North Borough.
In the part of Backlund that had been bombed by the airships, Audrey was on-site coordinating rescue efforts.
She knew that in a situation like this, one more "noble lady" might end up being more of a hindrance than a help—but she wanted to see the reality of war with her own eyes.
Edward had told her long ago that no matter how much one imagined, nothing compared to witnessing things firsthand. Otherwise, she would forever remain trapped within her original social stratum, unable to see what was truly happening.
Perhaps one day, while ordinary people suffered the horrors of war and starvation, a group of nobles might still be hosting galas and drinking champagne under the pretext of "fundraising," maintaining their lofty detachment—while no one quite knew where the money they raised would finally end up.
Thus, she witnessed the cruelty.
Bodies were carried out one after another. The air was filled with shrill screams, with the stench of fresh blood everywhere. Scattered flesh, torn limbs—each piece silently recounting the terror of war.
She suppressed her discomfort and hurried around, using magic to heal the wounded. Compared to Beyonder abilities, Hogwarts magic might be far weaker in destructive power, but in certain special circumstances, magic was far more convenient.
A single Healing Charm could mend most physical injuries.
A Reparo could restore a damaged building to its original state—though considering how absurdly miraculous that spell appeared, Audrey refrained from using it lightly. She focused instead on saving lives, no longer caring about hiding supernatural abilities from ordinary people.
Thus, the young woman who cast miraculous rays of light, healing the injured and pulling people back from the brink of death, gradually took on a mystical air in the minds of everyone present—
She must have been sent by a deity to help us!
"Whew—"
After treating another group of victims, Audrey exhaled deeply.
Harry Potter–style magic did not require "mana consumption," but using too many spells too quickly still exhausted a person mentally.
She slumped against a broken wall and rested.
An elderly man she had just saved approached shakily with a cup of water. "Miss, have some water."
"Thank you."
Audrey smiled softly and drank it in one gulp, the fatigue in her body easing by a great deal.
She pushed herself up, ready to continue, when a voice called to her:
"Audrey, Lady Sloth wants us."
She turned to see two people disguised as the Edessak-Royal siblings.
"Let me finish treating these people first."
"But how many can you save alone? Even if you save everyone here, what about those dying on the front lines? Who will save them?"
Audrey paused mid-step and looked back. "So what are you saying?"
Edessak smiled. "I'm saying that if you want to truly resolve this problem—if you don't want more innocent people to die or be wounded—then you must eliminate the source."
"And that is the real reason we returned this time."
———
The Psychology Alchemists Tower's safehouse.
"Sloth" Althea lay sprawled lazily on a couch, swinging her legs and holding a glass of red wine, staring at the lights shimmering off the liquid. Her expression was as languid as ever, as though nothing in the world could interest her.
She looked like someone who had seen through everything.
As soon as Audrey and the others entered, Althea turned her head, covered her mouth with a yawn, and said, "You're finally here. I was about to fall asleep waiting."
Edessak chuckled softly. "Audrey was busy saving people. We didn't want to rush her too much, so we were delayed a bit. Our apologies."
Althea's beautiful eyes flashed as she gazed at Audrey. "Oh my, you're even kinder than I imagined, Audrey."
Audrey asked in confusion, "Althea, you urgently called me here…is there something you need? Edessak and Helena said you planned to resolve the war from its root?"
"No, no, no."
Althea shook her head.
"Not me.
You."
"I just received an instruction from the President of the Psychology Alchemists…though calling it an instruction isn't quite accurate. Our Society has always been loose and unstructured. We never force or order members to do anything."
As Althea spoke, she stood and walked toward them with unhurried grace.
"So, strictly speaking, it's more of a suggestion. The President suggested that I assist Loen's King, George III, and help him accomplish his objective."
"But," she continued, "Edessak and Helena raised objections."
Audrey furrowed her brow and looked at the siblings. Helena laughed softly. "That's perfectly normal, Audrey. I've already explained to you the grudge we have with George III. We returned this time for revenge—not to help him."
Althea nodded and continued, "As I just said, the Psychology Alchemists are loose and never force members to take action. So, when faced with the President's 'suggestion' and the members' objections, I decided…to hold a vote."
"A vote to determine what role we will play in the events to come."
Audrey glanced at the siblings in surprise. "If the vote ends up completely opposite to the President's intention…would that really be fine?"
Althea folded her arms. "I am currently the acting leader of the Society in Backlund—essentially, the authority for all of Loen. The final decision lies with me. That's why the Society established Councillors in the first place. So you don't have to worry at all."
She continued, "Right now, the Backlund branch has four core members, including myself, and six peripheral members. Although it may seem unfair to the peripheral members, matters of this scale can only be decided by the core four."
"Before you arrived, each of us had already made our choice. The siblings naturally voted against—not only refusing to help George III, but even hoping to topple him in the chaos. As for me, since I have the President's trust and temporarily oversee the Backlund division, I have to show some consideration—so I voted in favour."
The three all turned to Audrey.
"So now, Audrey, we need you to cast the decisive final vote."
"If you agree, that makes it two to two, and the Psychological Alchemy Society will do nothing further. If the result becomes three to one, then we'll have reason to participate in whatever plan is needed to overthrow George III."
Audrey wasn't foolish. She immediately recognised that this was not a vote at all—it was placing the real decision directly in her hands.
But the question was…why?
Because she was the daughter of the now-influential Earl Hall of Loen?
Or because they somehow knew she was a member of the Tarot Club?
Or was there some other reason?
Edessak smiled faintly. "Audrey, before you make your decision, let me tell you a story."
"I love listening to stories."
Althea immediately sat back down, somehow producing a plate of pastries. "Come, listen while you eat."
"Sit, Audrey." Helena gently pushed her into a seat and handed her a pastry.
"Thank you."
Edessak began, "Over two hundred years ago, the Loen royal family welcomed the birth of a prince—George."
"He was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and carried the high hopes of the entire kingdom. The expectation was that under his wise rule, Loen would become stronger in every aspect—economy, military, even territory."
"George lived up to those expectations. He demanded perfection from himself in everything. When he served as regent in place of his father, he vigorously promoted the economy, boldly supporting the technological and economic reforms started by 'Son of Steam' Roselle—despite heavy opposition—causing Loen's national power to grow rapidly."
"Soon after, the old king passed away. George ascended the throne and ushered in a new era for Loen, one later known as the era of George I. But at that moment, he suddenly uncovered a bloody truth: the world was not what he believed it to be."
"Many things could not be accomplished simply because he was hardworking enough, smart enough, and made wise enough decisions—even though he was the king wielding supreme authority. Because there were always forces that not only eluded his control, but could shake his very throne at any time."
Audrey frowned. "The Churches?"
"Exactly."
Edessak smiled. "The Churches. More precisely, the superhumans within them—and the deities standing behind them."
"No matter how great a king's authority might be, it was laughably insignificant before the power of the gods. And so George fell into confusion. He wondered what meaning there was in everything he did."
His words made Audrey drift into her own thoughts. If she were George I…how would she feel facing the Church and the gods?
But she soon realised the point behind this story. Edessak was building toward something.
"It was at this time…" Edessak continued, taking a bite of the pastry Helena handed him, "that a mysterious organisation approached George I. They invited him to join—and offered him a solution to his dilemma: if one day he himself became a god…then everything would be resolved."
"George I suddenly saw the path clearly."
Audrey said, "But according to Church rules, all kings and emperors are forbidden from advancing to Sequence 4."
"Correct."
Edessak nodded. "But this mysterious organisation could help George I conceal the truth—not only hide his true Sequence, but also hide his true identity."
"…What do you mean?"
"Audrey, do you know the advancement ritual of the Black Emperor?"
Audrey's heart skipped.
Of course she knew.
Edward had told her everything.
Edessak answered his own question:
"To possess a kingdom of one's own. To bind one's name inseparably to the title of emperor, becoming common knowledge among the people. And to establish a complex and abnormal set of rules, including architectural styles. Then construct a mausoleum…"
"We'll put aside the second half for now. Even the first half is incredibly difficult. After all, for thousands of years, only Roselle the Great succeeded. Only he changed the entire world in a few decades. His name is still remembered centuries later, tied forever to the peak of the Intis Empire."
"Although George I was wise, he could not compare to Roselle in this regard. So, with the mysterious organisation's help, he came up with another plan—if he could not achieve it in one lifetime, then he would extend the time. Extend it further. Extend it again."
"If George I could not complete it, then George II would continue. If George II still could not complete it, then George III would. With the effort of three generations, the ritual would surely be complete."
Audrey stared blankly. "But…wouldn't that require three different kings?"
Edessak's smile deepened.
"What if…they were the same person all along?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.