Extra in a Romance Fantasy

144 – War (1)

The resurrection of the legendary monster, Armianon.

The shocking event that occurred in the forests of Darbilo… surprisingly did not have a significant ripple effect.

Considering the individuals gathered there and the magnitude of the incident, it should have shaken the entire continent.

However, due to even more shocking news hitting the continent, the return of the legend did not create much of a stir.

The news of war, no less.

It would not have been this severe if it were a typical war.

The problem was that the parties involved in this war were none other than two empires.

The two strongest powers on the continent, Rainberg and Elbrent, were the protagonists of the news that had turned the continent upside down.

The catalyst was Rainberg.

Rainberg had originally held a somewhat unique position.

For quite a long time, the throne had remained vacant.

However, despite this, Rainberg continued to function normally.

Even with the emperor’s seat unoccupied, the position of the next emperor was secure.

Estelle von Rainberg.

The princess who was virtually assured of ascending to the vacant throne.

For several years now, Rainberg had been governed by her hand.

So, in truth, she was already akin to the emperor of Rainberg, merely lacking the title.

The emperor of the empire.

Naturally, a position that would attract public attention.

Yet, Estelle von Rainberg was discussed more frequently than one might expect.

The reason lay in her reputation and the rumors surrounding her.

A madwoman who annihilated a noble family overnight simply because she was displeased.

A villain willing to cut down even her own family to seize power.

A tyrant devoid of blood or tears; that was the public perception of Estelle von Rainberg.

She had distinguished herself at a young age, fully demonstrating her talents and abilities that could only be described as genius, rising to the pinnacle of the vast empire of Rainberg.

Finally standing at the peak of power, she wielded control over all matters of the empire with her will alone, becoming a ruler who would not permit anything contrary to her desires.

A dictator.

A tyrant.

A madwoman.

Despite being led by Estelle, whose image was filled with such negativity, the external perception of Rainberg was not as bad as one might think.

Simply put, it was easy to imagine a tyrant like Estelle wielding the immense power of the nation to wreak havoc on other countries, but such events had not actually occurred.

She maintained her dignity and acted with decorum, but only to that extent.

There was no undue pressure placed on other nations.

However, that stance began to change not long ago.

Rainberg started to exert pressure on neighboring countries, nitpicking at every little thing.

The surrounding nations were taken aback by that sudden action, yet they kept their mouths shut.

Even when faced with unreasonable treatment, they never protested against the Rainberg side.

The reason was simple.

They were afraid of Rainberg.

The name of an empire is not given lightly.

A common nation calling itself an empire would only become a laughingstock.

Despite Rainberg’s recent quiet demeanor, no one dared to underestimate it, for Rainberg possessed that kind of power.

Overwhelming national strength and overwhelming might.

That was what Rainberg had.

Thus, the surrounding nations held back.

They stifled their breaths to avoid provoking the tyrant of Rainberg.

Even if they were nitpicked, even if Rainberg used that as an excuse to act out, they never expressed their dissatisfaction.

They knew all too well that incurring Rainberg’s wrath could lead to uncontrollable consequences.

Estelle von Rainberg.

The rumors surrounding her, the path she had walked, held a power that made others believe so firmly.

Thus, an uncomfortable atmosphere settled over the continent, brought on by Rainberg and Estelle.

And it was not limited to the international situation.

An uncomfortable air also descended upon the Ferdion Academy.

This was only natural.

For the place where Estelle, the head of Rainberg, resided was the academy.

The members of the academy began to watch her closely.

Would they inadvertently offend her?

Would they provoke her anger?

Not just the students, but also the staff and professors were wary of her.

The absolute power she wielded allowed her to reign as a tyrant even in the academy, where all sorts of esteemed individuals gathered.

However, not everyone felt this way.

There was one person who did not watch her closely.

That was none other than Kairn la Elbrent, the crown prince of Elbrent.

Another empire, Elbrent.

The crown prince, destined to stand at its pinnacle, did not fear the gaze of the tyrant.

No, going beyond that, she even openly displayed her discomfort with her unreasonable behavior.

Of course, Kairn’s actions clearly irked Estelle.

Estelle was not the kind of person who would let such behavior slide just because her opponent was the Crown Prince of Elbrent.

Thus, the giant clashed, and an unsettling atmosphere formed within the academy.

At first, it was merely a tingling tension in the air.

However, as time passed, the atmosphere rapidly grew more hostile, and eventually, a heavy air settled down, making it hard for everyone in the academy to breathe.

Some had anticipated that such a situation would arise.

It was due to the clear connection between Estelle and Kairn.

Wade Hebron, the criminal who murdered Prince Hayden of Elbrent and fled.

He was the very link between the two.

Wade had already gained considerable recognition within the academy even before the prince’s murder.

He was a figure often seen in various incidents, and his connections with the academy’s celebrities added to his notoriety.

Among those who had ties to Wade, the most recognized figure was undoubtedly Estelle.

Estelle frequently spent time with Wade, and thus, it was common knowledge that she had quite the fondness for him.

Naturally, Kairn was aware of this fact, so it was hardly surprising that he harbored feelings of discontent towards her.

Perhaps it was an atmosphere that was destined to be unsettling.

And that heavy mood, of course, did not end with just the two of them.

Estelle and Kairn could be said to represent their respective empires.

Naturally, an unsettling atmosphere began to circulate between the two empires as well.

If it had stopped there, it might have been manageable.

No matter how heavy it felt, it was just an atmosphere, after all.

There are plenty of instances where a spark does not grow into a flame.

However.

A minor incident turned that spark into a blaze.

It was due to a trivial dispute among the nobles of both empires.

In fact, it was hardly even a dispute; it was merely a minor friction.

Such things had happened countless times before, and considering that the two nobles were essentially minor nobles with only a semblance of nobility, it should not have escalated into a problem… No, in the first place, there likely wouldn’t have been anyone who even noticed such an occurrence.

Yet, the incident that occurred in an already heavy atmosphere between the two empires was akin to pouring oil on a spark.

What was merely a trivial dispute quickly spread to the surroundings.

In an instant, several nobles joined in the fray, and the conflict grew in size, eventually reaching the imperial family itself.

In fact, even in such a situation, there remained a chance to resolve the conflict as just a dispute.

If either side had only given in a little, truly just a single step, they could have simply settled the matter as a quarrel.

However, neither Rainberg nor Elbrent would back down.

Thus, in the end, the spark became a blaze.

The empire, of which there were only two on the continent, drew its sword.

A war that would engulf the entire continent had finally begun to sprout.

*

In a space shrouded in fog so thick that one could hardly distinguish their surroundings.

An old man stood.

This seemingly ordinary old man stood quietly in the dense fog, eyes closed.

As if he were asleep on his feet, he remained motionless for a long time.

How much time had passed in that state?

“…….”

Finally, the old man opened his eyes.

Only then did his features become clear, and they could be described as ordinary.

With long, flowing white hair and a beard, he had a kind expression.

It was hard to say he had a common face that could be found anywhere, yet it was equally difficult to claim he possessed an extraordinary allure that drew the eye.

However, there were likely not many on the continent who did not know the old man’s face.

He was one of the most famous wizards in the continent, one of the most renowned scholars, and the head of the most prestigious educational institution.

The principal of the Ferdion Academy, Beluid Demens.

That was the identity of the old man.

In truth, despite holding the position of principal, Beluid rarely made public appearances.

Unless it was absolutely necessary or for a significant event.

Aside from that, he truly did not show himself.

So much so that there were no accounts of sightings of him within the academy.

Perhaps no one had expected it.

That he would be in a place like this.

“…It seems the outside has grown quite noisy.”

Suddenly, Beluid spoke.

There was clearly no one around.

The only thing visible was a space shrouded in fog so thick that one could hardly discern a figure.

Not a single person, not even a shadow, could be seen.

Even if there were people, the fog was so dense that confirming their presence was impossible.

Yet, Beluid seemed certain that someone was there.

And then.

“─────.”

As if in response to Beluid’s words, a voice emerged from the fog.

“The war between Rainberg and Elbrent… I see.”

The war between Rainberg and Elbrent.

It was a topic that would make anyone’s eyes widen in disbelief, yet Beluid’s reaction was calm.

There was hardly a trace of surprise on his face.

However, it was by no means a tranquil expression.

His demeanor was undeniably darkened.

“…It seems things have come to this.”

What surfaced on his face was unmistakable regret.

Beluid was reacting as if he had known such a thing would happen.

“In the end, it went according to their plans.”

With a bitter expression, the old man muttered.

“I wonder what will happen next…”

Beluid lifted his gaze to the sky.

But due to the thick fog, not a single point of the sky was visible.