slowly approached the little intruder.
Caw— Caw!
Flap—
The crow flinched, flapping its wings repeatedly to escape as Liesta approached.
However, it merely flapped a few times, eventually growing still as she reached right beside it.
“Now, be good.”
She gently wrapped her hands around the now calm crow and softly petted it.
No matter how non-combatant Liesta was, such a creature could hardly withstand her presence, making this phenomenon not surprising.
She was, after all, a figure capable of bringing down even the mightiest of beings with sheer will.
‘Out there…’
After petting the crow a few times, she paused and stared at it intently.
Of course, she had no intention of doing anything to it.
Catching it was merely a whim born from her tangled thoughts.
‘Invaders from other dimensions…’
Just moments ago, the holy god had given a warning about some existence that, like this bird, would not be so easily dealt with.
The holy god had never given notice even when several interdimensional beings had come and gone.
‘…Could it be related to the Undead King this time too?’
It was a rational deduction, but still not something she could confirm.
In any case, what mattered now was the need to prepare for that revelation in any capacity.
Caw— Caw!
Flap—
Liesta released the crow from her hands, its wings flapping in the air as she turned with a serious expression.
First, she needed to consult with a reliable man.
To have a conversation with Saint Heinrich.
*
Little by little, but steadily, time flowed like a stream.
Perhaps because of managing multiple bodies at once, time felt longer for her, and during that span, many things unfolded.
“Long live Her Highness Riley Carte, Princess of the Azerion Empire!”
“Ho ho ho! Congratulations, Your Highness. All that’s left is to properly finalize everything!”
“Oh, my! You look even more beautiful today, Your Highness. Even the finest flowers of the empire seem to wilt in your presence.”
First and foremost, in the capital Jeron of the Azerion Empire, Riley had officially ascended to the position of princess.
She had successfully pulled down the nearly forgotten Prince Simon and was formally recognized as the empire’s heir.
‘The current emperor doesn’t look too healthy, so perhaps a succession ceremony will occur within a few years.’
The authority she wielded now, as the princess compared to when she only led a huge faction as the fifth princess, was of a different dimension.
As the de facto second-in-command and future top leader, she was better positioned to directly influence the empire and the royal family, harnessing her power.
After over a decade of her long journey that began when she met Isea, it was evident that things were reaching their climax.
Moreover, such changes in the continental political landscape were not limited to the empire alone.
In the southeast of the continent, in the land of mercenaries, the Free City Dracal…
Bam—!
“I heard there’s a fellow named Harley here! I, Stalon of the Phantom Mist, have come to learn a thing or two! Let’s have a proper match…!”
“Huh? What now?”
“…Huh?”
Hmph! Whether it’s Phantom Mist or Phantom Clam, if you’re here to throw down, do it quickly!
This city seemed to have a bizarre epidemic where failing to prove oneself as a man for even a second would result in death, as challengers flocked to Harley with intense competitive spirit from the outset.
Even though mercenaries were typically hotheads and showing strength was part of the norm, this was getting a bit excessive.
‘Of course, I haven’t seen anyone maintain that attitude even when facing me directly.’
The top ranks of the mercenary guild and strong heroes all back down the moment they meet Harley.
But it was unlikely that a bunch of newbies couldn’t overcome that.
What followed was straightforward.
As the confident giant barged in, his eyes darted around in confusion, only for the languid Harley to sidle up beside him, casually draping an arm over his shoulders.
Even though the challenger was no small fry himself, standing side by side made him look like a middle schooler being shaken down by a big bully.
“Would you like to get beaten down until you’re finely minced, or would you prefer to buy me finely minced meat?”
“…I, I’ll buy it.”
“Good choice! Then lead me to the best place you know! If I’m not happy with it, I’m folding you like a chair, so pick wisely! Ha ha ha!”
In truth, it was precisely the kind of shakedown he was implying.
Harley clapped the guy’s back, leading him in front.
Of course, some challengers, possibly overwhelmed by fear, had gone mad and charged at him, but such fellows would soon receive a bit of love-infused physical therapy and evolve into civilized individuals who could think straight.
Kind-hearted and generous as he was, Harley also made time to have a meal together with those guys, resolving any misunderstandings.
“Hmm! The meat in this town is really excellent! I’m pleasantly surprised!”
“D-Dracal may be a harsh land for farming, but on other fronts, it’s not bad. Being a trading hub also helps, and the cliff goat meat, a local specialty, is exceptional… though the price is a bit steep.”
“Indeed! …But we’ve run out of meat again? Alright, then let’s order 10 more servings… no, 20… sorry, 30 servings. Hahaha…”
“Tch, don’t break the flow like that. You should know to order quick when the meat runs out. Completely clueless, that guy.”
His astonishing entrance rattled the city.
Additionally, the tales and rumors about the famed Harley spread rapidly through Dracal’s society, elevating his notoriety and influence even further.
‘Either way, in the end, mercenaries are about muscle. In a world of power plays, overwhelming strength reigns supreme. In that sense, it feels strangely akin to the southern regions.’
Thus, Dracal was a fitting place for Harley, the embodiment of violence.
Moreover, not just here, but the currents flowing from other regions were unfolding in a way much more favorable than initially expected.
‘The South is a given, and the eastern expansion centered on Obaifo is also going well. And the western Talia Kingdom has begun formal diplomatic negotiations with surrounding kingdoms, expanding its influence…’
The western influence expansion, which began there, was further solidified by the Hubert Association, gradually encroaching upon the entire west beyond the Tulk Kingdom.
The driving force behind Hubert Association’s market encroachment was none other than the rare metals flowing from the north, making countries eager customers competing to acquire materials that could bolster their powers in fear of the Undead Army.
‘In truth, the very ones supplying those goods are the Undead Army themselves.’
A situation where arms were traded between opposing factions solely for profit without regard for allies or foes.
This was what they called “dark merchants.”
Somehow, it felt like stepping into a new world.
‘But.’
Recently, just as everything seemed to flow smoothly, a rather alarming piece of news reached me.
‘The holy god is warning about interdimensional intruders?’
It was a revelation conveyed by Saint Liesta.
‘…In truth, there’s only one character that comes to mind.’
A monster that travels through multiple dimensions, devouring the very essence of worlds.
The Head of the Buncheon Society.
‘Could it be that he’s finally come here as well?’
It was unlikely Liesta would have gathered this much information without her status.
If it weren’t for her, I might have panicked and crumbled under sudden circumstances without even an opportunity to prepare.
Fortunately, being a saint allowed her to interpret the revelation to that extent.
Without understanding how he crossed dimensions, I had no idea where he was or what he was doing.
However, it couldn’t be the sort of thing where one reads the memories of their origin and proceeds with “Dimensional Teleportation Circle Summoning.”
Considering his abilities from when we clashed in Japan, I couldn’t help but think he had likely honed some unique skills related to manipulating space to their utmost limit to devise a method.
‘But that’s not the pressing issue right now.’
The crucial thing is that this monster is aiming to invade the very stage I have carefully set up.
‘This land… Auterica.’
My insides boiled with resentment.
Indeed, this was absolutely intolerable.
Out there, it was known that the Undead King’s army and humanity were at war, but that was not the truth.
Both sides were practically my lackeys.
While others might find it unimaginable, I could manipulate the flow of this world better than anyone.
Most of those who ruled Auterica were under my influence.
The Undead King and his Undead Army, the Vampire Unions led by the Vampire King, the Holy Church Order that worshipped Heinrich as a saint, the Warrior King Harley and countless soldiers, High Elf Harris and the Elven Kingdom, the elite soldiers of the empire that could be moved through Riley, a merchant cartel represented by Hubert…
The majority of this world was already in my grasp.
‘Auterica—.’
This place is.
My land.
My domain.
‘Mine.’
A world prepared solely for me, a stage where I could freely realize my dreams, and a treasure box holding precious things.
And yet, if it tried to worm its way in…
‘You will have to fight the entire world.’
It was time to prepare for war.
