Chapter 165 - Damn Reincarnation

The Capital

The mass spilled onto the soil and spread without a sound. Levera’s eye widened at the sight right in front of her. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she fell on her backside and looked up at Eugene, unable to find words.

“Eu... Eu, Eugene, sir. What is...?”

“How do you feel?”

“Pardon...?”

“Haven’t you felt strange since coming back to the forest? Nauseous, with a headache...”

After hesitating, Levera nodded. Eugene smiled as though he had expected as much and nudged the darkness pooled on the ground with his foot.

“This was inside your body.”

Iris had given Levera back far too readily. Eugene had examined the inside of Levera’s body just in case, and sure enough, Iris’s darkness was lurking within her.

“... Something terrible nearly happened.”

Carmen muttered with a sudden scowl. She had seen just how many different ways Iris could use that darkness. What if Iris used it to lead her forces into the Lionheart main estate? What if she destroyed the warp gate to prevent them from requesting outside assistance, occupied the forest, and launched a surprise attack on the mansion?

“... What are you doing?”

Carmen approached to crush the darkness, but Eugene stepped into her path. Glancing at her fist, he continued.

“There’s something I need to check.”

“What?”

Eugene explained his suspicion that Iris might be unable to approach this forest. Carmen blinked for a moment, then cleared her throat.

“... Actually, I thought that might be the case as well.”

Naturally, that was a lie. Iris might be unable to approach because of the World Tree planted in the forest? The thought had never occurred to her. But now that she heard it, it sounded plausible. If Iris intended to act recklessly without considering the consequences, a direct invasion would have been simpler than taking hostages.

'Just as I thought.'

Eugene lifted the darkness with wind and headed deeper into the forest. Its reaction was unmistakable. The closer they moved from the outskirts toward the center, the more the darkness convulsed. Eventually, it turned to ash and vanished.

Darkness created by the Demonic Eyes of Darkness. It was neither mana nor demonic energy, but it was influenced by Iris, a dark elf.

An elf who accepted demonic energy and became corrupted turned into a dark elf.

The World Tree protected elves. Demonic sickness killed elves, but within the World Tree’s domain, they could not contract it. Even if they were already afflicted, their condition would no longer worsen.

“The Rakshasa Princess cannot enter this forest. Her dark elf subordinates probably can’t enter either.”

“... Hmm...”

Carmen stroked her chin in thought.

“... Then would it be better to send the White Dragon Knights away?”

“Is there any need? It isn’t costing us anything, and they’re taking care of guarding the mansion themselves.”

“That’s true, but...”

“If there hadn’t been gaps in the empire’s public security in the first place, we wouldn’t have suffered this incident. And couldn’t the Rakshasa Princess resort to other means since she can’t enter herself?”

There was no arguing with that. Carmen nodded and regarded Eugene closely.

“... It seems a little silly to say this now, but your skills were remarkable.”

In fact, Eugene had been thinking much the same thing. Carmen Lionheart was stronger than he had expected. He had never properly witnessed the abilities of Doynes, reputed to be Lionheart’s strongest, but the skill Carmen had displayed against the Rakshasa Princess was enough to lay claim to that title.

'She handled Iris’s demonic eyes extremely well, considering it was her first fight against her.'

If Iris hadn’t grown so much stronger than she had been three hundred years ago, he might have been able to kill her with the Moonlight Sword while fighting alongside Carmen. Eugene clicked his tongue, feeling just how long three hundred years really was.

'... And it isn’t just Iris.'

Raizakia was drifting through the dimensional rift half-dead, but the other two dukes—the queen of the dream demons and Incarceration’s Sword—were still going strong.

Especially Incarceration’s Sword, Gavid Lindman.

A pitch-black blade and the clanking of chains. Concealing the chill that ran down his spine, Eugene turned to Carmen.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“... You said Hector escaped from Black Lion Castle, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Could there be a connection between Hector and the Rakshasa Princess? Her demonic eyes would have made it easy to help him escape.”

“That isn’t the case.”

Magic had been used in Hector’s escape. That was why traces remained. An escape using Iris’s demonic eyes, however, would leave no traces at all.

Besides, Iris was the only one who could use this darkness as a passage. Even if her darkness resided within Hector, he couldn’t freely use it to flee.

Did Iris have any reason to appear there and escape with Hector? To deliberately leave separate traces of magic to conceal her involvement? No matter how he considered it, there was no reason for her to do that.

“... You know a great deal about the Rakshasa Princess.”

Carmen blinked as she murmured. Eugene hastily composed his expression. Now that he thought about it, he had revealed too much to her.

“You’re not quite what you seem, are you?”

“... Pardon?”

“You even showed interest in little Alchester’s boring old stories, and you spent a lot of time with Sir Genos at Black Lion Castle. The Rakshasa Princess even mistook you for Lionheart’s hunting hound.”

“... Uh... Yes, well, that’s true.”

“As you know, Sir Genos’s family has a long history even among the Lionhearts. It may be terribly disrespectful to put it this way... but the founder made Sir Genos’s family into hunting hounds for Lionheart and had them inherit the techniques of his deceased friend, Sir Hamel. That is the origin of the Black Lion.”

“Yes... I’ve heard that as well.”

“Sir Genos must have taken a liking to you and passed down his family’s secret techniques... Indeed, you and Sir Genos get along well. You both love old stories, too.”

Having reached her own conclusion, Carmen looked pleased. Eugene had worried that she might have guessed his identity, as Genos and Doynes had... but seeing that contented smile, he decided his worries had been needless.

“Hmm... Yes... I do respect Sir Hamel...”

“So it seemed. The techniques you used cannot be achieved through talent alone. Effort an ordinary person could scarcely imagine. Without enduring training so painful that blood flows in place of sweat, you could never reach such heights.”

Carmen gazed at Eugene earnestly. Frankly, those gleaming golden eyes were a little overwhelming, but receiving such open recognition certainly didn’t feel bad.

“Your profound respect and affection for Sir Hamel are what made you the person you are today.”

Carmen thought she had said something wonderfully impressive. Satisfied with herself, she assumed a solemn expression, planted a hand on Eugene’s shoulder, and nodded.

“Your coming-of-age ceremony was held last year, and I was the very person who sparred with you then. Still, I shall acknowledge you once more. Eugene Lionheart. You are more than worthy of bearing the Lionheart name. No, you are a mighty flame that will illuminate this family’s future.”

“... Yes...”

“Therefore, as a senior elder of Lionheart and one who walks the martial path ahead of you, I wish to bestow upon you a fitting name.”

“Pardon?”

“The lion of blue and white flames cloaking lightning...”

“Wait...”

“Lightning Radiance, Blue-and-White Flame God...”

It didn’t roll off the tongue as well as she had imagined. Carmen narrowed her eyes in thought, then looked at her bandaged right hand.

Blood-soaked bandages.

“... Yes. From this moment on, you are the Blood Lion, Eugene Lionheart.”

“Now, listen.”

“The Blood Lion who annihilates the family’s enemies. Though countless rivers of blood shall flow along his path, he shall forever remain noble, beautiful, and indomitable.”

Listening to any more was agony. Eugene falteringly tried to step away, but Carmen would not release his shoulder.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.

The Black Lions, who had been listening in silence, began to applaud. The Third Division, who followed Carmen as their captain. The fierce-looking men applauded Eugene with expressions of genuine emotion.

They were out of their minds.

In his past life, Eugene had also devised technique names he would be embarrassed to announce to others, but in his opinion, names like Asura’s Frenzied Slaughter and Divine Aura of Destruction were nothing compared to Carmen’s taste. And that applause...! No sane person could respect and follow a captain like that. They must all have gone as crazy as Carmen.

'... Maybe Ciel, too...'

Ciel’s face came to mind, wearing that irritating smile. She respected and followed Carmen and had already spent three years learning as her squire... Eugene began to seriously worry that Ciel had gone just as mad as the rest of them.

* * *

“Princess.”

“I’m fine.”

A worried voice approached, but Iris waved a hand with an untroubled expression.

She wasn’t putting on a brave front. It was true that she had been struck several times. Her opponents had been stronger than expected. Quality endured even in decline, as they said. Lionheart indeed. Perhaps they did deserve to call themselves the continent’s foremost martial family. Chuckling, Iris dropped onto the sofa.

“The Silver Lion, Carmen Lionheart. And Eugene Lionheart... Those two alone are enough for them to call themselves the continent’s foremost martial family.”

Muttering this, Iris unbuttoned her shirt. Despite all the attacks she had allowed to land, there wasn’t even a small bruise on her body. She had fully recovered during the short journey here.

'... Should I have pushed myself and brought them along as hostages?'

Eugene and Carmen. If she had taken both hostage, she could have negotiated with Lionheart for the surrender of the hundred elves.

But...

Iris reluctantly dispelled the lingering regret in her heart. She hadn’t come here hoping for proper negotiations in the first place. By illegally entering Kiel, causing a disturbance in the capital, and attacking Lionheart, she had eliminated any room for negotiation.

“... Princess. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

RATTLE.

The wagon began to move. It wasn’t a passenger carriage, but an enormous freight wagon. Iris and the dark elves were in its rear compartment. A large, thick canvas covered them overhead, blocking the view outside. Half reclining on the sofa, Iris stroked her belly.

“... I’ve been stubborn for three hundred years, after all.”

Dark elves could not reproduce. The moment they accepted demonic energy and became corrupted, they lost the ability to bear children, no matter what means they employed.

In other words, the only way to increase the number of dark elves was to corrupt elves.

“... A hundred elves. A tempting number when it comes to increasing our kind... but they have no value as a fighting force.”

Their existence had continued to trouble her. The descendants of that damned Vermouth were protecting elves. She wanted nothing more than to storm in and take them away. The fact that the elves wouldn’t want that meant nothing to Iris.

But it was impossible. She had approached Lionheart territory to scout it out, but the closer she got, the more her chest throbbed and her head ached. Even the Demonic Eyes of Darkness, her greatest power, wouldn’t function properly.

And so she had withdrawn.

Then she had faced reality. Even if she added a hundred dark elves to her ranks, how many could she immediately use in battle? Elves lived for ages, but they did not devote their lives to pursuing ‘power’... Having once been an elf herself, Iris knew that well.

Elves were a badly designed race.

That was what Iris believed. A race that let centuries pass without meaning. Despite their powerful affinity for magic and spirits, they devoted themselves to tending forests, planting flowers, and picking fruit rather than diligently cultivating those abilities. Superior to mere humans in every way, yet they made no effort to increase their numbers, living only among themselves in a closed society.

That was what elves were. Most of the elves Lionheart protected would be the same.

'... The only one who could become an immediate asset after turning into a dark elf... would be Siknard, at most. I doubt the others have ever even held a sword.'

Increasing the number of her kind mattered, but what Iris needed now was not incompetent kin. She needed fighting strength that would aid her grand undertaking. Even if all hundred elves became dark elves, they would be no help to her now. They would only be burdens.

The transportation ability of her Demonic Eyes of Darkness was not all-powerful. That was why she was riding in a freight wagon now. Transporting another hundred of her kind would require several more wagons.

“... Damn it.”

Iris heaved a deep sigh and placed a cigarette between her lips.

She lacked funds for her war.

Ultimately, that was the problem. Now that she had walked out on Helmuth, she could no longer receive subsidies for the dark elves. The money she had amassed over centuries had gone into the back pockets of demon officials discussing various policies, while the rest had melted away like lumps of sugar in assorted other futile ventures...

“... How long until we reach the port?”

“It will take ten days by wagon.”

She had no intention of using a warp gate. Iris clicked her tongue and lit her cigarette.

“... Are you... truly all right with this?”

Rolling the cigarette smoke over her tongue, Iris looked at her subordinates.

“We may be dark elves, but we were elves once. Our kind finds peace in forests. ... But there are no forests at sea.”

“Do not doubt yourself, Princess.”

A dark elf who had served Iris for many years bowed his head.

“We have devoted our souls to joining you in your grand undertaking.”

“... I... know that, but...”

“Many of our kin and mercenaries are already waiting for you in Shimuin.”

Iris exhaled cigarette smoke without answering.

“... Have any of you... ever been on a ship?”

“I have not.”

“Ever sailed one?”

“We can learn if necessary.”

“It would be quicker to seize an entire ship instead. Rather than learning ourselves, couldn’t we make humans who already know how do it?”

“... Yes... That would be better. Since we’ve decided to become pirates anyway.”

Iris exhaled smoke along with a sigh. The development of warp gates had revolutionized global trade. But that didn’t mean maritime trade had vanished. For all their convenience, warp gates required enormous installation costs, along with equally enormous ongoing maintenance expenses.

As a result, the presence or absence of warp gates could be considered a measure distinguishing developed countries from less developed ones. Small island nations and towns at sea could hardly have warp gates.

That was why Iris had decided to become a pirate. The maritime kingdom of Shimuin was universally recognized as a developed country, but the many islands surrounding it had no warp gates.

Moreover, Shimuin also traded with the Great Forest of Samar. Boarding a Shimuin merchant ship was the usual route for elves entering Samar.

“... We can raise war funds... and increase our kind... Yes. There’s no downside. Aside from the sea.”

“... Or... would it be better to enter Samar instead? According to reports from our comrades who have already settled there, it’s harsh, but not a bad place to lay the foundation for your grand undertaking...”

“Too many tribes there are subject to Helmuth’s interference.”

CRUNCH.

Iris bit down on the filter and spat out her words.

“... What a wretched position I’ve ended up in.”

She stubbed out the spent cigarette and buttoned her open shirt again.

“... Noir Giabella. If only I’d beaten that bitch in the territorial war...”

The queen of the dream demons.

Iris bit her lip as she recalled the reason she had been forced to turn her back on Helmuth.