Unification of the South

by Hyougetsu

  “Yeah. All too well, actually. Honestly, I’m amazed someone managed to unite all these cities into one country.” Mao gave me a smile. “You’re an interesting man, you know that?”

  “How so?”

  “I never imagined a demon to understand our internal discord. However, you are quite an empathetic demon, Lord Veight.”

  Well, I was a human once before. I’d lived a pretty carefree life since reincarnating, though, so I never thought I’d end up dealing with ancient racial conflicts. After hearing all this, I realized it was smarter to focus on conquering just the south first. If all the southern cities saw the north as their enemy, the atrocities we committed there wouldn’t close the door to negotiating. If anything, they’d help. When all was said and done, Master was human too, so she’d understand if I explained all this to her. However, Mao was right in assuming that normal demons would be unable to comprehend such grudges. Just thinking about how I’d have to explain this to the other demon generals made my head hurt.

  It appeared Mao had more to say on the topic too, and he added, “I’ve heard that it was the north who was desperate to win the Meraldian Unification War. For whatever reason, they absolutely wanted to have the south under their control.”

  “I take it that’s what the people of the south say?”

  “Indeed.”

  Then it was probably best to take that story with a grain of salt. The way Mao told it, the south had just wanted to be left alone, but the north had wanted everyone to join under the same alliance no matter what. In the end, the north had won, and the south had been forced to become part of Meraldia. I could see why the south was unhappy with that. But I doubted the people of the north were unilaterally evil, so they likely must have had their own reasons for forcing the alliance onto everyone. Though whatever those reasons were, they hadn’t told the south. I wonder why they’d been so desperate...

  We camped out in the open that night. The road we were traveling was well-maintained, and there were plenty of suitable camping locations off to the side of the road. It reminded me of the camping trails we’d had in national parks back on earth. By arraying our wagons in a ring around our campground, we were also able to create a makeshift barricade to defend against any surprise bandit attacks. It’d be a problem if someone started shooting fire arrows into our wagons, but since most bandits were after loot, I doubted they’d want to destroy what they came to steal.

  It was always possible they might sneak up and steal our cargo while we slept, but that wouldn’t be too huge a loss. If they were going to steal our stuff quietly, they’d only be able to carry away so much. It probably wouldn’t even put a small dent in Mao’s profits. Bandits knew if they were too aggressive people would stop using the highways they roamed, and even worse, cities would send out armies to flush them out. It was common wisdom among them not to go overboard.

  “Most of the bandits roaming this area are people who were exiled from their tribes or the nearby cities. They’re civilized enough to negotiate with,” Mao explained as we set up camp. “Salt is a necessary part of everyone’s diet, so it’s even more valuable than hard coin. If needed, we can always relinquish some as tribute.”

  That being said, Mao had no intention of giving bandits any of his precious rock salt. All they’d be getting was sea salt.

  “Each bandit group has their own territory, and I’ve already paid the ones who control this highway enough to buy us safe passage.”

  Oh, so that’s why you were talking to that group of shady looking guys earlier. This way Mao didn’t have to worry about being attacked, and the bandits got what they wanted.

  “But don’t you still hire guards, normally?”

  “Of course. They’re leverage to help convince the bandits it’s in their best interests to just quietly accept our tribute rather than fight us for our cargo.”

  I pointed to the sword strapped at Mao’s belt.

  “Do you actually know how to use that thing?”

  “I learned a bit of swordplay from one of the warriors in the merchant’s guild. Though, I am proud to say I’ve never needed to use it before.”

  That’s something to be proud of?

  “It is my opinion that any conflict that can be resolved without violence.”

  Ah, I get it now. So never having to fight is the pride of a merchant. As we were serving as Mao’s guards for this trip, I had my werewolves alternate the watch, just in case.

  “Would you like me to take charge of the caravan’s security?”

  While I appreciated Parker’s offer, I shook my head and replied, “If we do things your way we’ll scare the merchants to death.”

  Necromancy tended to terrify non-mages. After making sure the Garney brothers were keeping watch properly, I returned to the campfire. Naturally, Parker followed and sat across from me.

  “Oi, why’re you here? Go to sleep.”

  “I’m afraid I’ve already fallen into a slumber from which I will never wake.”

  He was just waiting for a chance to say that, wasn’t he? It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t used the same joke four times already. Have some originality at least. Seeing my lackluster reaction, Parker drooped a little.

  “I suppose that joke is getting old... Perhaps it’s time I thought up new ones.”

  “I’d prefer it if you never make another bad pun again, personally.”

  Joking aside, there was actually something about necromancy that I wanted to ask Parker. But it was a rather sensitive topic, so I didn’t know how to bring it up. Maybe I’ll just ask Melaine when I get back to Ryunheit. Parker studied my expression, and then, as if he’d read my thoughts, said, “If there’s something you wish to inquire of me, don’t hold back on my account, my dear brother.”

  I’m terrible at keeping a poker face, huh? Though even if I wasn’t, it was hard to keep secrets from Parker. Now that he’d figured me out, there was no point in holding back.

  “What do you think will happen to Master?”

  This had been weighing on my mind since the coronation ceremony. Right now, the demon army absolutely needed Gomoviroa. Not only was she the only one who truly understood the old Demon Lord’s will, but she was also our most powerful demon. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen to the army if the fact that she’d crossed the final threshold began to change her. More importantly, though, I personally didn’t want anything to happen to her. I didn’t want to be forced to kill her. The mere thought was abhorrent to me. After a few moments of silent consideration, Parker answered.

  “What was the answer Master gave to the question the final threshold posed to her? You’re worried precisely because you heard it, are you not?”

  “She said that death is a phase in the endless cycle of energy.”

  “Hmm...”

  The light of the campfire gave Parker’s skull an eerie glow. He shook his head and replied, “Her answer was different from mine, so I cannot be sure... but she’ll probably be fine.”

  “Aren’t you taking this a bit too lightly?”

  I was worried Parker was about to pull out another terrible pun, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. While his tone was light, he was still completely serious.

  “Not at all. You see, I crossed the final threshold by accident. However, Master only opened the door to death after careful preparation. That’s why I believe she’ll be fine.”

  “What do you mean, you crossed by accident?”

  Seeing as Parker had achieved immortality, I’d always thought he was a complete master of the necrotic arts. However, he shook his head sadly and muttered, “I told you how I suffered from a severe illness while I was still alive before, did I not?”

  “Yeah. You said the reason you picked up necromancy was because of that, right?”

  Going off how he’d described his symptoms to me in the past, he’d probably had tuberculosis or something similar. Most illnesses were cured by magic in this world, but you’d need to be one hell of
a healer to figure out how to treat tuberculosis. Even I didn’t know how to cure it.

  “Indeed. As the end drew near, I became even more desperate. I threw myself into my research, frantically searching for a way to evade the reaper.”

  Then, just before his death, Parker had crossed the final threshold.

  “To me, life was a complex puzzle—a maze. A maze one can traverse only so long as one still draws breath. And at the end of that labyrinth lay the secrets to surpassing life and death.”

  So that’s why he’s called Parker the Labyrinthine.

  “And you found those secrets?”

  That was a redundant question, since if he hadn’t he wouldn’t be sitting in front of me right now. But to my surprise, Parker shook his head.

  “I have indeed surpassed death. When I escaped the labyrinth, I escaped the clutches of the reaper.” The flickering flames illuminated Parker’s expression. “But there was nothing there. No hidden answer to the mysteries of life and death. Beyond the maze lay nothingness. A vast, empty void. There was no happiness, no sadness, practically no emotions at all.”

  “I’m not sure I follow.”

  Parker’s analogy was a bit too abstract for me. It sounded like he was saying he lost all his emotions, but he was far too cheery and annoying for that to be true. Parker scratched his skull and tried to clarify, “I suppose that would be a difficult explanation to grasp. Let me see... To put it simply, the maze’s exit did not lead where I expected it to.”

  “Okay, now you’ve simplified it too much.”

  That explanation was just as unhelpful, only for different reasons. Parker folded his arms and thought about how to convey what he’d found.

  “Hmm, it’s hard to find the words to explain it to a strengthening mage such as yourself. When I escaped the maze I believed I’d achieved my goal, but in truth, it was the opposite.” Parker threw a branch into the fire and looked up at me. “I wanted to solve the mysteries of life and death, but crossing the threshold just brought me even further from the truth. In fact, it left me stuck in a void where I would forever be denied the answers I sought. Does that make more sense?”

  “Not really...”

  I knew necromancers were philosophers, but that didn’t make it any easier to understand their ramblings. All I got out of Parker’s explanation was that he’d messed up bad, and there was no undoing the mistake.

  “Suffice it to say, I failed. However, it appears our esteemed Master did not. Which is why there’s no need to worry! Simple enough?”

  “I guess, but...”

  While that did allay my worries regarding Master, now I was worried about Parker.

  “So then, are you okay?”

  “Me? Fear not, I am fine.” Parker clacked his jaws together in a strange facsimile of laughter. “You see, there’s something the previous Demon Lord told me back before I had officially joined the army. ‘If all you found is emptiness, that means you are free to fill it with whatever you wish.’”

  Okay, now this makes even less sense.

  “His words opened my eyes. Crossing the threshold had given me the freedom to choose my own path. If I wanted to tell horrible puns, I could. If I wanted to make illusions that looked like my old self, I could. If I wanted to annoy my cute little brother, I could!”

  “You wanna repeat that last one?”

  I raised a fist, and Parker held up his hands in mock surrender.

  “At any rate, this is why I’ve started to think that having an eternity full of nothing isn’t so bad. Hahaha!”

  “Don’t try to change the subject on me. I’m not letting that one go.”

  “And the reason I pun so often is because I wish to share my humor with others! I have to make the most of what few emotions I have left, after all!”

  “Oh no, you’re not deflecting me this time.”

  I grabbed Parker’s shoulders and shook him hard. However, he just kept laughing without a care in the world.

  ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

  —Parker’s Recollections—

  I still remember the day you became one of Master’s disciples. You looked a little nervous, but mostly I remember the deep resolve in your gaze. Your dazzling radiance was too bright for these old, empty eye sockets. To me, you were like an arrow of light, shooting headlong toward the future. It made me, who’d been frozen in time all these years, a little jealous.

  “So you’re Veight. I’m Parker. Master’s second disciple.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mister Parker!”

  From our very first conversation, you stirred my heart. Or you would have, if I still possessed a heart. My emotions withered so long ago that I couldn’t even remember what these feelings were. Since crossing the final threshold, I had lost all but a few of my negative emotions. Which of course meant that whatever I felt then had to be a positive one. Whatever that feeling was, it was a comforting one. I wanted to bask in it for a while longer, at least until I remembered what it was.

  “Oh yes, would you like me to tell you who you were in your past life? A necromancer of my considerable talents can do so with ease.”

  “Wha!? N-No thanks! I’m not interested in necromancy anyway!”

  Then why are you studying under a famed necromancer? I must say, young Veight, your reactions are surprisingly entertaining to watch. Wait. Surprising? Entertaining? I can’t recall the last time such words applied to me.

  “Parker, stop teasing the newbie. Don’t worry, even necromancers can’t read people’s past lives. In fact, we’re not even sure reincarnation exists or not.”

  Oh Melaine, must you always ruin my fun? Well, I suppose seeing how flustered the poor boy is, I can let him off the hook for now. After all, it would be more fun to pull the rug out from under him when he least expects it. Wait. Fun? Oh my... it’s almost as if I’ve returned to the person I was when I was still alive.

  In the years following, I searched for the reason my emotions resurfaced. No, perhaps it would be more apt to say I pretended to search for them. I had, in fact, realized it long ago. The time I spent with Veight had returned them to me, but because I was so clingy, he began to grow distant.

  “Oi, Parker, you’re getting in the way of my training, so shove off.”

  “You wish to shove me off a cliff, you say? Feel free. I’m already dead so it won’t even hurt!”

  “Can’t you at least make a better pun out of that one?”

  Haha, you’re sulking, but I know you’re secretly happy I give you so much attention. Though I suppose I should think up some better jokes for the future.

  “Anyway, do you know where the spirit-sealing charm is, Parker?”

  “Indeed, it sits in that purple box over there. What do you need it for?”

  “I was hoping to let you rest in peace...”

  “You want to use them on me!?”

  In retrospect, I probably was a bit too attached to him. I just hope it didn’t make him hate me too much. Being hated by Veight would make me sad, after all.

  Looking over now, I saw him sleeping peacefully in his bedroll by the campfire. Don’t catch a cold now, you hear? Taking care of you’s quite troublesome. Besides, then we’d have to send you back, and we all know how easily you get lonely.

  I unrolled another blanket and covered him with it. I didn’t need sleep, so I could stay up all night. Sleep well, Veight, I’ll be here keeping watch.

  I threw another branch into the fire and looked up at the stars. Life became rather dull when Veight was sleeping. There was so much I wanted to say to him that a day’s worth of talking wasn’t enough. But I suppose I’ll save the fun for tomorrow. I just wish the sun would rise already.

  ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

  We traveled for a few more days after that. After cresting the last mountain in the range that divided Ryunheit and Beluza, we finally caught our first glimpse of the sea.

  “Oh, there’s the sea.”

  A vast blue expanse stretched out toward the horizon. This was my f
irst time seeing the sea since reincarnating. Though Mao and his fellow traders had gotten used to the ocean, my fellow werewolves and Lacy were all awed by the sight. As they looked down at the sparkling azure waves, they gave voice to their thoughts.

  “So that’s the ocean... it’s nothing like I thought it would be.”

  “Holy shit, it’s huge. I can’t even see the far shore...”

  “Are you sure this isn’t just an illusion of some sort?”

  I guess I should have expected that reaction from Lacy, seeing as she’s an illusionist and all.

  “Let’s go, guys. I guarantee it looks even more impressive up close.”

  Mao cocked his head and gave me a quizzical look.

  “Sir Veight, isn’t this your first time seeing the ocean?”

  Crap, I messed up again.

  “W-Well... that’s what Master told me, at least.”

  “I see.”

  Thank God I became the disciple of a great sage. People will believe anything if I say Master told me about it. Or so I’d thought, but I’d let my guard down. For there was another one of Master’s disciples here.

  “Oh my, Master even told you about the sea? I wish she’d been as varied in her education with—”

  I forcibly shut Parker’s mouth and hurried everyone along.

  “Come on, let’s go. We don’t want to waste any more time here.”

  “I-I suppose so...”

  The pirate city of Beluza had been built in the shape of a crescent, following the shape of the bay it opened into. Though it did have walls, most of the city’s protection came from the high peaks that surrounded it. The walls were short enough that an invading werewolf army could easily scale them if they were coming down the mountainside. The city sloped downward a little to the south, letting it catch all of the blazing afternoon sun. Furthermore, its harbor seemed to be bustling. That being said, there were an awful lot of boats milling about. Are those all the illegal citizens Airia was talking about?