The Kingdom's Greatest Treasure

We traveled to Alsarm via portal.

I hadn't been here since the Constellation tower.

Not that much time had passed, yet it felt like ages.

A lot had happened, I supposed.

After exiting the portal, we went through a thorough inspection.

A war was on. Security must have been heightened.

Once that was over and we entered the city proper, things were less changed than I'd expected.

Fewer men around, maybe, but people still came and went in droves.

The fighting hadn't reached Alsarm, and for the locals, the war might feel like something happening far away.

If economic activity was continuing uninterrupted, Alsarm wouldn't need to halt the war for financial reasons.

From what I'd seen along the way, the earthquake damage had mostly been cleared too.

I arranged a meeting with an administrator at Alsarm Castle.

Lady Anatia's letter came in handy.

My position as an advisor to Princess Tianis probably helped as well.

I explained I had a delivery for Duke Baroba, and that I'd come to sell goods from my carriage to soldiers in the field.

They told me where the army was currently positioned.

I was warned not to disclose it to anyone.

The army's location was treated as a military secret.

Made sense. Knowing where the army was would allow all kinds of schemes.

From there, we set out by carriage.

With the army having passed through, there were no monsters in sight, and the journey was easy.

After about four days of travel, the Alsarm army's encampment came into view.

At the front lines, soldiers encircled a city in a siege.

Reports had mentioned a stalemate, and it seemed the situation hadn't changed.

"Halt! What's in that carriage?"

A sentry stopped us as we approached the camp.

I kept quiet about the crown fragment and explained I'd come to deliver a letter from Lady Anatia.

I also mentioned I'd brought goods that were hard to come by at the front.

"From Lady Anatia…? Wait here."

Lady Anatia was evidently well-liked by the soldiers.

The moment he recognized her seal on the letter, his guard visibly relaxed.

I waited as instructed, and soon someone came to escort us.

Before long, Duke Baroba returned to the camp and dismounted.

"I apologize for making you come all this way. I'm relieved to see you in good health."

"Think nothing of it. As you can see, there's been no change on the front."

"What are you doing at the moment?"

"We've routed the city's defenders and issued a surrender ultimatum to the civilians inside. If there's no response by tomorrow's deadline, we'll seize the city by force. So, how is my daughter? I hear there was quite an incident in the capital."

"Yes. The castle and much of the city took heavy damage. But Lady Anatia is unharmed. The Anti-Magic Orb proved effective. The second strike was blocked by the barrier."

"To think the capital's barrier could be breached. They're not to be underestimated if they've prepared such means. Still, I doubt they can use such a large-scale spell repeatedly."

If they could fire off something that horrifying in rapid succession, the Church of the Sun God would have physically conquered the continent by now.

Since they hadn't, it must have limitations.

I wanted to believe that, my own hopes included.

"Here is the letter I was entrusted with."

"Mm."

I handed it over, and he opened it on the spot.

He must have been quite worried.

"My daughter is performing well as my proxy. To think the political landscape would shift so drastically in so short a time."

"She's had her share of hardships. Once Your Grace returns to the capital in person, things should settle down."

"I'd like nothing more, but those people worry me."

The Church of the Sun God had declared war. He couldn't just let them off.

Give them time without neutralizing the threat, and they might use that spell again.

Alsarm could be the next target.

"Their soldiers are weak, but they don't fear death. And some among their ranks are… abnormal. It's unsettled my men somewhat. If I leave, discipline will crumble."

"We'll just have to rely on you, then. Also, I have something to deliver."

I retrieved the carefully stored crown fragment.

And handed it to Duke Baroba.

"This is… the final piece of the lost crown."

"Yes. King Izard entrusted it to me. I thought it only right to pass it on to you, its current owner."

"You met him, that king. How was he?"

"I only spent a brief time with him, but he was truly strong and magnificent. Following in his wake, I felt no fear, no matter who stood against us."

"Just as the legends say. At last, the king and his crown have returned to the kingdom…"

Golden light returned to the crown fragment.

Duke Baroba drew the broken crown from his coat and fitted the piece into the gap.

By the time the glow faded, the crown stood whole, as though it had never been damaged.

"Deianclure's first king slew a monster larger than a mountain and found gold in that land, which he forged into this crown. That was the nation's beginning. This crown is the Deianclure Kingdom itself. You have my thanks, Yohane. Your efforts have made it complete."

"I only came to repay a debt. I'm relieved to have delivered it safely."

"Let me show you something. Perhaps you've already seen it."

Duke Baroba raised the crown aloft.

Just as King Izard had done, it transformed into a golden sword.

He lifted the blade toward the heavens, and magic surged outward.

"Glory to the kingdom."

Those words must have been the signal.

Golden light extended from the sword, piercing the sky.

The shockwave scattered the surrounding clouds, as though a hole had opened in the sky.

"This is the kingdom's greatest treasure, long sought."

Immediately afterward, seeing this light, the city accepted the surrender terms.