──Once again, she dreams.
Lately, the dream never changes. Its form may vary, but the conclusion always remains the same.
For her, it is the worst. Something forced upon her again and again, something she never wants to see. A future that shouldn't exist—one that erodes her heart every time she remembers it.
Namely—
Ermes dies.
—that is the ending.
And then, she wakes up.
With a face deeply shadowed by despair and exhaustion, Nina von Frodaite rises.
"Still... still, it 'doesn't change,' huh..."
That the dream doesn't change.
In other words, forced to confirm once more that her efforts have borne no fruit, she murmurs.
And so, she—
In order to change the future she so desperately wants to prevent—the one that will certainly come to pass if she does nothing—
Today as well, she rises and sets out for her lonely battle.
Obtaining this "magic" had been, in a sense, both coincidence and blessing—and perhaps misfortune above all else.
During her time in House Frodaite, her brother suddenly began behaving strangely.
It was then that Archbishop Johan appeared at their home, proposing without hesitation that they incite the Northern Rebellion.
—She was certain: this man was the root of it all.
The heart of House Frodaite was her brother Lucius. She didn't know how it had happened, but since her brother had already fallen under his venomous influence, there was no way for them to fight back.
She was coerced into more than half-agreeing to participate in the Northern Rebellion outright, and her parents were made to scramble with preparations for it.
……If that was the case, then it had to be her.
To repay the debt of gratitude she owed House Frodaite for taking her in, Nina set into motion.
She deployed her enhanced physical abilities powered by magic to slip past the Archbishop's surveillance — surveillance that had its eyes fixed squarely on her brother and parents.
Sniffing around his vicinity to find some kind of breakthrough to dismantle his control, she tracked down a building he kept visiting with suspicious regularity, and infiltrated it.
And then — she found it.
A certain magical tool that had been displayed upon an altar there.
If one were to describe its design in brief, it would be "a book and bookmark sprouting wings."
But that wasn't what mattered.
What radiated from that magical tool — an overwhelming, sacred torrent of magic power.
Even though it was supposed to be nothing more than an object, it emitted such a violent aura that one would instinctively throw oneself to the ground before it without a second thought. This presence spread from the altar throughout the entirety of the building.
Without question, it was something terrifying.
And yet, at the same time, she could intuit it — the Archbishop's unfathomable power had its source right here, without a doubt.
So she steeled herself against the desperate urge to flee and took one step forward, reaching out to touch the book-shaped object sitting atop the altar.
As information flooded into her mind, she understood.
The name of that book was Skaldrogea.
It was an abnormal magical tool that granted its possessor the extraordinary ability of "future divination."
"………What is this?"
She shuddered.
Even Nina, being of minor noble birth, possessed at least some knowledge concerning Bloodline Magic.
The nature of Bloodline Magic, and its limits. She understood them both — which was precisely why she could hardly believe it. The existence of a Magical tool that could make possible what even Bloodline Magic could not achieve: the power of precognition.
This overwhelming pressure, and this power. Without a doubt—
An Ancient Magical tool.
—No.
She didn't know much about Magical tools, but... could this truly—
An Ancient Magical tool—
something that could—
even be placed in—
such a—
category?
—?
"—How surprising. I never expected you would track this place down."
It came then.
A lethal voice, from behind her.
"This one I wasn't able to 'read' either. Well, I suppose the fact that I couldn't read it isn't much of a problem."
Under normal circumstances, Nina would have noticed.
But right now, she was deeply shaken from witnessing something whose nature she could not fathom, and moreover, her perception abilities were being obstructed within this magic power–saturated space of Skaldrogia.
That was why she failed to notice Archbishop Johann, who had appeared from the entrance behind her.
Nina tensed, startled. But contrasting sharply with her, Johann wore an expression of contemplation.
He was certainly surprised, as he had said — but at the same time, his relaxed gestures made it plain he considered this nothing particularly remarkable.
"...Hmm. Now that you know, I should normally have you disposed of, but..."
"!"
She tensed at the ominous words, but the Archbishop raised his gaze.
"However, there's your position. And your Bloodline Magic is extremely useful. There's also the concern that I don't know what would happen to Lucius if I disposed of you— Let me see..."
His copper-red eyes glinted with a terrifying light, and a sinister thin smile settled across his face.
It was in this way that Archbishop Johann made his proposition to Nina, who had learned the source of his power.
"—Shall we make a deal? Nina von Frodit."
◆
"...Hmm, well done."
And so, Nina—in this northern rebellion... no, even before that—
had been acting on the Archbishop's orders, in accordance with their "deal."
Right now, she was in the midst of an operation using soldiers to topple the Northern Harvist domain and the Third Princess's faction—this was shortly before Ermes and the others came to a reconciliation.
Upon receiving the report related to this, Johann approached with something of a mocking smile and said:
"—You've become remarkably obedient. Have you finally prepared yourself to submit to God as well?"
"Are you an idiot?"
Nina's retort was cold.
Of course. After all, it carried the unspoken message: you're the one making me do this.
"On top of doing what you say, I can't leak any information related to precognition to anyone on the outside. In exchange, you cannot harm me or my family—"
She laid out the terms. The terms of the deal... no,
"—That sort of '
Contract
contract,' right?"
As she spoke those words, she pointed to her own neck.
There, faintly, a mark resembling a chain of black links had appeared.
A similar pattern should have been etched into the Archbishop's neck as well.
This, too, was the work of a magical tool. As a senior figure of the Church, Johan possessed a great many rare magical tools gathered from all across the country.
This time, he had used them to carry out the very contract Nina had just described, employing a specialized magical tool. The penalty for breaking it was death, and it could not be dissolved without the consent of both parties.
There was no falsehood in any of that. Nina's perceptive abilities were extremely keen—she would certainly have noticed if there were any flaws in the magic.
It seemed that having the secret of precognition exposed would cause considerable trouble even for the Archbishop himself, and this was the result of the various concessions he had made to reach this point.
...That said, it was no reason to let her guard down.
Rather, it was unsettling that Johan had made these concessions—constraining his own actions while maintaining such a composed facade. Almost certainly—no, without question—he was scheming something behind this contract.
But that was exactly what she wanted.
They both knew the other was trying to get the upper hand. And on top of that, she intended to find a way out from within the terms of this contract.
Receiving her gaze, the Archbishop nonetheless smiled mockingly and said,
I should also add—you likewise cannot harm me.
...Well, physically, at least. For example—let's see, why not try using your Bloodline Magic on me? There might be a possibility, you know?"
"...Ha ha. Don't worry."
She scoffed. The Archbishop surely already knew the answer.
"My magic—it will never, ever work on you."
Nina's Bloodline Magic, '
Dream Palace of the Fairies
'."
The effect is
Charm.
Its characteristic: the effect fluctuates based on the target's fondness toward the caster.
In other words, the more the target likes the caster, the stronger the charm becomes.
Conversely—
for someone they
despise,
it won't work
.
A spell with a maddeningly troublesome trait, in a sense.
That was Nina's declaration of loathing, laced with irony—leveraging that very trait. But naturally, the Archbishop didn't seem the least bit bothered.
And just like that, as though she had said everything she needed to say—
Archbishop Johan watched Nina leave the office with an unfathomable expression.
...How to get the better of Johan.
That was one of the things Nina had been turning over in her mind ever since she ended up in this situation.
The first idea she'd considered—and the first she'd rejected—was, just as Johan had said, to use '
Dream Palace of the Fairies
' on Johan himself.
The reason was that, besides the fact she could never come to like that Archbishop no matter what, there was one more thing.
That was—Johan’s own Bloodline Magic.
The effect of that man’s magic was brainwashing. Manipulating the target’s thoughts… broadly speaking, it was the same type of magic as Nina’s.
And one of the characteristics of thought-manipulation magic was this:
—It basically didn’t work on others who possessed the same type of magic.
Likely, those who possessed that type of magic unconsciously erected psychological barriers.
Because of that, even if the conditions for activating the magic were met, unless something extreme happened, it was difficult to ensnare someone as long as they possessed magic of the same system.
Conversely, this also provided some comfort in that it didn’t require as much vigilance against the worst-case scenario of ‘Nina being brainwashed’… but still, it didn’t change the fact that one way of outwitting the other side had been cut off.
Next, she considered unlocking Lucius’s brainwashing.
…But that was also difficult.
Because, as for the second characteristic of thought-manipulation magic:
—The one who cast it first held an overwhelming advantage.
In other words, the ‘overwrite’ of casting the same type of magic again was extremely difficult.
Without an enormous difference in power, it was impossible to overturn it—and as a practitioner of Bloodline Magic, Johan was overwhelmingly superior to Nina.
Even if the situation were reversed, overwriting Johan’s brainwashing with Nina’s charm was impossible, no matter how much Lucius was family.
…And that was precisely why they were stuck in this current dead end.
She walked through the fortress while thinking about what to do—then she noticed it.
(……Ah, here we go again)
What she sensed, and visually confirmed, was the shadows around her.
From there, she heard whispers—literally, backbiting.
"——Look at that. The one with demonic Bloodline Magic. Frodaite's little sister is walking right along."
"Truly. How can someone who's an evil existence carry herself so brazenly like that?"
"How revolting. We need to work harder so we don't end up like her."
......This was one of the reasons Nina was allowed to live.
Being despised. Being a cautionary tale. Being a wicked example.
By creating a clear "enemy" both from without and within — to let the inner frustrations escape —
a sacrificial lamb
was crafted.
This was Johann's usual method...... and an extremely effective tool for binding a group together.
Nina, who bore the terribly unsavory Bloodline Magic known as "Charm," was the perfect target for this.
The malicious words aimed at her, the loathing in people's eyes, the aura of contempt.
She knew it was pointless to even engage, but......
(......Once you're on the receiving end yourself, it's tougher than you ever imagined......)
——But she couldn't afford to let any complaints slip.
The best approach was to ignore it all. With that thought she started walking — but.
Today, of all days, things seemed to work differently.
"——Hey there,
succubus.
"
Not whispers behind her back — spoken straight to her face.
One of the Northern Alliance soldiers who had walked straight toward her called out to her.
"...What do you want?"
The fact that he had opened with a slur from the very start told her this was no legitimate errand.
The irritation laced with mockery that surfaced uniformly on the faces of the soldier who had addressed her and the two flanking him only deepened that conviction.
"Ha, same as always — can't keep that tone or that attitude in check, huh?"
"Yeah, that's right — just because you're directly under the Archbishop doesn't mean you get to carry yourself like hot stuff, does it?"
"You're the lowest-rank person here, you know that? Hey, I'm talking to you."
...Judging from the scars on their bodies.
They had been dispatched to the ongoing campaign to conquer Harvest territory — and had failed spectacularly at it. Reamed out by their superior officer, they had come here to vent their pent-up frustration, or something to that effect.
She felt no anger, nor any fear.
They were such pathetic excuses for targets that there was no need to even dignify them with such emotions... and they posed absolutely zero threat. With Niina's skill at the sword, she could cut all three down in seconds flat.
—But she could not do that.
Because... the Archbishop had instructed her: "Do not harm the soldiers."
Perhaps her blank expression only stoked their irritation further.
"...Doesn't seem like you get it, huh? Then I guess we'll just have to teach you the hard way!"
With that, the soldiers stepped forward, ready to use force. On top of their irritation, lewd intent began to creep into the way they looked at her body.
None of the people nearby moved to stop them. If anything, some were even watching the scene with a sense of satisfaction.
Because — the Archbishop had decreed it.
Among the grievances and frustration she was expected to endure, it had been decided — without anyone needing to say it aloud — that "those kinds of things" were included.
...Once again, it was driven home that there was not a single ally to be found anywhere in this place.
She felt her frozen heart creak—unable to hurt them, she had resigned herself to just getting away somehow, and it was in that very moment that—
"—Gah!?"
With a crunch.
The soldier who had been closing in on Niina had his head seized by a single hand.
With terrifying grip strength and raw arm power, he lifted the soldier off the ground using just one arm.
Displaying such staggering physical strength, the man met the astonished stares of all those around him—
"—What are you doing to someone's family?"
Lucius von Frodeit spoke coldly.
"C-Commander!"
Before Lucius—the commander of the Northern Alliance Knight Order—the three soldiers who had been approaching Niina cried out in surprise.
...However.
What then surfaced on their faces was not fear, but displeasure.
"—Why are you protecting her?!"
"That's right! She's an evil succubus! Someone who should know her place!"
"......
But
,
she is my sister.
"
Yet even this did not faze Lucius.
"Whether evil or even something worthy of contempt—she is still my family. Do I need any more reason than that to protect her?"
He states this matter-of-factly. The soldiers flinch for an instant, but as if rallying behind the cry that justice is on their side, they quickly steel themselves once more.
"B-but! The Archbishop himself made that ruling!"
"Yes, that's right—to despise this thing! To despise it and take it as a warning so none of us end up the same! Those are the Archbishop's words, the very will of God! You're saying you'd defy even that?!"
A rebuttal borrowing the words of the Archbishop—the absolute authority in this place.
—But even so.
"
Yes
"
Lucius von Frodeit—
— the man who should have been brainwashed by Archbishop Johann—
"—
Even if
those were
the Archbishop's
own words—
I will prioritize protecting my sister, my family. And beyond that, I will urge her to repent and reform. That is my judgment. Do you have a problem with that?"
He declared this without a single falsehood.
"————"
The third characteristic of thought-manipulation magic.
──'
The
nature or
personality of
the target
cannot
be significantly
changed.
'.
In other words, for Lucius. Protecting his family.
Even if his thoughts were manipulated, it would not change — even with the power of that Grand Bishop, no matter how they struggled, they could not alter it. That was how firm and unshakable it was.
"…Oh? You still look like you have something to say. Then go ahead and direct it at me. I won't fault you for insubordination here. Come on — say what you want to say.
—Tormenting those who are not permitted to resist with gleeful delight. Whether a knight should deem that an acceptable way of being — include that in your answer too."
Overwhelmed by Lucius's utterly unshakable aura as he spoke thus—
And furthermore, unable to muster any words in response to his final remark… along with everyone else present, the men withdrew from the scene.
"…B-…Big brother…"
Nina, who had finally recovered from her shock, could only squeeze out those words.
Because she possessed thought-manipulation magic, she understood.
The strength of will needed to declare those words without a moment's hesitation. How rare and extraordinary an unshakable heart truly was.
"Um… th-thank you."
For now, that much she wanted to say. To the words she continued speaking with that feeling, Lucius turned around with a smile.
"What, don't worry about it, sister. It's only natural — and besides,"
Continuing in a tone that was somehow more elevated than usual... closer to the person he normally was.
"I, for one, don't want anyone throwing cold water on things right now. ...Personally, I've finally gotten to do something I've been looking forward to."
"...Eh?"
Once again, a voice of shock escaped her.
From everything Niina had observed, Lucius had been anything but enthusiastic about this Northern Rebellion — he certainly wouldn't defy orders, but she'd believed he was only going along with it because the Archbishop had instructed him to.
What on earth... As though he'd read Niina's doubt, Lucius—
"Ah, of course I have no intention of going easy on bringing down the Harvist territory. If we can force them to surrender before fighting, so much the better. —However,"
His expression, clearly different from before, showed even greater vigor and excitement—
"—Personally. I would very much like to cross blades with that boy again."
...'That boy.'
Who he was referring to went without saying.
To the speechless Niina, Lucius showed an expression as though he'd realized something.
"...Oops. They told me not to say more than necessary.
Well then, Niina. —Ah, if anything like this comes up again, be sure to tell me!"
Under the influence of brainwashing, yet with an expression that genuinely cared for his family,
Lucius said that, then hurriedly departed.
"......"
After watching him go for a moment, Niina placed a hand against her chest.
She could feel the cold, dark presence she had sensed until just moments ago having loosened its grip, if only slightly.
"...Thank you, Big Brother."
She truly respected her brother from the bottom of her heart.
He was a member of the Froldeight family who had picked her up when she had nowhere to go, and who had accepted her as family without so much as a grimace.
Including the way he had just shown her now, she truly thought he was an incredible person.
And with that, Niina began to walk. Her steps were lighter than before. Because on top of having witnessed what just happened...
"...Ah. I can't help it, can I."
She had told herself she would keep it sealed away in the deepest recesses of her heart, at least until she broke free from her current situation.
But just a sliver of hope had appeared. She had realized that the cage the Archbishop had built wasn't perfect, and light had slipped through.
To top it off, the moment that person was brought up as a topic of conversation — her feelings would overflow no matter what.
"...I really want to see you, Er."
From the moment they met, he was someone she inexplicably clicked with.
As their exchanges deepened, she had seen his convictions, yearned for something she herself lacked, and fallen in love with him.
And — someone whose future held a death that, if left unchecked, was already decided.
She couldn't imagine him suffering a defeat, and she didn't want to.
But — even so, against that Archbishop, it was surely not impossible. This wasn't a matter of strength or anything of the sort. Between him and that man, they were, above all else, fatally incompatible.
She would never allow it.
She absolutely could not accept him meeting such an end.
A future like that — there was no way it should be allowed to exist.
"...This time, I'm the one who will save him."
That was precisely why, more than ever before, she—
Even someone as powerless as her... No, it was precisely because she was powerless this time that there had to be something only she could do.
No matter how dire the situation, no matter how brutal the environment, she would face forward. She would continue searching for the move that would shatter the nightmare.
That was the Niina and Lucius chapter. Starting next time, we'll gradually move the story toward the final showdown—including details of the future-seeing ability. Stay tuned!