At precisely midnight, according to Lontan’s time, every knight assembled in the city began their march.

The Vice Commander led the charge at the forefront, followed by lines of knights led by their respective commanders.

I, the Princess, Asti, and the Hunter positioned ourselves at the rear, with the Knight Commander walking nearby to guard us.

Aphta, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, would only appear once the operation began.

The journey to the Second Princess’s domain was long.

Without trains, the knights pressed forward on foot.

Depending on how you looked at it, it was as if they were walking themselves to their own deaths.

And yet, despite the fear they must have felt, not a single knight complained.

Was it the result of their rigorous training?

Or was it the warmth of the protective gear, drawn out by the Princess’s efforts, that also kept their hearts from freezing?

“Tanthan.”

“Yes?”

The Princess, who had also been quietly watching the knights ahead, called my name without shifting her gaze.

“What do you feel when you see this sight?”

“Hmm… I feel a slight sense of exhilaration, like we’re finally reaching the end of it all.”

“It seems we’re not so different after all.”

The Princess smiled brightly.

“But for me, the reason I feel this way is the opposite of yours.”

“The opposite?”

“That’s right.”

The Princess stretched out her arms and looked up at the sky.

Even just looking at her, I could feel the overwhelming desire to embrace and protect the entire world.

“For me, this moment marks a new beginning.”

“A new beginning?”

“We’ve already faced irreversible events and ended up in this situation. Humanity had believed we would never rise again, that we would be crushed under this endless snow and return to nothing. But we didn’t. We fought to the end. And now, we’ve prepared ourselves to reclaim peace with our own hands. That’s why this isn’t the end—it’s the start of something new!”

Her words were so full of hope and conviction that even the knights nearby turned to listen.

I found myself staring at her in awe.

Still gazing at the sky with an almost serene expression, the Princess slowly opened her eyes and smiled at me.

“And it’s all thanks to you, Tanthan. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Lontan wouldn’t be here. Humanity wouldn’t be here. It’s because of you, who sacrificed yourself without hesitation.”

Then, suddenly, she closed her eyes and smiled as if her gratitude had overwhelmed her.

“Thank you, Tanthan.”

Hearing those words at such a heartfelt moment made my chest tighten, and for a second, I felt like I might tear up.

I didn’t do all of this just to hear words like that…

But hearing gratitude like this really did make me believe that words alone could give people the strength to keep going.

Because right now, I felt exactly that.

As I silently stared at the Princess, she kept her smile and spoke again.

“So, how does it feel, knowing you’ll be helping me lead this massive army of knights?”

The moment I heard those words, the emotional afterglow vanished, and I couldn’t help but splutter.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean? It’s just an extension of what we talked about before.”

With a knowing look, the Princess leaned in, and I suddenly felt suffocated.

Ugh.

Why is everyone around me like this?

If they’re going to act this way, couldn’t they at least look a little less attractive?

I’m seriously going crazy.

As I sat there flustered, something scraped against the wooden bench we were sitting on.

I turned to look and immediately winced.

Aphta’s words were being engraved into the wood.

—Fiore says she won’t go easy on you just because you’re a princess if you cross the line.

How was I supposed to take that?

I scratched my head awkwardly while the Princess also turned to read the inscription.

“Is that the Recorder’s writing?”

“Yes, the Gardener’s words, to be precise…”

“Heh. Did they tell me to take it easy or something?”

How did she even guess that without reading it properly?

Unable to refute her, I let out a sigh as the Princess chuckled and patted my arm.

“P-Princess. I mean…”

“They can only manifest here through you as their medium, right?”

With a sly smile, the Princess looked at me with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“So what could they possibly do if I, the one closest to you, act like this?”

Wait.

Was she really ready to handle this kind of situation?

Or was she already assuming we’d rescue the Second Princess without fail and was acting accordingly?

“…Besides, they’re the ones crossing the line. I liked you first…”

What?

Pretending not to hear that, I closed my eyes and feigned sleep to escape the chaos swirling in my head.

If I didn’t, the Princess would definitely say something even more insane.

“Ugh. Idiots.”

The Hunter muttered from the side, clearly exasperated, as if adding insult to injury.

*****

When I woke from my brief nap, a massive fortress wall loomed ahead.

We had finally arrived at the Second Princess’s domain.

Screams and eerie sounds, like something straight out of a video game, echoed from the front.

Straightening up, I looked ahead to grasp the situation.

It seemed the Empress had arrived and was casting some sort of spell on each knight one by one.

The knights were screaming—not out of pain, but in sheer terror—at the sight of the Empress as she worked.

Even though the Knight Commander and Vice Commander must have explained this beforehand, the reaction was intense.

But how could I relate? I’d never experienced the overwhelming horror of cosmic phenomena myself.

All I could do was silently thank Oko for shielding me from such feelings.

“…Raydan, what exactly is she doing?”

“Asti, I asked the Empress to make sure the Giant of the Snowy Mountain wouldn’t be able to drain warmth from us. She’s taking the necessary steps to ensure that right now.”

Asti looked at me, still curious.

Well, she hadn’t been fully briefed about the plan.

She probably assumed she only needed to carry out the specific tasks I’d assigned her.

Still, was it really okay to let the Empress show her true form like this?

Wouldn’t it shake the knights’ mental fortitude?

“It’s fine, Raydan.”

Aphta’s voice echoed in my mind.

“Compared to the other divine beings, Demeter’s transformation is actually one of the more graceful ones. She’s just… a very, very wrinkled old woman.”

…

If “very wrinkled” was putting it mildly, then I could understand why the knights were panicking.

Wait. Didn’t that make the knights the rude ones here?!

…Better not dwell on it.

This was a war, and everyone was already on edge.

The Empress, who had been steadily moving down the line, finally reached us.

When the Princess met her eyes, her lips curved into a bittersweet smile.

“Mother…”

The Empress opened her mouth as if to say something but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she gave the same wistful smile and reached out her hand.

Her hand rested gently on the Princess’s head, and it became clear that she was softly stroking her hair.

The Princess stood still, quietly receiving the gesture.

Watching them made my chest ache.

And in that moment, I felt yet another reason why we absolutely couldn’t afford to fail this mission.

After casting her spell on the Princess, the Empress proceeded to the Hunter, Asti, and the Knight Commander before finally stopping in front of me.

“Your Majesty.”

“…You’ve truly come prepared, Tanthan.”

The Empress spoke softly, as if her words were only meant for me.

“Everyone prepared together,” I replied.

“It’s because of your resolve that they were able to move forward. Without you, they wouldn’t have dared to hope.”

“Thank you for your words.”

The Empress nodded slowly at my response.

“I’ll assist from behind whenever you’re in danger. But don’t expect too much—I can’t intervene too often.”

“I understand.”

Finally, the Empress stepped back completely.

The Vice Commander, who had been watching carefully, raised her voice.

“Knights! Consider all preparations complete!”

Her booming voice echoed, and I was certain every heart present was pounding as fiercely as mine.

Raising her weapon high, the Vice Commander shouted once more.

“I’ll keep this short! Knights, show your chivalry here and now! This is the moment to prove your conviction, to display your resolve, and to fulfill your duty without shame!”

With her words, the gates to the domain creaked open.

Beyond them, a brutal snowstorm raged—far more intense than anything outside.

Visibility was almost nonexistent.

But no one faltered.

The same burning fire that had kept us warm by the brazier seemed to blaze in the knights’ eyes now.

“Knights! Forward! Prove your chivalry in battle!”

“Uooooooooh!”

And so began the final chapter.

No.

This was the first chapter of the Empire’s new beginning.