Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
「... Hmm, ugghh...」
When she woke from her slumber, the first thing Chamille saw was that she was lying on the right side of the bed, and the dark-haired youth holding her hand and lying face down beside her.
「.. Solork? This is...」
The girl sat up, careful not to disturb him. When she saw the bottle on the table before the rattan chair, she understood everything.
「... I see. He made me drink medicine when I was hysterical...」
The bitterness was still on her tongue. Realizing the youth had prepared sedative in case she went hysterical, the girl almost cried at the care he had shown her.
「... Sorry, Solork. You must be tired from handling work you are not familiar with...」
Chamille caressed the cheeks of the sleeping youth with her fingers… His features that still had a hint of childiness when they first met had matured now. Who knows if this was just purely from the passage of time, and that the pressure she placed on him didn’t play a factor?
「... I can’t even deal with my own regrets… Just how unsightly can I be...」
Her tears welled up, and Chamille covered her face with both hands. She didn’t know what kind of emotional state she would be in if this went on. With that in mind, she quietly got off the bed, careful not to wake the youth, then walked out of the room to reorganize her feelings.
Chamille spent a lot of time with Ikuta in the living room, but she would go elsewhere when she wanted to think by herself. The roof of the restricted area was one of those places. Most of that space had an open view of the sky, with good ventilation and benches.
「... Good evening.」
However, there was already someone here. Vackie was sitting at the edge of the bench by herself, completely different from her lively self during the day.
「...Vackie? What are you doing so late at night?」
「... Well, I thought Chamille would come if I stay around here, so I asked Lulu to bring me in.」
The two girls looked at each other under the moonlight. Chamille sat in the center of the bench, and Vackie who was some distance away asked a little reservedly:
「Can I… sit beside you?」
「... Suit yourself. You don’t usually ask for permission, right?」
The Empress answered baffled by her strangely reserved attitude. The Scientist girl stood up, walked over, and sat gently beside Chamille.
「... Sorry.」
「... What are you apologizing for?」
「For big sis Haro’s injury. You are probably blaming yourself, but it’s mostly my fault… The residents there were increasing in an unnatural way, so I should have prepared for such a possibility. I didn’t notice because of my arrogance.」
Vackie apologized with the lines she prepared ahead of time. Chamille wasn’t the only one who had regrets.
「When we were waiting for Honorary Field Marshal Igsem’s rescue at the edge of the village, big sis took on the role of diverting the enemy alone. I don’t know the details of what she did, but thanks to her effort, there were less enemies coming our way, and we kept our losses to a minimum. If she didn’t lure them away… I might be the one who gets interrogated.」
「... I don’t intend to place the blame on you. No matter what, I’m the one who made the decision.」
The Empress said coldly. Vackie clutched her sleeves tightly.
「Don’t take my share of the responsibility.」
Not unexpecting Vackie’s voice that was breaking a little, Chamille looked at her in surprise. Vackie sniffled and said again.
「Big sis is amazing… I only volunteered to be bait because of my own principle. That’s just being narcissistic with extra steps. If I didn’t think I was at fault, I wouldn’t have done so.
But big sis is different. She isn’t responsible for the mess, but still took the initiative and shouldered the risk… That might be natural for a soldier, but big sis is an officer, so she’s too high up the totem pole to risk her life. No one can blame her if she reluctantly waited until it was her turn.」
「......」
「Big sis seems to be confident of buying time, and also took into account the possibility that she would be tortured by the enemy. From her ability to spread falsehood during her escape, she must be an agent… No, that doesn’t matter. The only thing I can say is, big sis is an amazing person who can risk her all to protect others.」
She expressed genuine respect and admiration for her. Vackie continued recounting her recent memory.
「When I visited her today, I saw a large group of soldiers gathered around the palace… The troops really admire her. Is that how all medics on the frontlines are? To the people she rescued from death’s jaw, she must be a goddess.」
That must be so, Chamille thought. Haro’s kind smile and gentle demeanour was dazzling on the battlefield.
「The troops who aren’t officers can’t enter the palace, and they knew that too. But a large group still came. Their efforts are futile, but they still wasted their precious vacation here.」
「......」
「Whenever I see a scene like this, that’s like looking at a light I won’t ever have. I’m envious of people who live outside the boundary of self interest and benefits… I can’t live like that. I’m just an avatar of narcissism, and can’t love others more than I love myself.」
Vackie hung her head shamefully and told her. Chamille was curious about the reason and asked:
「... Is it because of how you grew up?」
「Maybe.」
It was a surprisingly curt answer. Vackie would usually keep talking without being prompted, so her attitude intrigued Chamille. When Vackie noticed that, she smiled weakly:
「... Want to know? Although this is a long and boring story.」
After a short pause, the Empress slowly nodded. The Scientist girl nodded too and began.
「I’ll tell you then. I used to be a shrine maiden.」
── The Church of Aldera didn’t have shrine maidens. The mission of the priests was to spread the teaching of their God, and was fundamentally different from shrine maidens who were possessed by the gods.
But there were exceptions in the vast Empire, and Lasukaryeta Town in the western territories had one such local religion. Every village there had a shrine maiden. Their duty was to listen to the revelations of God and guide the village. Due to the nature of their position, they were revered as living gods.
And of course, such faith was viewed with disdain by orthodox Church of Aldera believers, but there was a reason why Lasukaryeta town developed their religion in such a direction. Because they were located in the rural borders deep in the mountains, it had been centuries since a priest was stationed there. As a result, they had to pass down the teachings themselves─ leading to such a drastic difference. This could no longer be reversed even if the Church of Aldera despatch an actual priest to them.
「── My job was to perform divination for all sorts of things, and convey the will of 『Lord Aldera』. But tradition dictates that the shrine maidens have to maintain a pure body, so my life was restricted in all sorts of ways. I can’t leave my home except for special occasions, and I was forbidden from interacting with children my age to avoid impure influence… So the dim and heavy mansion was my entire world.」
Chamille held her breath. Even with her vivid imagination, It was hard for her to imagine that.
「The enclosed environment was suffocating, but my education as a shrine maiden made it even more unbearable. They demanded me to memorize tens of hours of scriptures which was enough to make my head explode. After learning addition and subtraction, the next thing was memorization. Even now, I feel like puking just from recalling the first line of the scriptures.」
「That’s really… heavy.」
「I was a gullible child back then, and memorized it seriously. My memory was good for my age, so the adults praised me. But a question pop up in my head one day── what’s the point of doing this?」
Vackie said. In hindsight, this idea was the start of everything.
「When this question was on my mind, Professor Anarai and his disciples came. The Professor didn’t hold back in his research, and was interested in Lasukaryeta’s unique culture. He had some run ins with the locals, but he soothed them with all sorts of methods and somehow, he sneaked into a religious ceremony.」
Vackie smiled. Chamille smiled with her.
「It wasn’t the entire scripture, but the prayers that day were very long. When I returned to my house exhausted, a white coat flashed across the window. I looked outside curiously, and as expected, the Professor’s group had snuck into the courtyard… They would be lynched by the mob if discovered, and thinking back, they were really reckless. I locked gaze with him through the window─ and with just one look, I was entranced by the sensibility in the Professor’s eyes.」
The girl’s tone even had a hint of fear. Chamille gulped and listened.
「Driven by my hunger, I spoke directly with the Professor. It was less than 30 minutes, but every word moved me and filled me with surprise. At that moment, I saw for the first time how vast outside the building was── and the doubts I had about my situation increased exponentially.」
Vackie thought back on the excitement she felt back then, and her tone grew heated.
「I couldn’t help asking the Professor that question. What’s the point of living everyday according to the teachings and memorizing scriptures every day? The Professor answered── 『if you want to confirm the meaning of an action, you just need to stop doing it all for that one time』.」
「── Stop doing it all...」
「That’s right. So I gave it a try. I broke all the taboos in succession. Only reciting the prayers in the beginning and spouting nonsense midway. I had a feeling that most people won’t notice─ because when I’m doing my best reciting the prayers, most of the adults would close their eyes and doze off behind me─.
And so, my opponent wasn’t human right from the start. I asked God through my actions. I questioned God’s will, intention─ and God’s existence.」
Vackie said passionately. By recounting her past, the dark passion the girl had been suppressing became clear before Chamille’s eyes.
「About a month later, the village held their annual harvest festival. It was a rare bountiful harvest and the villagers were overjoyed. I was permitted to go out during this festival, and everyone revered me with words that conveyed similar meanings── Thanks to me performing my shrine maiden duties, God blessed the village this year and so on.」
The girl had a sarcastic look on her face. What they said to her without any ill will were actually refuting all the efforts she had put in all this while.
「I realized at that moment── There is no god. All that is meaningless.」
Her sarcasm was gone, and Vackie’s voice turned hollow, which sent a chill down Chamille’s back.
「That night, I set fire to the house and escaped, then left the mountains with Professor Anarai’s group── I have not returned there ever since.
On the other hand, the rage I felt that day kept burning in my heart. The unnecessary procedures, tedious and roundabout ceremonies, and made up history to prove legitimacy and authority── whenever I see such unnecessary complications, I had to destroy them to sooth my wrath. Even my name too. I couldn’t stand my stupidly long name, and randomly called myself Karo. Because I think it would be more practical to use as short a name as possible.
Back then, I hit it off with Yorurin, and we did whatever we wanted with the knowledge we learned under Professor Anarai. We exposed the meaningless parts of customs, then disassemble them before assembling them in an easy to understand manner─ for us, that was what Science is about.」
The Scientist girl said emotionally and reached her hand out into the air. Chamille followed her movements and looked up at the night sky.
「The prey we target are people who were bound by archaic customs that don’t bring happiness to anyone, or fellows who tricked the uneducated citizens for their own benefit. Similar to the corrupt nobles you purged. I can’t stand such people, and when I see the citizens being exploited without realizing it, it feels like I’m looking at my old self, which lit a rage in me that borders on frustration. I had no intention of acting all high and mighty, and was just trying to vent my fury. I even bared my fangs at anyone who tried to stop me── Even now, my senior disciples would still tell me 『you were like a mad dog back then』.」
「... Mad dog...」
「Ikuta-nii joined us right then. When Yorurin and I chose our next target and was scheming to set him up, he butt in and made his move first. 『Hey, you two. You pulled off some big stunts, but don’t think you are the smartest person in the world』── That’s the first thing he said to me.」
Vackie looked nostalgically into the night sky. Chamille could easily imagine the Ikuta Solork who was younger than when she first met him.
「After he got the better of us in several other similar situations, we got the chance to communicate properly, and he asked me to tell him my back story which I had just mentioned. Ikuta-nii thought for a while after that, and said 『You two, come to this place at the same time two weeks later』 and left. That response of him caught me off guard── and two weeks later, I was greatly surprised.」
The Scientist girl thought back to the impact she felt back then and continued:
「The first thing Ikuta-nii said was :『I investigated the meaning behind your name.』 To be honest, I didn’t get what he was saying. This might sound strange to you, but they didn’t tell me the meaning of my name when I was in the village. I heard it’s a combination of the unique words used in ceremonies, intentionally keeping the meaning of the name obscure so my parents wishes may come true… I wasn’t entirely uninterested, but since it’s an arrangement of meaningless sounds, so it’s probably a term to praise god or something.
But Ikuta-nii didn’t think so. Mairitsuuinvuakkyen── He couldn’t even pronounce it properly, but he thoroughly researched the meaning behind that combination of sound. He picked out the names of over 1,000 villagers from Professor Anarai’s records, and researched similarly sounding archaic language from all over the Empire── and finally brought the answer to me.」
「... What does it mean then?」
Chamille waited with bated breath. Vackie said with a bashful smile.
「『We love you』── That’s what it means in common Imperial language when translated.」
This was the most unexpected answer Chamille got today. The Scientist girl’s gaze towards the stars wavered as if she was dreaming.
「I was dumbstruck when I heard that explanation── then I remembered something from when I was young… before I was sent into that house, when my parents died in a landslide before I was four years old. I remembered the gentle words they said to me in our ordinary life.」
「......!」
「I learned that my name has a meaning. It isn’t a prayer to god or a frivolous show of might── this name was given just for me.
At the same time, I realized this was true for many other things too. I was driven by my rage and destroyed many things, but maybe they had important meaning behind them, that I couldn’t unearth with some effort.」
Vackie recounted and shrugged with an awkward smile.
「I lost my fangs the moment I thought that way… I then reflected on my ways, and here we are now. Hey, it’s boring, right?」
「... No.」
The Empress couldn’t properly convey her thoughts with words, and just shook her head. The Scientist girl looked at her again and continued:
「Chamille, for something like blessings, discovering it’s existence is as important as the blessing itself. There are idiots like me who only notice many years after the fact.」
「......」
「Big sis Haro risked her life because she wants to keep you safe. Just like my name, this is her blessing to you… So, it’s fine to be sad about big sis getting hurt, but don’t hate yourself because of that. If you refute yourself, wouldn’t that waste the effort put in by big sis...?」
「......!」
Chamille was tormented by feelings of gratitude and self loath. Unable to bear with it, she got up and wanted to flee. Vackie said to her back.
「... Listen to me, Chamille! Be it big sis, Ikuta-nii, the members of the Knights Corp or me── we aren’t staying by your side because you’re the Empress! We like you as a person and cherish you… that’s why we want to be with you!」
Chamille couldn’t help sobbing… She hated herself more than anyone in the world, and she couldn’t say anything back.
The next afternoon. In order to meet the owner of the room, Torway visited the Field Marshal’s office in the Central Military Base.
「... Ik-kun, I’m coming in.」
He pushed the door open after knocking, and saw the dark-haired youth sitting at his desk and staring at papers with a drawing on it. The documents he had reviewed were piled up high on either side.
「I visited her this morning, and Haro-san is getting better. She needed an attendant’s help, but she was eating properly.」
「Yes, I saw her this morning too. I hope she recovers enough to sit up soon...」
Ikuta said as he browsed another piece of paper. Torway was intrigued, then leaned in and asked:
「... What are you looking at? This is… a drawing of the scenery?」
「This is a sketch of the sandbox made by Chamille, there are eleven of them.」
He answered with a look at the pile of sketches on the table. Torway studied them, and saw that the theme of each scenery was different.
「This game was created by Professor Anarai with Yaponiku’s Bonkei as the basis. It’s designed to observe the mental state of someone. The scenery created by someone will reflect their mental state── and reflects their personality and psychological issues.」
「I see...」
「All her sceneries have fine details without cutting any corners, showing that she will take responsibility for anything she starts. Other than being meticulous, it also showed her yearning for sceneries she had never seen before, and the beauty of her imagination… However...」
Ikuta furrowed his brows and took out a doll from his pocket.
「She created a myriad of sceneries── but she didn’t include herself there. She excluded this girl doll unconsciously, and never used it.」
Ikuta gritted his teeth as he looked at the sketches melancholically.
「Do you understand? These beautiful sceneries are her dreams, but also represent her rejection of herself. She isn’t part of the blissful world in these sketches.」
「......!」
The jade-eyed youth stood stiffly after he realized how deeply rooted Chamille’s mental issue was. The dark-haired youth turned to him and asked for help:
「Hey～Torway, what do we need to do? How do I break out of this problem?
W-What should I do to save this child from this curse?」
A heavy silence loomed over the room. No one could answer his question as time passed by slowly.
The proposal to hold a Three Nation Conference was sent to the Empire via Kioka.
「... A report from the patrols.」
In the open plains with howling wind, the soldier reported with a solemn voice. The girl who was looking eastward beside the dark-haired youth turned around when she heard that.
「The surveillance unit at the new national borders report no abnormalities── as per the last notification, the Kioka army appears to have cleared away from our path towards the destination.」
「... Is that so.」
She was waiting for this report, but the Empress replied uneasily with a nod. This was only natural since their opponent was Kioka. Since they didn’t detect any obvious traps, they had to be wary of well laid strategies─ However, they couldn’t stop moving out of fear.
「All units, move northwards── towards the venue where the Three Nation Conference will be held, Ra Saia Alderamin.」
The Empress made up her mind and ordered them to move out. On that out── thousands of soldiers in neat formation marched forth, and the vanguard set off in the northeast direction.
「... Ridiculous. They are inviting us to a summit meeting at a time like this?」
<TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_(meeting) >
Turning back time a few months ago. In the conference room inside the Central Military Base, General Terushinha Remeon furrowed his brows at the sudden invitation to a high level meeting.
「From the present territory held by us, we have to cross the Grand Arfatra Mountains to reach Ra Saia Alderamin, but Kioka doesn’t have to do so, which makes the burden that each side has to shoulder unequal. Furthermore, we have far too little to gain from attending this Three Nation Conference.」
The jade eyed General expressed his logical view. The dark-haired youth seated beside the Empress slowly said:
「I’m of the same view─ However, Kioka appears to have considered all that when they made this proposal.」
After saying that, he raised the documents sent by Kioka. The attendees from afar couldn’t see the words clearly, so the youth briefed them verbally.
「They kindly offered to provide us advance payment if we agreed to the meeting. Specifically, the partial return of the old eastern territory. As you can see from this, this will give us a route that goes around the Grand Arfatra Mountains.」
The documents included a map of the territory they were willing to return. And of course, Kioka’s wording was 「cede」 and not 「return」. The generals were suspicious of this generous offer, and General Shiba who was seated beside General Remeon said with a serious face.
「... That’s really generous of them. They are not doing this based on the results of the meeting, but treating it as a necessary down payment for attending the meeting?」
「That’s right.」
Ikuta answered immediately. At this moment, Brigadier General Sazarf who was seated at the end of the table said:
「... If there isn’t any obvious traps, this means that Kioka has a reason to hold the Three Nation Conference even if they have to go that far?」
「That’s probably it.」
The one who answered this time was the Empress. The top military officers all looked her way, and she searched through her distant memory:
「The political leader of the Kioka Republic── their current Prime Minister, is a type of politician who is always observing others. He has total control over the management of talent, and has the tendency of not discriminating between friends and foes in his human resource management.」
At this time, she looked at Ikuta beside her and continued:
「He definitely has his eyes on Solork this time. The new Field Marshal not from the Igsem nor Remeon faction, and gained support from both sides. He probably didn’t expect that. In order to understand how the Imperial Army has evolved with the change of command, he wants to meet directly with Solork. For that man, the intel he can gain from this meeting is far more valuable than some land at the edge of their borders.」
Chamille was sent to Kioka as a hostage in the past, and understood him the best out of everyone present. Ikuta acknowledged this point and added:
「... For Kioka’s strategy against other nations, they value the accuracy of their intel highly. And I have no intention of taking that lightly.」
「That means── Your Majesty and Your Excellency plans to accept the invitation?」
General Remeon looked at them sternly and asked. Ikuta then pointed out the rationale behind his decision.
「Attending this conference is meaningful to us in several big ways. First── with the partial recovery of the old eastern territory, we can go around the Grand Arfatra Mountains and send our troops to Ra Saia Alderamin. In the past, we were under pressure from the north one sidedly, and this situation will drastically improve. The Aldera Holy Army garrisoned in the Grand Arfatra Mountains will probably pull back in the future.
Two, we will establish diplomatic ties with the Ra Saia Alderamin Holy Nation, in a limited sense. The Grand Escape by the Aldera devotees is a result of our nation breaking ties with their religion. The priests in the Empire also have deep rooted unhappiness about this. The conference will be a chance to resolve these issues.」
He agreed with the reasons raised by Ikuta, but General Remeon has not accepted it yet.
「But that’s only if the Ra Saia Alderamin Holy nation is serious about attending the Three Nation Conference...」
Before discussing the Empire’s attendance at the conference, he remained doubtful about that point. If the representatives of the three nations weren’t present, then negotiations would be impossible. However, Ikuta picked up a document and answered his doubts.
「Please look at the tail end of this paragraph. This meeting is proposed by the Pope.」
It was as he said, there was a personal seal used by the Pope of the Ra Saia Alderamin Church. General Remeon fell silent, and General Shiba beside him snorted.
「... That country who joined forces with Kioka to invade our nation is proposing a Three Nation Conference? There must be a reason why they changed their attitude so much.」
「Presently, I can’t make any concrete deductions. It might be possible that all this is to lure Chamille and me into a trap. However── it will be a pity if we miss this chance out of fear.」
Weighing the risk and possible returns on a scale, Ikuta judged that the latter was more important. The youth shored up the reason behind his decision.
「I can’t motivate myself to fight a war where I can’t see the face of my opponent. The political and military leaders of all three nations probably share my sentiments… Recently, the war seemed to be cloaked in darkness for far too long, and that made the image of our enemy blurry. For all of us, this is a good chance to evaluate each other’s position again.」
When he pointed that out, the generals fell into deep thought. Ikuta pushed the meeting towards accepting the proposal.
「I plan to attend the conference and take all safety measures seriously. During the conference, I will schedule the surveillance of enemy movements in all ways, so there won’t be the stupid mistake of an invasion during my absence── are there any objections...」
「Of course I object.」
A familiar voice interjected. The soldiers looked towards the door and saw the Imperial Chancellor standing there in his khaki attire.
「The Three Nation Conference is obviously the biggest stage in diplomacy. As the highest ranking admin officer, I will naturally want to attend. Are there any objections to that?」
For someone of his status, it was impressive that he was thick skinned enough to say that. Ikuta stared at him expressionlessly.
「... Fox, so you already heard?」
「Fufufu, Your Majesty and the Field Marshal can be so mean at times, leaving me, the Chancellor out and deciding such an important matter on your own.」
Trisnai kept emphasizing his position as a Chancellor. Ikuta shrugged:
「... Well,. Of course you will want to join in. You have been monopolizing the diplomatic relations between the Empire and Ra Saia Alderamin all this while. If we set up a proper channel, it will inconvenienced you, correct?」
「What are you saying? I just want to fulfil my role as Chancellor with this chance.」
The fox claimed shamelessly. Ikuta and Chamille glared at him, thinking that it would be a pain to deal with the other national leaders at the summit, and they had to deal with him too.
「...!...」
In the brigade that set off on the Empress’ command, there was a large carriage that was like a mobile palace. She was walking in circles around one of the rooms on the carriage. Ikuta couldn’t stand it any longer and said:
「...Chamille. I know you are uneasy and have many things to think about, but if you are this tense now, you won’t last long enough to make it to the destination. There is still a long journey ahead, you have to learn to relax.」
「... I know. I know, but...」
The girl knew that she had to relax, but she just couldn’t do it. She looked at the dark-haired youth with downcast eyes and spoke hesitantly:
「... I will be straight with you. I-I’m scared. This is my first diplomatic meeting with another country as a ruler. Will I be okay negotiating with the cunning rulers of other nations...?」
Chamille trembled weakly. From her attitude, it was clear that she had lost confidence after the incident with the Peace Sect. Ikuta held her hands and encouraged her with a steady expression:
「That’s why the diplomatic team and me are here to assist you. Even if you are ill and bed ridden when you reach there, the conference won’t be canceled immediately. Rest assured, no matter what kind of situation props up, we can deal with it!」
Chamille showed a complicated face. She was glad to hear the youth say that, but she refused to rely on just his words. Ikuta realized how she felt and nodded with a smile.
「Sigh, I know you can’t switch gears so easily── so even if I have to be a little forceful, I will make you relax.」
When the army halted, two visitors boarded the large carriage.
「Jang jang jang～jang! Here I am～!」
「Fufufu… Sorry for disturbing during your rest, Your Majesty.」
「... I’m not spooked this time. I’m expecting this after all.」
Vackie and Yorga’s visit made Chamille sigh. When the Scientist girl heard that, she approached without any reservation as always.
「Hey, come on～ if you feel bored, then tell me, Chamille. At times like this, you should find your friends and party, right?」
Vackie said boldly with a smile. Chamille ignored the weird parts of her words and sat down in resignation.
「And so, I brought all the table top games made meticulously by the 『Disciples of Anarai』! From masterpiece to garbage, you can pick any that you like! Don’t assume you’ll have any spare time when we reach our destination!」
「This will stave off any boredom… Although I have a feeling this will exhaust me mentally instead.」
「Fufufu… Which game would you like to play, Your Majesty? Personally, I’ll recommend── this game that might look like snakes and ladders, but actually involves complicated real estate management...」
<TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugoroku >
「Let’s not simulate work in our games, Yorga. Our goal is to kill time during our travels, so let’s pick one that’s more down to earth.」
「How about this one? Mr Pig, Mr Bull, Mr Sheep… there are lots of animals in this game, so it’s definitely down to earth.」
「Hmm, it does look cute. What’s the content like?」
「A livestock management game so real that you can hear the songs of the farmboys. Whoever can overcome the crisis of plagues, bandits, predators, cashflow, and breed the most livestocks will win! Even for cows, breeding them for milk and for meat are completely different!」
「Change. And Vackie, you probably misunderstand what down to earth means.」
Time passed in a rowdy fashion. After this brief respite, the Empress’ large carriage forged onwards.
During the second half of their long journey, they could clearly feel the change in the climate. When everyone needed a blanket to keep warm during their sleep, the Empress’ brigade finally reached the Church of Aldera’s capital.
「Empress Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik and her retainers, welcome everyone to this northern lands.」
An old priest led a large group to them, and welcomed the visitors with a gentle smile. The Three Nation Conference would normally be held in the diplomatic building built just for such occasions, and there was no exception this time. The three buildings surrounded the central conference hall, and the diplomatic teams of each nation were arranged to stay in one of these buildings.
「Since you hailed from a region unaffected by the cold, the temperature here probably feels harsh. Please proceed into the building to warm yourselves...」
「Thank you for your kind hospitality. However, please show these 6 from my diplomatic team in first. I need to freshen myself, and will head in a little later.」
That was to be expected, the Empress couldn’t step into a foreign nation’s building without any precaution, so using an excuse to cover it up was a good judgement. The other party made this offer knowing that might be the case, and wasn’t upset by the refusal. The old priest bowed with a smile and acknowledged:
「I understand. Please do not hesitate to ask us for anything.」
「Well then, please permit my troops to make camp in the fields, and if possible, provide them with firewood?」
「I will make arrangements immediately.」
The welcome party agreed to the visitor’s request politely, then returned to their building. Chamille saw them off, then rubbed her cold hands together while observing her surroundings.
「... It seems like Kioka isn’t here yet.」
The girl mumbled softly. Given the distance and the different dates of setting off, it was only natural for a party to arrive before the other. In any case, they arrived earlier than Kioka. The party that arrives first has the head start to grasp the terrain, giving them the advantage in terms of security.
「Investigating the building, scouting the layout… Anything else we need to do right now, Solork?」
「Don’t worry, leave these to us, you need to relax more.」
The youth advised her and put a hand on her shoulder. Feeling his warmth through her clothes, she turned her gaze to the diplomatic hall before her.
「... Is the Pope already inside...?」
「Probably.」
Thinking about the opponent they would meet in a few days, the two of them turned quiet for a moment── and rain drops fell on their head.
「... It’s raining. It will be bad if you catch a cold. Chamille, go back to your carriage for now.」
After sending the Empress back to the large carriage, Ikuta alighted by himself, stood at the tent set up by the soldiers and stared at the diplomat. That wouldn’t achieve anything, but just like Chamille, he couldn’t help trying to do something.
── How troubling, am I losing my cool too?
Sighing at his own reaction, the youth closed his eyes and nursed his forehead.
── I understand Chamille feels uneasy. This is my first time directly taking part in diplomacy too, can I handle it as well as the military affairs?
The more the youth thought, the more questions he had… He was good at negotiations, but that might just be natural for the other national leaders. After all, Chamille and him were the youngest participants for this conference.
── The worst thing is, I can’t bring any of the Knights Corp members with me. If I can discuss things with them, it will ease my worries, and we might come up with some good ideas...
Ikuta couldn’t help thinking about pointless things. Haro was nursing her injuries, while Matthew and Torway had to focus on training the men. He couldn’t even bring along officers on good terms with him, such as Shiba and Sazarf, so Ikuta was practically fighting alone.
「── But it’s fine.」
As he was thinking about that, he thought he heard a nostalgic voice beside him. Ikuta looked at the short sword on his waist, and held its hilt.
「... That’s right. I’ll never walk alone.」
The vermillion-haired girl’s will would always be with him. He could feel this emotional support, and looked up firmly at the cloudy sky.
「I’m a Scientist, so I will solve things I don’t have experience with through trial and error── so talk it through with me, Yatori.」
Ikuta felt a presence nodding beside him. Ikuta then spoke with her for quite some time.
After the inspection of the building was complete, the Empress and the diplomatic team entered. At the same time, they received news of the Kioka’s representatives’ arrival. After finishing their preparation ahead of them, Ikuta and Chamille went into a tidy room designated by the reception party, and waited to meet the other party.
「── The Kioka group has finished their preparations. We will meet them at the main hall.」
At seven in the evening, a servant from the diplomatic building came to report. Ikuta and Chamille looked at each other and nodded.
「Alright. Let’s go, Chamille!」
「... Yes.」
Chamille got up with a tense face. Ikuta took her hand and strode forth. After meeting with the diplomatic team, they went down to the first story of the diplomatic hall. The team included Trisnai, but he merely smiled without saying anything. The group soon reached the corridor leading to the main hall, and passed through the beautifully decorated heavy doors.
「You are early. Welcome, cute Empress and Field Marshal.」
When they walked into an amazingly wide space, they were welcomed by a warm voice. They turned to the source and found an old lady sitting at the round table at the center. A buff middle aged soldier was standing behind her.
「... Nice to meet you. I assume you are the Pope?」
「I’m the leader of Ra Saia Alderamin, Jenancy Labutesuma. People also call me the Pope, but that is just a decorative title. You can call me Jena.」
In response to the Empress’ question, the woman standing at the top of the Church of Aldera answered with a gentle tone, and stared at the girl with eyes that seemed to be boundlessly deep. Chamille tried not to be overwhelmed by her, and said in a measured response:
「... I’m impressed by your magnanimity. However, I can’t omit my respect for the apostle of god. Allow me to address you as Pope Labutesuma as dictated by tradition.」
「Oh, that’s a pity. Then I can’t act intimate and address you as Chamille.」
Jenancy said as if she genuinely felt pity. In place of the awkward Empress, Ikuta who was experienced in speaking with older woman took over and said:
「Then how would you like to address me? Pardon me for invoking the scriptures── beautiful lady who 『is like a flower in full bloom frozen in time』?」
「Oh, you sure are a cunning linguist. Does addressing you as Lord Solork upsets you, Youngest Field Marshal in the history of the Empire?」
「Well, getting closer to you will fill me with joy.」
「Hey you, don’t get too──」
The soldier behind her wanted to protest, but Jenancy stopped him by raising a hand. She looked at the dark-haired youth nostalgically, then said quietly.
「I can see his shadow in your every move… You really are General Bada’s son.」
Ikuta never expected the Pope to mention that name, and was dumbstruck. As if his silence was the cue, the last group of representatives entered from another door.
「Oh── pardon our tardiness!」
The ones who appeared with a cheerful voice were a middle aged man in a dark blue suit, and a white haired soldier behind him. The moment they saw the Pope, they bowed respectfully.
「Kioka Republic Prime Minister Ario Kyakushii, and Army Major General Jean Arkinex, we are here after tidying our appearance quickly in our rooms. Long time no see, Jena, you are as beautiful as ever.」
「You flatter me as always── unfortunately, you are the second one to say that, Ario. He already complimented me.」
Jenancy immediately answered in a friendly tone, and the Prime Minister opened his eyes wide.
「And in terms of compliments, he is more witty by using the scriptures.」
「How strict. Now that you mention it, I’m getting old, but I can’t help being jealous of my quick witted love rival──」
The Prime Minister turned to the subject the Pope was looking at. Realizing that was Ikuta, he showed the smile of a politician that differed wildly from his actual thoughts.
「── You must be Ikuta Solork? Our Jean has been in your care several times. This might sound strange, but I feel you are a kindred spirit, even though this is the first time we met.」
The Prime Minister approached the youth and offered a handshake. He was considerate enough to offer his left hand since Ikuta’s right hand had a walking stick. Ikuta shook his hand right away.
「A pleasure to meet you, Sir Kyakushii, I’m Imperial Field Marshal Ikuta Solork── and there’s nothing strange about that. I don’t feel like this is our first meeting too.」
They exchanged pleasantries, but both of them sensed that the other party was implying something. However, that would have to wait── Ario shifted his kind and gentle gaze from the youth to the girl he was acquainted with.
「Also── It’s been a while, Chamille. I should address you as Your Majesty, but please forgive me for addressing intimately just this once. You were a cute girl during your time in Kioka, and now, you are so beautiful that I thought I got the wrong person. I greeted you a little late, but please treat it as me being bashful in expressing my intimacy with you.」
「... Prime Minister Ario Kyakushii...」
In contrast with his warm greeting, Chamille’s response was icy. At the same time, the white-haired officer politely greeted the Pope he had not met for a long time.
「... I’m Kioka Army Major General Jean Arkinex. Pardon my presence despite my lowly status.」
「No one thinks you are out of place here, Jean. Your superficial humbleness doesn’t suit the rising star who will shoulder Kioka’s future. Ignore the eyes of others and proudly show everyone that the Insomniac Brilliant General is here.」
「I’m honoured by your words, Lady Jena. I apologize for not getting in touch after finishing my term as a foreign attached officer.」
「No news is good news, don’t worry.」
Jenancy smiled magnanimous and looked at the young people one after another. At this moment, a deep voice came from behind her.
「I’m Ra Saia Alderamin Holy Army General Akgarpa Sa Domeisha. Unlike the talented young generals here, I’m just a slow old fool, pleased to meet you.」
General Akgarpa went silent after introducing himself. The Pope laughed with her back to him.
「I don’t feel you are slowing down at all, General Akgarpa. And don’t worry, not many people will forget about you after meeting you.
Well then── each nation’s representatives have met with each other. Next, we will introduce the diplomats of each──」
「Hold it～～!」
Baam! The door which Ario’s group entered previously was opened violently. The person who appeared was an old man and a youth wearing the signature white coats of Scientists. Anarai surveyed the hall unreservedly, then sighed in relief.
「Good, we made it! They haven’t started the conference yet, Bajin!」
「No, we are obviously late. We are intruders who totally spoiled the mood, right?」
Bajin could feel the pickly gaze from around them and retorted to the old man. Ikuta looked at the two of them in surprise and said on reflex:
「──Professor Anarai?」
It had been so long since he called the Professor by his name. The old sage turned his head at that, and opened his eyes gleefully.
「...Ikuta? Is that you?」
However, for a reason not related to the master disciple reunion, the situation turned tense. Jenancy silently watched the uproar with a smile, but there seemed to be an aura filled with rage and intimidation behind her as she glared at the Kioka Prime Minister.
「...Ario. Can you explain what’s going on?」
Ario Kyakushii considered her demand for a moment, and pretended to be retarded as he introduced the new faces.
「Oh～ yes. This is a last minute entry of our diplomatic team, Professor Anarai Khan. Pardon me for reporting this so late.」
Seeing him divert the topic with his apology, the Pope’s silent pressure increased with every passing second. However, the old sage didn’t seem fazed at all. Anarai said loudly to the Pope with a grudge that had built up over a long time.
「I’m tired of running away from your church cronies. I think this is a good chance and came right here instead. As for my goal? It’s obvious── it’s to knock the heads of all you stiff brained priests and open your minds!
Since I’m here, then Science will direct this conference! Fufufufu, enjoy this show through gritted teeth, God── the Three Nation Conference will now truly begin!」
The Scientist’s declaration of war echoed in the wide hall. His words caused more impact than anyone else── this topped off the grand Three Nation Conference, and left its mark in this historical moment.
Note:
Next Week: Alderamin Drama CD track 1 & 2
Next next: 3 & 4
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