Arc 5 Chapter 5 : A Wish

[Raul POV]

The Rebirth Festival...

It was a celebration commemorating the victory of the Slavian people against a Demon invasion that had occurred hundreds of years ago.

At that time, one of the Ancestral Demons—the Fire Demon Devorus—had attacked this nation and burned it to ashes.

Thanks to the power of his flames, no one had been able to stop the Demon.

For seven days and seven nights, Devorus continued burning everything in his path across the nation.

Even the Tsar who ruled the Tsardom at the time, Tsar Giorgis Romanova, was killed by the Demon's flames after fighting him in the country's capital.

"It's incredibly crowded today," I muttered as I looked at the streets of Herminsky, the capital.

"Of course. The Rebirth Festival is the biggest event in this country, you know."

At present, Alisha and I were walking around Herminsky City several days before the festival.

Countless citizens were moving through the streets. Some were practicing for their performances, others were decorating the streets, while the rest were preparing food stalls.

After our meeting yesterday, Alisha had invited me to enjoy the atmosphere of Herminsky City before the celebration.

She said she wanted me to see the culture and spirit of the Slavian people.

I could see citizens decorating the trees with shiny objects that reflected the light, making them look more attractive.

Everyone seemed incredibly excited as they waited for the festival to begin in a few days.

"Whoa! That's Princess Alisha!"

"That's right! What's going on? Why has the Princess, who rarely comes out, suddenly decided to visit the city!?"

The moment they recognized the Princess, the citizens who had previously been busy with their own activities began gathering around us.

The guards moved to hold them back, but Alisha gestured for them to let the citizens approach.

Alisha then began chatting with the people.

"Princess, who is the man standing beside you!? Judging from his face, he's not from our country!?" a young girl asked.

She was wearing a costume. It seemed she was going to perform in a theatrical play during the festival.

"Ah, this man is Raul de Garcia," Alisha replied with a smile that caused several men nearby to blush. "He's a guest from the Aragon Empire and is here to see the beauty of our city and the diverse people of Slavia! If you don't mind, would you be willing to perform one of our traditional dances for my guest?"

"Of course! If it's the Your Highness asking, we'd be delighted to show him!"

Everyone began spreading out to create some space.

Several musicians lined up, while the dancers, each wearing traditional floral ornaments on their heads, stepped into the center and prepared to perform.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The dance began with the dancers clapping their hands.

Although they weren't wearing particularly thick clothing, none of them showed any signs of feeling cold. Instead, they smiled at everyone around them.

The musical instruments then began playing.

Some musicians played the Zhaleika—a wind instrument—while others played the Balalaika, a traditional instrument resembling a guitar.

Three female singers began humming.

The dancers who had been clapping started marching in place, and not long afterward, they began performing smooth and graceful hand movements.

"Rosa... Que Linda... Eres..."

"Rosa... Que Linda... Eres..."

The three women began singing a traditional Slavian song in their native language.

The citizens also started singing along, while the dancers became more energetic, moving from side to side as they performed various movements.

The echoing beat of the drums made me unconsciously tap my foot against the ground.

I noticed that Alisha was doing the same while clapping her hands.

Suddenly, one of the female dancers approached us, took Alisha's hand, and led her into the center.

The dancer then whispered something to Alisha.

It seemed she was inviting her to join the traditional Slavian dance.

Alisha nodded before removing the warm coat she had always been wearing.

The citizens became even more enthusiastic.

Everyone cheered, and many of them began dancing along.

Alisha started moving together with the other dancers.

I hadn't expected her to know this dance as well.

Her feet moved from side to side, while her hands swayed gently as though they were naturally being carried by the wind.

A smile appeared on her face.

A smile she reserved especially for the people of the country she loved so dearly.

The sight of a Princess entertaining her people despite all the problems she faced and the short time she had left to live was like a beautiful painting that belonged in one of the world's most famous museums.

When the performance ended, everyone applauded and began chanting Alisha's name.

The people of the Tsardom of Slavia truly loved their Princess.

I was certain that if Alisha could continue leading this nation, she would make the Slavian people prosper even more than any of her predecessors had ever managed.

"Our Princess is the most beautiful woman in the entire world!"

"Long live Princess Alisha!"

Alisha waved her hand in response to the citizens' praise as she walked toward me.

Her charisma in this country could even rival that of Goddess Diana—the creator of this world.

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"What did you think of our traditional dance and music?" Alisha asked with a proud smile.

"I was amazed by it, Your Highness."

Hearing my answer, the smile on her lips grew even wider.

"However, what truly captivated me was seeing a Princess and her people, who love each other deeply, connected like this. There aren't many nations on this continent where the relationship between a ruler and her people is as close as yours, Your Highness."

"Of course..." Alisha murmured before turning her gaze toward the citizens who were still looking at her with admiration. "That's because I truly love this country of mine."

After the performance, the citizens gradually returned to their respective activities.

The color of the sky began changing to orange, signaling that the sun would soon set.

Alisha then took me to the top of the tallest clock tower in the city so we could enjoy the sunset over the capital of Herminsky.

"Such a peaceful city..." I muttered as I gazed at the snow-covered city below.

"Indeed," Alisha replied.

She, too, looked down at the citizens preparing for the festival.

"No matter what happens... I will protect this country. I will never allow anyone or anything to bring chaos to my beloved nation again. I swear... As long as I am alive... I will make sure everyone can live in peace and remain free from fear."

Alisha's body trembled as she said those words.

She clenched both hands tightly, as though she had finally made up her mind.

But her life would not last much longer.

She had only a little time left to devote herself to this nation.

With Duke Alvaro and the Demon King's Princess, Lilith, involved, this peaceful city would soon be consumed by the flames of suffering and destruction.

"Princess Alisha, isn't your birthday coming soon?" I asked her. "If you could have one wish granted, what would you wish for?"

"A wish?" the Princess murmured, touching her chin.

"I want to keep living and see this country continue to prosper..."

"I want to see Ana on her happiest day, when she marries the right man..."

"I also want to see many other nations, just as I did when I visited your country before..."

Alisha paused after expressing her wishes.

She then closed her eyes and brought the five fingers of each hand together.

Tears began to trickle from her eyes and roll down her cheeks, white and smooth as snow.

"But... what I want most is..."

"For this country to continue prospering even after my death."

After hearing her wish, I turned my gaze toward the sun setting on the horizon.

"I understand..."

Alisha still didn't know that I was aware of the secret behind her illness.

That was why...

I would not grant her wish until she came clean about her agreement with Duke Alvaro.

---

[Alisha POV]

After taking Raul around the capital, I returned to my family's palace.

The black-haired man did not return with me.

He said he had some business to attend to at the production facility his father had established in this country.

I allowed him to leave while assigning several Knights to escort him and keep an eye on his movements.

"Welcome back, Alisha," Leon greeted me the moment he saw me enter my private study.

"Leon, did anything important happen while I was out?" I asked him.

"Actually... something happened while you were out enjoying the capital, Alisha," Leon replied, looking displeased. "Several hours ago, three Boyars came to the palace and requested to see you."

Three Boyars?

Did they want to directly ask me to detain Raul de Garcia?

They were incredibly stubborn, despite having no strong evidence that could be used against him.

Did the Boyars have some ulterior motive behind their actions this time?

If Raul de Garcia were proven guilty, our engagement would certainly be canceled.

They might want to propose another fiancé for me so that they could gain some advantage from it later.

However, what they didn't know was that I didn't have much time left to live.

"Where are they now?" I asked Leon.

"They're still waiting in the meeting room," the white-haired servant replied.

Leon and I then left the room to meet the Boyars who had come to the palace.

However, when we reached the lobby, I encountered Ana—my younger sister.

She was with Archbishop Rasputin.

"Big Sister!" my younger sister called as she approached me. "How was your date? Did Raul enjoy seeing the beauty of our city?"

"Of course. Big Sister even joined the Karatsuya dance with the citizens and showed it to Raul," I replied to Ana.

"Princess Alisha, you shouldn't have done all that, should you?" Leon said, his expression clearly displeased.

I ignored him and looked at the Priest standing beside Ana.

"Rasputin, how is the search for the Demon that attacked Duke Alvaro progressing? And has the temple sent a Holy Knight here in case this country comes under attack by Demons?"

Rasputin sighed upon hearing my question.

"We still haven't found any trace of a Demon. As for the Holy Knights, the temple has ordered Holy Knight Lunaria de Angevin and Brian The Hero to come here as reinforcements. I believe they will arrive in about ten to fifteen days, depending on the weather."

"That's good to hear," I said to him. "Ana, Rasputin, I'll take my leave for now. I have some matters to settle with the Boyars."

"I understand, Princess Alisha," Rasputin said as he placed a hand on Ana's shoulder. "Come, Ana. Let's continue your training."

Leon and I left Ana and Rasputin behind.

Not long afterward, we arrived at the meeting room.

Three middle-aged men were already waiting for me there.

"Your Highness."

All three stood upon realizing that I had entered the room.

"Sit back down," I ordered them.

They then returned to their seats across from me.

"I'm sorry for making you wait so long."

"It's all right, Your Highness," Boyar Lenin said, his expression showing some displeasure. "Where is that man? Isn't he with you?"

"Raul de Garcia is heading to the production facility his family established in this country," I replied.

"Your Highness! Why are you allowing him to roam freely throughout the country!?" Boyar Lenin demanded in a raised voice.

"Boyar, watch your tone," Leon said, clearly annoyed.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. However, he remains the strongest suspect in the death of Misha—my beloved daughter!" Boyar Lenin exclaimed.

"Boyar Lenin is right, Your Highness," said another Boyar named Stalin Nevorivsky. "Not only do we still suspect his family of being behind the deaths of Tsar Feodor and Misha Stronov, but we also suspect him of murdering a Boyar."

I was slightly shocked and furrowed my brows upon hearing the Boyar's final statement.

"The murder of a Boyar? What do you mean, Boyar Stalin!?" I demanded.

"Hah... Last night, Boyar Makarov was found dead with a stab wound to the heart after meeting with Boyar Lenin," Boyar Stalin replied.

I... didn't understand what was actually happening in this country anymore.

"Wait. Does that mean the three of you are accusing Raul de Garcia of orchestrating Boyar Makarov's murder?" I asked him. "That's impossible! He was here last night and never left the palace."

"That is precisely why the four of us regret that Your Highness allowed that man to roam freely outside the palace," said another Boyar named Radovic Vulegar.

"Wait," I said as I realized something. "The four of you? Aren't there only three of you?"

"Boyar Vidir is still on his way here. I believe he will arrive in the capital tomorrow morning, Your Highness," Boyar Radovic replied.

After that, we continued discussing Raul de Garcia.

The three Boyars, especially Boyar Lenin, continued insisting that I detain the man.

It seemed this discussion would continue for a long time, well into the night.

---

[Boyar Vidir POV]

The weather tonight was getting worse.

The snowstorm continued intensifying as our horse-drawn carriage drew closer to the capital.

"Khairul, approximately when will we reach the capital with the weather like this?" I asked one of my most trusted guards.

"Traveling at night alone has already slowed us down considerably, Boyar Vidir," my guard replied. "With weather like this, I believe we won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon."

"Then do we have enough protection?" I asked again to make sure. "I don't want to suffer the same fate as Boyar Makarov tonight."

"You have nothing to worry about, Boyar. We have forty Knights and ten mages with us. No one will be able to attack us. I promise."

Ever since Boyar Makarov's death, rumors had been spreading that we Boyars were being targeted by someone.

And the person we suspected the most was that man.

That was why I had brought additional guards as a precaution.

Looking through the window, my vision extended only a few meters because of the snowstorm.

I hoped everything would go smoothly until I reached the capital.

However, just as I was thinking about it, the horse-drawn carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop, nearly throwing me forward.

"What happened!?" I shouted.

"Arrgghhhh!"

"The enemy is attacking! He's wearing all black!"

An enemy?

Had he finally come for me?

Was I the next target he intended to kill?

"Stay here, Boyar! I'll deal with him quickly!" Khairul said as he opened the carriage door and stepped outside.

However, I ignored his words and followed him out, drawing my sword.

All the Knights I had brought with me were gathered together, staring ahead.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the darkness and the raging snowstorm.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Not long afterward, a figure emerged from the darkness.

In his hand, he was dragging one of my Knights whom he had just killed.

His face was covered in blood, and his single open eye stared at me like an animal that had just found its prey.

"You... So it really was you... You're the one behind all this chaos, Raul de Garcia!"

What a madman!

He had come all the way here just to plunge this country into chaos by himself.

"Hahahahaha! I'll kill every last one of you! I'll destroy you all until nothing remains!"

The man then shot toward us.

A battle erupted.

Blood began splattering everywhere, and the screams of dying men echoed through the dark night.