by Hyougetsu
Fortunately, Prince Ashley wasn’t interested in colonizing Meraldia either. Only Prince Ivan and the previous emperor had been dead-set on that plan, and now both of them were dead. Whereas Woroy had become Meraldia’s official guest. It was safe to say that Rolmund no longer posed a threat to Meraldia. I turned back to Woroy and said, “However, there’s no telling what the empire’s political landscape will look like in the future.”
“True that...”
It was possible Prince Ashley might change his mind in the future, or have his hand forced by the belligerent nobles that made up his core support base. If that happened, I’d be able to use Woroy and Ryuunie as political pawns to throw Rolmund’s government into chaos. Even though they’d been exiled, both of them were still extremely popular in North Rolmund. If I sent them at the head of an army to claim Rolmund’s throne, it was likely they’d rise up in revolt again. Of course it was highly unlikely it’d come to that, but it still served as a good deterrent against any future meddling in Meraldia.
“You two, who possess the right to inherit the throne by birth, will serve as Meraldia’s sword if necessary. Which is why I plan to treat you well once we reach Meraldia.”
Even if they were officially no longer Rolmundian citizens, everyone knew they had the imperial blood running through their veins. Woroy’s smile grew wry.
“You really are a villain.”
“Please, you flatter me.”
I felt more at ease being called a villain than a saint or a Champion. Woroy’s smile grew more twisted.
“I take it that’s the bullshit reasoning you used to convince your fellow countrymen to harbor us?”
Damn, he saw through me. Both the demon army and the Commonwealth granted me full authority to make whatever decisions I saw fit in Rolmund. But they had done so with the knowledge that I would act in Meraldia’s best interests. Sympathy alone wasn’t a good enough reason to save Woroy and Ryuunie. In truth, I would have preferred to feign their deaths and let them live out their days quietly in Meraldia. But if I’d done that, in the rare case that I needed to use them to keep Rolmund in check, the empire would just be able to claim that the real Woroy and Ryuunie were dead and that these two were fakes. So I’d reluctantly decided to make their exile a public matter.
“I don’t run a charity, after all. Since I went to all the trouble of saving you, I expect you two to serve Meraldia’s interests.”
This time Woroy’s grin was a happy one.
“Oh I’ll be useful, don’t you worry. But you better give me some land. I don’t care if it’s a tiny strip in the middle of nowhere, I just want land that’s officially mine so I can start bringing the Doneiks family back to its former glory.”
“Of course. I’ll grant the Doneiks a reasonable plot of land. However...”
“However, what?”
It was my turn to grin now.
“There’s absolutely nothing on the land I’m giving you, so you’ll have to build everything up from scratch.”
We traveled all the way to East Rolmund, to the tunnel that connected the empire to Meraldia. I was worried the Bolsheviks might send assassins after us, but our journey went smoothly. Honestly, it was kind of anticlimactic.
“There’s some bozos who’ve been following us around.”
“Yeah, they’ve been keeping an eye on our carriage from the forest.”
Vodd and Hamaam whispered to me as we made preparations to enter the tunnel. The people watching us were likely Bolshevik spies. Kite’s epoch magic revealed that there were barely a dozen of them, meaning they didn’t have the numbers to attack. And since they hadn’t sent over enough people for a raid, it meant assassinating Woroy and Ryuunie wasn’t their goal. But if they weren’t after the princes, I had no idea what they were after. Even as I pondered their motives, I walked up to Prince Ryuunie to give him some encouragement. The tunnel was rugged, and since it was too small for carriages to go through, we all had to make the trip on foot.
“I know it’s dark, and the footing’s treacherous, but this is the only way into Meraldia. Just bear with it for a little while longer, Ryuunie. We’re almost there.”
“Yes, sir!”
Good answer. Once we cleared the tunnel, the air around us grew warmer. We were finally back in Meraldia. The first thing I did was make sure our surroundings were safe. Once I was certain there were no enemies in the vicinity, I turned back to the two princes with a smile.
“Welcome to the Meraldian Commonwealth. As a Commonwealth Councilor, I formally welcome you to our humble nation.”
Woroy and Ryuunie ducked out of the tunnel and gazed at their surroundings with amazement.
“So this is Meraldia. It looks like spring is already almost here.”
As Woroy had commented, the weather here was closer to spring than it was in Rolmund. In fact, it was probably warm enough in the afternoons that the snow was beginning to melt. Still, Woroy was surprisingly unfazed despite the fact that he was stepping into unfamiliar territory for the first time. Ryuunie, on the other hand, seemed adequately anxious.
“S-So this is Meraldia...the land where demons dwell...”
Incidentally, I’m a demon too, Ryuunie. If I told him that now he’d probably be overloaded with shock, so I decided to wait until he’d gotten a bit more used to things before divulging that little tidbit.
“Fear not, Ryuunie. The demons that live here follow human laws and mean no harm to humans.”
As the demon representative, I felt as though it was my duty to speak for them here. “Though they may look different from you, they too are Meraldians. They pay the same taxes and work the same jobs as other Meraldians. So there’s no need to be scared of them.” Despite Ryuunie being just a child, he’d been taught how to govern since he was old enough to speak. He quickly realized that he was in no position to argue the point, and nodded.
“O-Okay.”
“Thank you.”
You two taught him well, Ivan, Lord Doneiks. While we talked, the soldiers of Krauhen that had been standing guard around the mine entrance quickly lined up and stood at attention.
“The Black Werewolf King has returned from Rolmund!”
“Raise your swords in salute, men!”
The soldiers simultaneously drew their blades and raised them into the air. Their synchronization was perfect. That being said, I did feel like this was a bit too exaggerated a welcome. Before I could say anything though, Belken—Krauhen’s viceroy—ran over to me.
“Lord Veight, it’s a relief to see you return to us safe and sound. And welcome, princes of the Doneiks family.”
To my surprise, the Demon Ambassador Airia was present as well.
“Welcome home, Lord Veight.”
“Lady Airia!? What are you doing here!?”
Her breath puffing in the cold, Airia smiled at me and replied, “When I heard you would be temporarily returning, I rushed over to greet you!”
“I’ll be back for good soon enough. You didn’t have to go out of your way to...”
Woroy loudly cleared his throat to interrupt me, “Veight. Isn’t Lady Airia your fiancée? There’s no need to act so formal just because we’re here! Go on, give her a kiss!”
Surprised, Airia turned to me.
“What?”
For a musclehead, Woroy sure had a sharp memory. I couldn’t believe he remembered I’d made that offhand remark. Not only that, he just had to mention that in front of Airia herself. Panicking, I quickly tried to right the situation.
“Uhh, let me explain,” I said. “The ladies in Rolmund started to spread rumors that I was gay because I kept refusing them, so I had no choice but to say I had a fiancée, and you were the only...”
I’d thought my little white lie would never get discovered, but now I was paying the price for it. I shouldn’t have used that excuse. Airia stared intently at me, her face beet red. But as far as my werewolf senses could detect, she wasn’t angry. Thank God. Alright, this might be my only chance t
o set the record straight.
“So basically, Lady Airia is most definitely not my fiancée. Isn’t that right, Lady Airia?”
Suddenly, Airia’s scent shifted. Now she was angry.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Umm...Lady Airia?”
“I am most definitely not Lord Veight’s fiancée.”
She’s totally pissed, isn’t she? But why? As I tried to puzzle out Airia’s reaction, Woroy grinned at me.
“Oho, I see.”
He walked up to Airia and knelt before her.
“My name is Woroy Bolshevik Doneiks Rolmund. I am the nephew of Bahazoff the Fourth, the late emperor of the Holy Rolmund Empire, and the second son of the Doneiks family.”
Woroy gave Airia a charming smile and added, “May I ask for your name, milady?”
“O-Of course.” Airia hurriedly turned to Woroy and curtsied. “I am a Commonwealth Councilor and the Viceroy of Ryunheit, Airia Lutt Aindorf. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Prince Woroy.”
“Having been defeated in battle, I have lost my status as prince. Feel free to simply call me Woroy, Lady Airia.”
He looked so dashing it was almost sickening. With his looks, he could probably make a living swindling rich noble ladies. Oi, cut that out already. You’re wasting time. Get away from Airia. I loudly cleared my throat and cut Woroy’s introduction short.
“You can talk later. Since you’ll be working for Meraldia, you’ll have opportunities to see her later if you want.”
“Heh, I suppose so.”
The hell are you grinning for? You want me to bite your face off, huh?
Just then, Airia noticed Ryuunie fidgeting awkwardly behind Woroy. As expected, he was anxious. Not only was he in an unfamiliar country, everyone here was a stranger to him. Sensing his unease, Airia smiled gently at the young prince.
“And you must be Ryuunie, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ryunheit’s Viceroy, Airia. But I am most definitely not Lord Veight’s fiancée.”
You don’t have to keep repeating yourself, you know. That aside, it seemed Airia’s lighthearted introduction had managed to reassure Ryuunie somewhat.
“I-It’s nice to meet you. My name is Ryuunie Bolshevik Doneiks Rolmund. Lord Veight has helped me a lot over these past few months, and I’m deeply grateful to him. I really like Lord Veight.”
Ryuunie straightened his back and tried to look as grown-up as possible. Airia seemed moved by his display of maturity, and she smiled kindly.
“I heard you just recently lost your father. While I realize...it might be difficult for you to think of us as your new family, know that we are on your side.”
Airia knelt down so that her face was level with Ryuunie’s. Then, without warning, she hugged him.
“U-Umm!?”
Southern Meraldia was a lot more socially liberal than Japan had been, so hugging kids you met for the first time was pretty normal here. It probably helped that Airia and Ryuunie had basically the same social standing. But Airia’s actions probably came as quite a shock to Ryuunie, who was used to the rigid social structures of Rolmund. Blushing, the young prince stiffened. While I watched the scene with a smile, Woroy coughed awkwardly and said, “Sorry, but Ryuunie is technically an adult according to Rolmund’s customs.”
That sentence alone was enough for Airia to grasp that Rolmund and Meraldia had very different customs when it came to physical contact. She hurriedly let go of Ryuunie and said, “My apologies, Ryuunie. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“N-No, uhh...”
Fidgeting, Ryuunie dropped his gaze. You know I can tell what you’re thinking from your scent right? It seemed Airia’s hug helped Ryuunie relax. Chances were it reminded him of the times his mom used to hug him. Woroy seemed to have realized that as well, since he sighed and said, “Good for you, Ryuunie. Looks like you’ll be able to make a lot of new friends here.”
“Y-Yeah!”
Though his face was red to the tips of his ears, Ryuunie smiled. He’d been forced to mature way faster than any child should have, which was why he was still longing for parental warmth. Even if he was lawfully an adult, he was still a kid. Honestly, I was hoping he’d be able to grow up here in peace, without having to worry about politics.
Once the introductions were over, we walked over to the viceroy’s manor to talk. I started off by explaining to Woroy that Eleora had actually lost to me, and that we’d formed a pact after that. Ryuunie seemed stunned by the revelation, but it seemed Woroy had half-suspected that was the case already.
“My brother and I figured you two had some kind of secret agreement that you weren’t making public, but I never imagined you’d actually captured Eleora! No wonder she learned so much.”
Why do you look so happy about that, Woroy? Before he could derail the conversation I went on to explain my plans for him.
“There’s this unoccupied buffer zone that’s a remnant from the time northern and southern Meraldia were at each other’s throats.”
The so-called Fetid Wastes. In truth the “wastes” weren’t a wasteland at all, but rather a fertile region filled with untouched forests and plains.
“My goal is to build another city here and increase Meraldia’s overall prosperity. But in order to build that city, I need to appoint a governor and gather workers.”
That governor would need to be skilled too, since they’d be building up a city from nothing. Not only that, but they’d also need to know how to draw people to their city. No demon had that kind of leadership ability, and even among humans, there were few people fit for the job. All of the viceroys were busy with the affairs of their own cities, and I couldn’t leave this project in the hands of someone inexperienced. I needed someone who had experience leading people already. Furthermore, they also had to be someone other Meraldians would approve of.
“I know I can trust you to do a good job building this new city, Woroy. You’re someone who might have been emperor, had things played out differently. But despite your status, you don’t stand on formality, so I know you’ll get along with Meraldians just fine.”
“Hang on now, I think you’re overestimating me.”
Woroy frowned in dissatisfaction. He really did think I was overestimating him. Though personally, I thought that out of all the princes and princesses, he’d make the best emperor. Seeing that I wasn’t going to budge on my stance, Woroy cleared his throat and grinned at me.
“But I gotta say, that sounds interesting. I’ll have a chance to repeat the miracle our ancestors made when they first established Rolmund. Had I stayed in Rolmund as the second son of the Doneiks family, I wouldn’t have ever gotten a chance like this.”
I guess that’s one way to look at it. Woroy sure was optimistic. He got to his feet and swept his gaze across me and the viceroys.
“You can count on me. I don’t need honor or status, just a job worth doing.”
“Err, I’m still going to need to make you a viceroy. Which means you’ll be sitting on the Commonwealth Council as well.”
Considering how short a history the council had, it wasn’t all that prestigious a title, but I still wanted to give the former prince something. I’m not gonna let your legacy end as some commoner. In order to make sure he didn’t try to refuse the title of viceroy, I sighed and added, “Sheesh, you really lack ambition, you know that? But if you don’t want to ask for anything, that just makes it harder to ask for favors.”
Woroy sighed even louder in response, “Oi, you’re the last person I wanna hear that from.”
“I was born a commoner, so my current position is already more than enough. If I ask for any more wealth or status, I’ll be overstepping my bounds.”
Woroy gave me an incredulous look.
“Do you seriously believe that?”
“I do.”
For some reason, my reply caused not just Woroy, but also Airia, Belken, Kite, and even Lacy to sigh.
“Why must you be like this, Lord Veight...”
Airia muttered.
“Your lack of self-awareness really is a problem,” Belken added.
“If it wasn’t for this habit of yours, you’d be a perfect boss,” Kite said.
“You’re even denser than I am...” Lacy said with a shake of her head.
Why are you guys all acting like I said something bad? It was because everyone kept pushing me to take on more prestigious posts that I had to work so hard. After all, authority came with responsibility. Man, I miss the days when I was just a regular vice-commander. I worked really hard this time around, so someone please reward me by demoting me... Honestly, the weight of all this responsibility and expectation was too much.
During the meeting, I took the opportunity to order Kite and Lacy to return home.
“You two stay in Ryunheit with Woroy. Help familiarize him with Meraldian customs and dialects.”
The moment I said that, both of them frowned.
“But Veight, your mission in Rolmund isn’t over yet, is it? I thought you needed us.”
“Exactly! I can even make my illusions breathe fire now!”
You really don’t have to. Besides, it wasn’t like illusory fire would actually be hot. I smiled wryly and replied, “I appreciate the sentiment, and you two really have been a huge help, but you’re both exhausted, aren’t you?”
Not only had they been forced to spend winter in an unfamiliar land, but I’d had them fight with me at the front lines. Though Kite and Lacy had courage and determination in spades, they weren’t soldiers. Even if they had ten times the mental fortitude of normal people, all this fighting had worn them out.
“I’ve still got Mao and Parker with me in Rolmund. Both of them are used to fighting so I’ll have them pick up the slack for me.”
“I get what you’re saying, but...”
Kite and Lacy shot me worried looks, but honestly, I was more worried about them. I needed them rested for the challenges we’d no doubt face in the future. Suddenly, Airia interrupted our conversation by muttering, “If possible, I would like to accompany you...”
