Volume 7 Chapter 31 Invitation To Darkness
"Princess, the preparations for the evening gathering are complete."
The voice of the maid echoed in the dark room from behind.
"Yes, I will go soon,"
Eris Philin Centraris replied without turning around. She had been feeling a strange discomfort with her own voice lately. Was that how it sounded?
Her eyes fell on her crimson dress, dyed to match her hair, which assertively stood out even in the dim light.
What was today's dinner gathering all about?
Was there something good that happened, or was it just about making a commotion?
Even the participants of today's gathering were unknown to Eris.
There was a sense of being unknown, but Eris herself couldn't grasp it.
What would happen if she knew?
Just eating, singing, dancing, laughing, changing masks - none of these seemed to connect to anything.
It used to be different.
Every action had a meaning, a purpose, a will.
She felt the power of the Silver Hero, Yamamoto Yuusuke.
"..."
Eris opened the drawer of the desk.
Inside were a letter and a small Huumir.
The Huumir is a charm woven with a wish. It takes the form of a flower, reminiscent of the flower of an aegis.
The petals of the flower, which are a deep shade of red, were a challenge to shape into a beautiful form.
With each attempt, the maid and wet nurse would cry, and it took over a week for the charm to reach a satisfactory form.
The day he claimed to have made it as if with one hand, it feels like it was just yesterday.
This Huumir was given to Yuusuke by Eris.
And on the day of their separation, he left it behind.
The letter, which was read thousands of times and could no longer be read, was with it.
"Yuusuke, I'm going."
Eris whispered this and then hesitated before closing the drawer.
Why did she do it, even though she didn't understand herself, she picked up the Huumir and hid it in the pocket hidden behind the frill.
Even as she was feeling for him, her face was smiling as if hiding a laugh behind a mask.
She left the room, to go to the stage of the birdcage.
* * *
Eris Philin Centraris is a hero who is both cruel and strong.
Even if faced with any demon, or aiming to conquer the nation, there was never any retreat, an unwavering strength that held firm to her own beliefs.
The knights who fought alongside her had never seen Eris, even in the weakest of moments, or broken.
As a girl, she was fiercer than any warrior.
But now, such Eris was crying.
"U, uhhhh"
At the back of the castle, by the lake.
This was the place where the Hero, Yamamoto Yuusuke, appeared and then vanished just moments ago.
Several people were standing around.
These were the ones who had seen off Yuusuke on his journey.
Eris was not among them.
Inside the castle, her body, ready to dash out, was restrained by magic, and the vibrations of her magic power fading were the only things she could feel.
She endured that fleeting moment that could last for an eternity.
Then, after Yuusuke disappeared, she arrived here.
Here, there were people with a sorrowful expression, lowering their faces, and two items remained.
"――‼"
The Huumir given by Eris and a letter.
To whom, for whom, was this intended?
Everyone present knew that the last thing Yuusuke left was for her.
Eris knelt down, trembling hands scooping up the two pieces of the letter, then opened it.
What was written there, now only one person in this world knows.
"Ah..."
Her back shivered.
No matter the despair before her, her figure stood tall, yet with a slight, fragile tremor.
"Aaaah..."
A voice escaped. No matter the pain endured, the throat that never uttered a scream now wailed.
"Aaahhhhh!"
Large tears spilled out.
The legendary hero (eiyuu), who weighed the world and the one she loved in the balance, was a seventeen-year-old girl.
Just a girl.
* * *
The venue for the evening gathering was filled with a more dazzling light than the day, thanks to magic tools.
Looking up, one might get intoxicated by the sparkling, dazzling reflections.
"Eris-sama!"
"Oh, you always look so beautiful."
"Splendid, as expected of Centralis's Flower."
People showered Eris with praise.
They knew Eris was a magician reigning over the seat. They knew, but the knowledge and the delicate princess before their eyes never quite connected.
For them, Eris was a beautiful flower.
Even if they have thorns or carry poison, there's no difference when it comes to love.
"Thank you."
Eris walked through the words of praise gracefully, like an ideal princess.
Amidst the circle of such people, a path suddenly opened.
Amidst the gazes of the astonished crowd, a handsome man with sky-blue hair approached with a confident demeanor, his hair fluttering in the wind.
In the absence of the silver hero, the hero of the era, Jack Dusken, had been chosen.
He was dressed in a silver tuxedo and gazed at Eris with a face full of confidence.
"This is Sir Jack. It's been a while."
As Eris greeted him, Jack slowly knelt right there.
"Eris-sama, I deeply apologize for having left the capital for such a long time. The demon's suppression took more time than I had imagined. During the time I couldn't see you, my heart ached as if it would burst."
His voice echoed loud and clear.
"Yes, I understand. Your achievements were truly remarkable."
"It's not a problem at all. Oh, how regrettable. If I could have fought alongside you, I could have displayed even more power before my very eyes."
Jack is a magician who was discovered after the previous god-demon war. Given the progress he has made in these past few years, it must be said that he possesses exceptional talent.
However, Eris knows what true power is.
In just a few years, he surpassed demons, lords, and even the Demon Lord, becoming the strongest young boy.
From her perspective, calling Jack the name Hero is a big deal.
Nevertheless, Eris does not break her smile.
Jack remains on his knees as he reaches out his hand towards Eris.
"Normally, I would defeat the Galeo and invite you, but with these meager accomplishments, I cannot say such a thing. However, if you pity this foolish man, would you dance with me in one song? ――Please, will you dance with me?"
The people around them raise their voices.
It's the dance of the hero and the four heroes.
They believe there is no better combination.
"Yes."
Eris reaches out her hand to take Jack's.
If the country is at peace. If everyone is happy, she doesn't need anything else.
With that sentiment, she has lived these past few years.
But at the moment when Eris's fingertips touch Jack's.
The Huumir burned with intense heat.
"What――?!
Eris instinctively placed a hand on her chest.
It was undeniably hot. However, there was no pain or discomfort.
Something was happening.
It wasn't just Eris who felt it. But the others were seeing something entirely different.
"This is... Perhaps, this is the rumored second..."
As Eris turned around, darkness stretched out before her.
A darkness that appeared green or red, with no end in sight.
It was as if the darkness had opened its mouth in front of Eris.
A magic power similar to divinity, the same sensation she had felt when Yuusuke returned.
Eris immediately understood what it meant.
She was being called.
This darkness sought a new sacrifice for the upcoming battle.
Naturally, Eris's feet moved towards the darkness. People, the king, her brothers, all seemed to be shouting something.
But nothing reached her ears.
She remembered the last words Kougarou left.
'The goddess summoned him from another world. It's hard to believe that there are many other worlds.'
It was a sweet temptation.
Would she be able to meet him?
—But what's the point of meeting him?
To hurt him again.
Maybe she didn't even want to see his face.
"Eris-sama!"
Her hand was tightly squeezed.
When Eris turned around, she found Jack grabbing her hand.
"That's dangerous! You shouldn't go! You're not the kind of person who would go to war if you were truly one!"
Upon hearing those words, Eris looked down at herself. She was adorned in a dress and jewels, living a life where she was only admired from the confines of a cage.
If he saw the current Eris, what would he say? With that smile, in that light-hearted tone, but with seriousness hidden within.
'I don't really get it, but you should do whatever you want.'
Ah, those are the words he would say.
Eris gently shook off Jack's hand and, in front of him, wide-eyed with astonishment, she tore her skirt further, creating a slit.
Amidst everyone's surprise, only the nobles who knew her as a warrior were laughing.
The Sleeping Beauty had returned.
With her now more agile legs, Eris took a big step forward and, as if remembering something, she turned back and spoke.
"I'm sorry, Sir Jack. I am a selfish and self-centered woman."
That's why this too is a selfish act.
Who knows what will happen?
Nevertheless, she wants to see him.
She longs to see him.
――Hey, Yuusuke. Are you there?
As people watched, the darkness swallowed Eris completely, down to the ends of her scarlet hair, and she disappeared.
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