by Hyougetsu
“We’re back, Lady Eleora!”
The three werewolf sisters saluted the new empress. They were all wearing the uniform of Rolmund’s imperial guard. As promised, Volka’s clan had sworn their services to Eleora. However, the older werewolves still had lingering attachments to the Bolshevik family, so it was only the younger generation that was here. All the young women were working as Eleora’s guards, while most of the young men answered to Borsche.
“Lady Eleora, the palace is secure!” The eldest of the three sisters, Marsha, gave Eleora an affable smile.
“Good work. Natalia, get some tea for these girls as well.”
“Yaaay! Lady Eleora, can I open this box of cookies too?”
“Hold on, Borsche baked a pie to celebrate my coronation. Let’s eat that instead.”
These girls sure settled in quickly. Eleora seemed to have figured out the trick to getting along with kids after winning over Skuje’s squad.
“Hurry up and cut me a piece, Lady Eleora!”
“Misha, it’s rude to demand things from the empress!”
“But we’re not allowed to take our own knives out around her, right?”
“Cooking knives are fine.”
Smiling, Eleora held out a hand to calm the girls down, and said, “It’s traditional in Rolmund for the host to serve their dishes. I’ll cut the pie. By the way, Misha...”
“What is it, Lady Eleora?”
“Do you like me?”
Eleora moved her knife slightly to the side and glanced up at Misha. Instantly realizing what was going on, Misha shouted, “I do! I love you, Your Majesty!”
“Good.”
Eleora cut out a conspicuously large slice of pie. Come on, you can’t play favorites like that. Naturally, the other girls weren’t going to let that slide either.
“Hey, no fair! I love you too, Lady Eleora!”
“So do I! Ah, I want that piece with the strawberry on it!”
Considering they’d been living in the middle of the forest until now, I doubted these girls had had many opportunities to eat sweets. So their obsession with them was understandable. It probably helped that they all did like Eleora. Over the past few months, she had gotten pretty good at handling werewolves. As Eleora cut out more slices of pie, she cocked her head in mock confusion.
“Thank you. But now I don’t know what to do. If I give you all large pieces, they won’t feel special anymore.”
Then Eleora smiled playfully and said, “Borsche!”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
The door behind Eleora flew open and Borsche rushed into the room. He was wearing an apron over his military uniform and carrying a tray with a massive pie on it. Like, a seriously massive pie. How the hell did you even fit that in the oven? At any rate, it seemed Borsche had been a baker before becoming a soldier. Eleora’s smile grew wider and she said, “I know werewolves are big eaters. So this entire pie is for you three. Make sure you thank Borsche before eating though.”
“Okaaaay! Thank you, Borsche!” The three girls said in unison.
It’s like Eleora’s made them into her pets... At any rate, Borsche seemed to be happy at how well-received his pies were. I’d been a little worried Rolmund’s werewolves wouldn’t be able to fit in here at first, but fortunately Eleora had become a master of making friends. She’d returned to Rolmund practically alone, but now she was surrounded by capable friends. Looks like my job here’s done. I can finally go back to Meraldia.
* * * *
—Shallier and Dillier’s Fate—
A vast tundra covered the northernmost tip of Rolmund. The land there was too cold for agriculture. Even in summer, the soil remained frozen, making it impossible to plow. It was across that frigid wasteland that Shallier and Dillier now walked.
“Are you tired, Princess Dillier?”
“I am no longer a princess, Lord Shallier.”
“And I’m no lord,” Shallier replied with a smile, pushing back his hood.
Dillier smiled back and said, “I used to enjoy long trips, but this is the first time I’ve had to make one by foot. Would it be alright if we rest for a while?”
“Of course. Even if we hurried, we’d still be stuck camping outside. The wilderness might be dangerous, but it’s still safer than the capital.”
Shallier hefted his crossbow and short spear, checking the nearby surroundings for beasts. Dillier nodded to him, gripping her small hunting dagger tight.
“No matter how dangerous the road ahead may be, this is the path that I chose. I have no regrets.”
Shallier nodded to Dillier and said, “You have a point... Even if what we’re doing is the height of folly, it’s a fate we chose for ourselves.”
“Precisely, Shallier.”
The two of them smiled at each other. Shallier then took a wineskin out of his pack and offered it to Dillier. As she drank, he said, “Neither you nor I wished to be bound by the chains of Cold Micha. That’s why I escaped from my duty to protect Rolmund’s demons and the Sternenfeuer believers, and you escaped from your duty to protect the empire and the imperial line.”
“I always thought it was only death that could free me from my fate, but in the end, I managed to escape with my life intact.”
“We have Eleora...or rather Lord Veight to thank for that.” Shallier’s smile turned a little forlorn. “If not for him, neither of us would be alive right now.”
“Hehehe, I suppose so.”
Dillier wiped her lips with the back of her hand and got to her feet. Back when she’d been living in the palace she’d never imagined the day would come where she’d be wearing a smelly bear fur coat in the middle of nowhere.
“We owe him a great deal... Oh, that reminds me, Shallier.”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t we name our first child after him? We could call him Veich...actually, I suppose the North Rolmund style would be to name him Veike.”
“Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about that?” Shallier asked in mild exasperation. But despite his words, he was smiling at his new bride.
“We’ll need at least three names, by the way.”
“Huh?”
“I told you before, remember? I want at least three kids,” Dillier said with a playful smile.
“Alright, let’s call them Veike, Vaive, and Veiru.”
“At least pretend to think about it a little.”
The pair continued north, their boots leaving tracks in the freshly fallen snow.
* * * *
Surprisingly, I was pretty busy even after the coronation ceremony. For once, I actually had work to do as Meraldia’s diplomat instead of Eleora’s advisor. Fortunately, my status within Rolmund had risen quite a bit thanks to all the help I’d given Eleora. As a result, I was granted an audience with the Sonnenlicht Pope, Mikuli the Third. The pope, who resided in the West Rolmund city of Ioro Lange, wielded almost as much power as the emperor. Just being granted an audience with him was an honor. Chances were I was probably the first Meraldian—and the first demon—to ever lay eyes on the Sonnenlicht Pope. As I strode into the audience chamber of Ioro Lange’s grand cathedral, Mikuli the Third smiled at me. He was an old man and had a long, white beard that reminded me of Santa Claus.
“I have heard much of your exploits, Lord Veight. It is thanks to you that our church’s position is stable. I am pleased your alliance with the Sonnenlicht Order transcended national borders.”
“I am unworthy of such praise, Your Eminence. After all, I aided the Sonnenlicht Order for my own selfish reasons.”
The pope’s smile grew wider.
“Regardless, the fact remains that you eased tensions between our order and other religions. I’ve heard that you also contributed to our holy scriptures.”
The pope raised a hand and one of the bishops in the room hurried over and handed him an ostentatiously bound tome.
“Just the other day, we discovered a continuation of the chronicles of the Holy Zahakt Crusade. It appears
the hero who spent his youth fighting heretics and demons regretted his actions during his later years.”
The pope opened the tome to the page I’d helped Traja write. It was a bit embarrassing to think that my writing would become a holy scripture that people would still be reading generations later.
“‘Cooperating with those whose values differ from us will call forth the dawn faster than fighting with them.’ In the past, the Sonnenlicht Order could never have allowed such a tenet, but times have changed.”
It was obvious from the pope’s smile that he knew all about my discussion with Traja. He might have looked like a kindly Santa Claus, but he was a shrewd old man.
“I imagine your contributions will save the lives of many heretics. Perhaps it is arrogant of me to speak for them, but I imagine they are grateful to you.”
I bowed my head, more out of fear than respect. This guy was scary. Still smiling, the pope said, “Incidentally, Lord Veight.”
“Yes, Your Eminence?”
“I would like to reward you for your services to the order. Is there anything you desire?”
The one thing I’d wanted from the church I’d already obtained by writing down new scriptures in that book he was holding.
“No, there’s nothing, Your Eminence.”
The pope’s smile grew wider and he said, “Your lack of desire is a far greater weapon than any werewolf’s fangs.”
“What do you mean?”
“Those who selflessly serve others are powerful, regardless of how low their social standing might be. But those who rise to positions of leadership while retaining that lack of desire possess strength beyond measure.”
I wouldn’t say I don’t have any desires. There’s actually a ton of stuff that I want. I just know I won’t be able to get it in this world so I’ve given up. The internet, air conditioning, and chocolate ice cream were still things I craved.
As I peered into the pope’s face, I suddenly realized his smile didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, he was looking me over like he was evaluating me. His gaze had the caution and wisdom that came with being the leader of a bloody empire. Man, this guy really is scary. However his piercing gaze soon vanished, and his smile became genuine.
“We are truly blessed that a man of your caliber allied himself with us. I pray we can stand side by side in the future as well.”
“Of course, Your Eminence.”
Even the things he says sound scary... Still, now that the Sonnenlicht Order had allied itself with demons and heretics, there’d hopefully be fewer religious wars in the future. This would be good for the order too, since now they had opportunities to bring in new converts. I knew firsthand how pushy their missionaries can be, and I’d learned from my time in Rolmund that Sonnenlicht was more than willing to adopt foreign practices if it brought in new believers. I did feel bad about the religions that would suddenly have to deal with an influx of Sonnenlicht proselytizers, but that wasn’t my problem. For a foreigner, I’d already meddled more than enough.
After that, the pope granted me the title of “He Who Parted the Mountains” and ordained me as a Sonnenlicht saint. Now I was a saint in both Rolmund and Meraldia. Chances were he’d just ordained me because he thought it’d make me feel good, but in truth, it really did do that, so clearly he had my number. I was the kind of person who easily let praise get to my head. At any rate, it seemed my title was a reference to the fact that I’d brought two separate cultures, Rolmund and Meraldia, together. It was also a subtle reference to how I’d bridged the gap between the Sonnenlicht Order and other religions. Though, I had a feeling people unaware of the context would misunderstand what my title meant.
Finally, the time had come for me and the other werewolves to return to Meraldia. The past few weeks we’d been stuck attending various official events as diplomats. Most of the empire trusted us now, thanks to the support we’d given Eleora. As a result, my departure kept on getting delayed, and every time I looked at the calendar I started feeling depressed. Partially because once I finally did leave, it’d mean saying farewell to Eleora.
In fact, though Eleora had tons of pressing duties as the new empress, she’d taken time out of her busy schedule to accompany me as far as East Rolmund. We’d just crossed into the border of Lord Kastoniev’s territory, and it was just half a day’s ride from here to the tunnel.
As we rode, Eleora gave me a sad smile. “Thank you so much for everything, Veight. I’ll never forget this debt.”
“Don’t worry about it. Though...I’m sorry I couldn’t put an end to the tale of Cold Micha before I left.”
Rolmundians were methodical, logical, and prone to self-sacrifice. In that sense, they were like dragonkin, but the dragonkin I knew weren’t nearly so willing to die. Regardless, it was that disposition of theirs that had led to so many tragedies in the past. Part of the reason why I’d come here was to put an end to that history of tragedy, but unfortunately, I couldn’t really say I’d succeeded. Even Shallier, the most scheming, power-hungry guy I knew had turned out to be a good guy willing to sacrifice his life for what he thought was the greater good.
The only person I’d met who questioned the Rolmund ideal of self-sacrifice was Dillier. But before I could even seek compromise with her, we ended up as enemies and I was forced to capture her. Rolmund was still filled with people who were just like the characters in Cold Micha.
I guess it’s not that easy to change the perspective of an entire society. Come to think of it, when I convinced Kite to work for me, I told him, “I’ll crush the Senate for you,” but I never managed that either. It was Eleora who got rid of those guys. I always make these grand promises, but I can never follow through on them...
But to my surprise, Eleora smiled and replied, “What are you saying? You put an end to the unbroken chain of tragedies, just like you promised you would. From here on out, it’s my job to make it sure it stays that way.” Eleora put a hand on my shoulder. “As long as I’m empress, I’ll make sure no one has to sacrifice themselves. Everyone within Rolmund will live in peace and prosperity.”
You sure turned into a reliable leader. However, that was easier said than done. I opened my mouth to tell Eleora as much, but then thought better of it. She understood that full well already; she didn’t need me reminding her.
“Oh yeah, this is for you.”
I pulled out a thick notebook and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
“A collection of all the information the demon army has gathered.”
Friedensrichter had left behind a record of all the knowledge he’d possessed. He’d written his notes down in Japanese, but I’d translated them into Rolmundian for Eleora. I’d kept out the military notes like the stuff on ballistics and gunpowder, but I’d translated everything related to agriculture, engineering, and other sciences. Some of the concepts I’d translated even I didn’t understand fully, but I was sure a genius like Eleora would be able to make sense of it.
Eleora gingerly took the notebook and asked, “Are you sure you want to give this to me?”
“Of course. I know you’ll use it well.”
“Sheesh. Now I owe you an even greater debt.” Eleora smiled wanly and added, “In return, I swear I’ll take good care of Rolmund’s demons. If there are any other demons hiding within the empire’s borders, I’ll shelter them too.”
“Thanks, I’ll be counting on you. Demons have a pretty different way of thinking than most humans, so you might have a hard time winning them over, but they’ll be loyal allies if you do.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll turn Rolmund into the kind of nation where heretics and demons of all kinds can live in peace.” Eleora smiled mischievously and added, “Though I guess if I manage to do that, I’ll end up stealing your job, huh?”
“By all means, take it. While you’re working on making Rolmund a good place for demons, I’ll be doing my best to make the same thing happen in Meraldia.”
“I guess it’s a competition t
hen. A competition to see who makes an ideal nation the fastest.” Eleora chuckled, and for a moment she looked like the imposing commander who’d first come to Meraldia. But then her expression softened again and she said, “I’ll make Rolmund into such a great nation that you’ll regret not staying here.”
“Now that, I’m looking forward to.”
While I had grown a little attached to Rolmund, I was a Ryunheit werewolf through and through. Meraldia was my home. Still, the thought of leaving Rolmund made me a little lonely.
“Considering how demanding our respective jobs are, this might be the last time we ever see each other,” I said sadly.
“Indeed. The political situation within Rolmund is still unstable, and I doubt I’ll be able to leave the country even after I get everything under control. Your job likely won’t bring you back here, either.”
When I’d first met Eleora I thought she was a terrifying woman, but now I didn’t want to say goodbye. So instead of a farewell, I said, “If...this is just a hypothetical, but...”
“Mhmm?”
“If the time ever comes that you’re forced to flee Rolmund, come to Meraldia. Don’t just die a dog’s death in the capital, you hear?”
Eleora gave me a blank look for a few seconds, then burst out in laughter.
“Hahahaha! If that happens, Rolmund really won’t have any royalty left to turn to. Still...I appreciate the offer.” Eleora gave me a dismissive nod. “Now get out of here. I’ll be waiting to hear what reckless antics you get up to next from my throne in Rolmund.”
“Hey, I’ve never once done anything reckless...”
Well, I’m sure I’ll get the opportunity to set the record straight someday. I won’t let this be our final farewell. I reluctantly jumped onto my horse and waved to Eleora.
“Goodbye, Eleora! We’ll meet again!”
“One day, for sure!”
And so, I left Rolmund and its new, benevolent empress behind. Be well, Eleora. After all she’d been through, I had no doubt that Eleora would be a good empress.
“Alright guys, we’re running back to Ryunheit at full speed!”
