#wow this series dead i just update it super irregularly and without warning

[loosesodamarble]

As Time Moves On Part 4: The Mystery in Spade

Summary: The reconstruction effort in Spade Kingdom brings about a disturbing revelation. Genre: general Word count: ~1800

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The bitter cold was nothing new to the Spade Kingdom. Winters were long and harsh. Summers were fleeting like a breeze. But the people of Spade became resilient over the generations, especially so after the reign of terror that was the Zogratis family.

Thanks to the efforts of Spade’s Resistance Force and Clover Kingdom’s Magic Knights, freedom and peace were restored.

The long night known as the Devil Banishment War was passed. And the people of Spade, with renewed hope and strength, worked to usher in a new era of peace.

…..

“Thanks to the citizens, as well as the aid sent from Heart and Clover, we’re keeping a decent pace for the reconstruction plans we initially put forth.”

“Diamond Kingdom is in a state of political unrest. Not only from the Zogratis annexing some of their territory but also due to internal conflicts. We can’t expect any word from them any time soon.”

“We’ve sent messengers to Lumi Kingdom regarding assistance. There’s no telling how long it will take for them to respond though.”

“Every resident of the capital city has confirmed that they have new lodging. Either within another town or in the nearby tent cities.”

Ciel nodded along as her team of advisors filled her in on the state of affairs. It fell to her to lead her people after the Zogratis family was removed from power. She wished she didn’t have to do it alone, that Loyce was still there sharing the burden.

But Loyce was no longer of this world. He was in a better place. So Ciel made it her duty to restore Spade to the joyous land they’d once led together.

While listening to her advisors, Ciel also concentrated her mana on a spell: Full Moon Haven.

With the spell, she imbued an area with the gentle light of the moon, healing wounds and restoring stamina. She’d learned it years ago, before ever being queen, and in the present, she used it to tend to the many volunteers who toiled to clear debris and find those who were injured or killed during the Devil Banishment War. It was a blessing to have in her grimoire, as it meant she was able to serve her people as kindly as they served her.

“How soon do you think the capital will be rebuilt?” Ciel asked while slowly diminishing her mana output.

“Due to…” Albert, the leader of the resistance and one of Ciel’s advisors, paused and cleared his throat. It was more to break the tension that came with what he was about to say. “Due to the King of Devils leveling most of the capital city, there hasn’t been much large debris so clearing the land has been quick work. However, we can’t proceed quite yet as the task of recovering the bodies of the deceased has come to a standstill. It’s concerning the… high priority ones.”

Ciel’s eyes went wide and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep her face composed.

“I see.”

Ciel finished casting Full Moon Haven and sent off the patients, either to their lodgings or to a more skilled healer for severe wounds. Then, she and the advisors slipped away, towards the shadows of the castle ruins.

There were some questions she would need answered in privacy.

Dante Zogratis, Vanica Zogratis, and Zenon Zogratis of the Dark Triad. Moris Libardirt, former Magic Scholar of the Diamond Kingdom.

While reports from Clover’s Magic Knights attested to their downfalls, Ciel and her advisors had made it a priority to find their bodies again to confirm their deaths. The people of Spade had put their all into the task alongside preparing for the rebuilding of homes. And yet after four months…

“Has nothing from any of them been recovered?”

Ciel’s advisors frowned grimly.

“Are we certain that we’ve checked every possible nook and cranny of the castle? We’ve left no piece of rubble unturned? We haven’t ignored any rooms by accident, have we?” Ciel inquired between deep breaths.

“Your Majesty, we’re sure,” Albert answered and bowed his head slightly. “This was our fifth full area search. We cannot find a trace of them.”

Ciel wrung her hands together. Closed her eyes, squeezed them shut tight. She took deep breaths. Deep, slow, trying-to-prevent-panic breaths. With a final exhale, Ciel opened her eyes and looked her advisors in the eyes.

“Thank you for informing me,” she stated with the grace she’d practiced as queen. “If I may, I ask that I have a moment to myself.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the advisors spoke in unison as they bowed their heads. Then, they turned and left her be.

When Ciel felt sure she was on her own, she let out a heavy sigh. She placed her hands over her heart, feeling its anxious rhythm. After the coup and so many years living in hiding and praying for a miracle, Ciel believed she’d gotten used to being worried. But no, she’d only been used to worrying about the Dark Triad finding her to finish what they’d started.

Now, she feared that they could return and ruin the peace that was still new to the kingdom.

Ciel paced the area.

Yuno’s personal witness testimony detailed how Zenon turned into a devil and how his body crumbled upon defeat. The search for his body had been futile from the start. But that didn’t explain why nothing of Vanica, Dante, or Moris was found. Could it be that their bodies were completely crushed in the rubble? And that only unidentifiable, rotting bits of flesh and bloodstains remained?

Or…

Ciel shuddered.

There were individuals, the Dark Disciples, who earnestly followed the Zogratises. Is it possible that some of them survived and salvaged their leaders’ bodies? And since the Dark Disciples had no qualms about using Forbidden Magic, if the bodies were found… Then…

Her breath caught in her throat.

Vanica’s piercing, maniacal laugh while demanding a fight echoed in her ears.

Zenon’s listless gaze flashed across her mind’s eye, as if burned into her memory.

Dante’s hands and how they so carelessly dropped Loyce’s body to the floor, prepared to take her life next, made her body tremble.

Not again… She didn’t want the terror to return… To lose everything all over again…

Ciel clenched her hands into fists and shook her head.

“Don’t worry. Spade is safe now,” Yuno had said with a hushed confidence. “And I won’t let it come to harm again. As the next Wizard King, it’d be my duty to.”

A half-hearted laugh slipped past Ciel’s lips. Yuno’s statement didn’t make much sense but his heart was in the right place. It was in a place full of hope.

“That’s right…” Ciel told herself. “I can’t give into fear. Not now.”

There wasn’t a chance that Ciel would let herself give up so easily after everything that she and her people had endured. Not after hope in the form of mages from Clover and Heart arrived and chased away the darkness. Not after she got to see the man her son had become and still strove to be.

The Queen of Spade looked to the sky. The clouds were gray as per usual. However, their shade appeared lighter than usual.

…..

“Dear people of Spade Kingdom. I thank you all for gathering today so that I may address you regarding our current reconstruction efforts.”

Ciel’s voice carried across the crowd of people. Their faces showed tiredness and concern but mostly curiosity.

“As of now, we’re making good progress in rebuilding our kingdom.”

Smiles began to appear on people’s faces.

Ciel went on to summarize how clean up has concluded, how foreign aid would continue to be provided, and how resources were being allocated for the various reconstruction projects. The good news that she shared made the people’s moods brighter. And it lightened Ciel’s own heart to know that Spade was already rising up.

All that good news, though, would be soured by the troubling announcement she had to make next.

“There are many good things in store for Spade as we continue to rebuild our kingdom. However, it is with a heavy heart that I also deliver bad news to you all. It is a matter of transparency that I tell you all. While parties worked to recover the bodies of the deceased for proper burials, a select group was tasked with finding the bodies of specific individuals: the Dark Triad and their conspirator Moris Liberdirt. I and my advisors desired to confirm without a reasonable doubt that those four were indeed dead. Unfortunately, nothing of them has been recovered during these last four months.”

The grinning faces fell away and color drained from many complexions.

“As your queen, I apologize for being unable to fully confirm their deaths. I apologize for having to deliver such a frightening message. But I felt that you needed to know, so that you may understand my dedication to putting everyone at ease and giving them reason to have even greater hope, even if I could not follow through this time.

“The Zogratises and Moris haven’t turned up thus far and we might have to consider that their bodies may never turn up. However! We cannot let the memory of the Zogratis family and their actions hold us captive. My dear and brave citizens, I implore you! Let us remember how we have endured and overcome a dark period of our kingdom’s history. Let us bolster our spirits with resolve. We shall rebuild the Spade Kingdom to what it once was and make new memories for the next generation of our people!”

After Ciel’s voice dissipated into the sky, silence permeated the crowd.

Ciel looked upon her people.

Let my prayer resonate with them…

Then,

“For Spade Kingdom!” a voice from the crowd yelled.

“Towards a brighter future!” cried another as they raised their fist.

“Aye!”

“This is our kingdom again!”

“Here here!”

Shouts of determination arose, a testament to how the people had been weakened but not broken.

It was later decided that the corpses of Dante, Vanica, Zenon, and Moris didn’t need to be found. In all likelihood, the Zogratis family and Moris were dead. Their bodies lost to the land and their souls damned for their cruelty. As cold as it sounded, Ciel was glad to think that to be the case.

Uncertainty nestled within Ciel’s heart. However, the memory of her son’s affirmation and the optimistic calls of her citizens drowned out the whisper of fear.