[Eternal Throne]
[Samesta Tsang Manusha Lv.???]
Considering the title on the hovering message box, it seemed Her Highness had taken the throne completely from her father. Though I wondered if I should keep referring her that way given our current standings.
We never heard the news of Samesta's coronation before I went to the forged land.
Perhaps it was not announced publicly.
The last few years of Dunia was full with chaos that it was difficult to retain some sense of order.
I wondered what else I missed around when I was summoned as a forged land hero.
"The scouts have returned with their reports, Your Majesty."
A golden-haired woman emerged from the crowd.
The insignia of a six-winged silver lizard was embroidered on her dress.
[Head of the Anashta Household]
[Supreme Ordinance]
[Watcher Mirian Ralena Anashta Lv.???]
Other than being the matriarch of Anashta, the duchess was also a Councilor of the Tower like my headmaster.
I had never met her personally. One did not simply meet a Watcher, after all.
But I was acquainted with her twin children when I was helping my headmaster solving the madness disease in the Radeshta region.
I listened to her speaking to Samesta.
"All the seeds throughout the world have collapsed and unleashed the titanic monsters within. Portals leading to higher dimensions are rapidly emerging around the seeds and summoning waves of monsters at extremely rapid rate."
This vision must be happening right at the end of Dunia.
What Duchess Anashta just stated was exactly what I experienced before I came to the forged land.
So this grand meeting was happening back then.
I wondered what all these people here intended to do.
"Have all of our people gathered?"
Samesta asked her vassals.
Duke Viulan turned to the Eternal Throne.
"The entire Serpent's Order, the majority of mages from the Tower of Circle, and all the noble families supporting the Great Houses have arrived in the imperial capital, Your Majesty.
"As well as all our allies from Tsahanam, Tchakra, Ptir, Tsayap, Awan, the Chandran tribes, and Tsamudra. The rulers of Dunia's indigenous monster species have come as well."
He continued.
"Following Your Majesty's orders, we have left the neutral Houses and certain minor factions be. They have no knowledge of our gathering."
Why would the neutral Houses be left out from this meeting?
Was this the reason we became enemies in the trials?
Samesta nodded to the black-armored knight and turned to a large group of dark-robed women among the crowd.
Each of the women was wearing a silver medallion of a four-legged serpent.
"How about your circle, Mother?"
She asked.
Samesta's eyes were pointed to a hunched old woman.
The serpent on her medallion had wings on it unlike the others.
[Mother Superior to the Circle of Kali]
[Witch of Apocalypse]
[Carlisa Kursa Lv.???]
She had the look of a kindly grandmother. One that would grant all your wishes and spoil you to death.
But, of course, all witches of Kali had that disturbing drastic contrast between their appearance and true nature.
"One sister has abandoned our circle, Your Majesty."
The old witch said with regretting voice.
She continued.
"Moraine refused to see reason. She wanted to keep challenging the absolute fate of the world."
"Haaa… That woman had always been so stubborn."
A plump woman sighed beside the old witch.
I recognized her as the Kali sorceress we encountered on the fifteenth floor.
[Farahnah the Dark Enchanter Lv.???]
The plump woman went on like a mother disappointed of her daughter.
"She was among the best of us in the circle. A talented witch with great ambition. But that extreme ambition of hers clouded her judgment instead."
"If only Sister Larissa did not die in the Radeshta Operation, then she could've fill Moraine's absence now."
A freckled lady said.
I saw her stabbed her own heart on the twentieth floor.
[Arrenna the Beastmistress Lv.???]
Despite looking way older than when I saw her last, she pouted like an upset child.
"What was Moraine thinking? What could she possibly do when all of my creations have failed?"
The old witch then stepped forward toward Samesta once more.
"If Your Majesty would allow, I can go and bring Moraine back right now. That child would be very useful to our cause. Perhaps if she listens to Your Majesty directly, then she would--"
The empress raised her hand, cutting the old witch's words short.
"Like us, she has made her decision. We shall respect her will, no matter how foolish and futile it may be."
Samesta sounded firmly like announcing a decree.
The old witch bowed to her.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
The Circle of Kali was branded as a criminal organization throughout the world.
Their witches were hunted like animals. Their collaborators were sentenced heavily.
Seeing them standing inside the throne room of the imperial palace was bewildering to say the least.
I supposed people of all nature would band together in the face of the world's ending.
"Now then, shall we finally deal with the purpose of us gathering here?"
Samesta announced to everyone in the room.
She turned to Prince Radjah standing by himself in front of the throne.
"Brother, are you certain you are willing to take on this role?"
His Highness Radjah looked up to the empress and nodded with unwavering eyes.
"I do."
Role? Of what kind?
Could this explain as to why His Highness became the objective of our fifteenth floor's mission?
"Please allow me to make everything clear to you once more, Your Highness."
A long-bearded man stepped forward from the crowd.
He was garbed in a robe embroidered with a symbol of a serpent coiling on a burning torch.
[Head of the Serpent's Order]
[Eternal Saint]
[Rachmad Slamanja Lv.???]
I had only seen the man from afar a few times before.
Saint Rachmad was one of the best healers in the world and a master to various arcane arts passed down only in the Serpent's Order.
As a saint, he would receive oracles from the Eternal Serpent which would guide the fate of humanity.
"You were promised a contract that could save the world, Your Highness. The contract you will be bound to will alter the threads of space and time, reverting the entire world several years before its doom, allowing you to prepare for what is to come."
The saint stated.
This must be the oracle he received regarding the end of Dunia.
He continued.
"But in order to achieve your goal, all of Dunia will be put in a cycle of sufferings. The world will repeatedly face the horrible fate which destroys it until that horrible fate is overcome, which certainty is very slight.
"People of Dunia, spare the ones in this room with you and their followers, will be shackled by the contract and forced to carry the heavy burden of saving this world.
"The others not bound to that contract, will be shackled to another one. A contract which forced their souls to relive torment and death over and over again as long as Your Highness's mission continued.
"Many lives will suffer for this endeavor. An endeavor that might not bore any fruit at all.
"Instead of salvation, Dunia might instead be put in an eternal prison of torture from which there is no escape. A fate that I dare say is far worse than what Dunia is facing right now.
"Knowing all of this, Your Highness, do you still wish to accept the contract?"
Having experienced all that I had gone through in the forged land so far, I understood every word that Saint Rachmad was trying to convey to His Highness.
And it was clear what His Highness would answer the saint with.
The fact I was seeing this vision was a major indication.
"I do."
Prince Radjah stated clearly.
He continued.
"Even though the chance is very small, if there is a possibility to save our world, I believe we should try it. I am willing to try that chance."
Samesta suddenly leaned forward and looked at His Highness with a pleading look.
"Please reconsider, brother. I've told you why this endeavor is useless. Accept the fate that has been given to us!"
"I'm sorry, sister. As a Manusha, I believe I have to carry out my duty to do what's best for the world. And that is to save it!"
After hearing Prince Radjah's words which was sounded with strong conviction, Samesta nodded and leaned back on the throne of gemstones.
"And I shall do what's best for the world as well."
Her face became rigid. Her golden eyes became cold.
She stared at the prince as if he was a sentenced criminal.
"Brother, I will do everything to stop you from attempting to save our world.
"Your brothers and sisters behind you, everyone here in the throne room and their armies scattered all over Tsuaka right now, including I will be your enemies once you accepted the contract.
"We will not let you and your heroes imprison Dunia in an endless cycle of suffering."
Despite the empress's proclamation, Prince Radjah replied the Eternal Throne with unwavering eyes.
"Then it shall be so, sister."
So that was how the forged land and the trials came to be.
Like us, the heroes of the forged land, His Highness wished to undo Dunia's calamity.
Samesta and her followers did not believe it could be done.
They wanted to thwart His Highness's effort because they believed it would free the world from its suffering.
It all made sense now.
"Please, Samesta!"
Prince Radjah suddenly fell to his knees and begged the Eternal Throne.
"Join me in my cause! You, the Watchers, and everyone in here!
"If we fight together, then we will have a great chance of saving the world!
"Please, Samesta! The world will need your great power! Dunia need you!"
The Eternal Throne stood unwaveringly upon the prince.
She did not falter to His Highness's plea.
Samesta stared back at him with unchanging rigid expression.
[He is right, Your Majesty.]
An echoing voice suddenly resounded within the throne room.
I recognized the voice. The one which sounded as if two people speaking at once.
It was the very voice that invited me to the forged land.
[The world might have a chance with you on its side.]
Two maidens suddenly manifested beside the Eternal Throne.
They almost looked identical to one another.
Only each of them had one feathered wing on their back.
One on the right side. The other on the left. Like a mirror reflection.
And one of their eyes on their wing's side had the color of cosmos while the other seemed normal like human's.
It was very clear they were not ordinary beings.
[Goddess of Beginning]
[Awal Lv.???]
[Goddess of Ending]
[Akhir Lv.???]