by Yuu Miyazaki
“But there should be room for us to choose which obligations to be bound by. That’s why Julis came to Asterisk, to be able to make that choice.”
At this, Julis glanced up at him in surprise.
“Choice, huh…? There are all kinds of people in the world who don’t have that luxury, you know.”
“That may be so, but…I don’t want to be the shackles that tie Julis down,” Ayato declared flatly.
Jolbert, silent, looked him frankly in the eye for a short while, before letting out a deep breath. “Hmm… You’re more serious than I thought. Fine. Let’s put it aside for now.” He raised his hands as if to say he had given up. “But can I ask one more thing?”
“What?”
“If Julis herself desires those shackles, would you be okay with it then?”
“Wha—?! B-brother, what are you…?!”
“I…I would have to think about it…”
Watching Ayato’s and Julis’s faces turn scarlet, Jolbert nodded, satisfied. “Hmm, I see. So there’s still hope.”
“I-if that’s all, we’ll be going! C’mon, Ayato!” Julis stood up and, her shoulders squared and face a brilliant-red, headed for the door.
“Wait a minute, Julis. I said there were two things I wanted to talk about.”
She stopped by the door. “…I’m in no mood for any more of your games,” she snarled over her shoulder with a glare.
“Oh, no, it won’t take long.” Jolbert paused before returning to his usual frivolous smile. “Julis, please don’t participate in the Gryps.”
Abruptly, all expression vanished from her face. “Are you serious?”
Her cold, low voice echoed throughout the room. It was as if the temperature itself had instantly fallen.
“Of course I am.”
“Then tell me why.”
“You saw the victory parade, didn’t you? You’re terrifyingly popular among the people right now, Julis. If you keep going, I could end up losing my position, and that would put me in a difficult situation. So can I ask you not to participate in it?”
“…No.” She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Ayato could tell how angry she was just from the sound of her footsteps fading into the distance. “…Is this okay? She’s really angry, you know.”
“It looks like it. I wonder how many years it’s been since she was last this furious at me?”
“…I had better go after her.” He couldn’t leave her alone in that kind of mood.
But Jolbert called after him. “Don’t worry. I know where she’s going. I’ll let you know when we’re finished, if you’ll stay a little while longer.”
“…What is it?”
“Well, I thought I’d ask you to try to convince her…but judging by that expression, there’s probably no point, is there?”
“…No.” Ayato doubted that even he could talk her into doing anything in that state of mind, and moreover, he had no intention of doing so. He had already decided to be her strength.
“I give up…,” Jolbert grumbled, scratching his head. But despite his words, he didn’t look like he was about to.
“Did you mean it, when you asked that?”
“Didn’t I just say so? Of course I meant it. I’m asking it from the bottom of my heart. Think about it for a moment. Just what do you think will happen if she wins?”
“Well… She would be even more popular than she is now, I guess.”
“Exactly. I’m telling you, the people of this country are nothing but selfish. Back when she was born, they were all saying how having a Genestella for a princess was terrifying, disgusting even.” Jolbert twisted his lips around the words sarcastically. “Anyway, I don’t like saying this, but I could end up getting relieved of my position. I’m only allowed to sit on this country’s throne because I do what the IEFs expect of me, and don’t pay any attention either to politics or work.”
It was like the old saying: The lighter the palanquin, the easier the burden.
“It would be child’s play for the foundations to orchestrate a change in leadership. And who do you think is next in line to sit on the throne?”
Ayato finally understood.
“…Julis is earnest and kind. She won’t be content to leave things as they are. She’ll no doubt try to change everything, to help everyone who’s suffering. But that’s not possible, not in this country, controlled by the IEFs. She knows that only too well. Which is why she went to Asterisk in the first place. She’s suffering, too.”
Ayato was silent.
“For the time being, at least, I’m still more valuable to them than she is. Or perhaps I should say, Julis is less valuable to them than I am. You know that she’s defiant, especially where they’re concerned. But if push came to shove, they wouldn’t have a hard time making her do what they want. They could hold the whole country hostage. So if she were to become more valuable to them than I am…” Jolbert stopped there, smiling sadly.
It was just like their previous conversation about marriage. The more Julis tried to do what was right, the more her position—from a personal standpoint, at least—took a turn for the worse.
“So let me ask you again, Amagiri.” Jolbert looked straight into his eyes. “Isn’t there anything you can do to convince her?”
“…I’m afraid not.” Despite all that, his answer was the same.
There was nothing he could do. After all, she had chosen this path herself, fully aware of its implications.
“I see… I understand.” Jolbert leaned back into the sofa, looking up at the ceiling with a forced smile. “I guess there’s no way around it. I’ll just have to keep playing the role of the benign fool,” he said, slowly closing his eyes.
“Jolbert…”
“It’s all right. Despite how it might look, I am enjoying my position. And I’ve no intention of turning it over anytime soon.” He opened an eye to glance at Ayato. “She should be at the orphanage on the other side of the lake. Ever since she was a child, she would go there whenever something happened. I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Ayato bowed deeply to the king as he left the room, then hurried after Julis.
Unlike the previous day, the sky was hidden behind a layer of thick, leaden clouds.
Snow fluttered down from above, disappearing into the white mist of his breath.
“This must be it…”
The church was around thirty minutes from the Royal Palace by car, perched atop a hill at the outskirts of a shantytown.
It was an old building made of brick and wood, connected to a two-story house. It was much larger than he had imagined from Julis’s description, but there was no denying that it was quite worn. A high wall surrounded the building, but it had collapsed in places and no longer seemed to serve much use.
When he stepped into the grounds, he could hear the voices of children playing behind the church. He walked through the thin layer of snow and found Julis engaged in a snowball fight with a group of youngsters.
“It’s Ayato Amagiri!” one shouted.
“It really is!”
“Wow!”
The children called out one after the other, and Julis, wearing a thick black coat, turned to face him.
“You got here sooner than I expected. So he told you?”
“Yeah.”
Her tone and expression were calm, but she was clearly annoyed.
“You too. How long have you been here? I came by car.”
Ayato had gone after Julis quickly after her departure. Upon leaving, he’d immediately asked Flora to arrange a car for him (she had been in the middle of something, and so hadn’t been able to go, too), and had even thought he might catch her on the way.
“I used a secret route, one that I’ve used since I was a child. You wouldn’t be able to catch up by car.”
“…I see.”
If a Genestella really wanted to, it wasn’t impossible for them to move faster than a car that was road-bound. All the more so
if they were familiar with the path.
“Oh my, I thought they were getting lively. So you’ve come to visit us, Julis.” An elderly sister slowly opened a window from within the church, peeking down at them.
“Sister Therese… Ah, right. This is—”
“It’s okay. Even we watched the tournament. Welcome, Ayato Amagiri,” the sister said, smiling. “I’m afraid we don’t have much to offer, but how would you like some tea?”
“Ah, of course.”
“Wonderful. Then please come in.”
He entered the church with Julis and immediately found the passage leading to the adjoining house.
Inside, several other sisters were hard at work, assisted by a number of children somewhat older than those playing outside.
“The holidays are just around the corner, so we’re all busy getting ready.”
“Oh…” Julis stopped, taking in the scene nostalgically, but soon came back to her senses. “I’m sorry—it’s just like I remember.”
“Did you help out, too?”
“Well…a bit. I don’t think I was much help, though,” Julis said with a complicated expression.
“That’s right.” Sister Therese approached them from across the room. “When she first came here, she really couldn’t do anything for herself. Rather than helping, it was more like she got in everyone’s way.” She chuckled playfully.
“Stop teasing me, Sister Therese.” Julis smiled gently.
“I’m sorry. But to think that kind of child would go on to win the Phoenix…”
The air between the two of them, smiling happily, struck Ayato as almost like mother and child.
It was only then that he realized Sister Therese was a Genestella.
She led them to the back of the house, to what looked like a small dining room. There, she urged them to sit at a long wooden table with chairs on either side.
“Let me welcome you again, Ayato Amagiri. My name is Therese. I’m in charge of the church and orphanage here.”
Sister Therese sat across from them, while a younger nun brought them some tea. The newcomer greeted Ayato politely and then grinned at Julis, who was sitting next to him.
“Welcome back. I watched the Phoenix. You did it!”
“Well, of course.” Julis laughed.
“Look who’s talking. I remember back when all you did was cry constantly!”
The sister must have been around the same age as her pair of guests. Like Therese, she seemed to be a Genestella. She nudged Julis with her elbow, teasing her playfully in a soft tone. Julis responded in kind. It was obvious they were good friends. Several other sisters about the same age had gathered around.
She looks just like any other ordinary girl…
He felt strangely glad seeing Julis, usually on edge, take on this new, fresh aspect.
“…I’m relieved,” Therese announced suddenly, and it sounded like it was directed toward him.
“Huh?” Surprised, Ayato turned to her.
“That she chose someone like you.”
“No, I’m not—”
“It’s okay. I can tell from the way you were looking at her.” Theresa smiled warmly before turning to the gathered sisters and clapping her hands. “Okay, okay, you had better get back to work if we want to be ready in time for the Epiphany.”
“Yes,” the devotees said in unison, reluctantly leaving.
Once the three were alone, Therese turned to Ayato with a serious expression.
“Now then—please let me express my thanks once more. I’m sorry that Flora caused you such trouble.”
“Ah, no, it wasn’t just me…” Ayato tried to wave her thanks away.
Julis scowled at him in disbelief.
“You say that, but from what I’ve heard, if it wasn’t for each and every one of you, there would have been no saving her. So at the very least, from someone who cares about her very much, please, as a representative of you all…”
“Okay…” He couldn’t argue with her there.
“Besides, it’s partly my fault,” she said, shaking her head in self-reproach. “I should never have let her go by herself. I should have sent one of the sisters with her, whether she liked it or not.”
“Some of the sisters seem to be Genestella.”
“Yes. Four, if you include me. A few more if you include the children.”
Four Genestella around the same age working in the same place, all by chance, was quite unusual. Moreover, he could see from the way they carried themselves that they had received some kind of training.
“Sister Therese is like my teacher, as a Strega.”
“Wow. Is that so?”
“I just tried to teach her how to defend herself. She’s a faster learner than I thought. She’s surpassed me now.”
Julis’s abilities were certainly quite refined for someone who hadn’t received any formal training.
Her timing and the way she lured her opponents into traps must have been based on some kind of theory.
“Forgive me for asking, but did you attend Asterisk once?”
“Not at all!” She laughed. “I only learned a little from a Strega I knew a long time ago. I try to teach all the children how to defend themselves, not only the Genestella. Of course, some don’t like fighting, so not all want to learn…” She spoke nostalgically, but Ayato noticed that she seemed to be gazing into the distance behind him.
He turned around, but there wasn’t anything important in the room. The only thing that stood out was a cozy glass-walled building on the other side of the window.
“Is that…a greenhouse?”
“Yes. It was the favorite place of a child who used to live with us. She was such a gentle child… She didn’t like fighting at all…”
“…”
At that, Julis stood up, her chair scraping against the floor loudly.
“Julis?”
“…Sorry. I need to get some fresh air,” she said.
“Haah…” Therese watched her leave the room sadly, and let out a long sigh. “So she’s still taking it hard…”
When Ayato went outside, he found Julis surrounded by children.
“I’m sorry, everyone, but I have to go out for a while. Please tell the sisters for me,” she said gently, squatting down at eye level with them.
“Are you leaving already, princess?”
“But you just got here!”
The children all called out disappointedly, but Julis merely gave them all a weak smile, patting them on the head.
“Don’t worry—I won’t be long. Go and help the sisters until I get back, okay? It looks like they’re behind schedule with the preparations for the Epiphany.”
They still looked disappointed, but soon filed back into the building without further complaint.
“Are you okay?” Ayato asked.
“Let’s go for a walk,” she replied, raising her hood and making toward one of the gaps in the wall.
As they left the church, a dreary street lined with run-down houses opened up around them. It felt a little like the redevelopment area in Asterisk, but the scenery was quite different.
The buildings on either side were so old, they looked like they might collapse at any moment, or else they were so shabby, they resembled little more than mountain huts. There were a few buildings that appeared to be apartment complexes, but the walls were full of cracks and covered with graffiti. The road was littered with trash, and in the middle of one vacant plot of land, several people, residents perhaps, sat huddled around an open fire. They were staring into the flames without moving, their eyes dull and listless, as if robbed of all hope.
The whole town seemed to be suffocating under some unseen force.
“…I’m sorry,” Julis finally said, speaking up. “I’m not feeling very well today.”
“Don’t worry—it happens to the best of us.”
He didn’t know which part of Therese’s conversation had upset her, but it was clearly something quite important to her
.
“If I can’t even control my feelings, there’s no way I can talk to my brother…”
“He’s worried about you.”
“…I know,” she said, biting her lip. “I know he cares about me above everything else, and I know how lucky I am for that.” Her voice sounded more like she was reminding herself of those things. “But still… No, because of that, I can’t let things in this country keep going as they are.”
“You’re doing your best, we can all see that. And you don’t have to worry about the orphanage anymore.”
Her wish after winning the Phoenix had been to purchase this orphanage in her home country, and secure funds for it for the future. She might have been extending her helping hand to her own friends, but that didn’t change the fact that it was something to be proud of.
“But in the end, that was just like sprinkling water on parched soil. It’s the system itself that keeps these people down, that makes places end up like this, and makes children have to rely on the orphanages.”
A world dominated by the IEFs was one that would keep on giving birth to economic disadvantage. Its very essence was disparity. Of course, the world had always been like that, for as long as recorded history, but the integrated enterprise foundations did everything in their power to exacerbate it.
“I wanted to free the people from that curse, even if only in this country. If that’s not possible, I at least want to fight back against it.”
“So…will that be your wish after the Gryps?”
Julis gave a slight nod.
She’d made it no secret that she was aiming for a grand slam. It wasn’t enough to just win the Festa once.
“The orphanage was in a very bad state financially. So I prioritized saving it above everything else. That was my first goal, and I managed to pull it off…” She trailed off. “I know I’m being selfish, probably because my brother always spoiled me. But I…” Pain crept into her voice. Ayato had never seen this side of her before.
“Julis…,” he began, but the words wouldn’t come to him.
All of a sudden, her gaze shot upward. “—!”
The anguish that had consumed her expression just a moment earlier had been replaced with surprise.
