356 – Afterword: The Blue Rose of House Redburn

The process of accepting death, they say, unfolds in five stages.

Denial.

“I am not ‘The Blue Rose.’ I… My Unique Ability is swapping locations, and I merely exchanged places with the ‘Blue Rose’ who was in the capital at the time.”

Anger.

“Kill the mad sorcerer. Find out, swiftly, where this… this son of a b*tch is. What? He’s at the Imperial Palace?”

Bargaining.

“If you erase the memories of everyone who remembers my magical girl transformation, I will cease my vengeance. Don’t tell me it’s impossible. Or you will die… Write that down and send it.”

Depression.

“Was there truly a reason to usurp the title of Duke, even to this extent…? Even if love and peace are achieved in the territory, if my suffering precedes it, is it truly a worthwhile endeavor?”

And Acceptance.

One day, after a very long night had passed. A young man bathed in the gleaming sunlight, having unloaded the burden from his heart. A breeze that blew from afar gifted him a fragment of understanding.

“Alright, then make fun of me, you b*stards. Isn’t it alright for a man to become a woman, just a little bit?”

Roderus Redburn had come to accept and embrace his social death….

Yes, there is nothing strange about this. What’s the big deal about changing gender? The chromosomes change a little, the skeleton changes a little, and that’s all there is to it. The human inside, Roderus, never changes.

It’s not much different from changing one’s hairstyle. Is that a strange thing? No. Not strange at all.

“So don’t look at me like that, Envers.”

Before I kill you.

“…Ahem, ahem.”

Envers Redburn quickly averted his gaze.

But how can one’s heart be controlled so easily? Envers still found his mind swarming with all sorts of thoughts whenever he saw his elder brother. Especially after he discovered the truth about the women’s clothing that filled the closet.

It wasn’t that his brother was a playboy with a closet full of women’s clothes, but that…

He had bought them himself, to coordinate and wear so prettily!

Should this be called cross-dressing as a hobby? Or is it something different, since he actually became a woman…?

Awkward and unsure how to speak, Envers still finds it difficult to treat his elder brother as usual.

This is the Redburn estate, within the Duke’s office. Duke Roderus Redburn was seated at his desk, processing documents, while Knights Commander Envers Redburn stood guard nearby.

The two brothers had finally attained the positions where they belonged.

While hardly a proper estate, the Duke’s manor felt scant of servants and somewhat empty, yet soon, it would be filled. For the domain was, in this very moment, slowly improving.

What had transpired in the interim, that Roderus had finally embraced his *TS*? To explain this, one needed to examine what measures had been taken within the Redburn domain.

The brother who’d seized power first radically normalized the Redburn territory.

First, the manor itself was cleansed.

“Out, with you.”

“This…this cannot be! How much have we dedicated ourselves to Redburn…?!”

“Are you so shameless as to even say such a thing? It is *because* you dedicated yourselves to Maximus Redburn that you are being driven out. Consider it fortunate that you depart with your heads still attached. For I still recall your insults.”

“Guh…”

Most of the existing retainers were replaced, those who had closely aided the previous Duke’s misdeeds were hung, and businesses dealing in narcotics or usurious loans were shut down.

Of course, there was resistance. Perhaps even violent conflict.

But against the weak, Envers’s Emperor Sword Style exerted overwhelming suppressive force, and Roderus’s mana hardening, capable of sniping mages who might create variables, was unmatched.

And, should they face a strongman they couldn’t fully subdue with the Emperor Sword Style…

“Ugh, brother! He’s trying to break free! At this rate, the common folk who know no martial arts will get caught up in the fight!”

“…Damn it, *Transformation*!”

*Bee-boop-bee-boop♪*

“The Lord has transformed! The Lord is transforming to defeat the villains of the domain, once again!”

“Don’t lose, *Pure Knight*! You can’t be defeated by those nasty villains!”

“Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a magical girl like the Lord!”

Fueled by the suspiciously enthusiastic cheers of the domain’s inhabitants, Roderus’s mana surged, allowing him to wield nearly twice the power he usually could within the domain’s borders.

Perhaps, once the domain was stabilized and Roderus gained popularity, that augmentation would increase further. According to the mad mage’s official statement, it could reach up to five times the original value.

“Like this, damn it, I can’t *not* use it…”

Ignoring Roderus’s pain and anguish, it could not be denied that this was a good thing. Without having to conduct complex surveys or monitor the citizens’ movements, one could check public sentiment with a simple transformation flick.

“I am Pure Knight! Receive this, Magic Wand!”

“I want to be a magical girl too! I played the monster role yesterday!”

“Moong.”

The children of the domain were exceedingly fond of magical girls. And the children’s affection naturally extended to their parents. An unintended bonus, as it were.

“…Anyone caught playing magical girl will be sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. I shouldn’t add such a law, should I?”

Despite such bonuses, it was not as if there were no sinister attempts to curb the burgeoning magical girl culture.

“I understand your feelings, brother, but that’s far too draconian a law. Besides, if you implement that law…”

“Mommy-Daddy, is Hayangi going to jail? Hayangi played magical girl with Charles and Bishop, moong.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

It was difficult to dissuade him, considering.

The gains were mountainous, the losses nearly nonexistent. In the end, Roderus could only grit his teeth and accept the situation.

Either way, things were working out well.

He’d expected more obstacles, but someone seemed to be discreetly clearing the path ahead, guiding him in a favorable direction.

“⋯⋯Was it you, you crazy wizard?”

Roderus asked, gazing up at the empty sky. But there was no reply. Only a single crow’s feather fluttered down.

Back to the present.

Roderus, wrestling with paperwork, slammed his hands on the desk and rose from his seat as a letter landed before him. It was from Kim Ruru.

“⋯⋯Where are you off to, brother?”

“To welcome the Duchess. An introductory meeting, you see. Yes, now that the territory is stabilized, I must establish a family. To secure the bloodline, at least.”

Enbers, a sense of foreboding creeping in, inquired,

“And the affairs of the territory⋯⋯?”

“My right-hand man shall handle them.”

“Brother, brother?!”

“『Transformation』, 『Magic Rope』.”

*Whirr*.

Magical Girl Pure Knight vanished from the office in an instant. With nothing left to lose, Roderus… was strong. In several senses.

“Brother, how could you⋯⋯.”

And so, Enbers was suddenly stuck with all the leftover tasks.

—

A café in Crown Hall, the Imperial capital.

Under the name 『Blue Rose』, she had masked her face with dark sunglasses, a newsboy cap, and a mask, meeting Kim Ruru. Today’s fashion: a cool celebrity vibe, disguising her identity.

Kim Ruru, dressed in loose-fitting, oversized clothes, fluttered her long sleeves that covered even her palms, and spoke.

“So, Daesu, are the affairs of the territory all settled?”

“Yes. The immediate fires are out⋯⋯ I’m ready to bring you here. I could hold the wedding immediately, just need the bride.”

“⋯⋯Ehehe. Aww, geez. How can you suddenly say something like that? It’s embarrassing~!”

“Don’t giggle like that, Kim Ruru. That expression, I don’t want you showing it to anyone else.”

*Flap flap flap*.

Kim Ruru blushed, flapping her hands. Even a nearby butterfly fluttered its wings strangely fast. Seemingly hit by the force of love’s tempest.

O Dae-su hammered a wedge into the situation.

“Let’s go together, Kim Lulu. I’ll let you live as a Duchess, without lifting a finger.”

“Eek-!”

Kim Lulu covered her face with both hands and stamped her feet. Then, she cautiously parted her fingers, peering at O Dae-su through the gap.

“About that part, Dae-su… Ronald said that resigning from the position of Capital Knight Commander isn’t something you can just do. It’s all legally, you know… tangled up like that…”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“There’s a way to resolve it, but he wants to have a conversation first. Ronald told me to bring you, Dae-su. What do you think? Should I just smack Ronald upside the head and follow you, Dae-su?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

The laws of the Empire were sacrosanct. Even if he was inheriting a Duchy, and could contact the next Emperor through a mad magician, it wouldn’t look good if the new Duke started breaking national law right away.

If things went south, he’d find some way to take Lulu, but he could at least listen to what they had to say.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

O Dae-su firmly grasped Kim Lulu’s hand and headed towards the Capital Knight Headquarters.

—

“Sob… sob…”

The knight in charge of screaming emitted a human-siren sound with a voice dripping with sorrow. The eruption of his tear ducts signaled the arrival of『Azure Rose』.

The reporting knight immediately checked the external situation and raised his voice.

“『Azure Rose』 and the Capital Knight Commander are visiting the Headquarters lobby!”

“They’ve come. Our nemesis…!!”

A long game of tag flashed through their minds.

*Zhee-ee-ing.*

The automatic doors slid open, revealing O Dae-su and Kim Lulu. They were holding hands, fingers intertwined as if determined not to be separated, emanating a pinkish aura that was palpable.

The Headquarters, significantly modernized through collaboration with the Golden Tower’s magician Gordius, now included several new amenities that hadn’t existed before.

Automatic doors, sirens, coffee pots, and the like.

The screaming knight’s melancholy stemmed not only from the exposure of the magical girl’s identity but also from a growing sense of job insecurity.

Ronald, the Section Chief of Capital Knight Team 3, raised a steaming paper cup.

“『Azure Rose』, would you care for a cup of coffee!”

“⋯⋯This place is increasingly turning into some kind of Earth Defense Headquarters. I’m fine. Lulu doesn’t need one either. Anyway, I heard you wanted to say something to me. What is it?”

“Straight to the point, huh… Fine by me! First, listen to my scenario!”

Ronald stroked his mustache and placed an egg on the table. It was just an ordinary egg, painted with cheap gold dye, its shell merely stained yellow.

“This is the 『Golden Egg』. A precious artifact, passed down through the Knights Templar for generations, holding immeasurable worth. And the 『Azure Rose』 has stolen this treasure, fleeing to Redburn territory.”

“…………?”

“Therefore, in order to recover the treasure, the Knights Templar is dispatching its Commander to Redburn territory indefinitely. To apprehend the 『Azure Rose』 and retrieve the 『Golden Egg』…!!”

“…………!!”

This was giving Kim Lulu a legitimate reason to live in Redburn territory. Oh Dae-su fixed Ronald with a piercing stare.

“What’s the game?”

“Of course, nothing comes for free, 『Azure Rose』!”

Ronald placed his hands on his hips, assuming a solemn posture, and spoke.

“We know you are more than just a vigilante! Though you have been enforcing justice privately, breaking the law in the process, we know that your foundation is compassion for the weak! We saw your fight against Maximus, the depraved former Duke of Redburn, as well!”

“…………”

“Therefore, there are no regrets! Only the lingering disappointment that a fair fight was never achieved, 『Azure Rose』! Until now, you have frequently evaded us, thanks to the treachery of our own Knights Templar Commander!”

The Knights Templar’s confrontations with the Azure Rose had continued for dozens of attempts, all ending in defeat. But that was… because information was being leaked, not because the Knights Templar was incompetent!

Or so, they claimed.

How frustrating it must have been! The citizens expressed concern over the Knights Templar’s repeated failures to capture her. How could they protect the peace of the capital if they couldn’t even catch a single vigilante?

That humiliation, that disgrace!

One by one, the members of the Knights Templar raised their voices.

“In truth, we almost apprehended you many times, 『Azure Rose』! Do you remember the chase under the crimson roof!”

“Hmph, I could have escaped even without Kim Lulu’s help then. Your encirclement was riddled with holes.”

“『Azure Rose』! When our team disguised ourselves as pâtissiers, you didn’t realize it until halfway through! You would have been caught that time if the Commander hadn’t caused a commotion!”

“That… no, was that you guys? I was really bummed when you suddenly closed shop, hmph. Even then, I had a means of escape.”

Therefore, they desired only one thing. Retribution.

“We desire a fair and square match! 『Azure Rose』, by capturing you, we will prove to the heavens that the Knights Templar never lets criminals escape!”

“…Fine. I was hoping for it too. Lulu, don’t interfere. This is a battle between men.”

“Ah, okay…!”

Burning. The eyes of two fiercely proud geniuses clashed in the air.

“The commencement will be when the full moon hangs at its zenith! 『Azure Rose』, if you are captured, you must use your own lips to restore the Knights Templar’s honor!”

“I’ll just reconfirm your incompetence. And I’ll take my bride and disappear into the moonlit night. Well, don’t be too disappointed. It’s no shame to be defeated by the strong.”

And so, set against the stage of the moonlit night, the Knights Templar and the 『Azure Rose』 would wage their final, dramatic showdown.

The citizens of Crown Hall, unable to sleep that night, clearly witnessed the Knights Templar scurrying about and the magical girl soaring through the sky, ribbons twirling.

How that contest ended, no one knows. The members of the Knights Templar remained silent, and so did the 『Azure Rose』.

A certain enthusiast, consumed with curiosity about the outcome, approached a knight, plied him with drink, and coaxed him for half a day. The single sentence he managed to extract was this:

“After the fight… we became friends. We came to respect each other. So, the victory or defeat? It matters not.”

“Hmph…”

During a fierce chase, they had clashed inside a shabby inn called “Beer and Song.” As fate would have it, the inn was a disguised base for the Defense Bureau, and also Prince Irid’s office.

And the fact that they broke a pot Irid cherished, leading to a pact of silence taken to the grave…

Was buried beyond the reach of history.