Abyssal Sovereignty

Farkonia rose and drew back the translucent white curtains, revealing the view outside to the young girl.

“This is the castle. The very ancient castle you saw earlier.”

Beyond the window lay a castle built from stone bricks, its age evident from the wear and tear, the marks of erosion telling tales of countless years passed.

But the question arose—why was there a small wooden cabin within this old castle?

The castle itself was a relic of a medieval world, with an air of antiquity and history. In stark contrast, the little cabin bore a modern, pastoral style. It wasn’t that the cabin clashed with the surroundings; rather, it seemed utterly unrelated.

Farkonia immediately addressed the unspoken question.

“This castle, or rather this space, was constructed from fragments of my memories. It wasn’t what I intended, but this is what manifested. So, I built a small cabin in the courtyard of the castle.”

The truth of her words could be glimpsed in the decor of the house. The castle exuded nothing but desolation and melancholy, while the cabin was filled with warmth—every little ornament, the lighting, the furniture, all spoke of coziness.

Seeing Farkonia in her human form now, one could understand that beneath her imposing and powerful draconic exterior, she was simply a gentle older sister figure.

“As for why I hurt you back then, I must apologize. I had to show you the difference in our powers. Or rather, the gap between your current abilities and the ultimate power you aspire to.”

Although the girl had inherited part of the black demon tribe’s strength, surpassing Misako in power, this was merely the beginning.

According to Farkonia, Misako was at a low-tier tenth level, and the girl was only marginally stronger, hovering at a similar level.

“Let me tell you about that war.”

Farkonia slowly recounted the events of the ancient war to the girl.

It was known as the ‘War of the Black Demon God and Dragons,’ a cataclysmic conflict waged by the Black Demon God, the black demon tribes, and their allies against the entire world. Farkonia, then the Dragon King, had been recruited by the Black Demon God.

“Perhaps it was youthful arrogance, but for some reason, I agreed to their cause. The Black Demon God, the Black Demon King, and I led the black demons, a portion of the dragons who followed me, and other creatures coerced by the Black Demon God, into war.”

The Black Demon God, being a deity, possessed power far beyond that of any mortal. The Black Demon King was the mightiest of all creatures. As for Farkonia, dragons were inherently the strongest of all races, and she was the most powerful among them, her strength rivaling that of the gods themselves.

Together, they were an unstoppable force. No race could stand against them, not even the gods, who descended to the mortal world in avatar form, only to be defeated.

“But we overlooked one being—an existence that transcends all life, even the gods themselves. Not a god, but something beyond them. That being was known as ‘The Anomaly Witch.’”

Farkonia would never forget the appearance of that entity, who emerged after they had vanquished the world’s last line of defense. With a mere flick of her wrist, she utterly crushed their once invincible army, as if it were nothing.

“My dragons often speak of me as the ‘embodiment of strength and power,’ but compared to that existence, which can render the very concepts of strength and weakness meaningless, I was nothing more than a primitive creature. And as far as I know, there is more than one of them.”

“…”

The girl fell silent, pondering these tales of the past.

In truth, the details of the war didn’t interest her much. What mattered was the witch who ended the war, the very same witch Misako had mentioned as the one who banished them to this abyss.

This meant that to break the seal and return to the world above, she would need to reach a similar level of power.

“Ah, but you needn’t worry too much about this. After defeating us, the witch approached us with a proposition. This abyss wasn’t specifically created for us; it was merely a side effect of her initial strike, coincidentally serving as a place for our penance. The seal will last until it deteriorates, whether through time or external interference, so it isn’t particularly strong. That said, its strength still exceeds ours.”

“...But haven’t you been in this abyss for quite a long time? Couldn’t you have grown stronger and broken the seal yourselves?”

In the girl’s mind, Farkonia, possessing such immense power, should be more capable of breaking the seal than herself.

“...I can no longer grow stronger. My power has reached its limit, and I cannot surpass it. But you, you carry the hope we see.”

Farkonia stood up once more and bowed deeply to the girl.

“Please, I don’t care what happens to me, but the children deserve a brighter future. They shouldn’t be trapped in this abyss forever. I want them to see the sun.”

Though the black demons, dragons, and other creatures here seemed to live stable lives, the fact remained—they were confined to this abyss.

Farkonia, who had once seen the world beyond, knew it well. Despite the cruelty and darkness that also lurked there, the world above was still beautiful, and she wished for them to witness it.

“...I’ll try.”

The girl didn’t fully grasp the beauty of the world. She was devoid of emotions, her sole purpose being revenge. The cruelty she had endured was all she remembered. Her current appearance as an ordinary girl was only because she had yet to find a clear path to her vengeance.

However, if breaking the seal wouldn’t hinder her revenge, she could help. Besides, it was a task she needed to complete on her journey to vengeance.

“Thank you… For this, I will aid you. First, let’s get you back on your feet. I’ll prepare some medicine to help your body recover.”

“No need. My body is strong enough. I can use healing magic.”

“Eh?”

Farkonia looked puzzled, and if not for her gentle, sisterly aura, her expression might have overlapped with that of Haru, the little dim-witted cat.

“...You can’t use healing magic, can you?”

“…”

Farkonia lowered her head, a look of shame crossing her face.

The truth was, she only knew how to fight. Healing magic was beyond her comprehension—it made her head spin just thinking about it. To compensate, she learned to brew medicinal concoctions, but they were no substitute for true healing, only aiding in the body’s recovery, like a mild remedy compared to a full cure, far inferior to healing magic.

“...Just something to restore my magic. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Ah, that I can do. Wait here!”

Perhaps to cover her embarrassment or to quickly heal the girl, Farkonia hurried into the kitchen, gathering ingredients to brew the medicine.