She Stands Atop the Distant Mountains

When people hear the name of the small city of Aspino, they often think of its fertile land, its golden granaries everywhere, and the poor girl who performed what could only be called a miracle a few years ago.

Not a commoner, but a pauper.

There was no explanation for how Eliza, with no foundation whatsoever, could stand out among dozens of well-trained scions of noble families and become her attendant, except that a miracle had descended upon her.

Yes, the supreme ruler, whom people called the God of the Mortal World.

Amid the sighs of the crowd, only Cleya glimpsed Eliza's talent through three layers of illusion. Her usually indifferent voice delivered the first command of that year.

"Eliza, who has neither father nor mother, will come to my side."

From then on, Eliza was permitted to stay by her side and listen to her teachings, traveling through the world's many hardships and fortunes to grasp those truths.

Later, when people spoke of the new ruler who had overturned the world, they said:

Eliza came from Aspino.

Eliza destroyed Aspino with her own hands.

Those two sentences circled day and night in the ears of the fallen former ruler, like a curse.

The former ruler, who had always looked down on all living beings, was imprisoned in the palace she had built with her own hands. Her most beloved student had fashioned soft yet unbreakable chains from the silvery radiance of moonlight, leaving her unable to move and tormenting her mercilessly.

The new ruler who had brought all this about stood far away amid the ruins of her hometown, watching it all with cold eyes.

Anyone who dared to fathom the new ruler's eyes would find an immense desire buried deep within them. That twisted desire was like the chains binding the former ruler's hands and feet, and it threatened to consume the new ruler herself.

On the brink of annihilation, Eliza bestowed a formal kiss upon the mentor who had once taught her.

That alone was enough. They had plenty of time left to experience all the breathless gasps between their lips and the tears that would not stop flowing.

"Now, please me."

"Take it seriously. Focus, and give yourself to it completely. Just as you taught me."

Theme: Justice triumphs over evil.