◆◆◆
In the narrow space between night and morning. In other words, at an hour even earlier than dawn, Helga Ira Aster sat at her desk.
A mountain of parchment was piled across the surface of the desk. Correspondence with the Imperial Capital Defense Force, reports on the maintenance costs of the city wall’s magical arrays, invitations from other houses, and various petitions. They swallowed her time like an avalanche.
Recently, Helga had become an extreme workaholic, working from morning until night without pause.
Acting head of House Aster. The title might sound splendid, but the reality was more like a crab crawling through a swamp. Each step forward dragged at her legs, yet she kept digging in her claws and pushing ahead. Whether she was advancing or sinking had long since become impossible to tell.
Within the Guynes Empire existed twelve ducal houses that possessed powerful bloodline magic. Each served as a pillar supporting the imperial family, entrusted with important roles and positioned at key locations across the empire’s territory. Among them, House Aster was charged with defending the imperial capital.
In other words, they were court nobles without land. The maintenance of the defensive magical arrays spread across the imperial capital had long been the responsibility of House Sarion, but House Aster also bore part of the cost.
However, lacking territory also meant lacking a stable source of income. Their main revenue came from stipends granted by the imperial family and rewards for their defensive duties. Of course, there were smaller streams of income, but the situation had long remained difficult.
But.
Helga’s hand stopped.
From the tip of her quill, a single drop of ink fell onto the parchment, forming a dark stain. She stared at the blot for a while, then quietly exhaled and absorbed the stain with sand.
「It is over」
She spoke to herself.
At the edge of the desk lay a single letter. It was an official notice from the Clausewitz Company.
The Clausewitz Company. The largest commercial consortium in the empire, with branches spread across the entire Serendia Continent. Its headquarters stood in the commercial district of the imperial capital, a white building that possessed the imposing presence of a small castle. It was the heart that circulated the blood called money throughout the continent. Should one offend it, even the most prestigious noble house would wither into a dried corpse.
The letter recorded that the entire debt owed by House Aster to the Clausewitz Company, along with all accumulated interest, had been fully repaid.
The previous head of the house, Damian, had spent enormous sums on his mad magical research. He had stained his hands with forbidden arts, pursued taboo spell formulas, and purchased unknown catalysts and materials in great quantities. The magic of House Aster was known as a bloodline art that summoned stars, yet Damian himself had been unable to wield it. Perhaps as a reaction to that failure, he reached ever deeper into darker domains.
The debt that accumulated as a result was a poison strong enough to rot the roots of the great tree known as House Aster.
For fifteen years since Helga had assumed the position of acting head, that debt had hung around her neck like a tightening rope. Interest produced more interest, and the debt swelled like a rolling snowball. The stipends for defending the capital were not enough to keep up. She sold off family assets, yet even then the end of repayment remained out of reach.
And today, it ended.
Helga picked up the letter and read it once more. The company’s seal pressed in wax. The orderly handwriting of the clerk. There was no mistake.
Yet there was no joy in her chest.
There was only a vague unease.
「Special assistance funds, was it」
The words dissolved across her tongue like a bitter medicine.
◆
Over the past few years, strange money had been flowing into House Aster.
Graman had named it Special Assistance Funds. The sources of the transfers were varied. A dwarven master smith who ran a forge on the outskirts of the capital. A beastman merchant dealing in spices at a southern port town. An elder of the Elfen who lived in the northern forests.
They shared only one thing in common. They were demi-humans, or those connected to demi-humans.
They asked for nothing. They simply sent money. At times supplies. At times information. As if they were offering prayers to the banner known as House Aster.
Helga understood the meaning of that money.
The Guynes Empire was now on the verge of being torn apart by two opposing currents.
One side was the Chancellor Faction, led by Chancellor Zigitaris Ira Malicia. They raised the banner of human supremacy and had been advancing policies that relentlessly oppressed the demi-humans.
The Race Hierarchy Law. Even hearing the name alone twisted the faces of demi-humans.
Officially, it was presented as a law to establish order between races, but in truth it was legislation meant to confiscate property from demi-humans, strip away their rights, and force them into labor. The Elfen were compelled to deliver precious metals under the name of an Ear Tax. The great onis were driven into dangerous civil engineering work as Strength Labor. Beastkins were restricted to designated districts and forbidden from going out at night.
To the Chancellor Faction, demi-humans were tools, livestock, nothing more than resources to be consumed for the prosperity of the human race.
Opposing them was the other side, Helga’s group, the Demi-human Noble Faction.
This loose alliance, centered around House Aster and House Sarion, advocated the protection of demi-human rights. That said, they were not driven by lofty ideals. Their stance came from a simple and practical judgment. If demi-humans were excluded, the empire’s economy would collapse.
Thirty percent of the craftsmen in the imperial capital were demi-human. Delicate craftsmanship was the exclusive domain of the Elfen, while the transport of heavy goods depended on the strength of the great onis. The smithing techniques of the dwarves far surpassed those of humans, and the keen noses of beastmen were invaluable for identifying medicinal herbs.
If they were driven out, the economy of the imperial capital would not last even half a year. The policies of the Chancellor Faction were little more than selling away long-term national strength for short-term gain.
But logic is logic, and emotion is emotion.
For those who wished to believe in the superiority of humanity, the idea of coexistence with demi-humans was nothing less than betrayal. The Demi-human Noble Faction was cursed as shameless traitors who sold their souls to demi-humans, as degenerates who stained the purity of blood. Even in high society, they often found themselves isolated.
And so the oppressed demi-humans had begun to see hope in House Aster.
For those drowning at the edge of despair, even a single straw can look like a lifeline. If they clung to the straw called House Aster, perhaps they might escape drowning. That faint hope compelled them to offer their money.
This was not something as mild as an investment. It was a prayer. Or perhaps a gamble.
Helga accepted the money, and she used it. To repay the debt. To rebuild the house.
But that also meant carrying their prayers upon her shoulders.
「It is heavy」
Helga murmured.
Outside the window, the trees in the garden swayed in the wind. The rose vines tended by Oma had wrapped themselves around the stone walls, blooming with red flowers.
◆
The door to the study opened quietly.
The one who entered without a sound was an elderly man with neatly combed white hair. Graman.
「Madam, I have brought tea」
「Thank you, Graman」
Helga smiled and accepted the cup he offered.
The fragrance of roses rose gently from it. It was House Aster’s special tea, made from roses grown by Oma. When she took a sip, a soft sweetness and refreshing acidity blended together on her tongue, gently easing her tired nerves.
「Have you confirmed the letter from the Clausewitz Company」
Graman asked. His voice was calm, yet there was a faint hint of relief within it.
「Yes. I have confirmed it」
Helga nodded.
「It took fifteen years」
「Indeed. Since the day you assumed the position of acting head, it has been fifteen full years. It was a long struggle」
Graman bowed his head deeply.
「You have worked hard, Madam. At last, one burden has been lifted」
「Yes, that is true」
Helga answered vaguely.
A burden had been lifted. That much was certain. Yet it also felt as though something else had settled onto her shoulders in its place.
「Graman」
「Yes」
「Could you tell me a little more about these Special Assistance Funds」
Graman’s expression stiffened slightly. It lasted only an instant before returning to his usual impassive look, but Helga did not miss it.
「How much do you already know」
「That the senders are demi-humans. That they are placing their hopes in House Aster. And that the money was used to repay the debt」
「For the most part, that is everything」
Graman replied. Yet his eyes shifted ever so slightly.
Helga set her teacup down on the saucer. The soft clink echoed in the quiet study.
「Graman」
「Yes」
「I am not a fool」
At those words, Graman fell silent.
「I have already realized that another source of funds is mixed in with the Special Assistance Funds」
Helga’s voice was calm, but there was a sharpness within it that could not be hidden.
「There is no way such an enormous debt could have been repaid through support from the demi-humans alone. They truly have given money, that is certain. But they themselves are suffering under the empire’s oppressive policies. They are already being squeezed dry through the Ear Tax and forced labor. They should not have that much spare wealth」
Graman continued to remain silent.
「There must be another source of income」
Helga looked straight at her elderly butler.
「Would you be willing to tell me」
◆
Silence lingered between them like a thick liquid.
Graman met the gaze of the mistress he had served for so long, then lowered his eyes as if weighing something. Loyalty and conflict were mixed upon his aged face.
「Madam」
At last, Graman spoke.
「I apologize, but answering that question is not something I can decide on my own」
「If it is not something you can decide on your own, that means someone else has given instructions」
「That is correct」
Graman bowed his head deeply. He said nothing more.
Helga silently watched her elderly butler.
There was no need for him to say it. In this mansion, there was only one person besides herself who could give Graman orders.
Hein.
She had already begun to suspect it. That child had been doing something. On the surface, he called it interactions with the children of other houses, but Helga was not foolish enough to take those words at face value.
Every holiday, Hein went out somewhere. At times, a faint smell of blood lingered on his clothes. When she pointed it out, her son merely smiled and evaded the matter.
「I see」
Helga spoke quietly.
「Very well. I will not force you to tell me」
「You have my gratitude」
Graman let out a breath of relief.
「But tell me just one thing」
「What would that be」
「Is that child doing something dangerous」
At that question, Graman lowered his eyes for a brief moment, then raised his head again. A strange expression appeared on his face. Confusion, and a faint trace of resignation.
「Madam. At this very moment, he is indeed in a dangerous situation」
「At this very moment」
Helga frowned.
「Yes. The Young Master is strong. No matter what circumstances arise, he would never truly be placed in danger. The word danger properly applies to those who stand against the Young Master. However, there is one exception. If Madam were to learn of this matter and scold him, that would be the greatest and only danger for the Young Master」
There was a dry resignation in Graman’s voice.
「The Young Master fears being scolded by you above all else. For him, earning your anger is more terrifying than the destruction of the world itself」
「Therefore, Madam, I beg of you」
Graman bowed deeply.
「Please handle the matter gently」
「I understand」
Helga replied, giving a wry smile.
◆
Evening.
The clock tower rising at the center of Guynesfried. The sound of its bell reaches every corner of the imperial capital. Nobles and commoners, humans and demi-humans alike hear its chime and know that night has come.
In the dining hall of the Aster ducal residence, the usual faces were gathered. Helga and Hein. A dinner for just the two of them, mother and child.
「Mother, today’s soup is exceptional」
Hein said. He handled his silver spoon with elegance while gazing at his mother’s face. His deep violet eyes were filled with the usual rapture.
All members of House Aster possess these deep violet eyes. They are proof of the bloodline magic that summons stars, and a sign of strong magical power. Hein’s eyes held the deepest shade of violet among all the heads of the house throughout history.
「It seems Oma used vegetables grown in the garden」
「I see. As expected of Oma. To receive the honor of growing something that enters Mother’s mouth must surely fulfill his greatest wish」
「You are exaggerating」
Helga gave a wry smile.
「By the way, Hein」
「Yes, Mother」
「Are you going out on the last day」
The last day was simply the weekend. The academy was closed. Hein’s hand holding the spoon paused slightly. It lasted only a moment before he resumed eating as if nothing had happened, but Helga did not miss it.
「Yes, well. I have a small matter to attend to. Let me see… Ah, there is a newly risen noble house, the Inferior Viscount family. Their son and I have a small matter to settle」
「I see」
Helga did not pursue the matter any further.
Graman’s words echoed in her mind.
The Young Master fears being scolded by you above all else.
「Mother」
「What is it」
「I live for you, Mother. Your smile is my everything. Please believe at least that much」
Hein’s voice was serious. There was no lie in those words.
「Yes, I know」
Helga smiled.
◆◆◆
Several days later.
Helga attended a gathering in the imperial capital’s social circle.
It was an evening party hosted by House Fontana, Viscount. The venue was the viscount’s residence in the central noble district of the capital, and more than a hundred nobles had gathered in the grand hall.
The light of chandeliers reflected across the polished marble floor. The melody of string instruments played by musicians. The sparkle of champagne carried by attendants. The rustling sound of silk dresses brushing against one another.
Outwardly, it was a seasonal greeting gathering, but in truth it was a place for exchanging information and subtle maneuvering. The nobles wore smiles like masks and traded greetings while hiding poison behind their words.
Helga was not skilled at such social games. Yet as acting head, there were many occasions she could not avoid attending.
「Duchess Aster. It has been a while」
The one who spoke to her was a plump middle-aged woman. Draped in gaudy jewels, she approached while spreading the scent of strong perfume. A large ruby glittered at her neck, and several gold rings adorned her fingers.
Baroness Bordeaux. The wife of a minor noble connected to the lower ranks of the Chancellor Faction. Her husband was known as a favored subordinate of Chancellor Zigitaris and had reportedly worked enthusiastically in enforcing the Race Hierarchy Law.
「Baroness Bordeaux. Good evening」
Helga returned the greeting with proper courtesy.
「Oh my, I heard the news. It seems the Aster family has repaid all its debts」
Baroness Bordeaux spoke with exaggerated admiration.
「Such an enormous sum. However did you manage it? I wonder where that money came from. Surely you did not squeeze it out of those long-eared creatures」
Clear mockery lingered beneath her words.
「Yes, thanks to many people」
Helga answered calmly.
「We received support from various parties」
「Oh my, support. As expected of the prestigious House Aster. You certainly have many friends. Not all of them human, of course」
「I shall take that as a compliment」
Helga smiled brightly.
Beneath that smile, a quiet anger burned. But she could not reveal her emotions here. That would only please her enemies.
「By the way, how is your son Hein」
Baroness Bordeaux changed the subject.
「He is well, thank you」
「I heard he defeated Eugen-sama in a staff duel. How impressive. Truly the prodigy of House Aster」
A staff duel. A formal magical duel between mages. Recently, Hein had fought such a duel against Deputy Chief Courtmage Eugen, a prominent member of the Chancellor Faction, and had won with overwhelming power. It was said that he had dismantled Eugen’s signature origin spell, the Great Breath of the Flame Dragon.
That victory had greatly damaged the prestige of the Chancellor Faction.
「You flatter him」
「But I am a little worried」
Baroness Bordeaux lowered her voice.
「A power that is too strong can sometimes invite disaster. Especially in the world of politics. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, as they say」
It was somewhat mild for a threat, but it was still a threat nonetheless.
「Thank you for your advice」
Helga did not let her smile falter.
「But I am not worried. That child is a clever boy」
After Baroness Bordeaux left, Helga let out a deep breath.
「You handled that well, Helga-sama」
A voice called from behind her.
When she turned around, a woman stood there. Her silver hair was elegantly arranged, and she wore a deep blue dress. Her dignified presence set her apart from the other noblewomen around them.
「Lydia-sama」
Helga bowed her head.
Lydia Ira Sarion. The Duchess of House Sarion and the mother of Esmeralda. House Sarion was one of the Twelve Ducal Houses and was known as the family that oversaw the empire’s finances. At the same time, she was one of the central figures of the Demi-human Noble Faction.
「I saw your conversation with Baroness Bordeaux. That pig woman. Oh, pardon me. That, well… in any case, you endured it well」
「If I were shaken by something like that, I would not be able to fulfill my duties」
「As expected of you」
Lydia smiled.
「If you have the time, would you care to speak for a moment? Somewhere out of sight」
Helga nodded at the invitation.
The two of them left the noise of the party and stepped out onto the balcony. The cold night wind brushed against their cheeks. Below them stretched the cityscape of the imperial capital, where countless lights flickered like stars.
The commercial district in the distance was lively even at night. Light spilling from taverns, torches of the night market, and the lanterns of patrolling guards. The imperial capital was a city that never slept.
「Have you heard about the movements of the Chancellor Faction」
Lydia began directly.
「No. Has something happened」
「That is the strange part」
Lydia frowned.
「Recently, the Chancellor Faction has become remarkably quiet」
「Quiet」
「Yes. Ever since their defeat in the staff duel, they have lost face. Eugen stepped down from the position of Deputy Chief Courtmage and is now recovering. Normally, it would not be strange for them to attempt some form of retaliation. Yet Chancellor Zigitaris has remained silent」
Helga fell into thought.
Zigitaris Ira Malicia. The Imperial Chancellor and the leading advocate of human supremacy. She came from House Malicia, Marquis, and her talent was said to be unmatched in the empire. Even her enemies had to acknowledge her political skill. If a direct approach failed, she would use indirect methods. If those failed, she would patiently build a tightening encirclement over time. That was the kind of woman she was.
The defeat in the staff duel had severely damaged the prestige of the Chancellor Faction. In the world of mages, power was everything. The fact that Eugen had suffered a crushing defeat at Hein’s hands revealed the limits of the Chancellor Faction’s strength. Normally, some form of retaliation would be expected. Political pressure. Economic restrictions. Or even the dispatch of assassins. Zigitaris would not hesitate to use any of them.
But nothing happened.
「That’s unsettling」
Lydia said.
「It’s like the calm before a storm. There’s no doubt they’re plotting something, but what it is…we have absolutely no idea.」
「Has no information come in?」
「There are a few fragments. But nothing concrete.」
Lydia shook her head.
「What could Zigitaris be doing right now? Holed up in the Chancellor’s Office… just what is she thinking?」
Helga silently looked up at the night sky.
The stars shone coldly above.
◆
Hein greeted Helga when she returned from the party.
「Welcome back, Mother. You must be tired.」
「I’m home, Hein.」
「How was the party?」
「Oh, the usual.」
Helga smiled.
The light at the entrance illuminated her son’s face. The deep violet eyes of House Aster. Glossy black hair. Well-shaped features. A calm composure far beyond what one would expect from a fifteen-year-old.
Even as his mother, Helga thought: ‘He is beautiful.’
But at the same time, something hidden behind that beauty occasionally made her uneasy.
「Mother.」
「Yes?」
「I live for you, Mother. Your smile is everything to me.」
Hein often said things like that out of the blue. Helga had come to treat this sort of thing from him as a kind of greeting.
「Thank you, Hein.」
Helga placed her hand on her son’s cheek.
「I love you too.」
Saying that, Helga embraced Hein and let out a soft sigh. The days of constant administrative work and the still-unfamiliar social gatherings had exhausted both her body and mind. But holding Hein like this slowly eased the tension from her.
「Mother—Mama.」
When Hein called her ‘Mama’, it meant he wanted to be spoiled.
In other words, it meant: ‘Will you sleep with me tonight?’
Helga nodded once, took his hand, and they headed for the bedroom. Soon they were both in bed together.
「I’ll set up a barrier before we sleep. I’ll make sure it won’t disturb your rest…」
Saying that, Hein wrapped his arms around Helga. At the same time, something warm began to envelop her body.
「Thermal control, soundproofing, mental protection, impact resistance…」
Still holding his mother in his arms, Hein calmly listed the properties of the barrier.
「Poison resistance, curse resistance, miasma resistance, anti-magic-eye measures, protection against temporal interference, protection against spatial teleportation, protection against causality manipulation, protection against existence erasure, protection against conceptual contamination….」
「Hein.」
「Yes, Mother?」
「Do you really need ‘all’ of that?」
Helga asked while burying her face in her son’s chest.
「Of course. I must eliminate every possible factor that could threaten Mother’s peaceful sleep.」
「What’s ‘causality manipulation’?」
「It’s possible that some insolent person might try to go back into the past and harm you.」
「I don’t think anyone will.」
「Just in case.」
Hein said it with a serious expression. The boy wasn’t joking. He truly believed it.
「And ‘existence erasure’?」
「That’s a precaution in case some heretical mage attempts to erase Mother’s very existence.」
「I’ve never even heard of magic like that.」
「Just because it isn’t known doesn’t mean it’s safe. Someone who once used existence erasure may have vanished along with the spell itself. If that happened, it would only make sense that no one remembers it.」
That was sophistry. Yet Hein was completely serious.
「And what is ‘conceptual contamination’?」
「It’s a countermeasure against the possibility that Mother might stop being Mother.」
「I am myself.」
「You are, right now. But if the concept of ‘Mother’ were rewritten, then Mother would no longer be Mother. To me, that would be equivalent to the end of the world.」
Helga was left speechless.
「I have deployed a total of seven hundred seventy-seven barriers. With this, Mother may sleep peacefully.」
「Seven hundred seventy-seven…」
「Is that not enough?」
「No, it’s more than enough.」
Helga let out a sigh.
The word ‘overprotective’ didn’t even begin to cover it. This was already a fortress. No, calling it a fortress didn’t do it justice either. It was an ironclad defense that even an army of gods couldn’t break through.
「Mother.」
「Yes?」
「Good night. Sweet dreams.」
「Yes. Good night, Hein.」
Helga closed her eyes.
Protected by seven hundred seventy-seven barriers, she slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep.
◆◆◆
The next morning.
Helga had already begun wrestling with paperwork in her office.
As for Hein, he was in the courtyard, swinging a sword. Recently, he had been practicing a strange kind of training—slowly swinging an enormous wooden sword, one as large as the gatekeeper Gaddem, taking an entire hour or even two for a single swing.
──If I recall correctly, he called it ‘kneading’.
Apparently it was some sort of training method from the eastern lands.
「I just hope he doesn’t push himself too hard.」
Murmuring that, she lowered her gaze back to her desk.
There, among the papers, lay a single sealed letter.
When Helga saw the emblem pressed into the sealing wax, she frowned.
An emblem of intertwined flowers, the crest of House Malicia, Marquises… and the family of the current Imperial Chancellor, Zigitaris.
Helga broke the seal and pulled out the letter inside.
Elegant handwriting flowed across pale violet stationery. A faint scent of perfume drifted from it. Sweet, yet somehow poisonous──the fragrance suited Zigitaris perfectly.
To Helga-sama, Acting Head of House Aster,
Please forgive this sudden letter.
I would very much like the opportunity to meet with you at least once. There is something I wish to discuss with you in private.
I shall leave the time and place to your discretion. Please inform me whenever it is convenient for you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Zigitaris Ira Malicia
That was what the letter said.
Leave a Reply