The Gerra-Aruka Republic fell, but the monarchy did not come back. The people didn't want that. Soon the country would change its name to the Aruka Republic.
"This place has changed a lot."
Nelia sighed as she stood before the palace, which had been half turned to gold due to Komari's mana.
The capital was celebrating the demise of its tyrant. There was no stopping the festivities.
People everywhere were waving flags with her and Komari's face on them. Extremely embarrassing…but something to be proud of at the same time. The enthusiasm was proof that her ambitions had finally been achieved.
"Lady Nelia, I am sorry for being late."
A maid was standing near the golden hedges.
There was no sign of her once-lively smile. Her servant, Gertrude, was looking at her, cowering like a puppy that was just scolded at.
"Late you are. You called me here yourself."
"I'm sorry… I overslept."
"Clumsy no matter what, huh?"
Gertrude had called Nelia's Correspondence Crystal the day before.
"I want to talk. Please come to the royal palace at noon tomorrow."
It was four in the afternoon. Nelia had also overslept by three hours, though.
"Sorry. I'm so sorry, Lady Nelia… I was a fool. I thought it was for your own sake when I gouged your belly."
"Don't worry about that. So…you're here to apologize?"
"Yes. I don't know how to make it up to you. Should I say sorry a million times? Ten million times?"
Nelia sighed.
She was Madhart's and Rainsworth's underling, but it didn't feel as though it was the time to call her out for it yet.
"I thought defeating my brother and Madhart would be impossible. That you would continue to suffer for holding an unrealistic ideal…," said Gertrude through tears.
"And that's why you tried to make me give up?"
"Yes. To tell the truth, I told my brother many times to listen to what you were saying."
"I'm sure it was all for nothing, knowing him."
"He never listened. He's too selfish. That's why…I felt sorry for you, because I thought your efforts would never bear fruit. I thought it would be better for you to let it go and live in peace…but I was wrong."
"It was all thanks to Komari."
"…You don't need me, do you?"
Nelia slowly came close to her. Gertrude shut her eyes tight, thinking she would hit her, but not once did Nelia consider it—the blow she had dealt back at the Daydream Paradise was enough. Nelia stood before her and held her tight. She felt she needed to do that.
"Huh? What???"
Gertrude was flustered. It was clear that the maid cared for Nelia—but her worries had led her to take a twisted turn. She'd meant no harm. A benevolent mistress would forgive and accept her back.
"Aruka will become better and better from now on, but I can't do it alone. I need your help."
"But I…I was Madhart's underling."
"It doesn't matter. Leave the past in the past. Consider this: If the Eight Illustrious Generals, who were obediently wagging their tails for him, would now agree with my ideas, I would use them, too."
"Even my stupid brother?"
"I'm not against making him my servant if he's willing to obey me. Gertrude…I need your help. Won't you come with me again?"
"Lady Nelia…"
Gertrude wept. Immeasurable guilt consumed her soul from within… but Nelia was prepared to give her plenty of work, and enough reasons to live and enough happiness, to make her forget about it.
Gertrude wiped her tears with Nelia's clothing and, with a faltering voice, said:
"I'll try to be a better maid—one who doesn't gouge her mistress's belly."
"I'll be sure to punch you right in the face if you ever betray me again."
Nelia smiled, but the girl in her arms shivered.
"Lady Nelia, there's one more thing I didn't tell you."
"Another blunder? I'm ready to forgive most things."
"No…" She stepped back and looked at the half-golden-dyed palace. The former residence of the royal family and Nelia's past home. She felt a tinge of nostalgia, but what she saw then made her doubt her eyes.
Someone was standing by the fountain in the front garden.
Nelia thought it was a ghost, but it couldn't be. He had a gaunt body, his cheeks were hollow, and his clothes were plain, unlike a king's, but there was no mistaking him. It'd been five years, but his kind aura hadn't changed at all.
"Dad…!"
Nelia widened her eyes, then took a step forward. The man, Nelia's father and the last king of the Aruka Kingdom, approached her slowly, like a ghost.
"Nelia…I'm glad you made it here."
She wanted to run up to him and hug him, but she was so shocked, she couldn't move. She was about to cry when her father walked right up to her. The person she'd wanted to meet for so long, for five long years since Madhart ruined the peace, was finally before her eyes.
"Dad…you're okay! I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
"No, you did well." He smiled. "Gertrude told me all about what you did. You trained hard to become an Illustrious General and to stop Madhart, and then you liberated the Daydream Paradise. You're a much more impressive Warblade than I ever was."
She was trembling. She felt like it was a dream.
There was so much she wanted to ask, so much she wanted to say, but the words were stuck in her throat. She felt fulfilled just by hearing her father praise her efforts. Nelia wiped her tears and looked away, blushing.
"You're great, too. You're the best…"
"Not at all. I was wrong. I should've listened, if only a little, to what Madhart said. Not trying to understand how he felt will forever be the biggest mistake of my life."
"It wasn't a mistake! It's all Madhart's fault!"
"Perhaps…but either way, I don't want you to become like me. Much less like Madhart, of course. I want you to build a new Aruka."
Nelia opened her eyes wide.
She then realized what her mission was. She had brought about a revolution, and now she had to follow through. It was her duty to create a nation that made Komari's and Mrs. Gandesblood's ideals a reality—a place where people acted for the sake of one another. Though she wasn't sure if she'd win the election.
"I'll do my best… I will dedicate my life to it."
"Good, it seems I have nothing to worry about. You have plenty of allies, too."
"Yes… With Komari by my side, I will be okay."
Her father smiled, then his expression suddenly turned serious.
"There is no doubt you will be the next president, so there's something I want you to have."
"What is it?"
He took a dagger out of his pocket. It was in a golden sheath and looked extremely luxurious. Nelia had seen it many times before; it was a treasure handed down from generation to generation of Aruka royalty. He always had it with him, and she, as a kid, had always thought it was too gaudy and tacky.
"Madhart never uncovered the country's secret, because I never told him. I wouldn't talk, no matter how gruesome the torture. This is a treasure of all Warblades… I hid it in that fountain when the kingdom fell."
He placed it in her hand and folded her fingers over it.
Nelia glanced at the shining "treasure of all Warblades" and nonchalantly asked:
"What is this?"
"Aruka's Dark Core. Take care of it."
She nearly fainted, as did Gertrude.
The former king laughed out loud as he saw the girls panic.
"It is always the young ones who shape the future. Nelia…take care of yourself, and good luck."
***
"Lady Komari, is there anything you want to eat? I can go get you some apples or oranges or grapes and feed them to you myself."
"No. I'm tired."
"Then how about a bath to relax? I will thoroughly clean your whole body over the course of five glorious hours."
"You want us to end up like raisins?! Stop it! Get away from me!"
It was July 29. I was on a bed in the infirmary.
I was kinda expecting this outcome. I'd blacked out at some point and didn't clearly remember what happened. Though this time, I did have some recollection of when exactly I lost consciousness. It was when Nelia made me drink her blood at the Daydream Paradise underground. I think I just fainted out of shock
from drinking that. Whatever else could it have been?
In any case, the battle between the Gerra-Aruka Republic and the Mulnite Empire had come to an end.
According to Six Nations News, I'd wiped out Madhart's five-thousand-man army. They were out of their mind. I was knocked out the whole time after drinking Nelia's blood. Yet when I told Vill it was all lies, she just laughed and
went, "Yeah, yeah, sure."
"Lady Komari, there is nowhere for you to run this time," she said as she showed me a picture.
It was me with a golden mana aura (?), holding a golden sword (?!) and standing in the middle of a golden meadow (?!?!). Heaps of corpses were all around me, by the way.
What was she trying to prove with that? It was very obviously doctored.
"If you were trying to fake a photo of me, then at least try make it look more real. What sort of fantasy world is this?"
"It is a fantasy world. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. You activated your Core Implosion, the Blood Curse, and then annihilated Gerra-Aruka's secret army."
"Did you see me fight all goldy like that yourself?"
"I didn't, sadly."
"There we go; it's all fake."
"No, it's true."
"If this is somehow true, then I will bathe with you every single day."
"I'll hold you to that promise."
I flinched for a second. She was serious.
Well, there was no way it was real. If I really had the power to destroy an army of five thousand by myself, then I wouldn't be suffering so much every day. I would use my power to shut myself in every day and get rid of anyone who tried to force me outside.
"I guess there's no convincing you," Vill said, sighing after seeing my stubbornness. "Still, I will always regret not being with you throughout the whole thing. The same thing happened during the Crimson Match. I always faint at the most important time. What a failure of a maid I am."
"I don't know what really happened…but you did well. You're not a failure at all."
"But Nelia Cunningham stole my time to shine. It should've been me punishing President Madhart alongside you, not her."
Right, the Gerra-Aruka Republic fell while I was knocked out. I heard there were fierce riots at their capital and then President Madhart vanished. All his wrongdoings at the Daydream Paradise came to light, the Illustrious Generals involved in it were dealt with, and now they were going to hold an election for their next leader.
"Is Nelia doing all right?"
"I don't think we need to worry about her. The people of Aruka understand Cunningham's ideology very well now. It's almost certain that the Moonpeach Princess will be the next president."
"Oh. I wonder if she'll hold a party when she wins. Do people do that?"
"No, Lady Komari, she is dangerous. She has her eyes on you. Do not support her."
"You're not on her side?"
Vill puffed her cheeks and said, "I'm on your side."
Sure enough, maybe that peach-color–haired girl was dangerous. I remembered what she said: that I could work only when I wanted to; that she would give me three meals a day and a nap; that the only thing I had to do was bake for her. The real danger was that her sweet words seriously made me consider putting on the maid outfit.
Ahem.
No point thinking about the Gerra-Aruka Republic, I suppose. Her life must've been hard before, but now there was no one to stop her. There was nothing I could do anyway but support her from the shadows. Though there was still much to talk about with her the next time we meet (hopefully not touching on any violent subject). She was my mommy's protégée, after all. I'm sure we would become good friends.
"Changing the subject, here's a present from Lady Karla Amatsu."
"A present?"
"They're sweets from the east. There's also a letter. It reads: I'm giving you this, so please never ever think about invading my country."
"…Why?"
"Because your Core Implosion power is just that scary. Look, her handwriting is all shaky."
"Isn't Karla a billion times stronger?"
"I suppose everyone has a story. Though not everyone fears you. Look, there are letters from all over the world."
"What?! Oh gee, that's a lot. Writing them back would take forever."
"I will write them for you."
"No. What are you even thinking of writing?"
"I'm telling everyone: 'Challenge accepted.'"
"…Excuse me??"
I had a terrible feeling. I checked the letters one by one.
"Declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war,"
"declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war," "declaration of war"…
I nearly fainted.
"Rejoice, Lady Komari. All barbarians throughout the six nations have fallen for you."
"How am I supposed to find joy in that?! Why am I getting challenged to so many wars?!"
"Half of these are from the Chimpanzee."
"Even then, don't you find it weird that I'm getting so many out of nowhere?!"
"Once you finally solve that mystery, then I will get to bathe with you every day."
"What are you talking about?!"
Suddenly, the door opened.
I turned around and saw the silver-haired girl, Sakuna Memoir, standing there. She had been visiting me every day since I woke up, bringing me snacks and fruit.
But this time, her face was pale. She looked slightly confused.
"Ms. Komari, a letter for you arrived at the Crimson Tower."
I had a bad feeling just from hearing the word letter. Sakuna walked up to my bed and handed me a basket of fruits. "Here's your gift of the day."
"Thank you, but I can't eat everything if you bring this much every day."
"S-sorry. I just want you to get well soon…"
I was well already, to be quite honest. My body was just devoid of mana, so I'd been hospitalized for checkups. It was my chance to rightfully shut myself in, like back after the Crimson Match.
Sakuna started peeling a banana without asking. I couldn't turn her down, so I opened my mouth and let her feed me. It was sweet and tasty.
"Lady Memoir…what are you doing here? We're busy whispering sweet nothings to each other in here." Vill said.
"No, we're not."
"Ah, right. I just checked the mail for the Seventh Unit and found this in there."
I wanted to ask why she was checking the mail for the Seventh Unit to begin with, but I was at a loss for words when I saw the envelope she handed over. It used the same seal as the one on the invitation I received to the Warblade Tea Party. So then…
"It's probably from Ms. Nelia Cunningham."
"R-right. Let's see…"
"You can see right through the envelope. It's an invitation."
"An invitation?"
Vill opened it without even asking me, the absolutely rude jerk, but oh well, I forgave her this time. She quickly read it.
"I see… Nelia Cunningham wants to apologize for what happened and is inviting you over to the beach."
"Huh?"
"The beach. You love it, don't you?"
"…"
"Wanna go?"
"...…Yes."
***
Blue skies. White clouds. Warm sun and the sparkling sea.
We were at the beach. The long-awaited beach trip.
I wanted to dance and prance in joy, but an intellectual such as myself could not possibly let her emotions run wild like "Yaaay!! It's the beach!!"
I changed into my swimsuit, in the dressing room of course, and walked with firm steps toward the coast.
I wasn't feeling shy about it anymore. I'd become fairly used to it after my experience from last time.
"Vill, we are here to gather materials. Our objective is to carry out a thorough investigation of what 'playing at the beach' is like for the sake of my novels."
"Sure, Lady Komari. I brought a giant dolphin-shaped floatie by the way. Would you like to ride it?"
"WHAT?! It's so CUTE! Yes, please!!"
The thoughts about my novels were no longer in my mind.
I'll admit it. I'd been looking forward to the trip. I mean, I finally got to play around with some friends. A world beyond my imagination when I was a shut-in for three years was right before my eyes. How could I not enjoy it? I just didn't want it to show on my face because that would be embarrassing.
Vill and I jumped into the ocean while holding the dolphin floatie. The water was cool, and so nice. Maybe I was a dolphin in my past life. I couldn't disappoint my ancestors, then—in this life, too, I shall swim as freely as one. But swimming practice could come after a bit of fun.
"Ms. Komari, can I ride it with you?"
Sakuna approached me with excitement on her face. She was as pretty as always, so much so that even I, a renowned ultrarare knockout, couldn't contain myself from going "Awooga!" at the sight of her in a bikini. This time, Nelia had invited her as well. The Moonpeach Princess seemed to have taken a liking to her.
"Yeah, sure. Uh, Vill, can two people ride this at the same time?"
"Yes, but that is limited to you and me. You may go gather shells over there, Lady Memoir."
"Let's just take turns, okay? Me first." Sakuna clung to me.
Hmm. Déjà vu.
"This isn't funny, Lady Memoir. I brought the dolphin. I get to enjoy it with her first." Vill clung to me.
Stop that! You're embarrassing me!
"But it was me who pumped it up…"
"Indeed, I was about to inflate it when you came and said you would do it with magic, and I must thank you for that, but I bought it."
"But I asked her to ride together first!"
"Stop fighting! If you two wanna ride it so much, then go ahead yourselves! I'll ride it later."
""No point, then.""
"Why?!"
In the end, they decided it through rock-paper-scissors.
Sakuna threw paper. Vill went with scissors.
So the bikini-clad maid made a peace sign as she muttered, "Good always wins," while Sakuna puffed her cheeks in disagreement. I thought caring about who went first was silly if everyone got to do it in the end either way, but anyhow, at least getting to see that childish expression was something good that came out of it.
"Please, Lady Komari, get on."
"Okay."
I somehow managed to sit on the dolphin without falling face-first on the water. Vill then proceeded to get on as well with swift movement and, at the speed of light, wrapped her arms around my belly and started groping my sides.
"Whoaaa?! H-hey, stop that!"
"I will be your safety belt. I have the duty to make sure you won't fall. This is also a great opportunity to take some measurements. I see, I see, so for the top, we have…"
"I said stop! I don't need a seatbelt! I have a perfect sense of balance, I'll let you know! I can stand for thirty whole seconds on one foot and… What are you doing with that Magic Stone?"
She was holding a purple stone before I knew it, and she reached out for the dolphin's tail as she sneered…
"Just floating around wouldn't be much fun."
"Nononononono."
"Yes. Magic Stone: Shock Wave."
Next thing I knew, the dolphin was flying with the wind.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"
We were flying across the sea at a great speed. I couldn't even keep my eyes open due to the wind, so I just held on to the dolphin for dear life while Vill held my belly. Right as I thought we were about to break the space-time continuum, I heard Sakuna yell, "Ms. Komariii!"
Then WHOOOSH!! I was thrown off the raging dolphin and fell headfirst into the ocean.
I nearly died then. I was flailing my limbs in a panic. Where I was, the water couldn't have been that deep, but I still felt like I was about to drown.
"Are you okay, Ms. Komari?!"
And splash! I was pulled up by the arm.
All I could see was silver. A silver-haired girl. Then I realized: Sakuna had managed to save me just in time. She was looking at me with deep worry in her eyes.
"Are you hurt? Did you swallow any water?"
"I-I'm fine. Thanks, Sakuna."
"Thank goodness." She sighed, placing a hand on her chest.
I was also relieved, obviously. Nearly died back there. Drowning would've been a terrible way to go.
Fuming, I turned to look at the root of all evil.
"Vill, what in the world were you…?"
I stopped midsentence.
My maid was floating facedown on the water.
…Huh? Vill? No way…
"Oh no, Ms. Komari! Ms. Villhaze has fainted!"
"Whaaat?!"
Sakuna and I carried her back to the shore in a hurry. She wasn't moving. What if she died? Just as despair was taking over my mind, she broke into a coughing fit. I drew my face close to hers and shouted:
"Vill! Hang in there! Are you okay?!"
"I…am not."
"You're not?!"
"I misjudged the Magic Stone's output. I am very sorry…"
"Don't worry about that! What do we do now, Sakuna?!"
"Leave it to me! I will heal…"
Vill grabbed Sakuna's arm, as if to stop her from using magic. But why?
"Magic won't heal me. I need mouth-to-mouth."
"What? I don't think that's right, you're breathing and talking just fine…"
"COUGH, COUGH, CO-COUGH, COOOOUGH!"
"Noooo!! Fine!! I-I'll do it…"
"Hold on a second, Ms. Komari, you can see her breathing just fine."
"But Vill says she needs it! I…I have to do it…"
I grabbed her shoulders and stared straight into her eyes. My heart was beating fast. I could feel my face burning. But it was all to save a life. It couldn't be helped.
"Huh? Lady Komari…you'll really do it?"
"O-of course I will!"
"W-wait, please give me a second. I need to prepare myself…"
"I'm not waiting! Your life is on the line!"
Vill's face turned red. She had her hands frozen in place atop her chest. I've no time to waste! I locked my gaze onto her lips and slowly drew my face close. I could feel her breath on my face. She closed her eyes. Should I close them, too? I wasn't thinking straight. Why was I even doing this? I…
"What are you all doing?"
I turned to the voice.
The Moonpeach Princess, Nelia Cunningham, was standing there. Her maid, Gertrude, was behind her. Both in swimsuits, naturally.
Then Vill came back to life. She stood up as if nothing had happened and looked right at me as she said, "I'm okay now."
"Y-you're okay now?! What about the ki…I mean, CPR?"
"It turns out I'm not ready yet."
What? Well, if she's okay, then fine, I guess? Anyway…
"Komari! Good to have you here. That swimsuit is gorgeous."
"Y-yeah. Thanks for inviting us over."
"Hee-hee. Well, we have ample time. How about we talk?" She flashed an innocent smile.
Sure enough, there were lots of things I wanted to talk about with her. After all, we hadn't talked since we'd gone our own ways at the Daydream Paradise.
Vill bought us some juice, and we were under the shade of the parasol enjoying our drinks.
On my right was Sakuna. Vill on my left. Nelia sat in front of me, and Gertrude was by her side, fanning her mistress. We were taking it easy.
"Lady Cunningham…there is something I must ask."
"What is it, Villhaze?"
"Why is that maid here like nothing happened?"
Gertrude's shoulders flinched. Right, now that you mention it…I remember her punching us.
"Right, sorry." Nelia apologized with one eye closed. "This is Rainsworth's little sister. She was being threatened by him, but I already gave her a good smacking, and she won't attack you anymore. You should apologize, Gertrude."
"Y-yes…I'm very sorry for trying to kill you." The Warblade maid bowed.
Sakuna seemed fine with it, but Vill didn't even try to hide her disagreement. But yeah, Gertrude had almost killed her. What can you do? It wasn't worth worrying about, though, in my opinion—Nelia said it was okay, and I didn't feel the slightest malice coming from Gertrude.
"Vill, c'mon, it's fine."
"But…"
"She already apologized, so I'm thinking of forgiving her."
Vill begrudgingly gave in. Nelia smiled ear to ear.
"Thanks. I'll make sure to have her well-behaved at all times, so don't worry."
"P-please be gentle…"
"That will be up to you, Gertrude. Anyway…Komari." She looked me straight in the eye. "I had you come here to deepen our friendship, as well as to thank you for helping me out."
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
"No, I do. I achieved my desires entirely with you help. Thank you, Komari."
I gazed at the world-famous Moonpeach Princess's face. The armies of the world had defeated Madhart's, according to Vill, and it was pretty much the girl in front of me who'd led these troops (though it was incorrectly reported that I'd destroyed the enemies). Despite her unabashed maid fetish, she was a hero—she'd saved the world.
"Yeah… Honestly, there's nothing to thank me for. I didn't do anything."
"So you really don't remember… Should we leave it like that?"
"Yes. She won't listen, no matter how many times I try telling her," Vill said.
"Funny. Well, you changed the whole world, just with your heart."
What does that mean? I took a sip of my juice, hoping the subject would be change.
Gertrude handed Nelia a slice of watermelon, and she took a bite of it before speaking.
"Madhart was trying to take control of the world, but now everyone knows that's wrong. I must replace him and change Aruka for the better. Komari…what kind of country do you think I should build?"
I thought for a bit before answering:
"One with good sense?"
"Right. We'll define 'one with good sense' as a kind society in which people are considerate of one another. That is the utopia that your mother wanted."
Gertrude gave watermelon slices to each of us, too. I took a bite, and my mouth was greeted with refreshing sweetness. I took a mental note to remember to play the watermelon-splitting game later.
"Both you and I inherited her will, so we should join hands in taking over the world the right way. What do you say, Komari? Will you help me out?"
She reached out her hand. Her eyes were absolutely serious.
I felt utter respect for her. No regular person would be able to endure what she'd gone through. She'd had her family taken from her, her status stripped, and yet she became a commander through her own efforts. She was an inspiration. This was the kind of person who could change the world.
I didn't think there was anything I could really help with, but I wasn't against the idea.
"Yeah…let's do it."
I grasped her hand, and she smiled.
"Hee-hee. Thank you, Komari. Well then, let's make a toast to our new alliance. We're going to have fun today until our bodies can't handle any more. We can swim in the sea, or we can go back to the hotel and play maid-and-mistress, and then we could have a barbecue and do some fireworks at night."
"Y-yeah! Let's have a blast!"
I was unusually excited. Nelia was no longer my enemy. No explosions, no pretensions, no running away. I could just have a fun time!
"Oh yeah! How about we start with some beach volleyball?" I proposed.
"Sounds good. How about we make a bet? Whoever loses becomes the other's servant."
"S-servant?! You…still want me to do that?"
"Of course I do. I'm not giving up on having you wear that the maid outfit."
"Give it up! You have a perfectly good maid right there! Gertrude!"
"You can never have enough. Well, regardless of what happens to our game of beach volleyball, I'm looking forward to our war tomorrow. It may be a joke now, but whoever loses the war will have to obey the winner. That's a hard-and-fast rule. I will make you wear that dress soon."
…Ah? What's she talking about?
"Vill, has she gone crazy from the heat?"
"Oh my, I forgot to mention it. The letter Lady Cunningham sent came with both the invitation and a war declaration."
"Wha—?"
"Come over to the resort, and let's do war, too, it said. Something like that. And yes, that rule about the loser becoming the winner's servant was included as well."
"WHAT?!" I stood up, watermelon in hand. "No! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Well, you didn't ask. Or read the letter yourself."
"That's true, but c'mon, you could've told me!"
"There'll be no problem as long as you win."
"How in the world do you think I could win?! She's a super murderer who's killed five thousand!"
"I-it's okay, Ms. Komari! The battle hasn't started yet," Sakuna said.
"R-right! Nelia! I'm sorry, but I'm positive I'm going to have some urgent business to attend to, so I gotta go back to Mulnite in advance! I'm so sorry to have your invitation go to waste, but that's just life. Bye."
"No, Komari. This isn't an individual battle between us two; it's an official sports-war between both countries. Reporters and spectators already know about it, and they'll come," Nelia said.
"…"
"You'll be put to shame if you don't assist. Everyone will think Terakomari Gandesblood is a coward. Your subordinates will be disappointed, and then they might revolt against you."
"..."
"But don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Let this be a demonstration on how you and I will conquer the world."
"B-but…"
"You won't get to play in the beach if you go now. You won't get to see those oh so pretty fireworks or look at the stars with me. I also have a huge omelet rice prepared for you back at the hotel. You won't stay to eat?"
"...…Right. Yeah. Can't leave."
There was no escape.
So we return to the prologue.
***
The next day. I really arrived at the battlefield, oh man.
Nelia's objective was to fight Mulnite in order to amass honor and win the election. Basically, she was using me as a political tool. The worst. And I couldn't run from it. Truly awful. Also, I would have to become her maid and call her "Mistress" if I lost. This was worse than despair.
And so Nelia appeared before me.
Peach-colored hair, girlish uniform, sharp blades drenched in blood in both hands… The monarch…no, the next president of the blade nation. The Moonpeach Princess. Nelia Cunningham.
The murderer, as young as I was, smiled innocently, as though meeting an old friend. Yet her voice was oppressive as she spoke.
"Komari, be my servant."
"Not in a million years!!"
"Ha-ha. Resist while you can. But it is your destiny to be by my side! We are comrades in search for world peace. As long as we join hands, no enemy can defeat us!"
That's how I got a "comrade in my search for world peace," whatever that meant. I mean, who says that while threatening you with a sword?? Well, she was very different from Madhart and Rainsworth and their ilk.
With a burning will, her eyes shone bright. A will inherited from Yulinne Gandesblood.
To create a world where people don't prioritize their own gains but act for the good of one another. That was the next president's real, unabashed ambition.
I sighed.
Yeah, maybe taking over the world was possible with her.
I must be such an idiot for feeling moved by that at this exact moment…, I thought as I stared at her radiant smug face.
***
Lonne Cornelius witnessed something unbelievable.
The atrociously evil organization Inverse Moon's number two was hanging his head as he sat on a bench.
Crowds came and went in abnormal numbers at the capital of the Gerra-Aruka Republic. The Warblades were holding a "Revolution Festival" to celebrate Madhart's demise. Cornelius was also in on the festivities and had just bought taiyaki at one of the stalls.
She glanced at Amatsu once again. Forget about pigs flying; they might even begin traveling through space soon.
"What happened? I'm willing to lend you an ear and a shoulder."
"Don't ask."
"Is it…because the plan failed?"
"…"
Bull's-eye. Cornelius's whole face lit up.
"Yeah, that was a huge screwup. We were supposed to use Gerra-Aruka to get some intel on the Dark Core, and then Nelia Cunningham and Terakomari would blow Madhart out of the water. But forget about the Dark Core! What are you so bummed about, really?"
"Her Highness got mad at me."
"Pfft. Ha-ha-ha! Did you know, Amatsu? Inverse Moon isn't kind to those who fail. Off with your head! You're dead!"
Then he punched her shoulder and looked at her impassively.
"No, the plan was a great success."
"How exactly? Wait, no, don't take my taiyaki—c'mon, I only have one more left."
He ate the whole thing.
"Ugh, red-bean paste?" He crossed his arms.
"What's wrong with red-bean paste?"
"My cousin made me eat them all the time long ago. She was practicing her baking or something."
"But they're so tasty… Don't change the subject, though; what do you mean it was a success?"
"Our objective was to destroy the Gerra-Aruka Republic."
"I didn't know that."
"We had Terakomari Gandesblood destroy the Gerra-Aruka base to rile up Madhart. We sold them Divine Instruments to make the Aruka government more aggressive. Though we didn't expect they'd launch a war so quickly."
"I don't get it. So having them start the war was our goal?"
"Our goal was to have them start the war to destroy Aruka. Madhart was overconfident and foolish—it was almost certain he would lose. Even if he didn't, the truth behind the Daydream Paradise would have come to light eventually. And then Gerra-Aruka would fall."
"…Hmm? So we just wanted Gerra-Aruka to fall?"
"That's what I said right at the beginning, you moron."
"I'm not a moron!"
"In short, Her Highness greatly disliked Madhart's administration. They were holding inhumane experiments using the Dark Core's infinite regenerative abilities. They repeatedly tested that wicked immortality."
"Oh. Yeah, I see how she wouldn't like that."
In this world, where the Dark Core's healing was common sense, the biggest tragedy was the belittling of human life. Inverse Moon's slogan being that "life is meant to be in the shadow of death," this was the greatest taboo for them.
What Gerra-Aruka had done constituted the opposite of Inverse Moon's desires.
"…Hmm? Wait, then why did Her Highness get mad at you?"
"She told me to take better care of my family."
"What?"
She really didn't understand.
Amatsu spoke with absolute seriousness. "Karla Amatsu appeared on Six Nations News' broadcast, remember? She's my cousin. Her Highness yelled at me for not taking care of her."
"Unlike everyone else, you have family! Stop worrying your cousin, or you'll regret it! I'm giving you time off, so go see her!"
"…So she said."
"Then go meet her."
"I can't."
"You're ashamed of going back home? How old are you again? Want me to go with you?"
"That would only bring more trouble."
"Just take it easy. I'll throw you a send-off party. I'll make shiitake steak."
"No…though, well… Hmmm."
Amatsu crossed his arms again and stared at the sky. It was rare seeing him like this…but still, she was sure he was concocting all sort of evil schemes in his mind, no matter how he looked on the outside.
Finally, Kakumei closed his eyes and said something unbelievably evil.
"Going after the Heavenly Paradise wouldn't be so bad. We can use that girl's powers."
"You're really rotten to the core."
"You're aware we're both villains in the eyes of society?"
"Right." Cornelius chuckled.
The heroes had defeated the evil president.
But war wasn't going anywhere any time soon.