This is me fixing mistakes

27 October 423

Fourier hardly looked happy when he saw me. He did show me a tiny smile and nodded in my direction as I peeked my head inside his room but… he didn't speak. He said nothing that would indicate either the best mood to entertain a conversation on what happened a few hours earlier or not. So I was stuck in quite the upsetting predicament that was hoping that I was introducing this much-needed conversation at the best of times.

It was just me and him as… I really thought he was the one that deserved the most attention about this right at that moment. Not because I considered the plight of those others I hurt any less than him, but rather I knew that the damage I indirectly inflicted was definitely hurting more due to context and circumstances. I was also incredibly touched by what I saw in the mirror when he went through the first test. Something about it was poetic but overall, I felt incredibly worse than I thought I would have. Maybe it was the fact he valued me this highly, so much that he saw me as someone that would do the most to put a blasted crown on his head. I was glad none of the sages made that correlation but… it really left me unsure how to tackle this conversation without messing things up. I mean, sure I had some 'entry points' to use, but this was terribly messy. One wrong word and I would mess things up ever further, and that really wasn't what I planned to accomplish out of this discussion.

"Hey," I started in a non-formal way, dropping any pretenses of keeping formality in this unique circumstance. Something that Fourier quickly caught onto from the way he spared me a curious look. He really looked surprised, yet he restrained himself from putting anything out beyond a facial reaction. Much to my relief, he didn't refute my approach, not even protesting when I took a seat by his desk right beside him.

"Hey," He finally replied quietly, almost like he couldn't trust his own voice right now. Despite the solid proof of friendly acceptance on starting a conversation, we remained quiet for a while. I wasn't sure why I was 'choking' so hard but… I definitely was. I had words, the ones I planned to use from the very beginning, but those wouldn't come out of my throat.

I felt genuinely unsure why it all came to the issue of speaking. I could only guess it was pure guilt that held me back, with the mental images about what he saw in the mirror with what I saw in it that I now kept burned in my brain. Just as I hesitated on starting the discussion, Fourier decided to take it in his hands and… he left me quite astonished at what he first said about it.

"I'm sorry."

...What?

The curt comment had me tense up in a mixture of confusion, surprise and… utter annoyance. I wasn't annoyed at Fourier, but rather at the approach he was taking on the matter.

"For what?"

"I… I gave anyone the excuse to believe you were genuinely interested in giving me the crown. I suppose that… was a problem."

…

I closed my eyes, I drew a brief sigh and gave him a serious look.

"Fourier, look at me."

He didn't comply quickly or calmly, taking a slow approach as he turned to glance at me. Uneasiness flashing through his red eyes as he wasn't expecting me to react this quickly in this circumstance.

"It wasn't your fault- this isn't me asking for any apology as I was the one that deserves to bear the blame for what happened."

The prince's posture stiffened, and I remained vigilant as I expected him to protest about what I just said but nothing was said against that point of view. In fact, I took this as a reason to further speak up now that I felt my own knot in the chest loosening just enough to allow me to talk more on the matter.

"Fourier, I made a decision when it came to this first test. I decided it would have been best to… make it as harsh as it was because I knew it would have been asked to give this kind of test later on to all of you. I knew that I wouldn't have had a choice to push that away," I explained as seriously as I could. "So I took the one choice that would have pushed this mess first since I doubted it would have helped anyone had it been introduced to a time where you all would have been too strained from other tests or other issues and… I'm sorry."

He blinked. "You just did your job-"

"But that doesn't mean I'm proud of what I had to do," I admitted with an upset voice, interrupting the blond. "And I know that I've already said that this work is never completely satisfying but… this is different. I feel like I also had made this choice- I picked one even though I should have forced myself to find a third way and put this strain on you and the rest of the candidates without putting you through this insanity altogether."

…

"John?"

I glanced at him with a strained look. "Yes?"

"Can I say that… this is what worries me the most when it comes to you, John?"

Blinking, I felt my face morph its expression from one of uneasiness to one of confusion.

"I don't understand," I muttered quietly and he sighed.

"All this time you put yourself into matters that could have severely hurt you. At best," He pointed out sternly. "Because while many would just say you're just an 'active Prime Minister', they don't know of the fact that you put yourself on the line more than you should- especially with proper guards with you."

I would have rebuked that comment, but I ended up thinking of the time I went to Volacchia and how I came close to having a bad time with Regulus. I took a moment to ponder about it, and that was where Fourier found his chance to strike for good as he pressed his advantage on me.

"And that's where I find my worry- no, my fears really stir up as I know it can happen so easily. I imagine someone I care the most being so reckless with his life and that could end up leaving this world prematurely and due to the fact I didn't act in time and… and I would be alone again."

"Fou-"

"I lost a brother a few years ago. I lost a family, and the last thing I want is to lose another due to this stupid crown that… it doesn't feel worth it," The blond genuinely admitted. "I would care less for a pretty chair or a lovely headset if I can't have the one I value the opinion of the most to be there to see it. The moment I see you do this again, that you put yourself in peril out of a necessity for me when I can perfectly handle the issue on my own… I will drop from this competition. I will not accept any of this anymore if you have to endanger yourself for making me King."

…

I felt… incredibly touched by this thought. I knew Fourier was incredibly glued to me in an emotional manner, but to be subjected to that degree of worry was definitely something I hadn't experienced in a long time and… I realized one thing that worried me even further. These elections… They were driving us apart. We barely spoke with each other nowadays, always chalking it up as a temporary must but it would be stupid to just ignore the fact that it was draining on us all. Not just me and Fourier, but also me and the others. I was spending too much time stressing over it even though there were plenty of reasons to be this worried. But I guess I was being too… too intense about it. I was definitely feeling the heat between dealing with the Witch Cult, standing up to make a proper election and preparing for some foreign issues that were rising as of recently. Kararagi had finally taken a more active step into making trade with Lugnica more 'profitable' by trying to alter their tariffs and make buying from them more difficult. Protectionism on some elements they needed seemed to make them reconsider part of that approach, but I could tell they planned to do more than just higher tariffs.

Still, the point was that I was sacrificing way more of my free time into this job than I predicted to, and due to this I was suffering while also letting others suffer through concerns about my wellbeing.

This also tied up to why I was being so 'sloppy' in my own decision-making. I should be much more clever than just going for the 'best' route rather than creating my own best route. I could, I had the reputation to push for something more modest but I really couldn't due to how much I put into the rest of the test. It felt so infuriating that my own job was messing up my capacity to think properly in some instances.

…

I had to make things right and… I knew where to begin now that I thought about it.

"I suppose I might have been a… tiny bit too invested in this?"

"Only a 'tiny bit'?" The prince said while frowning and I huffed.

"It's a subjective statement. Still, I know that this could have been worked out better and I messed up fairly big. I didn't do harm to you only, but there are others that have taken quite a wild hit due to this matter."

Fourier slowly nodded. "And?"

"And I believe I should do something to show that I mean those words. I will have something later by tomorrow. Something for all candidates that… hopefully will fix things up."

"What… are you planning exactly?"

"A surprise. Consider it an apology not only for yourself and the others and… it's going to be fun. I promise that it is nothing that ties up with the election, no more tests for the time being, and will be more of a personal apology than anything else," I admitted mirthfully. "Also, I was thinking of a thing I believe we've been skipping for months now."

He looked confused at first, but as soon as I made gestures akin to a fishing rod, Fourier's eyes widened in intrigue.

"You want to go fishing? I mean, it's been a while since last time and-"

"And we both needed that? Maybe I could also try to imply others in similar activity later on as to not appear to favor you the most and… yeah, that could work," I interjected mirthfully. "In fact, we could finally get Felix to wear proper swimwear."

If before there was reluctance in going for it considering the circumstances, the mere mention of finally winning that struggle that burned up a good time spent together while trying to get the Catboy to wear a normal swimwear. While the situation would imply an unwanted enforcement, the brunet himself admitted that his choice of 'covering his chest' was to trick people rather than comfort. I've seen plenty of times him having no trouble doing that, so we all knew he was expecting this glorious battle to actually happen. Fourier nodded in agreement, a sense of kinship restored through the same way that we formed our friendship. Which was the mere lightness of being friendly and honest fellows with one another.

And as we conspired about bringing an end to Ferris' trickery, a certain catboy sneezed and he knew that someone plotted something incredibly weird and yet amusing against him.

"Lady Emilia was crying last time I saw her," Ram flatly commented as I was busy setting up the spell to copy what she had written on the more important pages of her 'diary'. "I don't need to tell you why?"

We were back to our usual spot in the library, going through a bit of a plan tied to information-retrieval from the thin book in her possession. I hummed quietly, my lips twitching in discomfort at the mental picture of the crying half-elf. Even so, it made me quite convinced that the plan I had in store about that will hopefully fix this and more. It was all hypothetical, but I felt confident it was going to work just perfectly. A major win-win for mostly everyone. Still, I managed to offer a calm look and nod at the pinkette.

"I don't need to show you the degree of guilt I have beyond my current disposition."

Indeed, in an effort to start making amends (or at least try to get some of the guilt to diminish) I had the familiar exact what she had demanded to do as soon as we were done with the test. The pup was surprised by the approach, but she wasn't shy enough to say no to the 'kind offer' given to her. Instead of outright biting me, the familiar demanded I prepare a sign to put around my neck. In a twist that really left me more embarrassed than not, I had to bear the sign that had a single sentence written on it

I'm a dumbass, and my familiar is the smartest of the two.

Not too evident on why

"So who was it? Beatrice or the… dog?"

"I would say that Bea approved, same for Alice. But it was all Majima's idea," I admitted as I finished setting up the spell and turning my attention to the maid. "To be honest, this is but a small step into redemption as I have something in mind that will fix things up. Let's just say that a formal invitation shall be delivered tomorrow by morning time."

"Just two days before we have to leave? Is it even worth-while?" Ram inquired with a tired tone.

"For lady Emilia it is," I confirmed with a nod. "Still, how about you tell me how's the situation? Anything new to bring up?"

The girl took a moment to ponder over my words. "What in particular? I thought you had everything from the diary."

"I wasn't referring to that kind of information? How is Barusu faring under your stern care, oh fair Ram?"

Her lips twitched in irritation. "The only reason I'm not bashing you for hurting my lady and demeaning me once more is because of your title?"

"Would it change if I allowed you to- Ow! Okay, I-I got it, I got it!"

The pinkette paused while still pinching my left cheek. "Who would have thought that the Prime Minister was quick to capitulate when a simple maid manhandles him?"

"I mean, that summary would entail you're a maid with normal strength," I remarked. "Also, I have never been a woman-basher. Except for when it's a life or death situation."

"Which is fairly acceptable. After all, did I put you in a mortal predicament?"

"Only for my bruised pride," I shot back, finally seeing the ghost of a smile from her face. "Still, Barusu isn't causing you any trouble I hope."

"He has been quite close to my sister as of lately. I would say it was mostly Rem but… I don't trust him with her."

"Would you trust anyone to grow closer to your sister?" I countered and she huffed.

"I'm not being overprotective."

"And that's not what I said," I argued. "In fact, I think it's just correct for you to be attentive to anything worrying about those that grow interested in her. After all, you two share the same beauty."

"Are you implying I should be worried about you trying to do anything to her?" The young woman asked with a hint of steel and I hummed.

"I can easily say that I'm just complimenting you two, nothing to be worried about."

A tiny scowl formed on her face and she nodded. "I suppose that can work as a good enough answer."

I could sense some barb despite her genuine acceptance, but I couldn't actually understand why that was it. With the conversation coming to a halt, I spared a quick look at the spell and I saw it was half-way through with it. But as I turned back to Ram, I realized that the maid was looking elsewhere while slowly forming a worried expression on her face. My gaze followed up to see where she was looking before stopping where she was aiming at. Panic rushed in my head as I spotted the reason behind the maid's uneasiness, with the happy-looking 'witch' approaching with a calm pace. Frederica wasn't around, which was already worrying, but I could tell that, despite the opportunity, Echidna wasn't here to cause a mess. Not this much in the open.

I glared at Echidna, but the short witch merely gave me a smug look as she sat by the third available chair on the table. A glance to Ram, then at me, before finally setting her gaze upon the ongoing spell. Her smile widened and… she sighed.

"I was correct then, Ram," The tiny gremlin pointed out with a content tone. "You were in contact with John. Except you were naughtier than I expected."

I blinked. "I believe you are interrupting."

"Oh sure, I'm sorry," Echidna hummed while looking at me with a lazy glance. "I'm so sorry for interrupting your little meeting to try and get information about my hopeless apprentice. Such a shame that I hadn't sent an invitation before coming here."

"Where is Frederica?" Ram asked and the tiny witch kept her good mood despite the pressure she was being subjected.

"Sleeping. Wouldn't want Roswaal to think I'm being a bit naughty myself after all," The plum-haired girl replied giddily, her stare once more aimed at me. "But still… John, have you no shame? Subjecting a poor half-elf to that kind of torture? What a soulless man."

"Says the brat responsible for much despair around her camp. How convenient you come here, I was about to worry that you weren't going to outsmart your minder," I replied as sharply as possible, gaining a scoff from the childish woman.

"As if someone of her caliber was meant to genuinely put an issue in my plans," Echidna muttered dryly. "My foolish apprentice really believes that my 'issue' would be keeping appearances around and not showing off my power but… it takes little to submit a big kitty."

"So, why come here now if you have this little time to be around?"

She hummed, retrieving an item out of one of her robes' pockets and placing it on the table. I glanced at the object, frowning at the fact it was just… a silver key.

"Just thinking of a quick chit-chat, and providing you with something that will help your little quest to remove a particularly troubling element out of the chessboard."

I slowly reached to retrieve the key while I thought about the brat's words and… I realized something about what she was implying with her last comment.

"You know about-"

"Her? Yes. I know and I'm… distressed. Really, one of my greatest fears is facing an opponent I can't study and that can and will overwhelm me if interested in that," Echidna interrupted with a tired tone. "So I can be quite relieved to know that a knight in shining armor will soon make that journey to fix things for good."

I wasn't sure how she was aware of this much, or how she knew what I was planning to do after the election, but she was aware of this. And she supported it. Not that I would ever consider this an act of friendliness or anything of that regard. It was clear from her words she wasn't trying to find an ally out of this, but rather someone that could deal with this mess without her getting involved in it. She didn't want to get her hands dirty so to speak.

"What… are you two talking about?" Ram finally interjected, possibly grasping the fact that the topic had some weight despite having minimal understanding of what was going on.

"Nothing important. For you at least," Echidna flatly deflected and I sighed.

"As much as it pains to admit, I agree with her. It is best you don't get too interested in this, Ram."

She spared me a confused look, but she seemed to really understand this wasn't something she should know about due to big reasons. As I said that, Echidna threw me a quick and slowly unexpected question.

"Do you think you will find answers there?"

I knew she was referring to the towers but… I guess she never visited it due to how it was well-guarded after Flugel's death. So this was going to be a place that not even Echidna was aware about and… that actually left me a bit perplexed. I wonder how bad was the relationship between Flugel and her for him to deny her this much knowledge this harshly. Sure, I would never pass her any knowledge, even if it was grandma's recipe for a delicious apple pie, but I think she would have drooled before the idea of a massive library for her to peruse at her own whim. The many heated conversations that the whole idea had to have caused…

That would tie nicely with her jealousy too.

"...Perhaps."

"Oh, so this isn't a certain path to victory? Yet you're willing to gamble for it? What a difficult man to decipher, I almost feel a pity for sitting on the fence for so long- else I would have had much more fun with your flexible mind," She giddily proclaimed. "I'm sure going to enjoy your next visit, John. I will be waiting as eagerly as a girl waiting for a big cake."

"Greedy much?" I flatly asked and she chuckled.

"Never got any less than how I was in the past~."

With that interaction out of the way, Echidna stood up and hummed. It looked evident she was planning to leave now.

"Still, I think Frederica will wake up in a few minutes and I really am trying to not strain myself too much with my strolling," The girl commented flatly as she began making her way back from where she came from. Still, she stopped for a moment and glanced at me. "Take my words as you wish but… I can tell you have a doubt that you can't answer with mere books alone and we both are aware that you need me for this."

Cheeky brat, I muttered within my head, almost fearing she would pick up my words and gloat over those. As she was gone, I could tell Ram wanted to inquire more about this, but remained mostly focused on the fact the copy spell was now complete and that now she could retrieve her diary.

"I hope you're not planning anything dangerous," She muttered with a suspicious tone and I sighed.

"None of that but… things are going to get a bit more curious than usual," I finished on a mysterious note, letting her leave with many questions and most of which hopefully never answered.

Once again, I was alone to my thoughts and… the Key Echidna gave me. No tricks were tied to it, no magical trace that would normally confirm any traps… except a sense of 'emptiness' tied to it that made me upset by merely holding it. I didn't study it for too long, knowing that I could do that… once I was done with the preparations for tomorrow. There was a lot to do and I knew that I couldn't leave Bea and Alice to face this on their own. Humming quietly while I went to the courtyard to retrieve Majima from her games with the twins and Annerose, I prepared to face a few more tough hours before the simple plans of tomorrow.

It was definitely going to be a big day, and I hoped that it would work considering how big of a gamble I was playing with…

AN

Next time, John's plans backfire successfully. And yes, I mean it will all go down and yet be successful nonetheless. And yes, Priscilla and Crusch don't plan to let the opportunity go to waste. Prepare for ship trouble, and then make it double.

Also, new IF omake. This one is… Anastasia!

Omake 24: IF (Different Entry – Anastasia)

Kararagi was purely a Japanese country at heart. While the government would easily gain a mistaken outlook of something similar to the German Hanseatic League due to the privileges extended mostly on Traders than the Nobles or the Clergy, the truth was that most of its culture derived from a Pre-Meiji Era lifestyle in most parts.

The moment I appeared there, I had just a few things I didn't need that I could sell with ease. Some snacks was all I needed to get the money I required to start working on my own. Sure, one would say 'what can you do with a few coins to spend, and the answer to that is 'potentially nothing'. I wasn't going to pull a Rockfeller and go through the whole apple-to-oil investment. No, I didn't have a rich uncle I didn't know about that could die and provide me with an inheritance to further bolster my treasury- but I had something that I knew I could rely on to start making business. And that was buying a little knife.

Many things can be done with a knife, from killing to cutting through soft things and… preparing food. My plan took under consideration a very risky approach to gain reputation. And it all tied to publicity and appearance. I had to do a good enough impression to gain trust and get myself established as a jovial and friendly competitor in the market. Mind you, I couldn't sell anything without a proper permit, or even set up anything resembling a shop without incurring any issues… because I would need a permit for that too.

What I planned to do was gain something that wasn't money. And that was interest, curiosity, to gain attention as I presented people my skills. I might not be Gordon Ramsay, and I didn't consider myself anywhere closer to a normal chef, but I have long learned how to produce some delicious little treats with fruits. Retrieving what I could define as Apples, Bananas, and some other sweet fruits to make delicious combos, I decided to set myself in a small corner of this lovely city. Ivada is considered the Third City of Kararagi and, differently from Kyo and Banan, the restrictions and the aggression of the guards was severely weaker than the other two cities. I wasn't sure why, but I wasn't complaining about the opportunity presented to me.

The moment I found a tiny spot to sit and start offering to passing officers, traders, nobles and all kinds of customers my delicious treats, they all took a moment or two to look in my direction. They saw a smile that couldn't lie beyond the necessary, and an attentive gaze as I gauged their reactions. Traders took more time to register the situation, but I could tell they were mostly calculating all kinds of risks-benefits that could come into hiring. Not much of a success after just two hours of patiently waiting. I didn't expect this to be an immediate success but… I registered a form of 'victory'. But I wasn't sure I could exactly call it now if someone asked me how I felt when I first gazed and had to deal with my current employer.

The purple-hair wasn't unusual in this side of the world, but the guards and the pristine white clothes definitely stole some glances due to how unique they were compared to others. A mixture of the three main Estates of this nation, except the dominant valor here was the one of a good investor. Anastasia Hoshin was… no, is a greedy woman. If someone asked me why I would be so open to 'insult' my own boss, the answer would be simple. She knows she is greedy, and she doesn't care for anyone to bring it up. Maybe she cares if it comes too much too quickly.

Still, I was a bit tense as I gazed at the inquisitive look presented by the more threatening element of the bunch. And no, it wasn't Ricardo. While the guy was definitely the strongest, I sure had some extra worries when it comes to Mimi Pearlbaton and her twin brothers, Hetaro and Tivey. Her siblings weren't with her at the moment as the little cat-girl paused before my little spot, her eyes widened and her tongue unconsciously lapping over her lips as she noticed one of the lovely treats I had just finished preparing.

Eyes glimmering in pure fascination, I blinked when she approached me. "How much?"

"It's for free."

Confusion filtered together with wonder, with Ricardo finally approaching with a questioning look.

"For free?"

"I don't have a permit to sell or have a shop, so this all is for free," I replied calmly. "But I suppose I'm still gaining something in return, except it's not through money."

Despite the explanation, the mercenary was perplexed by that comment… until Anastasia herself spoke up.

"He is trying to gain reputation," The young woman calmly addressed with an interested smile. "In fact, this is a move I could tell is best for you since… you don't have much money for yourself."

"That would be right."

"And you're doing it while showing off that you have qualities that are commonly well-looked up by those seeking numerous workers."

I nodded. "Once again, correct."

Her smile widened and… she lifted three fingers. "I believe I want three right now."

At first I thought she meant three as 'one for each', but I realized mid-preparation that she was asking three for herself and then if the others wanted more they could ask. Instead of waiting for that trickery to unfold, I merely presented them with five plates. Mimi quickly scoped hers off my hand, taking one of the pieces of apple and swiftly devouring it before cleaning up her plate hungrily. Ricardo took a moment to gauge the texture, the size and then he gave a single bite before realizing that it was all clear. All that was left was Anastasia and… I realized she was a slow eater.

I didn't blame her or anything at all. After all, this kind of behavior was the same I usually showed while eating pizza. I was slow, but only because I wanted to feel the taste more- I was a quality eater when it came to that kind of food. After some minutes had passed, Anastasia sported a satisfied smile and then nodded at me.

"That's it… I want you."

…

"You want to hire me?" I inquired, feeling like many meanings can come out from the way she worded that sentence.

She nodded. "I want you. What's your name."

"John-"

"John, I want you."

…

Isn't she a bit too… pushy about it?

And that's where, in a moment I thought I was accepting a temporarily good position, turned into the very moment I signed a contract to a very disappointing job. I expected to be hired as a cook- or something so meager. But I was surprised when she actually hired me in a position that saw me work between a normal accountant for her company, but also a highly-located 'PR' guy. When asked why she put me in that high situation, the girl giggled and said something that had me shivering for a while.

"You look clean. You know how to handle affairs through that silly tactic and you definitely know how to see through my expectations from the way you handled my orders," She mentioned with an affectionate tone. "Also, I can tell from a glance that you seem capable in such a role. Either that, or I might want you even more as a future househusband."

That last bit had me perplexed at first, but I would soon learn as I was taken to the local headquarters of the Hoshin Trade Company, that my predicament was a bit more complicated than expected. Especially with the way Anastasia behaved around me. She was rather… childish, from the very beginning. I didn't tell her to her face… until a few months into work under her. She was rather petty too, but overall she didn't press too much too frequently. She wanted food, she wanted a shoulder-massage, she wanted to sit on my lap while I tried to deal with the umpteenth mistake she made with her tendency to alienate people by being too greedy.

She was my boss, but I was kind of a wrangler if she put herself in a trouble so big that money couldn't outbribe the issue. A really messy development in my life, and one that really shaped up my future as I would end up taking an 'antagonistic' step by the time we reached Lugnica for the Royal Election. Still, 'before that big tale', there were plenty of situations that saw me handle quite the menacing threat that was born from a simple issue.

"Ms. Anastasia."

Her lips twitched in disapproval as she wanted us to keep at first-name basis by now. "Yes, John~?"

"My legs feel a bit cramped. Can you please vacate my lap?"

"Mou, how come this happens only when it's me and not little Mimi?" She inquired with a bit of annoyance.

"Ms. Anastasia, Mimi is half your size," I reminded her and… she huffed.

"And?" The girl pressed with a pout-driven tone.

"And you're clever enough to draw conclusions without putting me in a difficult position," I argued flatly, having long learned how to not fall into that trap.

"But I like this throne. It's mine and mine alone."

"Your greed is showing, Ms. Anastasia," I pointed out and she giggled.

"I guess it does come quicker than usual when I'm around you, John~."

I sighed tiredly as I tried through that mess to get my paperwork done.

This sure is a strange way to start in a different world from Zero…