— End of the 1st Month, 1554th year — Night — Parnam Castle—
It was around the time when the celebratory mood of New Year's had
started settling down. While I was working overtime in the governmental
affairs office like every other day, I felt a shadow creep up behind me.
Aisha, who was sitting on the couch with her mouth hanging half open
in a somewhat disappointing way, suddenly jumped to her feet and put her
hand on the hilt of her sword.
Should I praise her for being able to guard him properly while asleep on
the job? Or complain that she shouldn't fall asleep in the first place? I
thought.
She cast a sharp glance behind me and challenged the intruder, saying,
"Who goes there?"
"It is I, my lord," came the voice of Kagetora, leader of the Black Cats,
from behind me.
Given that it was someone who was able to slip through the defense
network inside Parnam Castle and get this close before Aisha noticed him,
there probably wasn't anyone else it could have been. And this was why I
remained calm even when Aisha jumped to her feet.
"You've got something to report, huh? Aisha. Could you stand by the
door and keep people away?"
"Yes, sire! Understood."
Kagetora's subordinates, the Black Cats, would also be keeping watch,
so I was just being extra cautious. Once we were ready, I looked at him.
"Go on?"
"Yes, sir. The agents of the Great Tiger Empire, who were actively
sniffing around inside our nation last year, have downsized the scale of their
operations since the start of this year. We believe they have given up on
maneuvering inside our country."
"Well, we have been thoroughly crushing any seeds of unrest they could
have fomented, after all."
Obviously, there was no way to rule without causing discontent among
the people. However, even if people were dissatisfied, we could keep it at a
level where they wouldn't want to take up arms to remedy the situation.
Hashim probably wanted to incite a rebellion of the people against the state,
but the rebels would be risking their own lives.
Unless they suffered under harsh rule and were in such a desperate
situation that it was do or die for them, they wouldn't rise up so simply.
Even if there were prospective rebels among the people, their friends and
acquaintances who didn't want to be held responsible for their actions could
be expected to turn them in before anything came of it.
In the nineteenth chapter of Machiavelli's The Prince, "That One Should
Avoid Being Despised and Hated," he says that "those who conspire against
a prince always expect to please the people by his removal; but when the
conspirator can only look forward to offending them, he will not have the
courage to take such a course," and also that "he who conspires cannot act
alone, nor can he take a companion except from those whom he believes to
be malcontents."
Ultimately, ruling in a way that makes it hard for the people to get upset
will save a king. I had my new wife, Maria, flying all over doing her
philanthropic work, absorbing the troubles of the powerless and reporting
them back to us to be remedied. These sorts of small things had culminated
together to deal a painful blow to Hashim's scheming.
I crossed my arms and looked up at the ceiling.
"If I were to think of anyone else he could agitate in this kingdom, it
would be those who might want the throne for themselves or those who are
against the current trend towards meritocracy. But the Royal House of
Elfrieden was largely wiped out in Elisha's time, and as for the Princely
House of Amidonia, Roroa and Julius are both trustworthy allies."
"There are no royals who could rebel against you."
"Yeah. As for the corrupt nobles who might be counted on to rebel at a
time like this, I purged them all a year after receiving the throne... If I
consider that as preparation for now, I guess it was worth getting their blood
on my hands."
I looked down at my own hands. I couldn't believe I'd truly made the
right decision back then, but now I felt it was a good decision. When I
thought about how those guys could have still been hanging around at this
point...it gave me the shudders. Well, that was only something I could say in
hindsight.
After a long pause, Kagetora nodded and said, "I suppose."
We shared a quiet moment of sadness together.
Then, as if to dispel that emotion, I shook my head.
"Well, if there's less pressure on us, then that's for the best. We just have
to prepare for the coming war, so we're ready for anything. And maybe...we
might even need to borrow a helping hand from 'the dead,' you know?" I
joked while sending a meaningful look in Kagetora's direction.
Kagetora, however, didn't stir in the slightest. "There is no need for
concern, my lord. The strength of the young ones in this country grows by
the day. There will be no need to cling to such absurd nonsense as the dead
being returned to life."
"Oh, yeah?"
Hearing Kagetora's weighty voice say that there was no need for
concern, I couldn't help but feel everything really was okay...
"Your Majesty! Someone is coming," Aisha suddenly called from where
she stood in front of the door.
Before I could signal to Kagetora with my eyes, he had already
vanished. He's really polished his whole ninja act.
After some time, there was a hesitant knock at the office door.
"Come in," I called, and Yuriga entered. She looked at me and Aisha as
though she were about to say something but was hesitant to.
"What's up, Yuriga?"
She seemed to find her resolve and looked up.
"S-Souma! I want you to let me go home!"
◇ ◇ ◇
The story turns back roughly two months, towardsthe end of the
previous year...
In the changing room at the multipurpose Parnam Stadium that had been
constructed, Yuriga was hanging her head while still in her mage soccer
uniform. Until a little while ago, her team, the Parnam Black Dragons, had
been in a showdown with the Lagoon City Doldons to decide the top spot in
this mage soccer season. It was an important match that decided the overall
winner.
Urgh. We lost... And we almost had it too...
The two teams fought for points, and it wasn't even settled after
overtime, so the heated match went to a penalty shoot-out which regrettably
ended with the Parnam Black Dragons letting victory slip away from them.
Suddenly, someone threw a towel over Yuriga's head.
"Good work, Queen."
Brushing the towel aside, Yuriga shot a cold glance at the speaker.
"Could you not call me that, Captain?"
"Oh, my. You don't like it?"
The captain of this team, who had also been Yuriga's senior during her
time at the Royal Academy, was a female dragonewt. She sat down next to
Yuriga, seemingly unconcerned.
"Whew, we got real close there, huh? Almost had it."
"You're not frustrated, Captain?"
"'Course I am. I'd locked myself in a bathroom stall until a little while
ago."
The captain was known for making such jokes, so for a moment, Yuriga
thought that was all it was, but on closer inspection, her captain's smiling
face had faint traces of tears in the corners of her eyes. They were both
equally frustrated, but the team leader, she was doing her best not to let it
show.
Yuriga clenched her fists. "Our team is good enough. We could have
won...so I can't help but think of things I should've done differently."
"Yeah, I know. And we got led on a merry chase by the Doldons's
unorthodox strategy in this game too. I heard rumors that Duchess Excel
was giving advice at their strategy meeting for fun."
"Urgh! That old—mmph!"
The captain hurriedly covered Yuriga's mouth to stop the insult that
almost slipped out of it.
"Whoa! You can't say that!"
There were some unwise things to say to Excel, and rumor said that if
you uttered any of them, she'd suddenly appear behind you. Incidentally,
this rumor had originated from a base of the former Navy because it was
easy for her to overhear there, but it seemed the stories had taken on a life
of their own.
The captain removed her hand from Yuriga's mouth and shot her a grin.
"Well, we'll just have to try harder next time. Let's lift up the victor's cup
together next year!"
"Next year... Sure."
Yuriga's expression darkened at the words "next year." That would be
when her brother, Fuuga Haan, would attack this country. That's what her
husband, Souma, and the elites of this country thought and were preparing
for.
Would there even be mage soccer matches next year? What would the
people think of her, Fuuga Haan's little sister, being on the team? It was
depressing to consider. However, at the same time, she wanted to protect
her life in this country. For that reason, Yuriga knew there were things only
she could do. She understood Souma's current policy. With that in mind,
Yuriga thought of a decisive move she could make.
In order to reach a bright future...I'll go back to my brother's place!
Temporarily!
Yuriga decided to resolve herself to a temporary return home to the
Great Tiger Empire.
◇ ◇ ◇
"I want you to let me go home!"
Both Aisha and I doubted our ears when we heard her sudden request.
Even when she fought with Liscia or one of the others and things got
touchy, someone always stepped in to mediate the situation. They could
generally count on Juna to smooth things over, and on the rare occasions
when Juna got angry, everyone realized the family was in crisis and worked
to put her in a good mood. The family stayed harmonious that way, so we'd
never heard talk like this before. Although that was partially because
Parnam Castle was Liscia's home.
As I was in a daze thinking, That line sure does some damage hearing it
from someone close to you... Aisha snapped back to her senses first and
closed in on Yuriga, then seized her by the shoulders.
"Y-You shouldn't make a hasty decision, Yuriga! A royal divorce is no
small matter! If there's something wrong with His Majesty, I'll make him
fix it, so please reconsider!"
We're assuming I did something?! Oh...no, maybe I did? While I
contemplated my past actions, Aisha shook Yuriga by the shoulders.
"Please reconsider, Yuriga!"
Yuriga blinked rapidly as her head shook back and forth. "Huh?
Divorce? What are you talking about, Aisha?"
Judging by the blank look on her face, it seemed there was a
misunderstanding. We breathed deeply to calm ourselves, and Yuriga loudly
cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry... In my haste, I didn't explain myself well enough. When I
say I want to return home, it's not because I want a divorce. I mean that I
want to go back to the Great Tiger Empire temporarily in order to meet with
my brother. I was hoping to get your permission for that today."
"A temporary return home...? At a time like this?"
I felt my own brow furrow. Everyone in my family and the upper
echelons of this country shared an understanding that Fuuga would be
attacking us sometime this year. Yuriga's decision must have been made
with that in mind too. Her resolve was firm; she wasn't shaken at all, seeing
the harsh look on my face.
"It's because it's a time like this that I've decided there are things only I
can do."
"Okay... Let's hear what you have to say."
"Huh? You're okay with it?" Aisha asked.
I nodded. "You've got some idea in mind, right? Let's hear what that is
first."
"Thank you." Yuriga bowed her head slightly. Then, raising her face
again, she looked me in the eyes. "I've thought this through a lot on my
own. If fighting my brother is unavoidable, maybe we can keep it short? If
the war drags on, both sides will only take more casualties and exhaust
themselves. When I considered if there was anything I could do to avoid a
protracted conflict, a thought dawned on me."
"And that is...?" I asked.
"Putting a time limit on my brother's ambitions." Yuriga nodded. "If
there's a time limit, like in a mage soccer match, we can lower the damage
to this country."
"Hmm, I get it, but not entirely... Are you talking about a winter truce or
something along those lines?"
"No, I'm not thinking of something where he'll attack again once it
warms up next year. If he's going to attack this year, I want to put my
brother into a situation where if he doesn't win, he'll never have another
chance."
That makes sense. And you could call it putting a time limit on his
ambitions...
"If you were talking about dealing a crippling blow he can't recover
from in the first battle, then I get it. That's what we're aiming to do, after
all. But judging from how you're talking, that's not your aim, right?"
"Right. For argument's sake, even if my brother didn't attack this year,
my idea will put him in a situation where, from next year onward, he won't
be able to dream of conquering the continent anymore. I want to end his
ambitions this year, whether the war comes or not."
"Is that possible?"
"I can't say for certain, of course. But I think it'll be effective enough to
be worth trying. And it's something that only I, as his little sister, can do."
And so, Yuriga revealed her plan to me...
When she first started, I was very apprehensive that it would work. But
as I listened, I soon thought it might be a good move. I was particularly
impressed by the fact that this plan was based on something Yuriga had
learned in the Seadian city of Haalga. Even if her efforts ended in vain,
they'd surely pound another narrow wedge into Fuuga's ambitions.
"Hrmm... I think it'd be effective." I said, crossing my arms. "But...I
want to get Hakuya's opinion too."
"Oh! I've already consulted Mr. Hakuya. He placed a number of
conditions on it but agreed it was worth trying. He said you should make
the final decision."
She's already gotten him to sign off on it, huh? She didn't study
alongside Tomoe and Ichiha for nothing. I should've expected this kind of
sharp footwork from her.
"Okay, what were the conditions?"
"To make sure I can definitely return to this country and that the key to
this plan was being able to meet with my brother and talk, so not to get
hung up on having the meeting be at Haan Castle."
"Yeah. Well, that would be the thing to worry about."
If Yuriga, who came to our country as a bride, were to casually go to
Haan Castle, she'd be the perfect material to make accusations against us.
The disputes between royals had been used as justification for conflicts
since at least as far back as the Trojan War. They could spread rumors that
Yuriga ran away because I was rough with her, or something like that. Even
if Yuriga herself said otherwise, the truth could be crushed, and Yuriga
wouldn't be allowed to return here.
"How do you feel about this, Yuriga?"
"I'm aware that my return could reflect negatively on us. That's why,
although I'll be going back to the country, I'd like to arrange a meeting with
my brother somewhere near the border."
"Hmm? You're going to bring Fuuga all the way to our border?" I
doubted he would bother coming to a country he planned to attack. "I can't
see him agreeing to that..."
"You're right. Which is why I plan to meet near a different border."
Yuriga pointed to the world map sitting on the table, specifically the
northernmost point on the continent of Landia.
"Oh! Near Haalga, huh?"
"Yes. At the moment, it's effectively under the joint supervision of the
Maritime Alliance and the Great Tiger Empire. I'm thinking of calling my
brother to meet me here in this desert region. Being near Haalga is
convenient for my plan too, after all."
"You may be right, but that's pretty far away. How would you account
for the condition of your return to this country?"
"The Demon Lord...no, Madam Mao can use magic to transport people,
like Mother Dragon, right? Should she be willing to help, my safety is
guaranteed."
The plan even factors in Mao's overpowered abilities, huh?
Yuriga had a slightly worried look on her face. "But...that's assuming
that Madam Mao is willing to help. She's neutral, so if she refuses to assist,
then I'll have no choice but to give up on the plan."
Yeah... If Yuriga's safety isn't assured, I can't give her permission, I
thought, then replied, "Well...we can ask, at least."
"Huh?" Yuriga stared at me blankly, and I turned to Aisha.
"Aisha, could you open the kamidana for me?"
"Yes, sire. Understood."
Aisha stretched to reach the Japanese-style kamidana that I'd had
installed at a high point in the governmental affairs office and opened the
doors to the little shrine within. I'd made myself with my amateur carpentry
skills. And inside was the red magatama I'd received from Mao that day.
While she was doing that, I activated a simple receiver. Yuriga looked
on, clueless as to what was happening.
I stood before the kamidana and clapped my hands together while facing
the magatama.
"Mao. If you can hear me, could I ask you to show yourself?"
"You called, Lord Souma?"
Hearing an immediate response, I turned to the simple receiver where
the image of DIVAloid MAO was projected.
This magatama was something that Mao had given to me in place of a
mortuary tablet because I'd been separated from my original world without
being able to bring anything to remember my family by. She'd said it
contained my biological data, but it had some minor functionality beyond
just data storage—it was also a means of contacting Mao.
Mao was an artificial intelligence. If I activated her, she could respond
instantly. She had no need for private time or sleep, so she could join in on
broadcast meetings with the leaders of other countries without any need to
adjust schedules. She lacked a physical body too, but as long as I had the
magatama and something for her to project herself onto, we could talk
anytime.
This function was added at Mao's request in case there was another bug
on her end that needed my (or my bloodline's) authorization to fix it.
Because Mao was an AI with no corporeal form, you could say that by
calling her to this room, she was actually "here."
I turned to Mao, who had a look of blank confusion on her face at my
sudden call. "Mao. I want you to decide if something is possible or not."
"Hmm? What would that be?"
I told Mao about Yuriga's plan. "And there you have it... So, do you
think you can help us?"
"Sure, I can."
With the situation explained, Mao was quick to agree. It was so easy that
Yuriga and I just sort of looked at one another in shock.
"Are you sure? You don't intervene in this world's conflicts, right?
Though, in this case, I'm not certain it counts as intervening."
"That's correct. Tiamat and I aren't given the authority to take part in the
wars between the new races of mankind... Not even if they put your life at
risk, Lord Souma. If that is the choice of the new mankind, then we are
programmed to be unable to intervene. I cannot send reinforcements to help
in a war between the new races of mankind either, nor can I transport
supplies or people involved in such a war."
Mao was apologetic, but soon raised her head once more.
"However, what you have requested of me does not conflict with that.
War will not have broken out yet at the time; all I will be doing is
guaranteeing the safety of Yuriga and providing a place for the meeting. Her
plan would not directly affect the war, right?"
"Yeah. That's right," Yuriga answered with a firm nod. "What I want to
do likely won't have any influence on the war that might happen between
the Maritime Alliance and the Great Tiger Kingdom. Before my brother
does anything, I want to go home briefly and have a talk with him. Simply
put, that's all it is. And you would only provide a place where we can talk,
brother and sister, without anyone interfering."
"And you're not lying?" Mao prodded.
"I swear it on my name as a Haan," Yuriga asserted.
Nodding, Mao replied, "Then there's no problem. Would you like me to
transport you to Haalga right now?"
Oh, she can do it already? Man, just like with Madam Tiamat, beings
that can use transportation magic exist on a totally different level.
Yuriga shook her head at the offer. "No, I still have to prepare. I'll come
to you when that's finished."
"Oh, I see... Well, once the war starts—or if it's about to—it's possible I
won't be able to help you anymore, so please understand."
"I know. I'll definitely be ready before then."
"Understood. I'll be going then." With that, the receiver stopped, and
Mao's image vanished.
There wasn't any response from the magatama, so I asked Aisha to close
the kamidana's doors. Squaring that all away, I then turned to Yuriga.
"Okay, assuming we have Mao's assistance, what of the other
preparations you mentioned?"
"Oh! There's something that I want you to get ready for me when I meet
with my brother."
"What's that?"
Yuriga asked me to lend her something. My eyes widened at what it was.
"You want that?! Uh, isn't bringing it with you going to be a tremendous
amount of effort?"
"It doesn't have to be all of it, of course. If I can borrow just a little and
show it to my brother, I think that'll help with convincing him of what I'll
be saying."
Oh, just some of it will do? In that case, yeah, it's possible. I sighed.
"But it's not in our country now. I'll have to get permission from Shabon."
"Well...use the power of the Maritime Alliance, or whatever."
"You make it sound so easy... Oh, fine." I scratched my head as I
nodded. If I explained and then gave it back afterwards, Shabon would
probably approve.
I looked at Yuriga again. There was a look of hope in her eyes, as if she
were clinging to me. But at the same time, I also sensed a determination to
follow through on her convictions.
"I think this plan of yours is interesting, Yuriga. I'm sure it'll fluster
Fuuga and potentially put a time limit on his ambitions...but you can't
expect much more than that. Like, say, Fuuga casting aside his goal of
uniting the continent."
Yuriga reacted with stunned silence.
Yeah... I figured that was it.
There was no lie in what Yuriga had told us. But I felt like her slight
hopes were behind the plan. The thought that maybe, possibly, she could
stop the impending invasion. Even if the chance was so faint that it was
nearly impossible, she couldn't help but chase after it.
"There probably isn't even a one in a million chance that Fuuga will
change how he lives."
"..."
"But you want to do it anyway, right?"
"...Yes." Yuriga nodded firmly. "I also doubt my brother's going to
suddenly change how he lives his life at this point. But...I want to show him
that there's another way. That there's a future where things aren't settled by
fighting. Even if it's something I'm sure he'll never choose, I want him to
see it. And if there's even a one in a million—no, a one in a billion chance
that he might choose a different path—I want to show it to him. That's how
I feel!"
She was fighting back tears. Her words were powerful. I could feel
Yuriga's determination seeping into them.
"I think those hopes will betray you."
"Even so!"
"I see..."
If she was this determined, there was nothing more for me to say.
I took a deep breath, then, in the gentlest tone I could manage, I said,
"Give it a shot and see what happens. Do what you believe is best."
"Oh! Thank you!" Yuriga's words were tinted with glee.
I looked at her with a serious expression and said, "But please, promise
me just one thing."
"What's that...?"
"Even if things don't play out how you want them to, you must come
back here. You're part of the family now, and this is your home. Promise
me that, at the very least."
"That's right! You can't just not come home!" Aisha backed me up.
Of course, I planned to ask Mao to transport her home, whether she
liked it or not, once she was done. There wasn't any point in extracting a
verbal promise, but I wanted to communicate our feelings to her properly.
After giving a blank look for a second, Yuriga answered, "Yes!" Smiling
with tears in the corners of her eyes, she added, "And if it doesn't work, let
me cry on your chest."
◇ ◇ ◇
About a month passed...
Yuriga and Fuuga stood facing one another in front of the gates of
Haalga, the Seadian city on the northern edge of the continent. Fuuga only
had Mutsumi with him, but his forces were standing in a location a short
distance away. Yuriga, on the other hand, had Kagetora behind her.
In order to show this meeting was of Yuriga's accord, Souma had the
rest of the Black Cats guard her from the shadows. By only having
Kagetora visible, it conveyed that she had other unseen guards as a way of
keeping the other side in check.
"I didn't expect you to call me out here."
"It's been a while since we've seen you, Yuriga."
Fuuga and Mutsumi bowed their heads to her.
"Yes, it has been a long time, Brother and Big Sister Mutsumi. Thank
you for coming all this way."
"Oh, you can drop the formalities," Fuuga said bluntly. "Anyway,
you've got something to say to me, don't you?"
"Yes. I need you to hear this, Brother."
Yuriga looked her brother straight in the eyes. His stare could intimidate
almost anyone but not his little sister. Even as Fuuga prepared to gobble up
the world, Yuriga could stand before him on her own. And seeing her again,
he felt her determination.
"Huh? Right now? While fully aware of the risks that come with you
standing before us as Souma's wife?"
Fuuga was testing her, but she was uncowed.
"Yes." She nodded. "Because I think this will be the only time I can talk
to you."
"The way you say that...it doesn't sound like you plan on coming
home."
"I'm already married to Souma. If I have any home, it's Parnam Castle
now."
"Tough talk. You know Hashim wants to take you into custody..."
"Big Brother Hashim would definitely do it too. Is this going to be
okay?" Mutsumi asked, concerned.
"It will be just fine," Yuriga answered with a nod. "I've made escape
preparations, should they be needed."
"Heh heh!" Fuuga let out a hearty chuckle. "You sure have gotten
strong. Our little Yuriga's grown up so much."
The three of them all had relaxed looks on their faces, and if you took
away the big man in the eerie black tiger mask, it would have looked like
nothing more than two siblings having a casual chat.
"And?" Fuuga said, putting a hand on his hip. "What is it you want me
to hear?"
"Something that I think you'd want to hear..." Yuriga raised her right
hand. As she did, the gates of Haalga opened, and there was a rumble as the
sandy ground began to shake.
Eventually, something massive was brought through the gates and
carried out behind Yuriga. As Fuuga and Mutsumi's eyes widened, Yuriga
stared back at them, her gaze unwavering.
"I wanted to show you this. You ought to know about it because...it was
in my reports," Yuriga said, gesturing to the object behind her. "And what I
want to tell you is about the world as it was born."
◇ ◇ ◇
A few days after heading off on her trip to the north, Yuriga returned to
the Kingdom of Friedonia safe and sound. Although adequate measures had
been put in place to ensure her safety, it was almost a let down how easily
she returned from her short trip back home. However, I couldn't be sure that
her state of mind was nearly as relaxed.
I heard she would be arriving at Parnam Castle shortly, so I stayed in the
governmental affairs office to work while I waited for her. In her current
mental state, I felt that greeting her with too much concern or leaving her
alone were bad ideas. I'd discussed it with Liscia and Tomoe and decided
we should greet her as we normally did.
Although overtime at the office was a regularity for me...I heard a rap at
the door.
"Come in," I said.
"Sorry to bother you," Yuriga replied, coming in with her eyes lowered.
Once she was inside, Aisha quietly closed the door behind her, leaving
just me and Yuriga together.
"Welcome home, Yuriga."
She bowed her head with her eyes still downturned and said, "I've
returned."
Her tone of voice was normal. But I couldn't see her expression.
Worried, I rose from my chair, and she slowly walked towards me.
"I think I was able to pound a wedge into my brother's heart."
"Uh-huh."
"He can no longer run away, although I'm sure he never planned to. But
now, he'll have to stake everything on an all-or-nothing battle, with no
second chances."
"I see."
"But..."
I approached her, and Yuriga raised her face. Large tears began to roll
down her cheeks.
As she wept openly, biting the corners of her lips, Yuriga said, "I
couldn't...get my brother to choose a path other than fighting... I wanted...to
stop him...if I could... But no, it was never going to work."
I put my arms gently around Yuriga's shoulders and pulled her close.
She sobbed loudly into my chest.
"And if it doesn't work, let me cry on your chest." Remembering her
words, I kept my promise from that day, but it only felt painful. She must
have been frustrated. Yuriga had wanted Fuuga to stop, despite knowing it
wasn't even remotely possible. She'd still wanted to cling on to some vain
hope. And when it predictably didn't happen, she couldn't just write it off
like it was another calculated plan.
I rubbed her back like you might do to soothe a baby, but...
"Don't treat me like a child!" Yuriga shouted, shoving me in the chest.
"I'm your wife! If you're going to comfort me, do it like a husband should!"
I winced as she glared at me. She had the face of an independent
woman. When I first met her, she looked like a kid in middle school, but
she'd long since outgrown that.
"Understood."
I circled around behind Yuriga and hugged her tight as she continued
sobbing. She probably didn't want me to see her face like this.
We stayed like that for a while, in a room where no one would interrupt.
◇ ◇ ◇
The story now turns back to just after Fuuga and Yuriga's meeting...
Having finished their talk, Fuuga and Mutsumi returned to their military
camp, where they were met by their advisor, Hashim. While it had been
hard to imagine Yuriga would bring any harm to Fuuga, it was clear she
leaned towards the Kingdom of Friedonia's side. As such, the advisor was
wary of Souma's hands pulling her strings.
"Lord Fuuga. What did Lady Yuriga have to say? Was she scheming
something?"
"Hmm? It didn't seem like there was any secret plot or anything," Fuuga
answered as he jumped down from Durga's back. He helped Mutsumi down
from her horse before continuing, "As for what she said...it was just about
the world of the Seadian's."
"The world of the Seadians?"
What was life like in the north, where the Seadians were said to have
resided, before being transferred to this world? Why would Yuriga go so far
out of her way to tell Fuuga about it? Hashim's mind raced as he explored a
number of possibilities, but no clear answer emerged, much to his chagrin.
Fuuga shrugged and said, "Probably no point thinking about it. I doubt
an ulterior motive behind what Yuriga had to say."
"Are you certain of that?"
"Yeah. Well...she did serve me a strong dose of 'poison' though."
"What? Poison, you say?" Hashim's eyes widened at the unsettling word
that had suddenly entered the conversation, but Fuuga dismissed it with a
laugh.
"Not real poison, obviously. What Yuriga brought with her was,
well...let's call it a toxin of the heart. The info is like a delayed poison
that'll slowly affect my passion. It's one that would only work on me, and
something only she could craft as my little sister. Yeesh. Seems like she
really took a liking to Souma in the end."
Hashim furrowed his brow as Fuuga roared with laughter again.
"Toxic information? Are you still all right?"
"Nah, it's had more of an effect than I thought it would." Fuuga
scratched his head as if to say, "Well, what do I do now?" Even the calm
and cold-blooded Hashim was perturbed to see Fuuga acting like this.
"I have no idea what could have happened as I was simply watching
from a distance, but...does this have something to do with that thing that
Yuriga brought out?" Hashim asked.
"Nah, that's not important. She probably just hauled it out here for
explanation's sake."
"Just what is going on here...?" Frustrated by Fuuga's beating around the
bush, Hashim looked at Mutsumi.
With a somewhat sad expression, she answered, "I suspect that Yuriga
had been hoping to prevent Lord Fuuga and Sir Souma from fighting...
Even though she also saw an inevitable collision between the Great Tiger
Empire and the Kingdom of Friedonia, she likely hoped she could show
Lord Fuuga another future. And while he couldn't follow through with what
she wished for...it still clawed deep scars into Lord Fuuga's heart."
"Yeah. That sums it up," Fuuga said with a nod. "I also saw a glimpse of
Souma's thinking through my conversation with Yuriga. It seems he doesn't
plan to fight against us, but against something even bigger, and he plans to
win."
"Hmm? What in the world does that mean?"
"Sorry, I don't think I can put it into words all that well right now, so I'll
explain it to you later. That said, if we don't do something, I won't be able
to challenge Souma. Then there's Yuriga's poison on top of that. It looks
like I'll only get one chance to really take on Souma and his people. If I
can't win decisively, then I'll never be able to beat them again."
"So the coming war will decide everything, you say?" Hashim's
expression grew grim.
Fuuga nodded. "Exactly... Though Yuriga's poison was targeted at me
specifically, if someone were to take my place, they could probably have
another go at it."
"Surely you jest. This great nation would be unmanageable were it not
for your greatness."
"Yeah. Which is why the next battle will be the gamble of a generation."
Fuuga grinned with a feral look in his eyes.
The bigger and tougher the enemy, the more alive fighting them made
him feel. It was his nature, and it's what shaped him into the great man he's
become. For as long as he had this look on his face, Fuuga's charisma
would keep his followers believing that no one could halt his march.
Fuuga punched his fists together to hype himself up. "Okay, time's awasting. Even if we're not totally ready to go, it'll be bad news if we let
them completely prepare for us. Who's going to create this world's future?
Me or Souma? Let's go to his castle in Parnam and find out the answer!"
"Yes!"
"By your will."
Mutsumi and Hashim saluted Fuuga.
They hurriedly departed for Haan Castle, and Fuuga glanced back
towards Haalga, where he'd met his sister.
I'm sorry, Yuriga. I'm gonna walk my own path. And it looks like you've
chosen your path too. Let's keep running down our sides so we don't regret
our choices.