Chương 13: Conviction

Once again, I found myself within that familiar void during the process of evolution. Last time, I was greeted by a beautiful blue bird. This time, however, perched before me was an owl. It looked remarkably similar to the owl I had killed before, possessing the same brown feathers and large eyes, though these regarded me with the same infuriating calm I remembered all too well. Despite the change in form, I recognized this entity as the very same Creature I had spoken to during my previous evolution.

There was no logical explanation for such certainty, nor did I particularly require one. I simply knew. The owl inclined its head slightly as it spoke.

"Welcome back, Empress."

"Creature, why have you changed your appearance?" I asked.

"The form I take changes from time to time, Empress. It is simply in my nature."

"Is being a nuisance also in your nature?"

"Only if you consider me as such." Bah, it was almost infuriating how calm the Creature was. By this point, however, I knew better than to expect anything else from it.

"What message do you have for me this time, Creature? I have already made my decision regarding which evolution I want."

"This place exists for more than the delivery of messages, Empress. It is also a place where questions may be asked."

"You say that, but there is little point in asking questions if you are either unable or unwilling to answer them." The Creature tilted its head by the smallest degree.

"Indeed, there are many answers that are simply beyond my authority to provide. However, there are some questions that I do have the authority to answer."

"Then answer me this, Creature. Which gods, precisely, have chosen me to be their champion?"

"I cannot answer that question, Empress." If I could still sigh, this was the time I'd do it.

"You see, this is precisely why I detest asking you questions. For all your claims of being some divine messenger, it has become abundantly clear to me that you function only in one direction. What possible purpose is there in speaking with me if you are incapable of answering the vast majority of my questions? You appear, deliver vague statements, refuse to elaborate, and then expect me to be grateful for the privilege."

"I could show you the circumstances—""Yes, yes, and while I admittedly wish to know more about that matter, our previous encounter has already demonstrated how little value such revelations truly possess. You showed me fragments of the past that are only enough to burden me with even more questions. I require answers, Creature, real answers. If you are incapable of providing them, then I fail to see any meaningful reason for these conversations to continue." The Creature simply stared at me in silence.

Nothing about its expression changed, though I supposed that expecting an owl to display visible emotions might have been asking a lot. Even so, I could not shake the impression that my words had affected it in some small way. There was perhaps a tiny, exceedingly insignificant part of me that wondered if I had been somewhat harsh. Only a very tiny part of course. Because deep down, I knew that I was not wrong, rarely was that ever the case. After a long silence, the Creature finally spoke once more.

"There is only so much that I am permitted to say, and I hope you do not misunderstand my intentions. I am merely a messenger and cannot disobey the gods."

"Then why all this secrecy? What possible purpose does it serve? It is not as though I could reveal any of this to others even if I wanted to."

"Because the gods are afraid, Empress."

"Afraid? Afraid of whom?"

"The High Pantheon, or in other words, the Elven Gods." At those words, several pieces fell into place in my mind. Though the Creature had refused to tell me which gods had chosen to support me, it had notably said nothing regarding those gods who had not. I was not surprised that the Elven Gods were absent from the list of my supposed patrons. After my encounter with that elf, I would have considered such a possibility almost more shocking than the alternative.

More troubling, however, was the Creature's vagueness. The more carefully I considered its words, the more I began to suspect that the beings supporting me might not resemble the benevolent deities depicted in temple murals and children's stories. Throughout my previous life, I had learned that gods were a diverse group of entities. There existed countless gods and powers that civilized society preferred not to acknowledge openly.

Dark gods, forgotten gods, even some ancient entities whose names could not be spoken out loud. Many of those powers were regarded with fear and revulsion, though personally I had always found such reactions somewhat amusing. Power was power, regardless of how one acquired it. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Far be it from me to reject an advantageous arrangement simply because others found my potential benefactors unsettling.

In fact, knowing myself, I would have accepted such a bargain if necessary, provided the terms proved satisfactory. Since the Creature seemed considerably more willing to discuss the elves than my mysterious patrons, I decided to shift the conversation.

"Assuming I choose to believe you, and assuming these gods supporting me are also fearful of the Elven Gods, then just how powerful have the elves become?"

"Very powerful, Empress. There are few places remaining in the world that have escaped the rule and influence of the Elven Empire."

"I see, and I suppose that means my own Empire did not survive."

"Not quite, while it is true that your Empire, as you knew it, no longer exists, many aspects of it still endure to this day. It is possible that in the distant future, you may reclaim portions of what was once yours." Based upon that answer, it seemed I had been reborn a considerable time after my death, likely several decades at least, perhaps centuries. An empire as vast as my own would not have collapsed overnight.

Likewise, I found it difficult to believe that the elves had managed to extend their influence across nearly the entire world within only a handful of years. Such an undertaking would have required an immense amount of time by human standards. Decades, perhaps centuries. Admittedly, from an elven perspective, that was likely not too long. But no matter what, I had every intention of reclaiming what rightfully belonged to me. There was, however, one obvious complication.

"How exactly am I expected to restore my Empire in this life? As ambitious as I may be, I find it difficult to imagine emperors and kings kneeling before a butterfly. Unless I somehow regain a humanoid form in the future, I suspect my ambitions may be hindered." The Creature inclined its head.

"Your progress will not end with becoming a butterfly, Empress. This much I am permitted to tell you, your potential is far greater than you currently imagine. And before you ask your next question... yes. You will eventually be capable of assuming a humanoid form." I could not deny the satisfaction those words brought me. At long last, the Creature had seen fit to provide a clear answer. And with any luck, perhaps I might even regain some semblance of my original appearance. Oh, how I had missed my face.

My beautiful, glorious, majestic, and unquestionably elegant face. There had been few pleasures in life more satisfying than gazing into a mirror and being reminded of the fact that perfection truly did exist.

"Thank you, Creature. You have finally answered one of my questions in a manner that was genuinely useful."

"I do what I can, Empress. Now, would you like to witness additional glimpses regarding the circumstances surrounding your death?"

"That is something I'd like to see, yes. However, may I make a request this time?"

"I will try my best to accommodate you, Empress, what request would you make?"

"If the gods remain unwilling to reveal the true circumstances surrounding my death, then I would like to at least see the events that followed it. Show me my funeral, because I wish to know who remained loyal to me even after my death, and more importantly, who did not."

"Understood, do you truly wish to see your... funeral?" The slight emphasis that the Creature placed upon the final word did not escape my notice. I could tell that my "funeral" probably wasn't very pleasant, if I even received one at all. But even so, that did not stop my curiosity in the slightest.

"Yes, I'd still like to know." Whatever additional implication the Creature intended, I cared little for it. Whether my funeral had been grand or disgraceful, whether my body had been honored or desecrated, it mattered not. All I needed and wanted was the truth, because I planned on remembering every single person who dared to rejoice in my demise.

"This request is permissible." The Creature finally said. After the Creature spoke, the vision finally arrived. I saw my corpse laid upon a massive pyre while flames consumed the woman who had once ruled an empire. Unlike the great rulers of ages past, I had not been granted the magnificent funeral I had once imagined for myself. There were no grand monuments erected to immortalize my achievements. Instead, I had been given the fate reserved for traitors and criminals, my body reduced to ash.

The irony of it was almost laughable, though my disgust quickly overwhelmed any amusement I might have found in it. I wondered if maybe the peasantry had risen up, seized my remains, and sought to dishonor me in death. That idea disappeared almost immediately as my gaze swept across the crowd. I recognized many of the faces present, and my anger only deepened. Among the crowd were the heads of some of the most prestigious families in the empire.

All of them were accompanied by their retainers and attendants, and all dressed in fine colorful garments wholly unsuited for an occasion that should have been one of mourning. No common rabble had orchestrated this. No, this had been arranged by the very people who had once knelt before my throne, sworn oaths of loyalty, and called me their Empress.

And as I looked upon them, I could not help but feel as though I were witnessing vultures surrounding the corpse of a fallen beast, patiently waiting for the fire to finish its work so that they might divide the remains of my Empire among themselves. Perhaps the current dominance of the elves was supported, at least in part, by some of these fools gathered at the burning of my corpse.

Quite frankly, I'd be very surprised if not a single one of them collaborated with the elves, especially if they deemed the reward to be sufficient. And as the vision continued, another realization struck me. This was not some public ceremony, because I recognized the surroundings. The many snow-covered pines and the frozen lake in the distance only confirmed my suspicion that this was the courtyard of my Winter Palace.

I had personally commissioned its construction many years ago, choosing its location precisely because of its beauty and isolation from the rest of the Empire. It had always been one of my favored residences, and that likely meant that the nobility had purposefully brought my body here. The Winter Palace was far away from the capital, and far away from the people. My enemies had wanted to dispose of me quietly.

Combined with what I had seen during the previous vision, I came to increasingly believe that my death had not been natural. Most likely, I had been betrayed by someone who was close to me. As I watched the faces gathered around my burning corpse, fury slowly began to rise within me. Because while many of the nobles hid their expressions or looked solemn, there were also those… Those arrogant bastards who could not conceal their satisfaction.

I made many enemies during my reign, and perhaps I had simply grown complacent. Perhaps I had believed myself too powerful or too untouchable for anyone to dare move against me, despite the reality that I was not all powerful. So, I promised myself that I would not make the same mistake in this new life of mine.