"Talulah, seeing you return the key to Ursus of your own accord… I am relieved."
"…Are you alright?"
"..."
"I thought I saw you wounded."
"…My daughter, what is it you want from me this time?"
"Is that all I am to you—that you only notice me when you think I want something?! And I am not your daughter!"
"Heh… I was only joking. Still, I'll accept your concern."
"So… are you injured or not?"
"Koshelna was injured. Severely. But it matters little—after a few months of recovery, it will once again be a perfectly good vessel."
"I've never understood… why have I never seen any vessel of yours other than this one?"
"You're curious?"
"…A little."
"Talulah, both you and Natalya were taught by me, hand in hand. In fact, you received my instruction even longer than she did. And yet… why is it still so difficult for you to control your expressions? Your face betrays you. That 'little curiosity' of yours is far greater than you think."
"…To have to weigh every word and thought, even with those close to you—that's exhausting, isn't it?"
"Heh…"
"Ugh…"
"Natalya has already learned to win people's hearts through subtle 'misunderstandings' and carefully crafted 'accidents.' But you? Once you left that Elafia, what have you accomplished? Even compared to the days when you were still my heir, you haven't grown—you've regressed."
"…I spread the word of Reunion myself!"
"Oh, yes, of course you did. 'As long as you wear the mask, anyone can be Reunion.' That line of yours… it truly is excellent!"
"..."
"But now, you must take responsibility, Talulah. You cannot deny that Infected participated in the riots… and Ursus will never permit such rabble to live."
"..."
"Talulah, I regret to inform you that as of today, Reunion is officially blacklisted in Ursus. However, in recognition of your return of Chernobog's key, you will be granted a brief period to withdraw."
"…I'm sorry to have disappointed you."
"I never held expectations for you in the first place, Talulah. The moment you willingly became Infected… I abandoned them all."
---
"Commander, what should we do?"
The middle-aged officer asked his superior—the Ursus general—in a flustered tone.
"…At this point, what can we do?"
The general, usually so full of vigor, now drank himself into despair.
To him, the battle was already lost.
Never had he imagined that the ancient tales whispered throughout Ursus were anything but fables, conjured by the Duke to win the people's faith.
But the truth was undeniable.
Kashchey did possess extraordinary power.
Yet it was too late.
Now, if he wanted to protect his family, surrender might be the only choice.
"General, we still have one chance."
The middle-aged officer spoke earnestly.
"Duke Kashchey has violated the [Pact] he signed with the Emperor, interfering in Ursus affairs beyond his domain. We can exploit this."
"Are you so terrified by the Duke that you'd spout such foolishness?"
"But this isn't mere fantasy, General."
In the officer's mind, a Black Snake slowly writhed.
"Kashchey displayed power beyond imagining—but some of our informants also witnessed that he was injured."
The officer's tone grew more urgent.
"And for the Emperor… would that not be a golden opportunity? After all, Duke Kashchey has defied imperial authority for far too long…"
"..."
The general hesitated, temptation flickering across his face.
Is he truly intended to surrender everything, to hand it all over to another?
No. Never.
Even if the officer's argument was flawed and full of holes—so long as there remained even the faintest sliver of possibility, it was enough for the general to convince himself.
And in the officer's mind, the Black Snake stirred with satisfaction at his response.
It deliberately magnified the general's desperate hope.
After all, if you grovel, then how else am I to raise high the banner of 'justice,' and cut you down to the root, once and for all?
The people despise seeing a mighty Kashchey quibble and crush his enemies outright. No—they prefer to see a merciful Kashchey, forced by necessity, compelled to cleanse a nest of unrepentant traitors.
---
Ah… once this batch is culled, another will surely rise. When will it end?
Why are these short-lived creatures so addicted to risk?
---
"Your Majesty, among the people two voices now contend. One condemns Duke Kashchey for breaking the pact made with you, interfering in Chernobog, and revealing that the leader of Reunion was his foster daughter. The other defends him, claiming he protected Ursus from catastrophe, and that the so-called daughter had long since been cast out, her crimes not to be laid at his feet."
"…And which view holds sway?"
"The latter, Your Majesty."
"…So. He has mastered public opinion entirely."
"Your Majesty, what should we—"
"Announce that Duke Kashchey went to Chernobog under my direct command. Make it known that while he indeed rendered service, he also bears responsibility for his former heir's misdeeds, for it was his failure in guidance."
"…Your meaning is?"
"Cast that heir as nothing more than a reckless idealist, easily deceived and blindly arrogant. The people always harbor a measure of pity for idealists. And… place Duke Kashchey on a temporary suspension. He keeps his title and the autonomy of his lands."
"Would that not provoke his displeasure?"
"Of course not. The reason Ursus tolerates Duke Kashchey's existence is not merely his strength, nor the debt we owe him. It is because he knows when to let go. Tell me, Speaker Vitte, do you truly think Ursus lacks the power to be rid of him, if we so wished?"
"…Of course not, Your Majesty. The greatness of Ursus has never relied on a single long-lived being."
---
Outside Duke Kashchey's residence, the streets overflowed with letters of comfort and piles of gifts.
The Committee for Happiness and Security greeted each visitor with the warmest of smiles, gently turning them away with the excuse that the Duke was recovering from his injuries.
Children, however, were the exception.
A small group, chosen as representatives, were permitted to visit the bedridden Duke Kashchey.
The Ursine press clamored to report on the event.
Reclining on his bed, Kashchey smiled benevolently as the children presented their clumsy gifts and naive little performances.
What torment… and yet I must keep smiling.
For the image he projected to Ursus had to remain untarnished.
Even if, in his eyes, these short-lived creatures possessed fleeting memories and fickle hearts.