When I entered the separate room where Rico was staying, I could hear the crying voice of a baby. It was a quite loud cry.
“Come in, please,” Rico said.
Roni tried to open the door of the room.
“Just wait a moment!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to put up a barrier, so please wait.”
“A… barrier?”
“Well, you know, it wouldn’t be good if my germs got to the baby, right? I haven’t even washed my hands…”
Roni smiled.
“I see. Although we have taken precautions, it might be even safer with a barrier. Please go ahead then.”
After finishing setting up the barrier, I entered the room guided by Roni.
The room was just as it was when I first brought Rico. It was very clean and well-organized. There was no trace of the scream that resembled Rico’s shriek from yesterday. Instead, the room was filled with the loud crying of a baby wrapped in white cloth.
Rico looked quite exhausted, but she had a happy expression while holding the baby. I slowly approached Rico’s bed.
“Rico…”
“Linos… She’s been born.”
“Thank you. You did well… Thank you…”
I wiped away the tears over and over again, but they wouldn’t stop. While placing my hand on Rico’s shoulder, I continued to wipe away the tears.
“Linos… Please don’t cry. Take a look at the baby’s face.”
Rico handed me the baby. I hesitantly held the child, and she was lighter than I expected. She was still moving vigorously in my arms with a loud voice.
“She’s a lively child. Is she… a bit big?”
“Yes. I think she’s quite a big baby.”
Roni provided support.
“Roni, thank you. I owe it to you.”
“No, I only helped. You, Ricolette-sama, truly did your best. And thanks to Luala-san and Peyris-san, for their help in all this.”
While holding the child, I looked for Luala and Peyris. They were sitting on chairs near the entrance of the room, looking exhausted. Despite their tiredness, their faces showed smiles.
“Master, congratulations.”
“I’m really glad. Congratulations.”
“Luala, Peyris. Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
Luala and Peyris exchanged smiles.
I slowly looked at the baby’s face. And then, I burst out laughing uncontrollably. At the same time, tears streamed down my cheeks.
“What’s the matter, Linos?”
Rico looked a little surprised seeing me crying and laughing at the same time.
“Could this child possibly… be a girl?”
“Yes, she’s a lively baby girl,” Roni’s voice reached me from behind.
“Linos… I’m sorry. I wanted to give birth to a boy…”
Rico drooped her head with a disappointed expression.
“No, it’s okay. It’s fine. As long as both of you are safe. A daughter… It’ll make everything more glamorous and lively,” I said, returning the baby to Rico. The baby, held by her mother, calmed down and quietly clenched her little hand while moving her mouth.
“Linos… We need to decide on a name for this child.”
“You’re right.”
I peered into the baby’s face once again. It was a wrinkled face, resembling a little monkey, but there was a single wrinkle engraved between her eyebrows. I activated my Appraisal skill on the baby.
As I suspected…
“What’s wrong, Linos?”
Rico looked at me with a puzzled expression. I smiled at her and replied,
“The name is decided.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Eril.”
“Eril… The name of the person who taught you swordsmanship during your slave days…?”
“Yes. Eril-sama appeared in my dream before, and she said she would protect me. Right after that, you became pregnant, Rico. I believe that this child is the reincarnation of Eril-sama.”
“Basam Daake Eril… Hehe, it’s a wonderful name.”
Rico had a beaming smile as she looked at the baby. The single wrinkle between the eyebrows, the raised eyebrows when closing the eyes, and the innate skill “Swordsmanship Level 1” she possessed from birth. I was convinced that this child was indeed the reincarnation of Eril.
“Welcome back, Lady Eril.”
I whispered softly to the baby. As if reassured by those words, the baby began to breathe gently, falling into a peaceful sleep.
“…Your Highness! Please escape! Your Highness!!”
“Run! At least you should run! Protect our unborn child!”
Within the palace of the Hideita Empire, a rebellion had broken out. The rebels had underestimated the master of the mansion, seizing the perfect timing when the emperor was absent and executing a well-planned operation. The mansion, completely caught off guard, had no choice but to fend off the attack with a small number of defenders.
“It’s futile. This mansion is completely surrounded.”
“Then, to the teleportation barrier in the basement!”
“It’s likely destroyed as well.”
Stroking her swollen belly, the woman addressed as Your Highness slowly rose from her seat.
“Why… How can you remain so calm? Aren’t you… afraid?”
The master of the mansion called out, his face contorted. The woman sighed and looked around slowly.
“That’s why I told you not to neglect the guards… Well, there’s no other choice now, is there? We must fight.”
“Fight… What are you talking about?”
“It’s decided. We fight.”
“Wh-What? How many soldiers do you think are outside? There are probably 500 of them!”
The woman closed her eyes, deep in thought. A brief silence filled the room, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
“Well, it seems I’ll be damned. I’ll have to ask Father for a favor… I’m sure Mom will scold me. But there’s no other choice. Karun, bring me as many swords as you can find in this room.”
“Are you… really planning to fight?”
“Of course. Fortunately, this room is protected by a barrier that repels all magic. As long as we’re in this room, we won’t lose.”
“Your Highness, I have brought them. There are… only these swords in the room.”
Karun, the name of the maid, brought in six swords cradled in both hands.
“There were this many. It’s enough.”
As she said that, the woman picked up her cherished sword from among them. At that moment, a soldier clad in armor barged into the room.
“I have spotted the Crown Prince and Your Highness. Your lives… g-gah!”
Without letting the soldier finish his sentence, the woman’s sword pierced his throat. Immediately, the other soldiers in the vicinity were swiftly dispatched.
“…Truly worthy of the Holy Sword. Its sharpness is exceptional.”
Without paying any attention to the bodies littering the ground, the woman inspected the blade’s edge. Then, upon hearing the cries of the soldiers, even more of them stormed into the room.
“Your Highness, please stay behind me. Don’t move, understood?”
Glancing back for a moment, the woman’s sword was unsheathed with an unimaginable speed, and in an instant, the soldiers lost their lives.
“…As expected, it’s going to be bloodshed. I’ll be scolded by Mom. But there’s no other way. It’s time to fight.”
This night, the rebellion was crushed by the hands of a single woman. The ringleader of the revolt met a gruesome death, being cleaved in two with his armor intact.
She would later become the Empress of the Hideita Empire, the wife of the 16th Emperor, Hideita Shua Aroze. She would be known as the strongest empress in the empire’s history. However, that was still decades away.
Neither Linos nor Rico at that time could fathom the future that awaited this baby.
Little did they know that this baby would become known as Eril, the “Bloody Empress,” wearing clothes stained red with the blood of her enemies, leaving her name in the annals of history.
When I entered the separate room where Rico was staying, I could hear the crying voice of a baby. It was a quite loud cry.
“Come in, please,” Rico said.
Roni tried to open the door of the room.
“Just wait a moment!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to put up a barrier, so please wait.”
“A… barrier?”
“Well, you know, it wouldn’t be good if my germs got to the baby, right? I haven’t even washed my hands…”
Roni smiled.
“I see. Although we have taken precautions, it might be even safer with a barrier. Please go ahead then.”
After finishing setting up the barrier, I entered the room guided by Roni.
The room was just as it was when I first brought Rico. It was very clean and well-organized. There was no trace of the scream that resembled Rico’s shriek from yesterday. Instead, the room was filled with the loud crying of a baby wrapped in white cloth.
Rico looked quite exhausted, but she had a happy expression while holding the baby. I slowly approached Rico’s bed.
“Rico…”
“Linos… She’s been born.”
“Thank you. You did well… Thank you…”
I wiped away the tears over and over again, but they wouldn’t stop. While placing my hand on Rico’s shoulder, I continued to wipe away the tears.
“Linos… Please don’t cry. Take a look at the baby’s face.”
Rico handed me the baby. I hesitantly held the child, and she was lighter than I expected. She was still moving vigorously in my arms with a loud voice.
“She’s a lively child. Is she… a bit big?”
“Yes. I think she’s quite a big baby.”
Roni provided support.
“Roni, thank you. I owe it to you.”
“No, I only helped. You, Ricolette-sama, truly did your best. And thanks to Luala-san and Peyris-san, for their help in all this.”
While holding the child, I looked for Luala and Peyris. They were sitting on chairs near the entrance of the room, looking exhausted. Despite their tiredness, their faces showed smiles.
“Master, congratulations.”
“I’m really glad. Congratulations.”
“Luala, Peyris. Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
Luala and Peyris exchanged smiles.
I slowly looked at the baby’s face. And then, I burst out laughing uncontrollably. At the same time, tears streamed down my cheeks.
“What’s the matter, Linos?”
Rico looked a little surprised seeing me crying and laughing at the same time.
“Could this child possibly… be a girl?”
“Yes, she’s a lively baby girl,” Roni’s voice reached me from behind.
“Linos… I’m sorry. I wanted to give birth to a boy…”
Rico drooped her head with a disappointed expression.
“No, it’s okay. It’s fine. As long as both of you are safe. A daughter… It’ll make everything more glamorous and lively,” I said, returning the baby to Rico. The baby, held by her mother, calmed down and quietly clenched her little hand while moving her mouth.
“Linos… We need to decide on a name for this child.”
“You’re right.”
I peered into the baby’s face once again. It was a wrinkled face, resembling a little monkey, but there was a single wrinkle engraved between her eyebrows. I activated my Appraisal skill on the baby.
As I suspected…
“What’s wrong, Linos?”
Rico looked at me with a puzzled expression. I smiled at her and replied,
“The name is decided.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Eril.”
“Eril… The name of the person who taught you swordsmanship during your slave days…?”
“Yes. Eril-sama appeared in my dream before, and she said she would protect me. Right after that, you became pregnant, Rico. I believe that this child is the reincarnation of Eril-sama.”
“Basam Daake Eril… Hehe, it’s a wonderful name.”
Rico had a beaming smile as she looked at the baby. The single wrinkle between the eyebrows, the raised eyebrows when closing the eyes, and the innate skill “Swordsmanship Level 1” she possessed from birth. I was convinced that this child was indeed the reincarnation of Eril.
“Welcome back, Lady Eril.”
I whispered softly to the baby. As if reassured by those words, the baby began to breathe gently, falling into a peaceful sleep.
“…Your Highness! Please escape! Your Highness!!”
“Run! At least you should run! Protect our unborn child!”
Within the palace of the Hideita Empire, a rebellion had broken out. The rebels had underestimated the master of the mansion, seizing the perfect timing when the emperor was absent and executing a well-planned operation. The mansion, completely caught off guard, had no choice but to fend off the attack with a small number of defenders.
“It’s futile. This mansion is completely surrounded.”
“Then, to the teleportation barrier in the basement!”
“It’s likely destroyed as well.”
Stroking her swollen belly, the woman addressed as Your Highness slowly rose from her seat.
“Why… How can you remain so calm? Aren’t you… afraid?”
The master of the mansion called out, his face contorted. The woman sighed and looked around slowly.
“That’s why I told you not to neglect the guards… Well, there’s no other choice now, is there? We must fight.”
“Fight… What are you talking about?”
“It’s decided. We fight.”
“Wh-What? How many soldiers do you think are outside? There are probably 500 of them!”
The woman closed her eyes, deep in thought. A brief silence filled the room, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
“Well, it seems I’ll be damned. I’ll have to ask Father for a favor… I’m sure Mom will scold me. But there’s no other choice. Karun, bring me as many swords as you can find in this room.”
“Are you… really planning to fight?”
“Of course. Fortunately, this room is protected by a barrier that repels all magic. As long as we’re in this room, we won’t lose.”
“Your Highness, I have brought them. There are… only these swords in the room.”
Karun, the name of the maid, brought in six swords cradled in both hands.
“There were this many. It’s enough.”
As she said that, the woman picked up her cherished sword from among them. At that moment, a soldier clad in armor barged into the room.
“I have spotted the Crown Prince and Your Highness. Your lives… g-gah!”
Without letting the soldier finish his sentence, the woman’s sword pierced his throat. Immediately, the other soldiers in the vicinity were swiftly dispatched.
“…Truly worthy of the Holy Sword. Its sharpness is exceptional.”
Without paying any attention to the bodies littering the ground, the woman inspected the blade’s edge. Then, upon hearing the cries of the soldiers, even more of them stormed into the room.
“Your Highness, please stay behind me. Don’t move, understood?”
Glancing back for a moment, the woman’s sword was unsheathed with an unimaginable speed, and in an instant, the soldiers lost their lives.
“…As expected, it’s going to be bloodshed. I’ll be scolded by Mom. But there’s no other way. It’s time to fight.”
This night, the rebellion was crushed by the hands of a single woman. The ringleader of the revolt met a gruesome death, being cleaved in two with his armor intact.
She would later become the Empress of the Hideita Empire, the wife of the 16th Emperor, Hideita Shua Aroze. She would be known as the strongest empress in the empire’s history. However, that was still decades away.
Neither Linos nor Rico at that time could fathom the future that awaited this baby.
Little did they know that this baby would become known as Eril, the “Bloody Empress,” wearing clothes stained red with the blood of her enemies, leaving her name in the annals of history.
