﻿\setgamedatatitle("Final Chapter: Throne of the Void\nDepths of the Earth 1")

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There isn't much time left until the final battle.
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Everyone in the labyrinth understands that.

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\text("Verlnya")
What brings you here today?
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\text("Verlnya")
With the Great Destruction approaching, I don't think we
have time for idle chatter.
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―Thinking that Risbell should understand that too, Verlnya
cast a suspicious glance at her as she pored over her books.

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A mountain of books was piled high around her. The document
she was reading was probably one of them.
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\text("Risbell")
I know. But before that, there's something I need to ask you
both.

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\text("Minerva")
...What is it? If it's about the King of Slumber, I've
already told you everything I know...

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\text
Risbell, who had called the two Structors here, set aside
the materials she was reading and turned to face them.

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\text("Risbell")
This time, it has nothing to do with the King of Slumber. I
want you to tell me about the 'Incarnation' of you
Structors.
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That day... the anxiety she felt when Beatrice entrusted
Caym to her.
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To resolve that, she had called the two of them here.

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\text("Minerva")
...?
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\text("Verlnya")
...So that's why there are books on resurrection and
necromancy here that weren't here before.

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Verlnya glanced at the pile of books.
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\text("Risbell")
Yes. But... no matter which book I read, they all say it's
impossible to give a living body to a soul alone.

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\text("Risbell")
Either you use a corpse, or gather dead flesh to create a
body... Either way, a physical vessel is absolutely
necessary.
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\text("Verlnya")
For the people of this world, that's the limit. Neither the
amount nor the quality of their magic is enough to weave a
body.
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\text("Verlnya")
But in our world, there is a technique to weave a body from
one's own magic.
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\text("Risbell")
About that body... for example, is there a time limit?

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\text("Verlnya")
As long as our magic doesn't run out, we can continue to
exist. Unless something external happens, that is.

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\text("Risbell")
..................
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Risbell pondered Verlnya's answer.
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Minerva looked confused at Risbell's vague question.

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\text("Minerva")
...So, what exactly do you want to know?

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\text("Risbell")
Beatrice-san also said before, 'I have incarnated.'

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\text("Minerva")
............
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\text("Risbell")
She died over a hundred years ago, so of course her body
wasn't left behind. Only her horn remained.

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\text("Risbell")
There are resurrection spells and miracles in this world
too, but... I've never heard of anyone being revived from
such a state.
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That's exactly why she couldn't help but wonder.
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Maybe... her incarnation is reaching its limit.

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That's why Beatrice said those things―

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\text("Risbell")
How does Beatrice-san look to you all?

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\text("Verlnya")
...She actually asked me something similar herself.

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\text("Risbell")
Huh...?
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Verlnya continued speaking as if it was nothing.

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\text("Verlnya")
Her incarnation and ours are very much alike.

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\text("Verlnya")
The main difference is that, in her case, her body isn't
maintained by her own magic, but otherwise, it's exactly the
same as ours.
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\text("Risbell")
Um... wait a second. You said you heard it from
Beatrice-san... What did you two talk about?

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Unable to keep up, Risbell interrupted Verlnya's words.

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A gnawing anxiety grew inside her.
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\text("Verlnya")
Exactly what we're talking about now. Everything about
incarnation, including the differences between us.

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\text("Verlnya")
...And on top of that, she said she'd given up on her own
wish.
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\text("Risbell")
Her wish...?
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\text("Verlnya")
To live together with the Demon Lord. She smiled and said if
it can't come true, then that's just how it is.

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\text("Risbell")
It can't come true...?
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\text("Risbell")
When you say it can't come true... does that mean she's
giving up on living with Caym-sama...? Is that what you
mean...?
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\text("Verlnya")
If the King of Slumber is defeated, she will disappear from
this world.
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\text("Risbell")
......!?
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―Disappear?
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\text("Verlnya")
...I see. So she hasn't told you anything.

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\text("Risbell")
Why... why would defeating the King of Slumber mean
Beatrice-san disappears?
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She managed to ask, but her mind couldn't keep up.

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\text("Verlnya")
Everyone who dies in the land of Nilt is devoured by the
King of Slumber through the Kiramushi.

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\text("Verlnya")
And she is no exception.
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\text("Verlnya")
Beatrice, who died about a hundred years ago, was also
devoured by the King of Slumber via the Kiramushi.

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\text("Verlnya")
Normally, the memories and sense of self of those devoured
are digested by the King of Slumber along with everyone
else.
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\text("Verlnya")
But she was a Diabolica with horns.

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\text("Verlnya")
Because she possessed such overwhelming magic power that she
escaped being digested, she was able to maintain her sense
of self inside the King of Slumber.
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\text("Risbell")
Inside... the King of Slumber?
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\text("Verlnya")
The King of Slumber gathers the memories and emotions of
countless people as information through the Kiramushi.

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\text("Verlnya")
She, who is inside the King of Slumber, was also able to
access that information. It seems she kept following her
younger brother Caym's whereabouts all this time.
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\text("Risbell")
Then... is that why the Kiramushi were drawn to Caym-sama
too?
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\text("Verlnya")
Perhaps she was seeking to make contact with Caym.

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\text("Verlnya")
In any case, she managed to maintain her sense of self. And
when she learned that her horn had fallen into someone
else's hands, she began searching for it.
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\text("Risbell")
So... right after Caym-sama took the horn from Rudoll's
collection, she incarnated...?

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\text("Verlnya")
Yes. That man Rudoll was extremely suspicious, and it seems
he protected his collection with a barrier that blocked
magic.
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\text("Verlnya")
Because of that, even the Kiramushi, which serve as her eyes
and ears, couldn't get close.
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\text("Verlnya")
Thanks to Caym, she was able to make contact with the horn
through the Kiramushi.
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\text("Verlnya")
Beatrice also witnessed Minerva's incarnation through the
Kiramushi.

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\text("Verlnya")
So, using her own horn as a medium and drawing on the King
of Slumber's vast magic power... she finally managed to
incarnate.
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\text("Verlnya")
However, her new body is maintained not by her own magic,
but by the King of Slumber's magic.

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\text("Verlnya")
If the King of Slumber is defeated, naturally that magic
will disappear... and so will her body.
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\text("Risbell")
...
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Having that declared by Verlnya, Risbell fell silent.

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\text("Risbell")
...But Beatrice-san helped us so we could defeat the King of
Slumber... and yet...

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\text("Risbell")
(That's why she said that... why she asked me to look after
Caym-sama...)
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Beatrice probably wasn't certain it would turn out this way.

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Or maybe she never even imagined she might disappear.

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She was able to come back to life. She must have believed
she could stay with Caym forever from now on―

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\text("Risbell")
...Isn't there any way?
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At this rate, Caym himself would be the one to make Beatrice
disappear.
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That was the one thing she absolutely had to prevent.

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\text("Verlnya")
A way?
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\text("Risbell")
I absolutely don't want Beatrice-san to die.

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\text("Risbell")
Incarnation is originally your... the Structa's technology,
right? Then maybe there's some way...

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\text("Verlnya")
There isn't. Incarnation absolutely requires one's own magic
power.
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\text("Verlnya")
She does possess an extraordinary amount of magic for a
being in this world.
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\text("Verlnya")
...But even so, it's not enough to maintain an incarnated
body.
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\text("Risbell")
But... but if that's the case...
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Risbell gritted her teeth.
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But even so, there was no way she could just give up.

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It was at that very moment.
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\text("Risbell")
...An earthquake...? No way...
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\text("Minerva")
Has the devouring begun...?
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Why, of all times, now?
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Would the King of Slumber not even give them time to think?

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\text("Risbell")
(Even if I can save this country, if I can't save
Beatrice-san...)
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As Risbell lowered her gaze, Verlnya spoke to her.

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\text("Verlnya")
...For now, why not head to the Demon Lord?

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\text("Risbell")
Verlnya-san...
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\text("Verlnya")
...If there's no way, then you just have to make one.

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\text("Risbell")
Huh...?
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\text("Verlnya")
You want to save her, don't you?
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\text("Risbell")
Verlnya-san... why?
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\text("Verlnya")
...Because that's my wish.
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With those words, Verlnya smiled at her.
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Risbell had no idea what she really meant.

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Even so, those words were more than enough to push Risbell
forward.
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\text("Risbell")
......! Thank you so much!

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As she watched Risbell run off, Minerva turned her gaze to
Verlnya.
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\text("Minerva")
Verlnya-sama, what exactly are you thinking?

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She never imagined such words would come from Verlnya, who
had always denied Diabolica so strongly.

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When asked, Verlnya answered with a gentle expression.

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\text("Verlnya")
I've become just a little bit interested, that's all.
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\text("Minerva")
Interested... you say?
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\text("Verlnya")
Yes. There's something I want to see. And it's better if
she's there.
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Such a very human way of speaking.
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Even Verlnya herself was surprised by her own words, yet she
couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
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She would see with her own eyes what the man who had denied
her would ultimately grasp―.
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\text("Margaretta")
So far, there haven't been any casualties from the Yumekui.

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\text("Margaretta")
There are reports of earthquake damage here and there, but
it doesn't seem to be anything serious yet.
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At Margaretta's report, Risbell's expression grew tense.

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\text("Risbell")
I see...
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\text("Spacchio")
But according to the underground recon team, every time it
shakes, more Kiramushi show up and keep turning into Yumekui
one after another.
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\text("Agri")
Ugh... Those things are still multiplying...?

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This was the umpteenth earthquake. Glace, now used to it,
muttered quietly.

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\text("Glace")
...Stop shaking.
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\text("Noro")
...Yeah, that was the fifth one.
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\text("El")
And... isn't the interval between them getting shorter?

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\text("Risbell")
Yes. And with each one, the shaking gets stronger...

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\text("Tiela")
Is this the time limit before the Great Destruction?

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At the words 'time limit,' Minerva immediately turned her
gaze to Beatrice.
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\text("Minerva")
...Beatrice-sama.
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\text("Beatrice")
What is it?
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\text("Minerva")
Even a guess is fine. How much time do we have left?

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\text("Beatrice")
Probably... we'll be okay until tomorrow night.
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\text("Beatrice")
Besides, if we invade the underground, the King of Slumber
will have to deal with us and won't have time to feed...

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\text("Magahime")
If we attack before then and get close, we can buy ourselves
some time.
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One day. Is it only one day, or do we still have a whole day
left?

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It depends on how you look at it. But no matter the outcome,
it's precious time.

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Thinking that, Caym gave a small nod.
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\text("Caym")
...Alright. Then, tomorrow at noon, we'll break into the
lowest level. Until then, do as you please.

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\text("Margaretta")
Is that alright?
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\text("Caym")
Yeah. I want to calm down a bit myself.

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\text("Risbell")
............
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\text("Beatrice")
( ...So this is the end, huh )
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\text("Magahime")
...Well, if Caym says so, I'll take him up on his offer.

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One by one, the others followed Caym's lead and relaxed a
little.
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\text("Magahime")
I'll be in the royal palace, so contact me if anything
happens.
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\text("Glace")
Then, I'd like to return to Kiros for a bit. I need to talk
to Gunther.
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\text("Tiela")
I'll head to Lusario as well... El, would you like to come
with me?
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\text("El")
Yes, I'll go with you!
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\text("Risbell")
In that case, please call on the people of each country to
evacuate to the labyrinth. Depending on how the battle goes,
we don't know what might happen.
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\text("Magahime")
Alright, got it.
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\text("Agri")
Alright! Then let's drink until morning!

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\text("Spacchio")
Sounds good. In that case, it's gotta be Rebecca-nee-san's
place, right?
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\text("Noro")
Yeah. Rebecca's food is delicious.
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\text("Margaretta")
I'll join you. I don't really have anywhere else to go
anyway.
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\text("Caym")
...Risbell. A moment―

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\text("Risbell")
I'm sorry, Caym-sama. I have a little errand to run.
Minerva-san.

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\text("Minerva")
...Understood.
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\text
―And so, only Caym and Beatrice were left in the throne
room, and Caym slumped his shoulders.

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\text("Caym")
...She even took Minerva with her...
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\text("Beatrice")
Oh my, are you unhappy that I'm the only one left?
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\text("Caym")
No, actually. I was hoping the three of us―me, you, and
Risbell―could have some fun tonight...

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\text("Beatrice")
Hehe, even at a time like this, that's all you think about.

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\text("Beatrice")
Well then, I'll keep you company all by myself.

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\text("Beatrice")
...Actually, I was just thinking I'd like to be alone with
you, Caym.

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\text("Beatrice")
...Is that not okay?
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\text("Caym")
Heh... Of course it's okay. Sure, a threesome would've been
nice, but being alone with you, nee-san?

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Caym's expression softened, and Beatrice smiled back at him
happily.
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Just the two of them. For her, that was precious time.


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