The capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
A private annex within Ro Lente Castle.
The following night.
A light still burned within that room.
It was not an official reception hall.
Nor was it one of the lavish chambers where royalty greeted foreign dignitaries.
It was deep within the castle’s interior.
A small room filled with old palace decorations and unused furniture that had been moved out of sight.
The windows were obscured by thick curtains.
Outside the door stood a single maid, personally handpicked by Lana.
The light was dim.
There were two teacups.
Two chairs.
And sitting in that room was the Golden Lana.
Her long golden hair glowed even more softly under the light of the evening candles.
She wore her usual pale blue princess gown.
A smile that looked kinder than anyone else’s in the world graced her face.
A moment later.
The door opened.
Terriuss Assis entered.
He quietly closed the door and bowed his head.
“Princess.”
Lana smiled gently.
“Welcome, Sir Terriuss.”
Terriuss took his seat.
A brief silence fell between them.
It wasn't an awkward silence.
It was more like a moment where both parties were checking the edge of each other’s blades.
Lana was the first to speak.
“Things have been moving quite rapidly since the disturbance in the capital.”
Terriuss gave a short laugh.
“Indeed. Demons appeared, Caesar descended, and the Thousand Kingdom signed a treaty.”
He looked at Lana.
“And Eight Fingers has all but vanished.”
Lana picked up her teacup.
“There certainly were many coincidences.”
“It was far too elaborate to be called a coincidence.”
Terriuss’s voice was low.
“While the demons appeared in the capital, Eight Fingers’ major strongholds were dismantled. Immediately after, the Thousand Kingdom appeared like saviors, and the Kingdom officially recognized them. And a man from a mere baronet’s house like me obtained the position of Acting Commissioner.”
Lana laughed quietly.
“You were very lucky, Sir Terriuss.”
“Rather than luck, I should say someone set the stage for me.”
Lana did not answer.
Terriuss continued.
“And the moment that stage was set, you moved immediately, Princess.”
Lana’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Terriuss said,
“With Eight Fingers gone, the justification for your connection with Blue Rose has weakened. Yet now, you are attempting to officially hire Blue Rose.”
Lana set down her teacup.
“Is that strange?”
“No.”
Terriuss slowly bowed his head.
“On the contrary, it is brilliant.”
He raised his head again.
“The Thousand Kingdom possesses a transcendent symbol in Caesar, and in E-Rantel, a new hero named Iel has emerged. The Adventurer’s Guild has elevated Iel to Adamantite rank, and the citizens have begun to worship her as a hero.”
He paused for a moment.
“In such a situation, you intend to keep Blue Rose by your side.”
Lana simply maintained her smile.
Terriuss spoke in a low tone.
“To prevent the symbol of 'the hero' from concentrating solely on Iel. To prevent the Adventurer’s Guild from rallying around her. To tie the Kingdom’s existing heroic symbols to your side.”
He stared into Lana’s face.
“As expected of the Princess… you had it all calculated.”
Lana continued to smile.
That smile was so beautiful.
And because of that, her true thoughts were impossible to read.
“It seems you came here knowing everything yourself, Sir Terriuss.”
“I’ve waded too deep to pretend I don’t know.”
“I see.”
Lana slowly traced the rim of her teacup with her finger.
“Then, what is it that you want, Sir Terriuss?”
Terriuss did not answer immediately.
He looked at Lana for a moment.
The kind princess.
The Golden Lana.
The royal daughter who wept for the people, worried for Climb, and shared a friendship with Lakyus.
But the person before him now was not just that princess.
Terriuss spoke.
“I want power.”
Lana’s smile deepened slightly.
“What kind of power?”
Terriuss slowly opened his hand.
“I want...”
His voice was low but clear.
“...the kind of power where, even if I drop an object into the depths of the ocean, I can somehow find it again.”
Lana stared at him for a moment.
And then, she burst into laughter.
“Ahahahaha!”
The laughter was clear and beautiful.
But within it, pure amusement and cold evaluation were mixed in equal measure.
“Your greed is quite immense.”
Lana wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye with her fingertip.
“I like it very much.”
Terriuss did not lower his head.
Lana looked at him and said,
“I want the throne.”
The air in the room turned cold.
Terriuss was not surprised.
Lana continued.
“Neither His Majesty Ramposa, nor Brother Barbro, nor Brother Zanac can ultimately save this Kingdom. The nobles are rotten, the Royal Faction is incompetent, and the Reformists are easily agitated.”
She smiled softly.
“So, I must have it.”
“The Kingdom, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Lana tilted her head slightly.
“And Climb, too.”
Terriuss’s gaze shifted.
Lana spoke with utter serenity.
“I want to keep Climb by my side. Safely, warmly... I want him to see only what I give him, to know only what I allow, and to live within the world I have created.”
Her voice was lovely, yet grotesque.
“The outside world is too dangerous. Climb is so kind and pure that he doesn't know how filthy the world is. That is why I must protect him.”
Terriuss understood Lana’s words.
She wanted to be King.
And she wanted to possess Climb.
That was Lana’s desire.
He spoke slowly.
“So, you wish to make the Kingdom ours, Princess.”
“No.”
Lana smiled.
“I want to make it mine.”
Terriuss fell silent for a moment.
Then, he laughed lowly.
“You are quite honest.”
“You were honest as well, Sir Terriuss.”
Lana looked at him.
“You want the power to find even an object lost at sea, and I want a world that Climb can never escape from.”
The two looked at each other.
In that moment, a strange understanding formed between them.
It wasn't goodwill.
It wasn't trust.
It wasn't friendship.
They had seen each other’s desires.
And they had confirmed that those desires were tradeable.
Lana spoke.
“Very well. The deal is struck.”
Terriuss bowed his head.
“It is an honor.”
“You don’t need to say such things. We don’t need that kind of etiquette between us.”
“Then what would you have me do from now on?”
Lana looked toward the window for a moment.
A tiny sliver of the capital’s night light leaked through a gap in the curtains.
“Continue to move the Reformists, Sir Terriuss.”
Her voice was soft.
But the content of her words was as sharp as a blade.
“Make them believe that they are the ones changing the era. And do not let your connection to the Thousand Kingdom be revealed too blatantly.”
“And the Royal and Noble factions?”
“Leave them to suspect each other.”
Lana laughed lightly.
“They never trusted each other to begin with. Just leak a few small rumors, and they will tear each other apart on their own.”
“I assume you will be the one moving Blue Rose, Princess.”
Lana nodded.
“Lakyus is my friend, after all.”
The words were incredibly gentle.
Yet Terriuss felt the edge of a blade in them.
Lana continued.
“Blue Rose will be the counterweight to Iel. It would be problematic if Iel rose too high. If people see only Iel as their hero, the Kingdom’s symbolism will be shaken.”
“Do you intend to make Iel an enemy?”
“Not yet.”
Lana’s smile faded slightly.
“However, we must see how far she moves. Her origins are unknown, and her power is far too great. Above all, she is the type that people can love far too easily.”
“Is that dangerous?”
Lana looked at Terriuss.
“There are times when a hero loved by the people becomes stronger than a King.”
Terriuss understood the meaning behind those words.
“So, the symbolism must be divided.”
“Exactly.”
Lana picked up her tea again.
“Blue Rose are heroes the Kingdom’s people already know. Lakyus is of noble birth, and Blue Rose is connected to the capital. As long as they are by my side, Iel cannot become the sole savior.”
Terriuss marveled in a low voice.
“You are truly a terrifying person, Princess.”
Lana laughed.
“Please don’t say such things in front of Climb.”
“Of course.”
A moment later.
Terriuss rose from his seat.
“I shall take my leave now.”
Lana nodded.
“Go safely. The streets of the capital are dangerous at night lately.”
“Aren't you one of the people who made them dangerous, Princess?”
Lana smiled brightly.
“Surely not.”
Terriuss bowed his head at that smile.
Then he left the room.
The door closed quietly.
The hallway was dark.
Terriuss did not accept the maid’s guidance.
He walked toward a secret passage he already knew.
A narrow staircase hidden behind a stone wall.
A path known only to royalty and a tiny handful of servants.
Following that path down, one could exit into the castle’s outer gardens.
Terriuss pulled his cloak down low.
Dawn was near.
The soldiers inside the castle were submerged in fatigue.
Maids were tidying the hallways.
No one knew that he had visited Lana’s room this night.
He vanished into the shadows of the garden.
Soon, a single black carriage moved quietly.
Its wheels were wrapped in cloth, making almost no sound.
The carriage passed through the castle’s rear gate and slipped into the darkness.
Lana stood by the window.
Peering through a tiny gap between the thick curtains, she watched Terriuss depart.
A smile was once again floating on her face.
“That man...”
Lana muttered lowly.
“Is he a dog, or a human?”
There was no one to answer.
The night in the capital was deep.
Lana slowly closed the curtain.
In the room, only the candle and the teacups remained.
The Kingdom.
The Thousand Kingdom.
The Reformists.
Blue Rose.
Iel.
Terriuss.
In Lana’s mind, those names were placed upon a single board.
And at the very center of that board, there was always one name.
Climb.
Lana smiled quietly.
What she wanted was not a simple throne.
What she wanted was not simple power.
The throne was a tool.
Power was a key.
And at the end of it all, there was Climb.
A warm cage from which he could never escape.
A world created by Lana.
Lana imagined that world.
And she laughed very lowly.
The night in the capital was deep.
But beneath that deep night.
The most beautiful monster was laughing quietly.
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