Her eyes widen. Her blue eyes flickered a little, and her eyelids fluttered a few times. Strangely, my eyelashes felt heavy.

　Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, Erdis, mistress of the Hanging Gardens of Ghazalia, wondered to herself where she was.

　At the very least, it was not her room in Gazalia. Rather, the furnishings and details of the room looked different from the structures the elves were used to.

　Erdis's beautiful crystal eyes flickered and he looked around. Then, finally, she remembered.

　Oh, yes. I'm still in the puppet city of Philos.

　The moment I remembered this in my brain, the marrow of my body reacted to the thought with a dull pain. It was as if every muscle in my body had twisted and turned.

　This is the first time I've seen this kind of thing. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

　The first thing that comes to mind is the first thing that comes to mind. Thinking of her actions in the Great Temple of Flimsulat, she would rather admire herself for being able to open her eyes again.

　He had rebelled against his former overlord, and had taken the origin spell into his own hands as the heat in his heart waved.

　Looking at that alone, it would not be surprising if he had made that great temple his final resting place. In fact, that may have been the correct form.

　And yet, to be able to sit here now, swaying in a sound sleep, must have been found by luck itself.

　No, or is it bad luck? Erdis narrows his eyes.

　If her soul had been swallowed by the origin spell, it would have been the ultimate annihilation of Lugis' soul as well.

　Or we could have been trapped in emptiness itself and drifted in the void forever.

　--Ah, it's a shame to think so.

　With that thought loosening her lips, Elddis let the water run down her throat. It was enough to make her feel as if something was biting her throat as well.

　It's been like this for the past few days, or ever since she regained consciousness. There are nights when I can barely sleep, and when I do, the sensation of my spine breaking forces me to open my eyes.

　At first Erdis thought that was why he had opened his eyes today. But then her heart suddenly raced.

　The blood flowing through her body buzzed strangely noisily, and yet it was hot. A familiar, yet strangely distant, heat.

　I think. I wonder if Lugis has gotten his body up.

　I heard from my servant that he was still lying on the bed as if his soul had left him.

　Yes, he had tortured his body more than anything else in that great temple. It was as if he was trying to see how long he could last by bringing his own body to the brink of death.

　So there was no way he could move so quickly. Ordinarily, yes. But...

　As if she had been played, Erdis's blue eyes, and her hair of the same color, shook, and she made an immediate connection to the cause and effect of necromancy. The spirit equipment that Erdis has created has become more colored to bind Lugis' soul, but it still has not forgotten its original role.

　It is meant to bind him, to color him, and to know him as such. As soon as the connection was complete, Elddis bit her teeth hard. Unknowingly, she almost heard the sound of teeth grinding.

　--There's no sign of Lugis in this house, or anywhere around here for that matter. 　

　On the contrary, in the information pouring into my brain, the spirits are telling me a clear abnormality. There's no doubt that something is happening to Lugis.

　I let my guard down. Erdis let out a hot breath and said such a thing in his heart.

　You knew what Lugis was capable of. He never knew how to rest his body. And yet, he is foolishly ignorant of using others.

　That's why he can carve up his own body and throw it away.

　I knew it. You knew it. That's why I bound her soul with the origin spell and let it fall into my hands.

　But perhaps that's why I let my guard down. I thought I was safe now. Elddis raised her eyelashes in self-mockery.

　Then, with her creaking body creaking even more and sobbing in every muscle, she forced herself to get up from the bed.

　Every part of your body screams in an impossible way, advising you not to move. Your body is not sane right now, no matter what.

　Yes, I know. But it doesn't matter. All that matters to Erdis is that the soul that is now in his possession has left him. That's a clear mistake.

　And a mistake that must be righted.

　--Ga-ngh!

　There's a roar coming from inside the building. It sounds like something snapped.

　Erdis's long ears quivered as he reacted involuntarily. As she changed into her traveling gear, Elddis understood what the sound was.

"Rougis!　That fool...!

　Erdis's cheeks relaxed involuntarily.

　A silver-haired swordsman, a descendant of giants. The voice of the heir to Flimsulat echoed through the hall. The voice of the heir to Flimsulat echoed through the hall, even though she was in no way sincere.

　Her voice was filled with an indescribable rage and a certain frustration. Oh, she's just like me, Erdis thought, placing his fingertips on his chest.



　In my heart, there is an inexpressible rage, a frustration that fills my guts, and a desire that surpasses them all.

　I can't seem to get a grip on the reins of my own emotions. It was not something that could be described by the conventional expression of a rampaging horse.

　She couldn't hear Fialaert-la-Volgograd's voice, but she could feel the evaporating magic in Elddis's cheeks.

　Of course. Of course. He's the one who did this to us. But I can't have him pretending to be something he's not. He should at least keep his eyes on us.

　Body, soul, and all of it.

　I'm not sure about Kalia or Fialat, but I'm a pretty good listener, Erdis thinks.

　If Lugis instructs us to wait quietly and not ask any questions, then that is all we will do. That is, for as many years as it takes to rot away.

　But if that is not the case, then all that remains is to do what must be done. As Queen of the Elves, I will do everything in my power.

　When Erdis went downstairs, suppressing the intense pain in his body, Caria and Fialaat were already there in their traveling clothes.

　Both of them had wounds that hadn't healed yet, but their brilliant souls never lost their noble glow.

　Was he trying to hold them back somehow, or was he just unlucky enough to be there? One of the servants said, his voice quivering.

　One of the servants shuddered and said that Lugis had told them to take it easy and wait for him because he would soon turn himself around and come back.

　The servant paled and pursed her lips in pitying horror. She must be good. She must be good, for she had clearly conveyed his words in front of a human being with a presence far removed from that of a normal person.

　But that made no sense at all. He looked at Erdis downstairs for a moment, but then Kalia opened her lips sharply and said.

I thank you for your message. I appreciate the message, but I will only listen to his words if he delivers them directly to me.
I don't listen to anything else. I've never been such a cheap b*tc*.

　Fialaat, too, with her long, beautiful black hair in a bun, continued to speak.

And I don't trust Lugis when he says he'll be back soon. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　That's why the black eyes stared silently at the servant with a will that could no longer be stopped. The servant held his lips for a moment, but without saying another word, he cleared the way.

　Erdis' blue eyes twinkled and his lips relaxed.

　--Now, Lugis. I can't wait to see how you'll hold us off this time. I can't help but look forward to it.

　And if you can't... Then it's simple. You won't be able to do anything you don't want to do again. That's good.

　That's great.

　Erdis wore a near-magical smile on his face, and with a hot breath, he stepped back into the snow.