Chapter 254: Eternity Inside a Cage

***Final Arc, One Who Obtain Happiness, Chapter 254 Eternity Inside a Cage***

On a disheveled bed, golden hair that sparkles in red writhe in the sheets.

She raises herself slightly, exposing her slender shoulders and shoulder blades, without a scratch or blemish.

Her hands underneath――holding down her older sister's hands on the bed, keeping her from moving.

She slowly pressed her lips to her sister's.

"Kreschenta――"

"It's Woof, Onee-sama"

The little sister interrupted her with a glare of purple, which sways through her silver hair, and she answers with a puzzled wow.

Twins who looked identical.

The little sister on top smiled with satisfaction and kissed her again.

Although she accepted it without resistance, the older sister looked at her little sister in confusion, then looked at the magic crystal her little sister wore around her neck――the five lights inside it.

It had been almost a week, just the two of them in the estate.

She was told that this was Krische's birdcage, and at first she tried to ask her what it meant, but Kreschenta just told her that they were going to stay alone and didn't even try to talk to her.

'Until I say it's fine, Onee-sama will be a dog. Onee-sama, you can only say woof.'

Kreschenta grumbled discontentedly.

Presented with the magical crystal as a hostage, there was no choice but to reluctantly accept it, and thus, Krische complied with her little sister's whims up to this point.

It was not like Kreschenta did anything particularly bad, and didn't do anything other than seal the magic crystal with a new technique, she just spent the day clinging to Krische.

They wake up in the morning, do the mansion's chores, cook together, do laundry, have tea, take a bath, spend time in bed, and then sleep.

Even though she could only say 'woof', there was no inconvenience in spending time with her.

Kreschenta understood what Krische wanted to do, and so did Krische.

The selfishness of a little sister who wanted to be pampered――as an older sister, she didn't mind hearing that, and she was willing to go along with it, but she didn't understand her younger sister's true intentions.

Kreschenta is a selfish child.

Krische's priorities were Bery and Selene, and it's understandable if Kreschenta was dissatisfied with that.

However, she couldn't help but feel that there was more to it than just wanting to be spoiled.

'Keeping Onee-sama to myself', if she just looked at what she did, it was exactly that, but Kreschenta was too stupid.

No, Kreschenta was originally an idiot, but even so, she was almost always thinking about something when she acted.

Right now it seemed like she intentionally tried not to think about anything, which didn't seem like Kreschenta at all.

Just as there is the 'Spoiled Krische', a personality she created within herself just to be spoiled by Bery without thinking about anything, there might be a 'Spoiled Kreschenta' who only thinks about being pampered by Krische, emerging within her.

Being honest is a good thing, and Krische also didn't really mind pampering her.

That said, there were plans that they had decided upon for decades.

Krische wanted to talk about it for now.

However, in this state where all she could say was 'Woof', she couldn't even talk.

Krische thinks about it a little.

As an exemplary older sister, it's not good to break the rules in front of her younger sister for educational reasons.

It was also one of the older sister's responsibilities to raise their foolish and childish little sister properly.

However, if they continue like this, they won't be able to have a conversation anytime soon.

Kreschenta seems to be happy every day, and Krische was able to lead a life without any particular inconvenience.

Even if it were to continue for decades, it wouldn't change.

The current Kreschenta was clearly in the state of 'Spoiled Kreschenta', in short, she was extremely stupid.

She hesitated and thought while being kissed, then suddenly she rolled Kreschenta over and straddled her waist.

Then Krische clapped her hands lightly and smiled.

*"Kreschenta, Krische have something to talk about."*

"...Onee-sama, you can only say Woof."

*"Krische only says Woof. Krische is making the fluff-fluff shake like Regalave did."*

'Woof', Krische barked, causing the magic around her to tremble.

Conveying her intentions by shaking magic power――this was the principle of telepathy used by dragons.

Krische had to imitate a dog, but with this she was not speaking with her mouth.

Without breaking Kreschenta's rules, she could still have a conversation.

Krische nodded in satisfaction at her own idea.

Kreschenta frowned at her nonsense, which clearly seemed to poke a hole in the rules, but she asked, 'What is it?'

Rules are rules.

Regardless of whether her older sister realizes it was just a sophism or not, since her older sister had shown commitment to following the rules, Kreschenta didn't complain, even though she wasn't convinced.

Putting aside if it were another person, but her stupid older sister took everything seriously including sophism.

It was her own fault for setting a rule with holes that even her silly older sister could poke holes in, and her pride would not allow her to blame her older sister for it.

The sisters were very similar, treating each other as idiots, including their stubbornness in a weird place.

*"It's true that Krische might have been too focused on Selene and Bery too much, making Kreschenta feel a bit lonely. So, this doggy play is fine. Krische also finds it a little fun..."

Krische traced her lips with her finger as she sat up naked.

Two young girls are on the bed.

What was being held was a game of pretend doggy.

Though it sounded perverse and decadent, no one was there to criticize it anymore.

*"But Krische, wanted to meet Bery and the others. Krische promise Krische'll continue playing doggy when we go over there, and Krische'll pamper Kreschenta. ...So let's leave this for――"*

"Don't want to. ....Besides, Argan-sama and the others are still here, right?"

"We're still seeing each other," Kreschenta said, showing off the magic crystal around her neck.

*"Kreschenta, you know, that's called sophism"*

Krische said, furrowing her brows.

She was a person who did not know how to reflect on herself.

*"...Why are you saying such mean things?"*

"Because my dream has come true."

*"Dream?"*

Kreschenta lay still and looked out the window.

"A peaceful, perfected world where no one would threaten it... I can have anything I want, and the people will sacrifice their lives for me. There is eternity here, Onee-sama."

'――Here is the eternal birdcage.'

Then the girl continued.

"Onee-sama, please think back to Onee-sama's original intention... Everything we were looking for is here. Me and Onee-sama, we don't need another equal."

"...Does Kreschenta not want to meet Berry and the others again?"

Her lips trembled as she spoke.

Without touching on that, Kreschenta stroked the sad face of her older sister.

"Yes. ...Those people are different from us after all. They all will become muddy someday."

"...muddy?"

"Look, just by looking at this number, Onee-sama should understand, right? There were many people who loved Onee-sama, but there were at most five people inside it."

Kreschenta looks at the five lights within the magical crystal enclosed in her palm.

"Humans are creatures with changing hearts. Even if someone loves you for the next tens or hundreds of years, no one could guarantee that they would feel the same way for the next thousands of years. That was why many of them refused, fearing that they would someday lose their affection for Onee-sama."

Krische lowered her eyes.

Kreschenta smiled as she looked at her sister's face.

"I'm not blaming them in any way. That's normal, and it's not Onee-sama's fault. ...But the same can be said for these people."

Kreschenta showed the magic crystal and told her.

"They love Onee-sama very deeply, including Lila-sama, who has different circumstances. However, human hearts are not eternal. I can see that someday they'll get tired of living, unable to enjoy each day, and it's evident their love for Onee-sama would dry out eventually."

"Hg..."

"...Please don't make that face, Onee-sama."

Crescenta hugged her older sister's frightened body.

As if locking a little bird in her birdcage, as if closing that little gate.

It was a gentle and insidious cage.

"But while shining from within this, their love is eternal. Eternal love exists inside this. ...They entered it with the genuine intention of spending eternity with Onee-sama."

As if pulling a thread with the tip of her tongue, she spun a cage of words.

She ruled the world not with a sword but with words.

Even her older sister, whom she cannot overcome with strength, was bound by her words.

――Her older sister was not entirely foolish.

She was unable to understand anything beyond the literal meaning of words, yet the repeated words of refusal must have surely etched in her ears.

The sweet and gentle words, laden with honey――surely, the true intentions inside those words were understood by her as well.

――Her older sister was a coward.

If she were a normal person, she would be afraid of getting hurt, and without taking the steps she should have taken, she surrendered herself.

She, who offered her everything defenselessly, which was why she was afraid of being disappointed and despised more than anyone and anything else.

If she could understand it, she could grasp it.

For Kreschenta, manipulating her emotions was easier than on anyone else.

At least now that they were alone.

"Please don't worry. I'll always be with Onee-sama. Onee-sama don't have to think about anything difficult, I'll think about it for Onee-sama."

'So it's fine', she said, pushing her older sister down onto the bed again.

Gently stroking her anxious face, she held both her hands, intertwining their fingers.

With a self-righteous love that cuts the feathers' wings.

As her sister's eyes wavered in hesitation, the magic crystal necklace hanging from Kreschenta's neck sparkled on her chest.

"...Please don't think about Selene-sama or anyone else anymore. Onee-sama is also forbidden from saying it out loud. I'm sure Onee-sama is lonely."

Kreschenta whispered, admiring her sister's beauty.

"Of course...Argan-sama too."

And the moment she spoke, Kreschenta's eyes narrowed and she brushed the tip of her nose with her older sister's.

"From now on, Onee-sama, just need to think about me. ...I also will only think about Onee-sama and do my best to make sure Onee-sama doesn't feel lonely."

"Kreschenta..."

"Ufufu, I will always love you, Onee-sama, forever."

Gazing into Krische's eyes, Kreschenta kissed her.

"...Just as before, I will only love Onee-sama."

As if to reassure herself, she repeated it.

Inside the royal castle――a room assigned as the field marshal's workplace.

The owner there had long ago changed from Selene Christand to a different person.

Although he was over eighty years old, he still looked young enough to not be considered as an old man.

He had fine coppery hair with a hint of gray, a fearless face, and cheeks that were cleanly shaved.

He looked exactly like his father――and was equally talented.

"――Still, when I look at you like this, you really do look just like your father, Marshal."

"...I would like you to stop using words like that when we are together, General Remin."

Norgan Verreich said tiredly and sat down on the sofa.

Sitting across from him was an old general with a pure white beard that reached down to his chest.

His naturally pale hair was also white, swept back, and his stern eyes were softened.

Unlike Norgan's tall stature, he was not particularly imposing, but his muscles remained strong, retaining the aura of a warrior.

"If you treat me like that, I won't have time to relax."

"Haha, you look quite tired."

"Succeeding Marshal Christand――that responsibility is too heavy for me. I feel it keenly every day."

He said exasperated as he took a sip of the black bean tea that Aleha had brewed.

The era of Selene Christand was quite long.

She spent several decades as a field marshal, starting before she turned 20, and carried out various reforms, from the establishment of a staff department and military academy, to reforming the military organization, to incorporating magic weapons.

There was a huge amount of work that he had to take over, and he had consulted with her on various matters up until the time she passed away three months ago.

But now that she was gone, he no longer had anyone to pamper him.

Although Krische would listen and occasionally offer surprisingly effective solutions to problems, her ideas were often unconventional, and her vision of the military differed significantly from what her sister, Selene and the others envisioned.

Her opinion was just the ideal type of military that was 'easy to use for the genius Alberinea'.

She was basically the opposite of Selene and the others, who tried to create stability by turning ordinary generals into great ones through a system.

Centralization and decentralization ――the Christand's Sister ideas were the exact opposite, and the latter was what will be needed in the future.

There were no longer any major wars occurring on the continent, which appears to be stable.

It was a good thing, but from the military's point of view, it meant that they lacked experience.

The history of unification had reached 50 years, and in a world that had become peaceful, those from Norgan down to just below him were the last generation to have experienced war.

From now on, people who had never experienced combat would be chosen to become generals

It would be too cruel to leave them with the previous era's centralized military structure that required vast amounts of experience and high capabilities.

There were only a handful of people who were born as heroes from the beginning.

Many heroes were able to become heroes because they were lucky enough to gain experience and gain solid power, and Norgan himself realizes this.

The War of Continental Unification was Norgan's last battle, and his career on the battlefield ended as a corps commander.

If he were to stand on the battlefield now as a general, he couldn't confidently say he could match the legendary generals of his father's generation.

Although Norgan was convinced that his talent was superior to others, he felt that he clearly lacked the experience to back it up.

The generation after Norgan would probably be even more so.

"Marshal Christand has taught me many things and left me many things. I doubt that I understand them all...However, I have no choice but to try."

"It is the privilege of young people to worry."

"You seem to have forgotten, but I am also quite an old man now, General Remin."

With a wry smile, Norgan turned his attention to the outside of his window.

Towards the mansion where she lived.

"...Although I was appointed as marshal, we are actually still in Alberinea's era. Why didn't Marshal Christand hand over the position of marshal to that person?"

Alberinea who was still beautiful even now.

Sometimes they had spar. He had also conducted military chess exercises with her.

That was probably what it meant 'not even a fight'.

A glorious feat of military prowess that would never fade in the future.

Unwavering talent and extraordinary intelligence.

――The Child of God who unified the continent with just talent alone.

At Norgan's level, he probably wouldn't even be able to step on her shadow.

That was why it was questionable that she was still not at the helm.

"You should know what kind of person Krische-sama is"

"But――"

"That person put an end to her role as Alberinea in the War of Continental Unification. ...That's all."

Sipping the black bean tea, Aleha closed his eyes.

Then he turned his gaze straight to Norgan.

"...Would you please swear on your name? I trust you and there is something I want you to keep close to your heart."

"On my name...?"

Norgan looked at Aleha as if to confirm the sincerity of those words, and thought about it for a moment.

Then when he looked straight back into Aleha's eyes, he nodded and said, 'I swear by my name'.

'Thank you', Aleha bowed to him and told him.

"Her Majesty the Queen and Krische-sama... the two of them are planning to step down from their current positions."

"No way"

"...The reason you were given the position of marshal instead of Krische-sama, and the establishment of the Royal Palace Parliament was based on that premise."

Norgan has a look of surprise on his face, and his expression tightens immediately.

As if the doubts in his mind were thawing away.

It was certainly strange.

Like Alberinea, the Queen was truly the perfect leader of the kingdom.

She always had a clear solution to every problem.

She didn't even need any advisor.

When they heard that she was going to form a parliament, there was confusion in the royal palace――

"They intend to pass on the era to those who will live in a new era."

Aleha narrowed his eyes at him and looked out the window.

"...To be freed from everything that has bound them up until now."

Its huge body, which was eight shaku tall at the shoulders, was now nine shaku tall.

In front of the grown-up Suiko, the unchanging girl took care of its fur with a stiff comb.

She carried a small pouch around her neck and wore an apron dress.

Her purple eyes peeking out from her beautiful silver hair were somehow dark, and it seemed like a shadow was cast over her beauty.

The SUiko circled around, bringing the tip of its nose closer to hers and rubbing it against her small body, as if worrying for her.

The girl smiled.

"...Ehehe. It's okay, there's nothing wrong with Krische."

she said and she put the comb to its forehead.

Then the girl gently pressed her body against it.

The Suiko, who was known for its ferocity, meekly lay down.

"Krische-sama"

"...Shaggy (Moshamosha)."

An old man called out to her.

"Working?"

"Yes, I was His Excellency the Marshal for a moment."

"Is Her Majesty turned at the royal castle?" Aleha asked and stroked his beard looking at Krische.

"...Krische-sama seems to have a rather unhappy look."

"U-uh... that's not true..."

Krische's eyes swam from side to side, and Aleha smiled bitterly.

"I was just thinking of trying to sharpen my dull body a bit... What do you say? Would it be possible for Krische-sama to go along with me for the first time in a while?"

Then, she tapped the long sword on his waist.

Krische's eyes widened in surprise and she seemed a little confused.

But after a while, she nodded, saying it was okay.

"It's been a long time since Krische was asked to spar with Shaggy (Mosha-mosha). There was a time when Krische was getting fed up with it."

"Hahaha, true. But it's good once in a while. It's a request from your cute subordinate."

"Mosha-mosha is already a general, Krische thinks saying Mosha-mosha is Krische's subordinate is a bit misleading."

The girl stood up and approached him. She took Aleha's beard in her hand and played with it. Smiling happily, saying "It's shaggy today too".

"Then, Krische is going to go get Krische's sword. How about we go around Kurofuyo's place while taking a walk with Gurlun?"

"Certainly"

The girl then returned to the mansion, and Aleha stroked Suiko's forehead next to him.

"...It would be nice to have a distraction once in a while."

Whether Suiko understood his words or not.

'Gururuu' Gururun let out its usual rumbling sound.