Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Two
The elves became surprisingly receptive to peace talks when it became clear that the tip of the scale had veered firmly in the human field. Acquiring the Promised Land was trifling easy once the Pope showed off his demonic power and the Founder's Round Mirror revealed the truth of the past. Beaten, bloodied and bent, the elves returned to their cities and tribes. It was in that moment that I understood that while it was true that the Pope had wished to claim the Holy Lands, he had done so without the knowledge of the World Door spell. After all, said spell had been learned through the Founder's Prayer Book, and if I hadn't given it to him...then he couldn't have learned it.
Still, he had wanted the Promised Lands, and I on the other hand had sought out digging techniques, drilling methods, and ways to pacify the spirits. Needless to say, the elves choked on their own bile when they realized that no, there would be no cataclysm incoming to save their faces. Though I didn't think they actually wanted the death of untold millions, it was also obvious that they didn't have a fix-it-all for the problem.
The reason why the council had declared war? They were lied to. My gearing up for war had sent warning bells into the elvish council, and they had sent not just Bidashal, but a few other elves to check on the situation and to damage the situation and the alliances as much as possible. When that had failed, when Bidashal had come back with my words, they had grown into a frenzy of fear not helped by two mages who had used clearly demonic powers to pass through their city. How could someone gearing up for war seek peace? How could someone who had a demon as a familiar, of all things, be seeking peace? How could someone who had sent two mages with demonic powers into the city of Adiir ever possibly conceive peace?
And so they had sent what they believed would be a proper army for an invasion. Elves had never invaded before. Sure, they had fought for land, and territory, but never invaded. Needless to say I was more cross at Joseph and Anne than I was at the elves, but I had to play the part and so, I did.
Giant mines spread open the fields of Gallia. Strip-mines that dug deeper than any before ruptured the ground as hauls of windstones were dragged out and refined, or outright dumped elsewhere. Storms and hurricanes dragged across the fields, but Gallia endured.
As it always had, so it would always do.
Emperor Albrecht's death was untimely, unexpected, and some wondered if it had always been planned to happen the day after Henrietta's pregnancy was announced. The grieving widow, of course, would do the best for her kingdom. I had the shudders thinking that the Cardinal Mazarin of real life had its contemporary in the old cardinal of this world, and so aptly did not butt into the argument that honestly didn't concern me at all.
Joseph and Anne disappeared a few days later, bored of Gallia. I did manage to remark on the union of the twin moons that should form a portal to another world, so if, by some chance, they end up on Earth...it's no longer my problem, Earth can handle them, and if it can't, then it sucks to be a human without magic.
Wardes and Cattleya's daughter grew up to be a healthy baby girl, much to the delight of her family. Cattleya's health never did recover, but it didn't worsen, so...perhaps it was simply meant to be that way, way until she grew too old for it to matter anyway.
I never bothered to ask Mathilda what she did with Wales, but I think that whatever happened, it wasn't any of my business to begin with.
Agnes...well, I lied to her, of course. She never discovered it, because I hadn't done something as crude as rip a page out, but simply falsified the records to show Menvil was the fire squadron leader, rather than Colbert. She had her freedom from her revenge, but remained as a dutiful soldier of Gallia by my side. Once Louise is done with the Academy, I do not know what the two might do, if they have any intention of doing anything together or not.
They do exchange letters, and some are perfumed...uhm, perhaps I really should take notice, but then again, I reckon it's Louise's way of riling me up for having broken her dreams of having any chance at finding a fiancé before she turned twenty-eight, or twenty-nine. It is not my fault youth these days break so easily, I swear I sent the young boy fly only a bit, and not at full power either!
Anyway, this reminiscing has a purpose, I reckon. I am sure I've forgotten about someone, or something...but it doesn't matter. Not now, I guess, that I'm staring at Tiffania's summoning ceremony with bated breath, hoping against all hopes that nothing strange will pop out of there.
She chose the Academy in the end, and with the illusion figurine around her neck, Beatrice most certainly didn't bother her. She might have had a powerful independent country at her beck and call, but Tiffania had me, and I was not renowned as the One Man the Elves Feared for nothing.
The circle shone, and did not explode as a figure emerged from the green glowing portal.
I stared at the figure, my right hand clenching my swordwand in disbelief.
The human was down on his back, scratching the back of his head as Tiffania drew near, bowed and then proceeded to finish the chant and plant a kiss on the figure's lips.
She then fretted horribly as the figure screamed in pain, the runes etching themselves on his chest. I could have stopped it, honestly, but I was reasonably sure nothing too bad was going to happen. Well, at least, until I stepped inside the infirmary a few hours later and found the situation tragically reversed with the figure's hands fondling poor Tiffania's chest.
"Ah-Mister Saito...is this enough?" Tiffania asked awkwardly.
"This is-heaven!" he said with a lecherous smile that belonged to a Japanese young man that had found his heaven.
"No," I said quite flatly, making him freeze as my swordwand stood unsheathed. He sweated as he realized I had my eyes narrowed on him. "You...must now pay the price. You will take responsibility, will you not?" I spoke crisply, my hand clenched tightly around the swordwand.
Saito, admirably, made a swift deep bowing gesture as he hit the ground in record times.
He then also made a mad dash for outside the infirmary.
"M-Mister Prince," Tiffania said awkwardly.
"Call me big brother, Tiffania dear," I replied with a smile as the winds gathered by my command, Raven's sight already on the running dolt that had managed to reach the courtyard in time. "Now, excuse me...but I have manners to teach to a perverted monkey."
I grinned.
"Noblesse Oblige."
AN: Epilogue coming up next.
