Mira

"Ah… so this is how it feels to be whole again… Oh, how I missed this…"

Mira smiled, twirling Freyja's body around as she basked in the return of her other half.

The ritual had succeeded. She had opened the gate and retrieved her wandering soul from the soulstream. Half a soul could not reincarnate so there was no worry of it not being there.

She was standing in the middle of a massive magic circle, still softly gleaming from the power it just channeled. It was similar in structure to the one Felicia once constructed, only this one was a lot more refined. It tapped into the continent's leyline for its power source and that added to the complexity of its construction. In fact, it took the Magocracy years to draw the extension of the circle, so it would cover the entire leyline network. And it required much research and experimentation beforehand, utilizing enormous amounts of magic crystals.

"Your idea worked flawlessly, Monas Vehta. Congratulations." Mira smiled.

"Thank you for your kind words, Master Mira." The old man bowed.

He and his Council compatriots were also there, naturally. They had watched as she performed the ritual, opening the gate to the soulstream, and dragged the other half of her soul from it.

The old man grinned. How could he not? Years of his research had borne fruit, bringing back their savior — the Mother of all magic. All those sacrifices… the crystal plague he unleashed in his territory… all those horrific things he did was for the sake of today. The plague spreading was a display that his "infection" of the leyline was working. He had drawn a magic circle the size of his entire territory, using a complex magic tool that injected mana into the leylines, manipulating them to his will. And then, with all those crystals, he could perfect the machine, creating a continent-spanning magic circle without anyone knowing.

"Master Mira." Selendia was the next to speak, a frown displayed clearly on her face. "Might I be excused? I would like to return to my province. That earthquake… even with the wards I had put, it could have caused significant damage."

They all had been warned. How the ritual could cause a continent-spanning disaster due to the sudden drop in the leyline's mana flow.  That's why they had set up wards to limit the damages, at least in their major, important cities.

Still, it was all worth it. Even if it meant making the citizens of the Magocracy suffer.

And besides, thanks to their magic, rebuilding would be easy.

"Of course, Selendia." Mira nodded, still retaining her smile. "You and the others should tend to your territories. Leave me here for a while as I flex these magical muscles again."

"Thank you, Master Mira." The mage bowed.

One by one, the Council members left, leaving the room and the World Dungeon it was located in.

Only one figure remained.

Mira turned to face her, clasping her hands before her chest. “Master, what do you think? Since you didn’t make any move to stop me, that means you agree with this, don’t you?”

Ilmyhrra was glaring, a clear look of distaste was drawn on her face. “Now that you are whole again, what do you want to do? You wish to free the Goddess?”

“Hmm, what do you think?” Mira tilted her head with a smirk, pressing one finger to her chin.

Ilmyhrra’s frown grew even deeper. “Isn’t that what you want? For the lies of the Heavenly Dragon to be shattered forever?”

“Hmm, true. That creature really needs to learn its place.”

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to invade the Holy Land then.”

Ilymhyrra's expression turned grim, to the point of hostility.

"...You will be destroyed. Their Saint can use the same magic that Milicis used. You know what that means, right?"

Mira laughed. "Oh yes. How many times have we been saved by it?" She rested her hands on her hips. “I still remember those times. As much as you might think otherwise, Master.”

A small sigh escaped Mira’s lips. "For now, I shall bide my time. Until the day I can conquer that spell."

She turned to face the high elf. "And you, Master, shall be there to see it."

-------

Erika

“Umm, let’s see here… this goes here… that goes there…”

It had been a week or so since Marina left for the capital, due to some “business” she had to do as a grown up. Hmph, and here she thought that she cared about her the most.

At first, the young girl hated her for it — she didn’t even say goodbye to her! — but eventually, after much persuasion from Henrietta and Lorry, that’s her own personal maid, she came around.

They were right. Her sister was an amazing person after all. And amazing people like her had no time to waste being around people like her.

And so, she buried herself in her runemancy. If she became really good at it, then her sister would pay attention to her a lot more for sure!

“Wow, you really are a bookworm, aren’t ya? Studying already this early in the morning? Man, no wonder Father kept saying that I should be more like you.”

Erika’s heart skipped a beat. That voice! Why is he—

There he was, standing right in front of her window, his hands casually resting behind his head, and with that stupid grin on his face.

Roland Archimond. Her archenemy.

“You!” She bolted out of her chair and ran towards him. “What are you doing in my room? In fact, how did you even get in in the first place?”

“Easy. I climbed through the window, of course.” He gestured behind him. "But enough about that." He grabbed her hands. "Let's go on a date!"

Blushing, Erika yanked her hands free. "A-a date? I don't want any dates with a boy like you!"

"Aw, don't be like that!" He kept his grin, even after her quick rejection. "I want to show you something cool! I've learned this new spell and I'd like you to see it!"

"Get out!" She glared at him, pressing her index finger to his chest. "I don't want to see your stupid face!"

He chuckled, putting his hands in his pocket. "You know, you really are cute, Erika. Even when you're angry. I'm glad you'll be my future wife."

"Are you still going on about that?! I'm never going to be the wife of a perverted, bully of a boy like you!"

Her blue eyes were now inches away from his. She had been yelling right in front of his face. She was sick of him; sick of his antics, sick of his shenanigans, and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

He, however, disagreed.

In one swift move, before she could respond, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Mmmmhh!"

Erika's eyes widened.

And then, she pushed him away and slapped him on the cheek.

"How dare you?! That's it! I'll kill you right here, right now!"

She grabbed her book from the nearby table and began to scroll through its pages. Of course, she wasn't actually going to kill him, but she was going to hit him so hard he wet his pants and cried for his mommy!

Only, it never happened.

As in that moment, the Calamity struck.

A powerful earthquake hit the room like a hammer, sending both her and Roland to the floor.

"Aaahhhh!"

The entire room shook and rattled, with the sound of paintings, vases, and lamps crashing over one another. A large thundering thump soon followed as the bookshelf in the room fell over as well.

Erika screamed, burying her face to her lap. Tears were flowing out her eyes as terror filled every bone of her young body. She had never experienced something like this before. And for a mere six, soon-to-be-turning-seven girl, it was just too much. She couldn’t think. She could barely breathe. She felt as if the world around her was crumbling.

Warmth filled the insides of her skirt as she lost control over her bladder. Even though she had graduated from such a thing a long time ago. She began shouting the name of her sister over and over, begging her to save her.

Roland wasn’t faring any better. His white pants were soaked as well. However, he remembered what his father said. That as a man, it was his duty to protect the woman he cared about. And that if he cared about Erika, then he should stop teasing her and start treating her well like a gentleman would.

And so, when he saw the ceiling begin to crack, he knew what he had to do.

He stood up, chanted his Wind magic, and created a miniature cyclone, in the hope that it could protect them both from the falling debris.

But, it was in vain.

He was no Hugo Greenwood. His wind was weak and ineffectual.

When a piece of a ceiling fell, it was heavy enough that it crushed his wind in an instant.

It hit his head, splitting it open before landing on top of Erika's legs.

The boy fell, his bloodied head landing right on top of Erika's lap.

"R-run… you must… run… from here…"

His last words didn't reach her ears.

The debris had landed on her legs and she had fainted from the pain.

He reached his hands forward, praying that he could shake her back to consciousness.

Only for him to stop moving.

Ten seconds. It was all it took for his brain to die from its wound.

Roland Archimond had died.

And he died protecting his beloved

--------

When Erika regained her consciousness, she was no longer inside the mansion.

Her eyes were staring at the gloomy sky. It was early in the morning and yet, the sun was nowhere to be seen. Only layers upon layers of black clouds.

She could hear the sounds of yelling, far away at a distance. Other than that, there was only an eerie silence. No birds, no winds, nothing. Only the smell of smoke and ashes remained.

“Oh, you’re awake! Thank goodness!”

She moved her head to the side. There, she saw a familiar face. It was the hobbit girl who was a friend of Marina’s. Her name was… Sophie Bramblewood, if she remembered correctly.

Her eyes were… wet. Why were they wet?

“Don’t move! Your legs… they’re seriously wounded!”

Her legs?

…

Well, that was odd.

She couldn't feel anything down there.

Groggily, she sat up, her eyes looking down at her lower abdomen.

Bandages covered both of them. Her shoes and socks had been removed, allowing her to see her bare feet.

...

And then, she remembered.

She remembered the earthquake.

She remembered the ceiling falling on top of her.

She remembered how Roland tried to protect her, only to fail.

She remembered how she passed out from the pain.

….

Her eyes widened, her pupils dilated, and her heartbeat rose.

She tried to move the toes on her feet. No response. She tried to move her ankles. No response either.

And of course, when she tried to stand up, she fell in an instant.

"N-now, Erika, don't you mind that. I-I'm sure that in time, you'll recover fully. For now, you should just calm down and—"

"Aaaaahhh. Uwaaaahhhhh!"

Erika cried.

She cried and cried and cried. She cried like she had never cried, yelling on top of her lungs as she tried desperately to move her legs, using her hands in the process.

And then, she passed out, the shock knocking her back to unconsciousness.

And all Sophie could do was to catch her body before it hit the ground.

--------

Sophie

Before the earthquake happened, the hobbit merchant was on route to the mansion. She had just returned from the south, bringing with her a caravan worth of goods to sell. Her plan was to stay in the region for a few months, emptying her inventory in the process. She would then fill said caravans with the local herbs and plants that Marina grew before returning south to sell them all there.

She just finished her negotiation with the Farmer's Guild, soon to be the Agricultural and Farming Guild with its widening scope of business. She also had a meeting with the Merchant's Guild, making them agree to sell the goods she had brought in their stores.

Of course, all that went out of the window immediately once the earthquake hit. She ran as fast as she could to the mansion, luckily sustaining no injuries from it as she was outside when it started.

Behind her were her two lizardkin assistants, and they were rushing to catch up with their hobbit employer. She could run surprisingly fast on those little feet if she wanted to.

She ignored the collapsing, burning buildings around her, and the many screams for help coming from them. As selfish as it sounded, her debt was to Marina and her family, not them. She had to help them over anyone else.

When she arrived at the Archimond mansion, she nearly fainted on the spot.

The building was in complete and utter ruins as the second floor had collapsed into the first. Only a few walls and pillars remained standing, but barely. Gone were the old, antique-looking architecture, replaced by what was pretty much rubble.

"Rudferd!"

"On it, Milady!"

The lizardman leapt into action, immediately clearing out the rubble one by one with his strength. He didn't need to be asked by her mistress. He would have done the same even if she weren't there.

Sophie and Rina followed him, yelling if anyone was still alive under the rubble.

Silence.

No matter how much they yelled, no matter how loud, they couldn't hear anything.

Sophie's heart sank. Surely, they couldn't be all dead. She wasn't normally a religious person but at this moment, she prayed to any deity out there for Marina and her family to be safe. She had suffered so much. Her heart would break if she lost her family all over again.

"Oi! Over here! I found someone!"

The hobbit stopped. A smile broke out on her face as relief flooded her system.

Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, god who answered my prayers!

She rushed to where Rudferd was.

And there, in his arms, was Erika.

-----------

Erika

"And that's how we found you… you really are lucky that Rudferd decided to search that part of the mansion first…" Sophie smiled weakly, placing her hand on Erika's shoulder.

The young girl's body was tense. And cold. Her blue eyes were bulging out of their sockets. "And the others?"

Sophie shook her head. "You're the only survivor. Everyone else… didn’t make it… B-but don’t worry! We didn’t find your sister’s body! She must still be alive! She’s too tough to be taken out by a mere earthquake!”

Erika didn’t reply. She continued to stare at the distance, towards the ruined and burning buildings that now populated the entire city.

“...She wasn’t here in the first place. She left for the capital one week ago. And then Grandfather and Mr. Reinhard left as well.”

“T-then, that’s good news! Oh the gods must have been merciful! You two have been through so much! They won’t make you suffer further!”

Once again, the young girl did not reply.

She remembered Roland, how he tried to protect her at his last moments.

There, for a split second, she actually thought he was cool. And that wind magic of his… It reminded her of her brother.

But, he was now gone. Both of them.

As for the two mothers, she only liked one of them. The blonde one always looked like she was going to scold her. Only the brunette one would pamper her, giving her candies and the like. But still, she didn’t scold her son when he lifted her dress. That’s why she couldn’t really love her.

Her gaze traveled back towards the ruined mansion. Where would they live now?

“Miss Sophie. I believe we should seek a doctor for Lady Erika’s legs. I’m worried about her wounds.”

The lizardman spoke, breaking her reverie of thought.

She looked towards him. He looked as red and scary as ever.

Whenever she came to visit, she would hide behind something and watch him from afar. He was just too frightening for her. With that large jaw of his, he could eat her in one gulp! She just knew it!

But now, after hearing how he saved her, she felt silly and foolish for ever believing such a thing. He might be a lizard but he was a good man. He would never eat her for sure.

And then there was his little sister. She was a lizard too, but smaller and cuter. She wasn't as afraid of her as she did with her brother.

They never really played together though. She always seemed busy with one thing or another.

"My wounds?" She looked at the lizardman with a questioning gaze. "Is it bad? You say it's going to heal, right?"

"O-of course, Lady Erika!" He scratched his bald head. "R-right, Miss Sophie?"

"Y-yes! You're right, Rudferd!" The hobbit smiled, nervous sweat traveling down her forehead. "All we need is either a priest or a really good alchemist!"

Erika shook her head. "But with the town being destroyed like this… I think I can wait. There are others who need them more than me. That's… that's what Big Sis would do…"

Sophie paused, her mouth slightly ajar. For such a young girl, she would never expect such mature words coming from her.

She really was Marina's sister.

"Also, I… need a change. If that's possible."

Erika's cheeks were flushed. She just noticed the clammy feeling under her skirt. She must have had an accident when she fell unconscious.

Rina giggled. "Don't you worry, Miss Erika! Miss Sophie brought with her a lot of clothes to sell! She can spare one or two for you!"

Erika smiled weakly at the lizardgirl before sighing. She thought she was old enough to not have accidents anymore. All those times when she troubled her sister and maid for wetting the bed… she thought that was all in the past.

Apparently not.

And now, she had to have Rudferd carry her around, as her legs were still too weak to move her. She had yet to regain any sensation down there even. It worried her, but since he and Miss Sophie said it would heal in time, she shouldn’t make a fuss about it. Not when so many people died from this disaster. She was lucky she got through with only a pair of wounded legs and a damp skirt.

She was now nestled between the lizardman’s muscled arms. He had carried her princess-style. Thanks to her small size compared to him, it was the most efficient way to bring her around.

She looked up at Rudferd’s face. He really wasn’t that scary after all…

Suddenly, a certain warm sensation filled her chest.

This sensation… it was just when her big brother would carry her around…

...That coward! He should just die from this earthquake! The world would be a better place without him around! He should be the one carrying her around! Not Rudferd!

Hmph, at this rate, she might just make Rudferd her new older brother! He’s strong, he saved her life — he might be a lizard but that didn’t mean he was a bad guy!

...Urghh, stupid Big Brother Hugo! Come back so I can slap you in the face!

--------

Thirty seconds.

Thirty seconds were all it took for the Calamity to claim an untold number of lives.

Thirty seconds were all it needed to change the history of the Southwestern Continent forever.

History books would mark this day as the day of the Great Earthquake. Some called it the Black Day. Others believed it was punishment from the Heavenly Dragon as the continent was never that religious compared to the Holy Continent.

The truth was, of course, that the disaster was caused by the actions of the Magocracy. But the people would not know that until later.

For the citizens of Ferus, the day became the turning point of their kingdom. For the king and all his griffon knights were all lost in the disaster, leaving a vacuum of power for someone else to fill.

And that someone was none other than a certain Lady, who declared that she had gained divine providence. The Great Saint Milicis had come to her dreams, instructing her to save the kingdom from the upcoming disaster. Two disasters, in fact. The earthquake and the witch.

Her name was Lady Lilian Treble, the new head of the Treble Noble House, as her father had perished in the earthquake as well.

She had gained everything she wanted. Her freedom, her mother’s freedom, and the love of the crown prince. He had no choice but to marry her after all, for the sake of the kingdom. He would be king and she would be queen. They would rule side by side into the new age.

As for Marina, she was branded as a demon, an agent of chaos and destruction that would have wreaked untold destruction if not for the Holy Lady taming her. She had murdered the kingdom’s court mage in cold blood. And she would have assassinated the king if she hadn’t been stopped by the Holy Lady.

Some said that she was responsible for the earthquake. Knowing that she had failed, she opted to take down the entire continent with her. She was a powerful witch after all. Surely, a continent-spanning magic wouldn’t be out of reach for her.

Of course, that conjecture only came from those who knew nothing about magic. For those who knew the subject, they only saw a lucky coincidence. She failed to kill the king but the earthquake did it for her.

And now, robbed out of her will, she was now the kingdom’s most powerful weapon. She would always be seen traveling with Lilian, acting as her cold, monstrous bodyguard. Her body, half flesh, half wood, was a stark sight to behold.

As for how Earl Archimond, her grandfather, reacted, it would be a tale for another time.