――The days of old, on a certain day.
When the barbarian problem was still not so serious, and everyone in Mynoghra believed that sending troops to Dragontan would suffice.
"What a big moon!"
"It's been a while since I've seen the moon properly."
Two young girls were gazing up at the night sky from the crown of a great tree.
The forests of Mynoghra had become cursed land due to their properties.
The trees twisted in irregular patterns, making it difficult not only to climb them but even to secure proper footholds.
But for the Dark Elves—close relatives of the forest-dwelling elves—this degree of difficulty was child's play.
Scaling the tallest of the great trees at the edge of town was, for them, no more taxing than a casual stroll through the neighborhood.
...Though considering their positions and ages, loitering around in a place like this at this hour was a matter of some concern.
They would surely receive an earful from their mother figure, the slightly overprotective and worry-prone hero Isla.
And so, this was the girls' own little adventure.
A peaceful and happy life had made the two girls just a little bit brave.
The view from this especially lofty vantage point was quite different from what they knew.
In every direction, trees of poisonous hues spread out like a sea, while the cloudless sky above glittered as though a jewel box had been scattered across it.
And most distinctive of all was... the enormous moon, illuminating the surroundings as brilliantly as the sun, yet gazing down at them with warm, tender light.
Spotting that light from the palace of Mynoghra had been the inception and ultimate goal of this little adventure.
"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
Krea, who had been gazing at the moon she hadn't seen in so long with sparkling eyes, tilted her head at her older sister Mearia's sudden remark.
The moon was certainly bright, illuminating them both, shining beautifully.
But her sister's words seemed less like something that came naturally and more like a line from some rehearsed script.
"The moon is beautiful, but... what's that supposed to mean, sis?"
"Hmm? The King told me. Apparently, when you say 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?', it means 'I love you.'"
In response to her younger sister's question, Mearia offered a rare, gentle smile and turned to face Krea.
It had started at some point when their King had gazed up at the moon and murmured wonderingly, "There's a moon here too."
Mearia, who was already close to the King, had asked about its meaning out of curiosity, and the answer she received—somewhat different from what she'd expected—had been that little anecdote.
She understood, in her own girlish way, that she'd been deflected. But the story the King had told was so interesting and moving that the sense of wonder outweighed any dissatisfaction, and so it had stayed in her heart.
That was why, upon seeing the beautiful moon here, the words had escaped her lips unbidden.
"Wow! I've never heard that before! The King knows everything!"
"Yeah~ Me neither. The King knows everything~"
Sharing a special secret with her equally special sister.
Seeing her sister's eyes light up with joy—just as her own had when she first heard the anecdote—Mearia, who was usually so hard to read, broke into a smile that anyone could recognize.
It was the smile of a girl her age, and it almost made you forget that both of them had endured such sorrowful and painful pasts to reach this point.
...Having become citizens of Mynoghra, and then the King's attendants...
The wounds in their hearts were indeed beginning to heal.
During their former flight, they had eaten the flesh of their own mother in order to survive.
That had been their mother's own idea—a selfless act to save her Dark Elf companions who had fallen into famine.
But in truth, it had been a bargain to save her own children, who were afflicted with illness and had no hope of recovery otherwise, as well as a final means of ensuring their safety within the tribe, for they would otherwise have been a burden.
The two children, possessed of a wisdom beyond their years, had perceived the truth behind it.
As a result, Krea had shut her heart away, while Mearia had, as if punishing herself, exposed the burn scars left by her illness treatment.
It was no wonder that when Old Mortar and the other Mynoghra administrators had been looking for attendants for Takuto, they had been reluctant to introduce the twins.
For the twin girls were living proof of the abhorrent crime of cannibalism among the Dark Elves, and there was a terrible sense of guilt in presenting them to the King.
And above all, at that time, the two of them had been broken beyond measure.
But even such a wretched thing was now in the past.
Having entered the King's protection and finally found peace, the two were gradually coming to terms with their past and learning to live in the present.
The ones who had made that possible were, of course, their King Ira=Takuto and their other companions.
But the reason the girls, who had always longed for death, could truly stand on their own feet again—this was surely owing to the presence of one person: the hero Isla.
"Say, sis. When did the King teach you such a lovely thing??"
"Hmm~? When was that~? It's a secret~"
"A-hh! You're dodging the question! That's so unfair!"
Chuckling at her sister's protest, Mearia shifted her gaze back to the moon.
Conveying beauty and affection in the same breath.
What a wonderful expression that was.
The King who had secretly taught it to her—what a kind and magnificent person he must be.
The enormous moon overhead seemed to lend a mysterious power all on its own, and happy feelings kept welling up, bringing more and more smiles to their faces.
They would surely be happy from now on.
After all the hardship they'd been through, the world would surely smile upon them.
Because the moon was this beautiful.
This must surely be proof that the world loved them.
From now on, they would live happily forever with the King they adored, with Isla they adored, with the Dark Elves they adored, and in the land of Mynoghra they adored.
For the sake of those who had died. For the sake of their real mothers who had died.
Carrying the feelings behind those words—*live*—
Just like the ending of a fairy tale, they would live happily ever after.
Thinking this, the part of Mearia's heart that had been frozen by the past felt as though it was melting away, and she couldn't help but feel lighthearted.
"Krea. The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
So, taking her sister's hand, Mearia said it.
Krea was a little startled by the suddenness, but perhaps catching on to the meaning, she broke into a smile like a flower blooming, her cheeks flushing slightly as she squeezed her sister's hand in return.
"Hehe, sis, the moon is beautiful!"
"Fufufu~"
"Hehehe~"
The two girls giggled.
Ordinarily, these were words meant for a man and woman drawn to each other, but it was unreasonable to expect girls of this age to grasp all those subtleties.
Then again, Takuto—who had felt embarrassed explaining it and deflected the question—bore some of the blame as well...
In any case, though their usage was somewhat off, the words were by no means wrong in their purpose of conveying affection.
And here, in this place where nothing existed but a sky full of stars and a sea of treetops, comparing the beauty of the moon to words of love for one's family was the most fitting expression possible.
"That's it!"
Perhaps that was why.
The warmth of the moon had brought Krea a wonderful idea.
"Then next time, let's bring Isla-mama along! And then the two of us can tell her 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it!'!"
"Ohh... let's do it!"
As though they'd thought of something truly magnificent, both girls' eyes sparkled.
How much meaning and value that proposal held was obvious from their demeanor alone.
For the two girls, Isla was a second mother.
Of course, they had never forgotten their real mothers.
It was because their real mothers had sacrificed their lives that they could live happily here today.
They had not forgotten the warmth that had always wrapped them in its embrace.
At the same time, they had not forgotten how much love Isla had poured into their hearts when they had shut themselves away.
They didn't know why she, a hero, cared for them so deeply.
But the warmth of those strange, monstrous arms—the very arms that should have known only destruction and killing—embracing them gently was something undeniably real.
"Fufufu. I think it's going to be an even more fun day than today."
When would the next full moon come?
They could hardly wait for that day.
How beautifully would the moon shine when three of them gazed up at it together? Just thinking about it made Krea feel excited, and she couldn't sit still, standing up involuntarily without really meaning to.
"This is our secret until then, okay?"
"Yes, sis!"
"...Fufufu"
"...Hehehe"
The two girls giggled.
The next full moon, they would bring their new mother here too.
She might chide them for staying up late, but knowing Isla, she'd say all sorts of things but ultimately let them have their way.
The three of them would gaze upon this great moon together.
And they would say those words. Above all, to the one who mattered most.
*I love you.*
Believing that day would surely be the most wonderful day of all.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Noaaaaaaaah!!"
"Mama!!"
After the massive shockwave from Fremain's self-destruction had obliterated everything in the vicinity—
The two girls and their mother were, at this point, still alive.
No—their mother Isla was in a state where being alive at all was nothing short of miraculous.
Her skin, harder than steel, had melted and charred to a pulp; her colossal frame, which had once generated brutal, overwhelming physical strength, had lost roughly half its mass and was no longer recognizable.
The state was far too horrific to be called fortunate, but she had at least avoided damage to her head, and from her mouth leaked a faint, creaking voice.
Eventually regaining consciousness, Isla—in an agonizingly slow motion compared to her former self—raised her head and turned her gaze to the twin girls she had cradled in her arms, checking on their safety.
"A-are you... alright...?"
The response came from the twins, their voices choked with sobs.
Their faces were covered in soot, their contorted expressions streaked with tears that kept falling, but they had been confirmed to be physically intact.
At this fact, Isla felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Isla had been determined to protect these two no matter what.
Because... these two were, in the truest sense of the word, her daughters.
Why? Because Isla had never had children before.
Isla—a being within the game called *Eternal Nations*.
The brood she spawned were her offspring in a sense, but only within the system. They were set that way in data; how it worked in reality was another matter entirely.
Even the brood spawned after she was summoned to this world felt more like terminal devices than children—in truth, their thought patterns resembled not sentient beings but rather AI forming a collective.
If one were to describe it using human sensibility, they could not really be called children.
...Isla understood keenly that she was nothing more than a game's data.
Even if she bore the grandiose title of Queen of All Insects, she was merely a fictional existence conjured from zeros and ones.
Perhaps that was why? Having been given the setting of a queen, she had been earnestly searching, deep within herself, for someone to direct her maternal instincts toward since arriving in this world.
Someone who would respond. A fragile, vulnerable being she could protect and love.
Into that space had appeared twin girls who clung to her as their mother—and for Isla, they must have been treasures beyond all compare.
Yes—so precious she would throw away her own life to protect them.
"I'm glad you're safe. Truly, I'm so glad... Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Forget that—your injuries—!"
"Y-yes! We need to get the King to heal you quickly!"
"I am... fine."
Listening to the footfalls of death creeping closer, Isla summoned what remained of her strength to speak to the girls.
To tell the truth—if she had sacrificed the twins, Isla could have survived.
With her tenacious abilities, she could have immediately put distance between herself and assumed the best defensive posture possible.
That way, no matter how powerful Fremain's ability was or how malicious the Brave Questus event, she would only have taken damage from the *Eternal Nations* system, like anything else.
But mothers willing to sacrifice their own children... were not so many.
Did blood prove the bond between parent and child?
Did the time spent together prove the bond?
No—even without blood ties, even if that time was brief...
The two girls were undeniably Isla's daughters, and for them, Isla was undeniably their mother.
"I'm sure you understand, but I... am finished. That is why, there is something I wish to entrust to you both..."
The time remaining was far too little. And the means left were far too few.
Suppressing the urge to scream that *this isn't how it was supposed to end* at this sudden finality, Isla desperately clung to her consciousness.
"No!! Be good girls, okay! That's why, that's why—!"
"Th-there must be something we can—"
"I'm afraid there is no time."
"It's because Krea and I were weak! Because we tried to be happy! Because we tried to be happy, that's why we're being punished again!"
"Why? Why does everyone keep dying? We just want to be together. Is wanting to be with our mama really so wrong? Did we really do something that terrible?"
She wanted to scream that it wasn't true.
But she no longer had even that strength.
Her life was now a candle flickering in the wind, and there was something she had to do before it went out.
"Let us die with you, Mama. We don't want this anymore—we don't want to suffer anymore..."
"This is pointless now. Living doesn't lead to anything good, it never does."
"P-please... listen to my... final words..."
"..."
Yes—her wish was for the two of them to survive.
She had to get them to safety from this desperate situation, no matter what.
The place where Isla and the others currently were was the front line where the Brave Questus Demon Lord's army and the Mynoghra forces clashed.
Though Fremain's self-destruction had wiped out everything, there was no guarantee that Mynoghra's rescue would arrive in time.
Rather, it was more likely that Brave Questus's endlessly spawning monsters would come scouting this area.
That was why this was the only option remaining.
"I have a request for you both—"
"Hh—!"
Both girls screamed simultaneously.
Because their mother had abruptly driven a broken bowl into her own chest and torn out her heart.
At the same moment, they understood Isla's intention.
"Gah—!"
"Hh, hhh, hhh—"
Krea retched, and Mearia hyperventilated.
This was the thing that traumatized them most—evoking the most gruesome of memories.
They had heard once before.
Among the many abilities Isla possessed, there was one that allowed her to pass on her power.
And to do so, the inheritor had to consume Isla's heart...
In *Eternal Nations*, this was nothing more than a commonplace auxiliary ability that granted the *Hero* skill to another unit upon Isla's defeat.
But when it became reality, the impact on the inheritor was beyond measure.
The deeper the love...
"Forgive your mother for going ahead of you, and... my final wish... please, eat me, and live on."
"No, no, no, no!"
"Why, *hic*, *hic*, whyyy..."
Isla understood how much this act would wound their hearts.
And yet, even knowing that, this was the only path she could choose.
Even knowing it would cause them pain, she still wished for the two she loved to live.
"It's alright. You are my precious daughters, after all..."
(*My Lord... I am terribly sorry. Please forgive me for this selfishness of mine.*)
And so Isla acquired a certain skill without the King's authorization.
That skill was *Royal Succession*.
It granted the *Hero* skill to a unit of the same nation upon Isla's defeat.
A final gift from one who was dying.
"Royal Succession—my dear daughters. Mearia, Krea... I bequeath to you all of my power."
Isla's heart, still faintly beating—*thump, thump*—was handed over.
Patches of pale blue mana emanated from it, and when it was placed in the girls' hands, it blazed with even greater radiance.
At last, like a final light fading away—
"—Live as you wish. My dear daughters."
The hero Isla's life came to an end.
"—I love you."
"Nooooooooo!!!"
The girls knew how agonizing and painful it was to survive by sacrificing their mother.
They had suffered enough from just one time, and yet they had to endure it once more.
But they had been told.
They had been asked.
By the mother they loved most—to live. That she loved them.
And so, the two girls—
Once again, their own mother—
...…
……
…
…the Brave Questus event continued.
Fremain, who had been defeated and eliminated by the hero in the course of the narrative, would never know this—but the story had a continuation.
The one who died by Fremain's scheme in the story was his teacher, a father figure to him.
A brave and proud person who, despite repeatedly joining and leaving the adventure from the start, had at times led battles to victory with his formidable combat prowess.
He too, in order to protect the hero, sacrificed himself and lost his life.
The hero, drowning in grief and despair.
But at his dying words, the hero rose again.
And so, inheriting his master's will and strength, he resolved to save the world with even greater determination.
The power inherited at this moment would serve as foreshadowing—eventually becoming the key to breaking the Demon Lord's power and leading the world to peace.
A tale of adventure that inherited love, courage, and the human will.
But what if the subject of that inheritance was an evil one?
What if she, having despaired at her circumstances and had the hard-won peace cruelly snatched away,
In her helplessness and despair, was forced once again to survive by eating her mother?
What if she were a girl blessed by a King of Ruin, inheriting the will of monsters, and hating everything?
The event could not be stopped.
If no convenient savior appeared,
Then the notion that something catastrophic to the world could conveniently be prevented was equally impossible.
A chaos born of mingled emotions swelled into a great wave that flooded the world.
=System===
※Hero—error—has awakened to the true power!!
Upgrading target's stats...
...……
Target's setting profile is abnormal.
Cancelling stat upgrade...
Process has been in■■■■ed by inte■ion.
Continuing stat upgrade processing.
"Royal Succession activated"
Granting skill *Hero* to target.
—error—
Awakening process is duplicating.
—error—
Process cannot execute properly
—erro
{{Awakening awakening}} has {{completed completed}}.
―――
Even if someone who knew everything about the world existed, drawing out this result would have been difficult.
Even if a being called a god existed, prediction might have been impossible.
All events had entangled themselves in such complexity that a wretched creature—no longer even recognizable in its original form—was about to be born.
—And the egg of hatred hatches.
Was it a mother's love, in the end?
Or was it a mother's madness?
An impossible phenomenon continued, overriding even the world's warnings to force its own will through.
Because it was pure, it would never stop.
The world is always cruel.
It always hated them, always wished for their misfortune and despair.
But at the same time, the world was also equal.
And that was precisely why it had granted them the power to cast everything equally into hell...
...…
……
…
At the place where it all ended, two small shadows.
Slowly rising to their feet, they looked up at the night sky.
It was the blessing of a new birth.
The girls had been reborn—from fragile beings who could only be sheltered, into beings who would enforce their own will and scatter their hatred across the world.
In their first despair, the girls had broken their hearts.
And in their second despair, the girls had...
In the night sky—the enormous moon simply shone on, silent and radiant.
=Message===
※Emergency Notice※
A new threat has emerged in the world
[The Witches of Regret, the Elful Sisters]
~The world hates us so very much—
—And so we hate the world just as much~
―――