The Cult of the End Revealed

Princess Ariya’s cool, clear declaration, “It is indeed true,” plunged into the hall of the Silver Mistletoe Estate like ice water into boiling oil, instantly erupting into an unimaginably violent reaction!

“What?!”

“Her Highness admitted it?!”

“Rachel Lockwood… did she truly report to Her Highness beforehand?”

“This… how is this possible? She isn’t…”

“But Her Highness said it herself!”

A tidal wave of immense astonishment, disbelief, and re-evaluation instantly engulfed Rachel.

She could distinctly feel countless gazes converging upon her, filled with scrutiny, suspicion, and even a hint of renewed assessment.

Vera, behind her, was so agitated she seemed poised to leap, her small face flushed crimson as she clutched Rachel’s sleeve, silently conveying her profound surprise and adoration.

Yuri Harth, however, appeared utterly drained of strength, her face ashen, her body swaying as if she might collapse to the floor.

Her eyes were filled with extreme bewilderment, despair, and a sense of having been utterly duped.

“Impossible… this is impossible…”

Yuri mumbled to herself in a daze, utterly unable to comprehend what was unfolding before her.

‘How could Her Royal Highness acknowledge Rachel’s obvious lie?!’

But Princess Ariya seemed oblivious to Yuri’s collapse.

Her icy blue eyes swept across the guests, who had fallen into a momentary chaos of shock, and that invisible aura of authority once again permeated the air, swiftly quieting the clamor.

She raised her hand slightly, her posture elegant and brimming with control.

“Esteemed guests.”

The princess’s clear, cool voice rang out, carrying an undeniable majesty.

“Baroness Lockwood’s loyalty and vigilance are commendable and worthy of praise.

Her report, moreover, precisely corroborates the concerns and investigations I have long pursued.”

Her gaze instantly sharpened, like a drawn sword pointing directly at an unseen enemy.

“This banquet is not merely for celebration.

Its true purpose is, at this very moment, to reveal to all of you a cancerous growth hidden in the shadows of the Empire, one that is brewing immense catastrophe!”

Ariya’s voice abruptly rose, imbued with a profound sense of mission.

“That is—the Cult of the End!”

“The Cult of the End?!”

“What is that?”

“I think I’ve heard of it somewhere…”

“The so-called Cult of the End is a malevolent organization concealed in the Empire’s dark underbelly.”

As if in response to these bewildered questions, Ariya declared in a clear voice.

“They have existed for a millennium.

Throughout these countless centuries, they have lurked in damp, shadowed corners, masquerading as loyal subjects of the Empire to perpetuate their existence.”

“And the object of worship for these wicked individuals is none other than Solax, the Demon Dragon of the End!”

Solax, the Demon Dragon of the End?!

A collective gasp echoed through the hall, and many older nobles’ faces were etched with terror.

Solax, the Demon Dragon of the End, king of the dragon race, was a terrifying entity that single-handedly unleashed the catastrophic Dragon Scourge a thousand years ago.

At that time, it nearly annihilated half the continent before finally being repelled by the Empire’s first emperor, Saint King Aries, after which it and the dragon race vanished from the continent.

Though a vast expanse of time had passed, the terror of Solax still lived on in various legends, remaining the nightmare of Imperial children to this day.

“Indeed.”

Princess Ariya’s voice was resolute, carrying the solemnity of revealing a profound truth.

“This wicked organization, like vipers in a gutter, has lain dormant for the past thousand years.

But now, all signs indicate that they have reawakened and are stirring into action!

This may signify that the shadow of the Demon Dragon Solax is poised to once again engulf the lands of the Empire!”

These highly inflammatory words instantly ignited the fear within everyone present, and an unsettling silence permeated the hall.

“Fortunately, thanks to the Empire’s brave warriors, I was able to detect traces of the Cult’s activities and have been secretly investigating.”

Princess Ariya’s voice was firm and powerful, instantly quelling much of the unease.

“And the crucial clue provided by Baroness Lockwood this time, regarding her discovery at the Gray Mountain Mine, ultimately confirmed to me the blasphemous and heinous crimes the Cult of the End has been secretly committing!”

Her gaze, cold as ice, swept over every startled face.

“They, those madmen! Are conducting forbidden experiments to forcibly transform humans into dragon-kin!” Ariya’s voice was filled with anger and condemnation.

“They dare to twist loyal subjects of the Empire into monstrous abominations!

This is a desecration of life, the most malicious curse upon the Empire!”

“Heavens!!”

“Transformed into… dragon-kin?!”

“Those missing commoners… could it be…”

Fear and anger instantly replaced unease, spreading through the hall.

The nobles murmured amongst themselves, their faces etched with shock.

“Faced with such a threat, the Empire absolutely cannot stand idly by!”

Princess Ariya’s voice resonated like a war drum, striking at every heart.

“I have already dispatched people to ascertain the location of the Cult’s stronghold, a place already steeped in evil, a land where heresy runs rampant!”

“Esteemed guests, this is no jest; it is the signal for war to begin!”

Ariya’s voice soared, much like a general delivering an impassioned speech before battle.

“In the name of the Empire’s Third Princess, of the Loganis bloodline, I, Ariya Loganis, hereby swear!”

“I shall stand on the front lines against the Cult of the End!

Rallying all forces, I will pursue them relentlessly, vowing to utterly eradicate this cancerous growth from the Empire’s very body!

To defend our homeland, to protect the Empire’s subjects!”

“Eradicate the Cult!”

“Defend the Empire!”

“Long live Her Royal Highness the Princess!”

After a brief silence, a mighty cheer erupted like a tsunami!

Many nobles, especially the hot-blooded youths and those deeply terrified by the legends, excitedly waved their arms, shouting Ariya’s name.

In this moment, Ariya had seemingly transformed into the legendary hero who had quelled the Dragon Scourge, as if Saint King Aries, the hero who ended the Dragon Scourge, had possessed her, shining as the Empire’s beacon of hope against ancient evil.

Rachel stood at the edge of the cheering wave, like a silent reef in the eye of a storm, quietly observing Princess Ariya’s performance.

The countless gazes that had briefly focused on her when Ariya mentioned her name had made her profoundly uncomfortable, as though she had been stripped bare and placed under a spotlight.

She could only lower her head slightly, her lips pressed tightly together, forcing herself to remain calm, maintaining an almost rigid composure on her face.

Fortunately, that intense scrutiny lasted only a moment; after all, for this play, Ariya was the undisputed protagonist.

However…

Rachel lowered her head, lost in thought.

While it appeared that the Cult had now become a pawn for Princess Ariya to enhance her prestige and win over the populace, and even Rachel, who had discerned Ariya’s plan, had been compelled to cooperate, it seemed Ariya had successfully manipulated everyone.

Yet, the question remained: would the Cult of the End, a mysterious organization that had persisted for a millennium, truly allow itself to be so easily used?

The most glaring anomaly was that, according to the notes, the Cult seemed to have long mastered the technique of transforming humans into dragon-kin, yet they still feigned cooperation with the princess’s people in conducting experiments at the Gray Mountain Mine.

Despite having evacuated the mine long ago, the self-destruct device they set was only triggered when Rachel and her companions arrived.

Rather than destroying evidence, it seemed they were waiting for someone to arrive at the mine and discover the anomaly there.

Perhaps, just as Ariya was using the Cult, the Cult might also be using Ariya at this very moment…

Regardless, none of these matters concerned her.

Rachel shook her head, casting away the tangled thoughts in her mind.

As long as she wasn’t dragged into it again, she didn’t care how they fought or how many people died.

After all, for Rachel, simply being able to live a life of comfortable idleness was happiness enough.

Meanwhile, in certain corners of the crowd, several powerful, somber-faced elder nobles exchanged meaningful glances.

They keenly caught the implicit messages in Ariya’s words:

‘Rallying forces’—this meant Ariya would legitimately mobilize some of the military power that originally belonged to the Emperor.

‘Pursue them relentlessly’—the key regions she named where Cult activities were ‘rampant’ were precisely the territories of those powerful Grand Dukes who opposed or were ambivalent about her succession to the throne!

“A well-played ‘kill with a borrowed knife’…”

A middle-aged man with temples streaked with gray raised his wine glass, concealing a cold sneer at the corner of his lips.

“Eradicating the Cult is a pretense; seizing the opportunity to purge dissenters and consolidate military power is the true aim, isn’t it?”

“A feigned attack, striking two targets with one arrow… The Third Princess indeed possesses remarkable cunning.”

Another sharp-eyed elder murmured with a sigh.

However, these private discussions were quickly drowned out by the surrounding cheers; after all, no one would be foolish enough to openly question Princess Ariya at such a moment.

Princess Ariya was clearly pleased with the crowd’s reaction.

She raised her hand slightly, signaling for the cheers to subside.

When the hall quieted once more, her gaze turned to Yuri Harth, who stood in a corner, utterly distraught, like a stray dog.

“As for Miss Harth…”

Ariya’s voice reverted to its aloof, superior tone.

“Your concern for the Empire’s safety is commendable.”

“Eh?!”

Yuri abruptly looked up, a glimmer of humble hope instantly igniting in her eyes.

“However.”

Ariya’s tone shifted, carrying an undeniable air of judgment.

“Your actions were overly reckless and impulsive.

Without thorough investigation, you rashly accused a noble in public, nearly causing unnecessary panic and injustice.

Such conduct cannot go unpunished.”

The hope in Yuri’s eyes instantly extinguished, leaving only fear.

“Nevertheless… considering your initial intentions were honorable, and no substantial harm was caused,”

Princess Ariya, who had been stern moments before, instantly softened.

“I command you to immediately return to the Harth Estate and reflect in seclusion for three months!

Reflect deeply on the mistakes you made today, and learn the meaning of prudence and responsibility!

I hope you will take this as a warning.”

Three months of secluded reflection?

This punishment, for the grave offense of publicly slandering a noble (even if unsuccessfully), was as light as a feather’s touch!

A suppressed murmur once again rippled through the hall, and many eyes showed confusion and a hint of dissatisfaction.

‘This is… far too biased, isn’t it?’

However, more voices quickly chimed in:

“Her Highness is magnanimous!”

“Indeed, Miss Yuri also cares deeply for the Empire…”

“Truly, Her Benevolent Highness Ariya!”

Princess Ariya seemed entirely unfazed by the faint dissent.

She nodded slightly, no longer looking at Yuri, whose face was ashen as she was hastily escorted away by a house servant, as if she had simply disposed of a trivial piece of rubbish.

“Now then,” Princess Ariya’s gaze once again swept across the entire hall, her face radiating a controlling, almost divine glow, “May the light of the Empire dispel the darkness of the End!

May all of you walk with me!”

She raised the crystal goblet in her hand.

“For the Empire! For victory!” someone immediately shouted in response.

“For Her Royal Highness the Princess!” A louder wave of sound followed.

“Cheers!”

Ariya’s voice was like the final pronouncement.

“Cheers!!!”

Deafening cheers, the clinking of glasses, and praises for Princess Ariya’s achievements and virtues… instantly engulfed the Silver Mistletoe Estate.

The banquet’s atmosphere was propelled to an unprecedented climax.