Chapter 5

The numbers increased.

The glowing window that appeared in the air was visible to everyone. Strangely, it could be seen whether one was indoors or in a dark place. No matter where one moved, if they looked up, the window was there.

People who had been living in hiding in the capital that narrowly avoided collapse, in the southern cities, or in remote villages that had luckily escaped the attacks of the monsters, stared intently at the glowing window, hoping to gain any information.

At this point, they could not help but understand.

The numbers that appeared between scenes were probably years. They realized that they were seeing events from the past through that window.

Suddenly, they felt uneasy.

They knew nothing about the "covenant" that the glowing figure of a woman—the goddess—had spoken of, or about the unfortunate events that had befallen the princesses of the royal lineage.

Among the elders, there were those who remembered the Mail religion and the religious order. Although it is now considered a heresy and even mentioning the name of the goddess is forbidden, it was a religion that should not have been taken lightly until the civil war broke out forty years ago.

The numbers increased and then stopped.

Minus forty.

Their era. Everyone held their breath, their hearts filled with a sense of foreboding.

◇

A majestic figure. A stance full of confidence. And a commanding smile.

It was the young king, before he was called the "Reforming King."

King Ramon.

A king revered by many people, and whose portrait is found in most households.

"Did it move!"

In front of the king in armor was a slender man in loose clothing. Hou, the king's advisor.

"The priests of the Mail Order are being psychologically cornered. If we push them a little, we can make them explode at a time convenient for us."

He, who would later be called the "Sage of the Wise King," was also popular as the guardian of learning and commerce, and many of his portraits were widely circulated.

"However, it seems that more nobles have joined the rebellion than expected. Quite a few from the so-called prestigious families."

"Hmph, prestigious families sound good, but they are probably impoverished nobles on the verge of ruin. So? Who is the ringleader that the heretics have raised up?"

"Your Majesty's uncle."

"What?"

The young king looked surprised.

"He was not the type to harbor ambitions."

"The Mail Order has a longer history than this country. I have no idea how deep its roots go."

"Damn it. Eradicate them!"

The young king's face was filled with strong determination and anger.

"The heretics who have spread throughout this country! I will crush them and wipe them out. The future of this country should be entrusted to the legitimate bloodline of the royal family."

Hou did not seem impressed.

"Such spirit should be expressed before the battle, in front of the Royal Knights."

"I know that!"

The scene changed.

It seemed to be the audience chamber of the palace.

In front of King Ramon, who was seated on the throne, and Hou, who stood beside him, a middle-aged man with a gaunt appearance, who bore a resemblance to the king, was kneeling with his arms bound.

"Uncle, I will no longer ask for the reasons why you sided with the Order. Do you have any last words?"

While glaring at King Ramon with bloodshot eyes, the man spat out his words.

"You know nothing. The heavy mission imposed on our royal family! The Mail Order—"

"That's enough. Take him away."

Ramon watched the man, who resisted and shouted, with a look of pity.

"The fanatics all say the same thing. They exaggerate non-existent dangers in their delusions, forget the greater good, and run amok."

"A sad reality indeed."

Ramon called Hou, who was standing by, with a finger.

"Uncle has changed. He used to be angry at how the Order treated the royal family."

"That is so."

"I hear that some of them use strange techniques similar to magic."

"Enchantments, you mean."

"Is there a technique to control people's minds?"

"Hmm. I have never heard of such a thing."

"They are secretive."

"Shall I investigate?"

"No, the fanatics will not talk. Then—"

Hou bowed and returned to his original position.

Ramon stood up from the throne and addressed the courtiers in the hall.

"Listen, all of you! The rebellion of the Mail Order has failed. If the goddess they worship truly existed, victory would have been theirs. But what is the reality? They have been defeated in battle and ignominiously captured. This is the best proof that their goddess is a fraud!"

"Arrogant words."

A woman's voice cut in softly.

The voice did not seem to come from the people in the window, nor did it seem to be heard by them.

"The Mail Order, which has belittled the legitimate royal family, monopolized the government, and monopolized vested interests, is the evil that has spread throughout this country. Therefore, its existence, even its traces, must be eradicated!"

Ramon declared.

He would designate the Mail Order as a heresy and their goddess as a false deity. He would ban all forms of worship, destroy temples and statues, and burn all related books.

The scenes that intermittently appeared in the glowing window were gruesome.

Temples and goddess statues being destroyed. Books and paintings gathered and burned. Crowds celebrating around them as if at a festival.

"Well, well, even if they are idols."

Fleeing figures that seemed to be priests and people chasing them. Eventually, they were caught, their star-shaped necklaces, which seemed to be symbols of the Order, were taken, and they were beaten.

"Heheh."

The people watching the glowing window felt a chill run down their spines. The voice that leaked out, unrelated to the characters in the scene, was that of the woman who had called herself the goddess.

Was the goddess, like them, now confirming the events of the past?

The numbers increased by thirty.

Minus ten.

The middle-aged Ramon appeared. He was called the "Wise King" and was often depicted in portraits. However, his expression was filled with anxiety and disgust.

"What is this!"

Ramon, his face flushed, entered a room where maids and guards were present.

One of the guards knelt and reported.

Several intruders had sneaked into this room. They had all been captured, but their identities were unknown.

The room was the princess's, who had just been born. When Ramon peered into the small bed, he was shocked.

There was an unfamiliar pattern on the baby's forehead.

"What is this mark?"

One of the maids, looking hesitant, reported.

The intruders seemed to have surrounded the princess and performed a strange ritual.

"A ritual, you say?"

Ramon looked down at his child again.

His gaze was cold, as if he were examining an object.

The scene changed to an office-like room. Ramon and Hou were there. Hou had aged, but since he had always looked old, there was not much change.

"The intruders are remnants of the Mail Order. They seem to have survived stubbornly for thirty years."

"Why were they not detected?"

There were several intruders. The palace was not a place where suspicious black-clad figures could sneak in.

Hou spread out a floor plan of the palace on the desk and pointed to a spot.

"It seems they used a hidden passage that leads outside. Given how quickly they reached the princess's room, there must have been an insider."

Ramon frowned.

His expression revealed that he did not know about the passage, which should have been known to the royal family.

"The leader of the intruders called himself a 'Star Chant.' He claims to be a diviner who can predict the fate of the country."

Hou, who seemed interested, looked at Ramon with a suspicious gaze.

"They will choose death over confession."

"I have some useful people at my disposal."

"Magicians?"

"I selected the most capable and named them the Black Head Squad."

"The old man is getting carried away."

"If necessary, we can expose and raid their base. Should I disband them?"

"…Do it."

The conversation turned to the princess.

Why did the remnants of the Mail Order appear now, and why did they target the newborn princess?

"If it were revenge, they would have targeted me."

"They seem to regard the princess as a savior."

"A savior?"

"A new object of faith, I suppose."

The mark on the princess's forehead could not be removed. However, the baby did not seem to be in pain, and there were no signs of health issues.

"According to them, it is a seal to protect the princess. It probably has a symbolic meaning as well."

"Troublesome!"

Being branded by the enemy he had destroyed was nothing but a humiliation.

Hou, sensing the king's anger, suggested lightly.

"Why not declare that the princess was assassinated?"

"What?"

"Thirty years since the 'Heretic War.' The people's vigilance against the Mail Order has certainly waned. Similar religions are even emerging in the border regions."

However, if it were announced that the remnants of the Mail Order had assassinated the princess, the people's anger would boil over again.

"Would it not be like stirring up a hornet's nest?"

"The maids and guards who know about this incident have all been detained. If anyone spreads rumors, they are likely the Order's insider."

Ramon made his decision.

"I have no intention of bearing the stigma of infanticide."

"Then—"

"But, the connection to the heretics must be completely severed. She is a 'Child of Calamity.' She could bring disaster to this country."

The king gave a cold order.

It was to declare that the princess had been assassinated, put a mask on her, and exile her from the capital.

The people watching the glowing window were shocked.

Many remembered the princess assassination incident, the "Mad Heretic Rebellion," that occurred ten years ago. At the time, they were deeply saddened and felt intense anger at the cruel acts of the heretics.

And a few months ago, when it was suddenly announced that the princess was alive, they had rejoiced innocently.

They had swallowed the royal family's announcement without question.

The numbers increased one by one.

Minus nine, minus eight, minus seven...

It was a record of the princess's growth.

Wearing a mask, her body gradually grew larger.

The child, who had left the bed, began to sit in a chair and look out the window.

Minus six, minus five, minus four...

In their hearts, people were shouting.

Stop. Stop.

In a shabby room, alone.

The masked girl was looking out the window.

Minus three, minus two, minus one.

She was just looking at the scenery.

Stop. Please stop!

If the "covenant" between the goddess and the king, and the tragedy of the six women, were historical facts, then this girl, who was being confined and masked, should have been the one who could literally save the crisis this country was facing.

Yet, this was how she was treated.

The numbers reached zero.