Lucas, Aislyra, Sequoria, and Katerina were sitting on the couches in Sequoria's room. Sequoria, however, was tightly clinging to Lucas in a smothering hug, leaving the queen visibly flustered and deeply embarrassed.
"Mother, could you please stop trying to crush Lucas and just tell us why you called us here?" Aislyra asked, visibly irritated.
"No!!!" Sequoria shouted. "These days, I've been so focused on being the perfect teacher during my lessons, and with all the combat training you've been doing with Lucas and the preparations for the Tournament of the Golden Trees, I've barely had any quality time with my son! And that's just not fair! I won't let him go until I'm completely recharged!" she declared dramatically, hugging Lucas even tighter.
Lucas began to squirm, his voice strained. "Please… Mother… could you let me go… I'm starting to feel… a little… faint!"
But Sequoria was too busy rubbing her face against his shoulder to notice.
"What a lovely scent," she murmured blissfully.
Thankfully, the only person in the room capable of saving Lucas from suffocation decided it was time to act.
"Lady Sequoria," Katerina said calmly, her eyes half-lidded and a deceptively sweet smile on her face, "could you kindly release Her Majesty, who very clearly does not wish to be in that situation? And please stop behaving like a child. If you don't, I'm afraid—even though you are the former queen—I will be forced to resort to violence."
The moment Katerina finished her sentence, Sequoria recoiled from Lucas with such speed it almost looked like she'd teleported. Composing herself as if nothing had happened, she cleared her throat and finally responded to Aislyra's question.
"I called you here tonight because I wanted to ask my son from another world if he knows anything more about Caesar—since he should be a fairly famous person in his world," said Sequoria. Then, turning her gaze to Lucas, she added, "So, do you know him, my son?"
Lucas nodded. "Yes, I know who he is. He's probably one of the most well-known historical figures in my world. Obviously, I've never met him in person—he lived over two thousand years ago—but the legacy of the Roman Empire, which came into being shortly after his death and of which he was one of the most critical founders, still influences my world today. In fact, his very name has become a synonym for 'authority,'" Lucas explained, his voice filled with admiration.
"So this time, Leore managed to summon a real heavyweight," Aislyra said with interest. "But he didn't seem like someone who was born a king. Am I right, Lucas?"
"You are," Lucas replied. "Before becoming a dictator, he was an incredibly successful general. His most famous achievement was the conquest of a region called Gaul. He even wrote a book about it that remains quite well-known even today. Although he was born into a noble family, they weren't particularly rich or powerful at the time. So most of his achievements came from his intelligence, charisma, and remarkable leadership skills."
"I see… Yeah, from the way you describe him, he definitely sounds like a big shot," Aislyra replied thoughtfully. "But he doesn't strike me as someone especially dangerous in a one-on-one fight. I hope his History Magic makes up for that," she added, clearly thinking ahead to a possible tournament match.
"Thank you, son," Sequoria said sweetly. "That information helps us understand Hero Caesar better—for any future cooperation between our nations."
Lucas smiled. "You're welcome. It's the kind of thing most people from my world probably learn in school. But since we're on the subject of the hero," he continued, "could I ask another question?"
"Of course, ask me anything you'd like, my son," replied Sequoria warmly.
"Last time, when you explained various things about heroes to me, you mentioned that every hero is given a mission by the kingdom. I assume that's why Caesar is traveling with a party. I wanted to ask—do we know what that mission actually is?" Lucas asked curiously.
For a moment, the room fell completely silent.
"Mother, you never told him in any of your lessons?!" Aislyra exclaimed, clearly stunned, as she turned to Sequoria.
"I'm sorry! Out of all the things I had to teach him, I completely forgot to mention it," Sequoria admitted with a flustered expression, her cheeks turning red.
Lucas blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that. Given how thorough and precise Sequoria was in every lesson, the idea that she had forgotten to teach him something was almost unthinkable.
Clearing her throat with a couple of small coughs, Sequoria swiftly changed the subject and composed herself. Then, in a regal tone, she said, "So, son, you want to know what mission was assigned to Hero Caesar, correct?"
Lucas nodded.
"I see," said Sequoria. After a brief pause, she continued in a solemn voice, "The mission given to Caesar and his party is to defeat the Demon King Oniac, the current ruler of the Kingdom of Osidarap—which is home to the majority of the demon race."
"Demon king?!" Lucas exclaimed, eyes wide.
Sequoria tilted her head, studying him with mild curiosity. "Did your world also have a Demon King? I was fairly certain that in your world, humans were the only species with the intelligence to form civilizations," she said, intrigued by his reaction.
"You're right," Lucas replied. "As far as I know, apart from humans, there hasn't been any other species capable of building actual civilizations. But the concept of demons exists—though they're usually found in legends, folklore, or fiction. The Demon King, especially in modern times, is often the final villain in fantasy stories."
"I see," Sequoria mused. "So what surprised you is that something which only exists in fiction in your world—something powerful and iconic—also exists here in reality."
Lucas nodded again.
"But what exactly is this 'fantasy' genre you speak of?" Sequoria asked, leaning forward slightly with interest. "I don't believe we have such a genre in our world. And as I'm sure you've noticed from my collection," she said with a smile, gesturing toward her bookshelf, "your mother loves to read all kinds of books. I know it's not directly related to the hero's mission, but would you indulge your mother and tell her what this genre is about?"
Katerina nodded silently, clearly just as interested.
'I'm such an idiot,' Lucas thought to himself. 'Of course a world that is fantasy wouldn't have a 'fantasy' genre. What I consider fantasy is just normal life to them.'
"Well… how can I describe it?" Lucas began, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Basically, it's a genre that would describe this world almost perfectly. As you already know, my world has no magic or other humanoid races like elves or dwarves. So the fantasy genre tells stories about worlds like this one—full of creatures and powers that, until recently, I thought only existed in fiction."
"Fascinating!" Sequoria exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity. "So from your point of view, most of the books describing our world would be considered part of this 'fantasy' genre! Oh, how I'd love to read a book from your world—just to see how they portray elves. Tell me, son, I know it's a bit much to ask, but do you remember even one of these fantasy stories?"
"I'm sorry," Lucas replied, his tone somewhere between apologetic and dryly sarcastic. "But I don't have a good enough memory to recall an entire novel word-for-word."
The enthusiasm that had sparkled in the former queen's eyes just moments before began to fade the instant she heard Lucas's response… But before the silence could linger too long, Katerina stepped in.
"Lady Sequoria, I know a general spell that, when applied to written recollection, allows the caster to remember even information normally beyond their memory. With it, I believe it would be possible to transcribe any book or story Lucas has ever read. I was planning to teach it to him after the tournament, but—if you return to answering Mr. Lucas's original question without wasting more time—I'll include it in tomorrow's lesson. However, I must insist: it's nearly time for the queen to rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day, and I don't want him going to bed too late," said Katerina in her usual calm, cold, and almost robotic tone.
"Is there really such a spell, Katerina?!" Sequoria exclaimed, her excitement reigniting instantly.
Katerina nodded in confirmation.
Immediately, Sequoria's expression became serious—transforming into the studious and composed demeanor she always wore during her lessons with Lucas.
"I understand," she said solemnly. Then she turned back to Lucas and continued, "My son, I've already told you that Caesar's mission as a hero is to eliminate the Demon King, correct?"
Lucas nodded.
"But I haven't told you why that mission was given. Do you want to know the reason?" she asked gently.
Lucas nodded again.
"Very well," Sequoria continued, her tone growing more serious. "The explanation is fairly simple. The kingdoms of Leore and Osidarap have been rivals since time immemorial, frequently engaging in war. Conflicts are usually initiated by the demon kingdom of Osidarap—often due to their belligerent tendencies. Leore tends to be their primary target in this ongoing struggle. Oddly enough, no one remembers exactly how the rivalry began. That said, demons are not an inherently evil race bent solely on destruction. In fact, the last hundred years have been marked by peace between the two kingdoms, thanks to the previous Demon King—Eleba.
Eleba was widely considered the strongest demon king in history, but also the most peace-loving. Before winning the throne, he led a faction of demons who sought an end to their endless wars with Leore. When he became king, he immediately pursued peace between the two nations," she explained, pausing to let the weight of the history settle in.
Lucas listened attentively, then asked with confusion, "Wait… you said Eleba won his place on the throne?"
"Yes, won," Sequoria confirmed. "Every ten years, on the anniversary of the birth of Osidarap's first king, any citizen may challenge the reigning monarch to a duel. If the challenger wins, they immediately inherit the throne—regardless of their status, lineage, or even race. The only requirement is that the victor must be a citizen of the kingdom. One hundred years ago, Eleba defeated the reigning king and became ruler. And for a full century, no one could defeat him. That made him the longest-reigning monarch in Osidarap's history.
"However, everything changed four months ago, on the kingdom's anniversary, when Eleba was defeated and killed by the current demon king—Oniac. After ascending the throne, Oniac immediately began preparations for war. Caesar's mission, and that of his party, is to eliminate Oniac before a full-scale war erupts between Leore and Osidarap."
Lucas noticed a tinge of sorrow in Sequoria's voice as she mentioned Eleba's death, but the situation was now much clearer. He made a mental note to ask Caesar more about his mission during tomorrow's lunch.
"Thank you, Mother. That explanation really helped. Now I know exactly what I want to discuss with Caesar. But—pardon me for asking—did you know Eleba personally? You sounded… melancholic," Lucas said gently.
"Yes," Sequoria replied, her voice growing softer. "Though our kingdoms were never formally allied, Eleba was a dear friend of mine. After I abdicated the throne, I often visited him. We would share drinks and long talks. The demon kingdom produces the best alcohol on the entire continent—especially when enjoyed with a friend." Her voice carried a wistful note as she smiled sadly.
Then, suddenly, she clapped her hands and stood up.
"But what's done is done. The past belongs to the past. Come now, my son—it's time for bed. Tomorrow will be another long day. You need your rest," she said with a warm, motherly smile."You're right mother. Let's go, Aislyra, Katerina," Lucas said as he stood, followed by the other two.
Once they had left the room, Sequoria remained behind in silence. She walked slowly to a wardrobe, retrieved a bottle of expensive-looking wine, and poured herself a glass. She returned to the sofa, sat down, and sipped it slowly—her gaze distant, her expression tinged with quiet melancholy.