Parallel Memory

The emergency bells continued to ring.

Their sound rolled through the capital in long, heavy waves, reaching even the deepest parts of the assembly hall.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

The report of the devil attacks had changed everything.

Only moments earlier, the hall had been arguing over whether Lilith could be trusted.

Now, human settlements along the eastern border were under attack.

The irony was almost cruel.

A peace treaty that had taken weeks of arguments to even consider had barely reached the point where it could become reality, and already blood was being spilled again.

Lilith stood quietly in the center of the hall.

Her expression remained calm, but her hands were tightly clenched.

She could feel everyone’s eyes on her.

Suspicion.

Fear.

Anger.

Some were looking at her as though she had personally ordered the attack.

Others were watching her with uncertainty, unsure of what to believe.

And a few were simply waiting.

Waiting to see what she would do.

Mia Frostine slowly rose from her seat.

The moment she stood, the noise in the chamber gradually faded.

Unlike Rurik, Mia did not need to command the room.

Her reputation did that for her.

She was one of the heroes of the recent war.

More importantly, she was believed by almost everyone present to be the person who had defeated the Devil King Aamon.

The statues already being prepared in her honor were proof of how deeply that belief had taken root.

When Mia spoke, people listened.

"We need to calm down."

Her voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

"This is exactly what the attackers want."

A Church representative immediately objected.

"Lady Mia, our people are being attacked."

"I know."

Mia looked directly at him.

"That’s why shouting at each other inside this hall isn’t going to save them."

The man fell silent.

Mia turned toward the messenger.

"How many towns have been confirmed?"

"At least several settlements along the eastern border. We don’t have exact numbers yet."

"Are the attackers advancing toward the capital?"

"No."

"Then they aren’t trying to invade."

Mia’s observation made several people look at one another.

The messenger nodded cautiously.

"That appears to be the case."

Mia’s gaze shifted toward Lilith.

"Your Majesty."

Lilith looked at her.

"You said there were factions within your kingdom that rejected your rule."

"Yes."

"Could this be them?"

Lilith nodded.

"I believe so."

A Church representative immediately stood.

"Believe?"

His voice was sharp.

"You expect us to stake the lives of our people on her belief?"

Mia turned toward him.

"No."

The room became quiet.

"We should stake them on evidence."

The Church representative frowned.

Mia continued.

"And right now, we don’t have enough."

That statement caused several members of the Church to exchange irritated looks.

Mia wasn’t defending Lilith blindly.

She was asking them to think.

The distinction mattered.

"We know the border towns are being attacked," Mia said. "We know Lilith claims she doesn’t control the attackers. We know she has repeatedly warned us that some of Aamon’s former followers oppose her."

She paused.

"So we investigate."

A member of the Authority leaned forward.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

Mia looked toward Lilith.

"She already offered to help."

Every eye returned to the Devil Queen.

Lilith nodded.

"I will go."

A murmur spread through the hall.

The Church immediately protested.

"You cannot be serious."

Lilith looked toward them.

"I am."

"You expect us to send the Devil Queen into our military operations?"

"I expect you to send me against the devils who are attacking your people."

The answer left the room strangely quiet.

Lilith took a step forward.

"If they are loyal to me, then I will prove it."

She looked toward Mia.

"If they refuse to recognize me, then I will stop them."

The Church representative shook his head.

"This is precisely the sort of manipulation we warned about."

Lilith’s expression hardened.

"You accuse me of manipulation every time I speak."

"Because you are a devil."

"And you are human."

The response came immediately.

"Yet I am standing here offering to fight those attacking your people."

She looked around the room.

"What more must I do?"

Nobody answered.

Mia watched Lilith carefully.

There was something in her expression that Mia recognized.

It wasn’t deception.

It was exhaustion.

Lilith had spent days trying to convince humans that peace was possible.

And every time she offered them something, they demanded more.

Mia understood that feeling better than most.

She had spent the entire war watching people place expectations upon her that she had never asked for.

The hero.

The strongest ice mage.

The woman who supposedly defeated the Devil King.

The more people praised her, the heavier it became.

Now she was watching Lilith experience something similar.

Except Lilith wasn’t being praised.

She was being judged.

Mia finally turned toward the Church.

"If you’re afraid she’s lying, then let her prove it."

The Church representative stared at her.

"You trust her?"

Mia shook her head.

"No."

That answer surprised everyone.

"I don’t know her well enough to trust her."

Lilith’s expression didn’t change.

"But I don’t know her well enough to accuse her either."

Mia’s voice became firmer.

"That’s the difference."

Several people nodded.

The Authority began murmuring among themselves.

Mia continued.

"We have two choices."

She raised one finger.

"First, we detain Lilith, assume the worst, and continue arguing while our border towns are attacked."

She raised a second finger.

"Or we investigate."

Her eyes moved across the hall.

"If she is responsible, we will find out."

Then she looked at Lilith.

"If she’s telling the truth, we’ll find that out too."

A long silence followed.

Then one of the Authority members spoke.

"What if she is using this opportunity to gather information about our military?"

Lilith answered before Mia could.

"Then don’t show me anything."

Everyone looked toward her.

"I don’t need your battle plans."

She paused.

"I only need to find the people attacking your towns."

The Authority member frowned.

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"They are devils."

Lilith’s voice became colder.

"I know how they think."

Mia understood the implication immediately.

Lilith knew her own people.

That could be an advantage.

But it could also be dangerous.

The Church wasn’t convinced.

One of their leaders stepped forward.

"There is another possibility."

Mia looked at him.

"You believe Lilith deliberately allowed this attack?"

"Perhaps."

The man gestured toward the Devil Queen.

"She comes here promising peace. She learns our political divisions. She sees our military leaders. She observes our defenses."

He pointed toward the messenger.

"And then devils attack our border."

His eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps the attack is meant to force us into trusting her."

Lilith stared at him.

For the first time, genuine anger appeared in her eyes.

"You think I arranged an attack against my own kingdom?"

"That is what we must consider."

Lilith took a slow breath.

"What would I gain?"

"Your position."

"I already have it."

"Power."

"I already have that."

"Information."

Lilith looked around the room.

"If information was what I wanted, I would have remained silent and listened to your arguments."

The room went quiet.

She continued.

"You have spent weeks revealing your divisions to me yourselves."

Several people lowered their eyes.

It was true.

Lilith had heard every argument.

She knew which factions supported the treaty.

She knew which opposed it.

She knew the Church wanted dominance.

She knew the Authority wanted influence.

She knew the War Council feared division.

And yet she had never used that knowledge against them.

At least, not that they knew.

Mia stepped forward again.

"Enough."

The word wasn’t shouted.

But everyone listened.

"We’re wasting time."

She looked toward the messenger.

"How long before reinforcements are needed?"

"Immediately."

Mia nodded.

Then she turned toward Lilith.

"Can you lead us there?"

Lilith nodded.

"Yes."

"Can you identify the faction?"

"I can try."

"Can you stop them?"

Lilith’s expression hardened.

"I will."

Mia looked around the room.

"Then that’s what we’re going to do."

One of the Church leaders immediately objected.

"You cannot make that decision alone."

Mia met his gaze.

"I’m not."

She gestured toward the Authority.

"They can decide."

Then she looked toward the War Council.

"And so can they."

Finally, she looked toward Lilith.

"But someone needs to stop wasting time."

The statement silenced the room.

Mia had no official authority over the entire assembly.

But she had something else.

The trust of the people.

The reputation of the person they believed had defeated Aamon.

Whether that reputation was accurate or not, it gave her words weight.

The same people who had spent weeks refusing to compromise were suddenly listening.

A War Council member finally spoke.

"I support Lady Mia’s proposal."

Another nodded.

"So do I."

The Authority representatives began discussing the matter among themselves.

The Church remained divided.

Some demanded Lilith be detained.

Others recognized that they had no evidence against her.

The arguments continued.

But now there was direction.

They were no longer arguing simply to win.

They were arguing over what action to take.

Lilith watched Mia quietly.

After a moment, she whispered,

"Thank you."

Mia looked at her.

"Don’t thank me yet."

Lilith raised an eyebrow.

"If you’re lying, I’ll be the first person to stop you."

Lilith gave the faintest smile.

"I would expect nothing less."

For the first time since the messenger had entered, the tension inside the hall eased slightly.

But Zero, standing behind Lilith, hadn’t moved.

His expression remained unreadable.

He had been listening to everything.

The accusations.

The explanations.

The political maneuvering.

Something bothered him.

The timing.

The attack had come precisely when the treaty negotiations were beginning to move forward.

That wasn’t proof of anything.

But Zero had learned long ago that coincidence could be dangerous.

He glanced toward the eastern windows.

Nothing appeared unusual.

Yet something felt wrong.

Then Lilith spoke again.

"I will go with you."

Mia nodded.

"We’ll arrange an escort."

Lilith shook her head.

"I don’t need one."

The Church representatives immediately objected.

"You won’t be allowed to move freely."

Lilith sighed.

"Then put guards around me."

Mia almost smiled.

"That can be arranged."

Lilith looked at Zero.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Zero understood what she was asking without words.

He stepped forward.

"I’m going too."

Several people turned toward him.

A few looked confused.

According to the records available to the assembly, Zero was nothing more than a relatively obscure combatant.

Some believed him to be around B Rank.

Others suspected he might have reached A Rank.

Nobody considered him important.

Except Mia.

And Hiro’s group.

And the War Council members who had felt the terrifying aura he had released earlier.

Mia looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

Zero nodded.

"I want to see who is behind the attack."

The Church representative scoffed.

"You?"

Zero looked at him.

"Yes."

The man opened his mouth.

But Mia spoke first.

"Let him."

Everyone turned toward her.

Mia’s expression was firm.

"He’ll be under my command."

Zero raised an eyebrow.

Mia looked at him.

"For now."

A faint smile appeared on Zero’s face.

"Fine."

The Authority finally reached a preliminary agreement.

They would send a limited force toward the border.

Lilith would accompany them.

Mia would oversee the operation.

The purpose would be investigation first and containment second.

The Church clearly wasn’t happy.

But they couldn’t object without appearing unreasonable.

And so, for the first time since the treaty discussions had begun, the assembly reached an actual decision.

Not a treaty.

Not peace.

But a first step.

Mia turned toward Lilith.

"Let’s go."

Lilith nodded.

As they began walking toward the doors, Zero followed behind them.

But just before leaving, he stopped.

His eyes narrowed.

For the briefest instant, he thought he sensed something.

A faint pulse of dark mana.

Not from Lilith.

Not from the border.

From somewhere much closer.

Inside the capital.

Then it disappeared.

Zero said nothing.

He simply continued walking.

The fragile peace had survived its first challenge.

But whether it would survive what came next...

was another question entirely.

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