And with that, it’s done. There's no turning back now.

I'm surprised by how quick and easy the people of this capital accepted my declaration of war. They really love me that much, huh?

No, love isn't the right word. Worship. That's the right word.

They worship me, they worship the Council mages, and they worship this power they call magic.

…

Ah, I wonder how my young self would react, having my own kingdom, my own nation where magic isn’t despised but worshiped instead. Perhaps she would be happy, finally having a place she could belong.

…

No. She would hate it. She would hate the arrogance oozing in every corner of this wretched country.

And she would hate me as well, for festering it.

Mira sat on her throne, gazing silently to the starry sky above. She was inside the Tower of the Sages, in the Room of Wisdom where the Council mages held their high and lofty courts. She retreated here after giving her speech, and, after giving her orders to her four underlings, she decided to take a rest. Alone, with no one to disturb her thoughts.

Her mind began to wander—to her old life, a thousand years ago. Back then, in the world of the previous Cycle, humans possessed no mastery over magic. Magic was something volatile. And terrifying. It wasn’t something humanity could control.

Mages, on the other hand, had always existed. But they were nothing like the mages of this Cycle. They were outcasts, seen as monsters by the general populace. A boy would burn his entire house, killing his entire family, just because he was angry that he was being grounded. A girl would electrocute her classmates, just because they were bullying her. All done without their own volition.

The problem was their mana. They had too much of it and the body couldn't really excise the extra on its own.

This was why she promoted teaching one's children magic from an early age — if they seemed to have the talent. They had to control that power instinctively. Just as they controlled their breathing. It was the same reason why magic spells had chants. The words could be anything. They were only there to help the mage focus.

She didn't invent the human teachings of magic though like this country claimed. It was all thanks to her teacher, Ilymhrra. She taught her to control her power and to use it as she wished.

Her mind remembered. Those tender days where they traveled together, after the demons destroyed her city. She was but a child back then.

She took her to the city of the high elves. The Timeless City. There, for several years, she trained her in the art of magic, before they eventually left, with her as a young adult.

And then, she met him.

Arthur… will you hate me? For what I've become?

If only… if only I could've become the pillar you needed…

…

…

…

It’s time for my final act. Of our long history together, my dear friend Milicis.

I will finally have my vengeance.

Her eyes slowly began to close. She really needed a nap after casting two Archmage-level spells back to back, having drained her mana significantly. Unlike her master, she was just a lowly human.

—-----

And just when I thought I could get a rest.

She was, once again, face to face with Gaia. The Goddess sat on her golden throne, looking as smug as ever.

How she wished she could turn the insufferable woman into a frog.

"Well well well, call me surprised." The Goddess smiled. "What a bold move to make. You know this just means everyone in the world will want you dead, right?"

"Everyone? I doubt that. All I would fight are the people I need to fight. And that includes Milicis' pawns."

"Oh? Are you drawing her in? Laying down a trap for her?"

"Oh yes." The mage smiled back. "I know how to defeat her now."

"Wonderful!" The Goddess clapped her hands. "With His puppet gone, that dragon will finally come out."

"And you'll be able to finish Him off, I trust." Mira narrowed her eyes.

"Of course. Just like I promised."

—------

At the Kingdom of Aresha, a month after the invasion started…

“Run! Retreat! These golems… they're monsters!"

Celica Vehta yawned as she watched her golems punch through the wooden shields blocking her path. So much for being those so-called "feral warriors". What a joke.

This is boring. Really, really boring. I thought for a nation of jungle-dwelling barbarians, they would put up more of a fight.

These past days, she, along with a thousand of her father's special golems—and a handful of other mages acting as her underlings—rampaged through their jungle, carving a path by trampling down every tree they saw. She too was an Earth mage like her father so she was perfectly in her element.

Now, she had reached their capital. And sadly, they were foolish enough to believe they could still win. Thousands of their warriors were now raining down their primitive flame arrows. Others opted to charge in with their clubs. None of them posed any real threat to the golems.

And then, there were their shamans. Now they were actually a decent nuisance for her. Using their nature magic, they would immobilize the golems with vines and roots. Some tried to rain poisonous spores on her. And they once tried to make a hole under her army, intending to bury her precious golems under the earth.

Too bad their tricks were child's play compared to hers. For the vines and roots, she simply countered with her own plant magic, clearing them from the legs and arms of her golems. For the spores, she already drank an anti-poison potion beforehand. She too had alchemical skills like her father. And their spores were a joke compared to the poison he could create. As for the hole, to be fair, it surprised her when they did it, but she quickly recovered, raising the earth back up before they could close the hole.

Ah, those shamans did indeed try. But there are simply not enough of them. And only some of them could cast Advanced-level magic. Their mana pools are pathetic as well.

Her golems soon knocked down the wooden gates entirely. It was time to march into the city and make their ruler bow and lick her feet.

“The Divine Beast! The Divine Beast is here!”

“And Chief Balgor is riding on it!”

"We're saved! That witch won't know what would hit her!"

Huh? The Divine Beast? What Divine—

A deer.

The Divine Beast was a giant deer.

It jumped through the city, landing right in front of her. A burly, bare chested, and slightly fat man standing on top of it, wielding an axe in both hands.

Oh my, what is this? A challenge perhaps?

I admit, the deer's horns really are majestic. The glowing teal horns match perfectly with its glowing teal fur. And I imagine being hit by the massive keratin construct will kill you instantly. Including me. I'm just a squishy human mage after all.

Well, let's test it, shall we?

As the wholly unimpressive man yelled something about honor and glory, she lifted her staff, signaling to her subordinates to order the golems to attack.

The golems swarmed the beast like dogs, leaping on top of it without mercy. The man retaliated with a yell, followed by him jamming his axes into the golems.

And, to Celica's surprise, he was doing decently against her golems' toughness. Those axes of his were cutting through the enchantments like butter. And he had the strength to kick and push away the golems—something she wouldn’t expect from an ordinary human.

No, he wasn’t ordinary. Not in the slightest.

She had heard about them. What her father called “superhuman warriors”. They were the biggest threat against their invasion as their martial prowess could rival or even beat their mastery over magic.

This meant she couldn’t take it easy anymore.

“All forces! Attack! Overwhelm that man!” She yelled.

The Divine Beast had now erected a barrier around itself, pushing away the golems off itself, giving it the breathing room it desperately needed. Tendrils of light came out from its horns, piercing multiple golems in a single volley of attack. His hooves glowed with the same light, allowing its hooves to pierce through her golems’ defenses.

She ordered her own golem to get close. She had to be closer in order to use her spells.

And that gave an opening for the man to attack.

With a blood-curdling howl, he sent two massive phantom axes to her position. Created by his aura, though he wasn't aware of the term, they spun around like boomerangs, going off to the sides before pincering her from her left and right.

While on her front, the Divine Beast fired a massive beam of teal light.

There was no way she could survive this. And she knew it.

"Activate merger!"

The chest of the golem she was sitting on opened, allowing her to jump inside. It promptly closed, just in time before the three attacks landed.

The golem, even though it was bigger than her peers, stood no chance. When the dust settled, it shattered into million little crystal pieces.

Leaving the mage inside perfectly unharmed.

Got you!

Celica cast her spell. She was now in range of the axe-wielding man.

"Guwahhhh!"

Turning the iron in his blood into spikes, piercing him from the inside.

He never stood a chance.

He fell from the deer, to the cries and tears of his subjects. He was their beloved warrior king after all.

The deer, no longer in the presence of the man he made a pact with, gave one last look towards the Witch of Steel before disappearing, carried away by the winds.

The capital had fallen. The kingdom was lost.

And all it took was a single Master-level spell.

—---------

At Marchen, just a few days after the invasion began…

Inside Aarom, just a few days after the invasion began…

—----------

In a certain familiar village up the mountains, inside Marchen’s territory…

"Ahhh! The sweet, sweet taste of mountain air! How fortunate that my third love was born in a place like this!"

The bespectacled dark-haired man took a deep, long breath, stretching his arms out and upwards. His lengthy dark hair was tied to a single braid. He wore a black button-up coat over his brown romper and white shirt, giving him the appearance of a high class gentleman. Attached to his belt was a cane, which was his magic focus. Unlike those boorish mages, he prefered his staff to not look like the gaudy, thick sticks.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ea/74/4f/ea744f4c4e819842de0bcb28201374c3.jpg

The man was none other than Locht Vehta, the firstborn son to the Vehta Family and the one leading the Magocracy’s invasion into Marchen.

The first city of Marchen to fall was Aarom. They didn’t even put up a fight, surrendering immediately without sending a single soldier to their death. He could respect that, knowing when you were outclassed. People needed to know their place in this world. And that baron’s place was under his boots. Metaphorically speaking, of course. He was no tyrant after all.

In fact, he preferred to think of himself as an artist and a lover. He loved everything that was beautiful, from paintings, poems, sculptures. Especially the latter. It was his hobby to sculpt beautiful girls and women into statues with his Earth magic.

What? There’s nothing wrong with admiring the beauty of the opposite sex! Hell, he’d even say it’s a crime not to. Now that he was actually allowed to go out to the outside world, instead of just admiring them through nude drawings and erotic literatures, he could see and gorge on the real thing! The very first thing he did when he conquered Aarom was to go to the largest brothel and fornicate with every single whore there!

Now, not to say that he forgot his duties! Not in the slightest! He had struck a deal with that hobbit-loving man—personally he approved of his good taste—assuring that as long as he obeyed whatever the Magocracy wanted him to do, he and his people would not be harmed in any way.

Although, there was one thing he nearly killed him for. And that was his refusal to disclose the information he needed regarding the Greenwoods. He knew his third love came from this region but he didn’t know exactly where she used to live. And so he needed him.

Oh yes, he was deeply, badly in love with the girl they called Marina Greenwood.

Ah, my love Marina. I feel I’m even closer to you now.

It was just like the love he had for his two sisters. Maybe even more. Even though he had yet to lay his eyes on her, even hearing her story was enough to make his heart tremble. Such a tragic heroine! He loved writing those in his stories and now he had a real one in the flesh! In fact, he was so inspired by her, he already wrote her to be the heroine for his next erotic book. Published under a pseudonym, of course.

Now, to go to that village over there and ask around.

Whistling, twirling his cane as he walked, the bespectacled man made his way.

—-----------

The place was as lively as ever, as the news of the war had yet to reach the ears of the people there. Children were running around chasing each other, with cats, dogs, and even some chickens joining in on the fun. And since he came here alone—he had left his golem army in Aarom with his subordinate—that peaceful atmosphere was not unbroken in the slightest.

Still, his strange attire, and his unfamiliar face, quickly drew attention of the villagers. He, however, did not care. He joyfully walked up to the nearest woman and gave a quick bow.

“Good afternoon, M’Lady! May I ask you about the estate of the Greenwood family?”

The baron didn’t say exactly where their house was. Only that it was somewhere near this village.

“H-huh?” She stuttered, taken aback by his forwardness. “The Greenwoods? Y-yes, they did use to live here several years ago, before they suddenly left. But I don’t know where their house is.”

“Ah! I know! You should meet with Mary! She used to work there as their maid! You’ll find her house just over there, behind that one!” She pointed.

“...Ah, that’s regrettable.” He shook his head. “But, thank you for your information nonetheless.”

He paused, his eyes going up and down her body. Decent chest, cute freckles… she’ll do.

“I have one more question, if you don’t mind.”

“Y-yes?”

He grabbed her hands shamelessly, staring deeply into her auburn eyes.

“Are you willing to accompany me for the night, M’Lady?”

…

…

“Eeek! Get away from me, you pervert!” She slapped his face before running away.

…

Standing silently, with the eyes of the other villagers on him, the bespectacled man let out a dry laugh.

Aahh, a rose always has her thorns…

As if nothing had happened, he made his way to the house she pointed to, once again strolling with a hum on his steps.

—--------

“Ahahahahahaha! You’re too slow!”

“Huff… Huff… Huff… Wait for me, big brother!”

A pair of siblings were playing Inside the small courtyard. Both of them had light hazel hair, but one was a boy while the other was a girl. The boy wore a simple green tunic with brown shorts while the girl wore a white and blue apron dress. And, sitting on a wooden chair under the shade, sat a beautiful young woman, smiling as she worked on her needlework.

She was Mary, mother of two and the ex-maid of the Greenwood estate.

Gone were the days of her wearing a pretty maid dress. She now wore a faded button-up long-sleeved shirt with a dull brown long skirt. Oh, don’t get her wrong. She still had the maid outfit stored in her cupboard. But she only wore it on special occasions. Like when she rewarded her husband with a passionate night together. He had quite the fetish for maids, you see. Oh, how he loved it when she called him Master before performing fellatio for him.

Said husband was away on his work tilting the farmlands, along with the other farmers. Using the excess money her ex-employer gave her, he could purchase his own land, after spending most of his youth working as a worker on another man’s farm.

Their house was a humble one-story home, with two bedrooms, one living room, and one kitchen. Nothing lavish like the house she used to work in but it was comfortable enough for the four of them.

“Excuse me, Madam? Are you perhaps the woman they call Mary?”

She nearly jumped from her seat. A peculiar-looking man had just appeared out of nowhere. She did not see him coming in the slightest.

“Yes, that’s me.” She gave him a smile. “Forgive me for asking, but are you a traveler, by any chance?”

“You are correct, Madam.” He gave a short bow as he glanced at the playing kids. “I have business with the estate of the Greenwoods. And I heard you used to work there.”

Her heart skipped a beat. The Greenwoods? Could this man come from Aarom? Is someone finally going to live there again?

Ever since the vanishing of the family, their mansion had been abandoned. No other knight ever came from the baron. The villagers were left to fend for themselves. They had to hire random adventurers from Aarom if they had to exterminate a monster that got too close to their usual farming, foraging, or hunting spot.

She stood up and gave a curtsy, her bountiful breasts bouncing in the process. Her button-up shirt did a poor job hiding her generous assets—the two middle buttons threatening to snap upon at any moment.

Her lewd display didn’t escape the man’s notice. His eyes glinted as he stared at her stretched blouse.

“Yes, Sir. I used to work there as their maid.”

“Excellent! Then, you should be able to give me a tour of the house. You see, I work for the good baron, and I am here to inspect the estate once belonging to them, before their disappearance. Here is my letter of introduction."

He took a white parchment from his coat pocket, handing it over to the ex-maid. She opened it and found a neatly written document proving his identity with the seal of the baron at the end.

Oh, finally! They're sending someone!

I just hope it's someone as kind as Master Alan and Mistress Renee.

She nodded, returning the letter to him. "Yep! Looks like everything's in order!" She smiled. "I'll take you there tomor—"

He grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly as he stared down at her.

“I-I’m sorry, Sir, but I can’t go now. No one else is going to watch the kids.” She glanced nervously towards the courtyard.

“Unfortunately, Madam, I am in a bit of a rush right now so I need your assistance right away. I promise, it won’t be long.”

“T-then, at the very least, let me speak to my neighbor first.”

“Of course, Madam.” He released her hand, giving her an impatient look.

She ran over to the kids, telling them that she was going out for a bit and to be good boys and girls while she was gone. She then sprinted to the house just beside hers, telling the grandma there to take care of her children while she left for the mansion.

“You’re going there?! Why?!”

“An officer from Aarom has come. I’m to show him around the place.”

“Ooh, finally! It’s about time we have our own knight once again! I’m sick of those entitled adventurers myself!” The old woman huffed.

And with that taken care of, she jogged back to the bespectacled man—her breasts once again taking his notice.

“Well then, Miss Mary.” He smiled. “Please, lead the way.”