September, Four Holy Era Year 630.
The capital of the Ludain Federation—Kyokutou’s neighbor across the sea—was swept up in a wave of feverish excitement.
The cause was the conquest of the Great Labyrinth of the East.
The ceremony held to commemorate the feat was both solemn and magnificent; the crowds filling the plaza were relentless in their cheering.
As the proceedings drew to an orderly close, Federal Chairman Gunnar took the stage to deliver the final address.
Standing atop the podium, he expressed his deepest respect for the five young explorers who had cleared a Great Labyrinth—humanity’s greatest challenge.
The ones who had achieved this legendary feat were mere boys and girls, each of whom had only just reached their fifteenth year and come of age.
The populace roared with applause at the dawn of a new legend.
Next, Gunnar turned his attention to the state of the world.
He proclaimed that the Ludain Federation, having conquered its own Great Labyrinth, must now provide support to the Nohitant Kingdom in the south and the Republic of Junoe in the north as they faced their own trials.
The conquest of the Great Labyrinths was a burden shared by all mankind, he preached, and nations had to set aside their borders to join forces.
But then, he raised his voice to a thunderous pitch.
"...Yet even now, a threat equal to the Great Labyrinths is sprouting right beside us!"
The people stirred with unease.
The chairman paused, letting the silence hang heavy before he made his grim announcement.
"Our neighbor, Kyokutou, has fallen... into the hands of the 'Demon King.'"
A cacophony of voices erupted across the plaza.
The common folk had heard rumors, of course. For days now, maritime routes between the Federation and Kyokutou had been strictly restricted. But hearing it from the mouth of the nation’s highest leader gave the news a terrifying weight of reality.
Their neighbor had been subjugated by a "Demon King." Many in the crowd took the news as a direct threat, their faces clouding with dread.
"According to our reports, the 'Demon King' Orun has unleashed inky monsters within Kyokutou and seized control of the nation by force. If that is the case, who will step forward to save our long-time ally? It is we—the Ludain Federation!"
The plaza responded to his call with a surging tide of cheers.
As the fervor reached a breaking point, the "Recapture of Kyokutou" was etched into the hearts of the citizens as a noble, undeniable cause.
In the following days, Gunnar’s speech provided the necessary momentum within the assembly as well.
Under the pretext of "rescuing a friendly nation," the Ludain Federation officially authorized a military expedition to Kyokutou.
—However, this "fact" was a reality twisted by pure malice.
Chairman Gunnar’s true identity was that of a demon serving the Evil God: the "Thunder Emperor," the Second Seat of the Cyclamen Cult.
Naturally, he knew the truth.
He knew that the one who had plunged Kyokutou into chaos was not "Demon King" Orun, but rather the First Seat of the Cyclamen Cult, Philly the "Guide."
Even so, he buried the truth. To align the interests of the Federation with his own as the demon Gunnar, he had transformed a fiction into a righteous crusade.