For the Future We Must Protect

On the Father Island there was a city known as Min, where the rites of

the Spirit Kingdom had once been carried out. It was a city of historical

importance, and the stone building in the middle of it—reminiscent of the

pyramids or Chichen Itza—had long since been a nest for the insect

monsters. Still, once it had been liberated by a combined force of Fuuga's

men and the Garlan Volunteer Force, they were able to use it as a key base.

Being easily defensible and with a port nearby, it was obvious the city was

going to be important. It was here that Bito, the former King of Gabi, had

rushed ahead to claim the glory of retaking before he got surrounded and

killed by monsters.

Now that the monsters were being extirpated from the Father Island,

Min was to become the center of the island's recovery. Many people were

gathered there, busily milling about. However, their faces were glum

instead of filled with hope. The cause: a disease known as the Spirit King's

Curse.

The "curse" was only contracted by warriors. First, the infected

gradually lost the ability to use magic, and then healing magic ceased to

work on them. Eventually, it would begin to affect the body, causing a

variety of symptoms. Ultimately, this terrifying disease would result in

death.

Countless warriors had already fallen to it on the Mother Island.

Fuuga's forces hadn't even known the disease existed, and the members of

the Garlan Volunteer Force didn't expect so many people would catch the

disease on the Father Island either. Even if they'd been vaguely worried it

was possible, they'd had no way to defend against it.

The high elves must have hoped that the disease only affected people

on the Mother Island. But those hopes had been dashed. And here on the

Father Island, an event would transpire that would shake the new people of

the islands. It would be discovered that the commander-in-chief of their

combined forces, Shuukin, had contracted the disease.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Oh! I'll bring this to him!" Elulu said, holding a tray in her hands. She

was in the kitchen of a mansion in Min that had once been used by

members of the high elf royalty.

The faces of the high elves working in the kitchen contorted.

"Princess! Maybe you shouldn't do that?"

"It's dangerous! If anything were to happen to you..."

"Surely there's no need for you to play at being a serving girl,

Princess."

Everyone seemed opposed, but Elulu smiled and shook her head. "Let

me do this at least. He fought for our sakes, and this is about all I can do to

repay him."

"Princess..."

Everyone knew that the bright smile on her face was only to keep the

atmosphere in the room from getting too dark. As they stared at her, at a

loss for words, Elulu's expression relaxed a bit.

"I'll be going now," she said cheerfully, and left with the tray.

She rushed to a room on the east side of the mansion. Stopping in front

of it for a moment to make sure she looked presentable, she then knocked

on the door.

"I'm coming in," she said, holding the tray with one hand while

opening the door with the other.

"Lord Shuukin, how are you feeling to... Ah!"

Elulu's eyes went wide as she saw the inside of the room. The sick man

who should have been lying in bed was not there; he was instead hanging

vertically from the top of the frame of the open window.

"Hundred and one... Hundred and two..." he counted.

She stared at him, dumbstruck.

"Ah, yes... Those are some fine muscles between his wings... Wait, no!"

Elulu hastily laid the tray down on the table, and tried to pull Shuukin

down from the window frame. However, between their weight difference

and Shuukin's firm grip, she couldn't pry his fingers loose.

"You're sick, so rest!"

"Oh, it's Princess Elulu."

Shuukin had been focusing on doing chin-ups, but when he noticed

Elulu, he let go of the window frame and dropped to the ground. Caught off

guard, Elulu fell on her bottom.

She rubbed her aching rear end and looked at him resentfully, but

Shuukin didn't seem to notice, and wiped his sweat with a towel.

"Whew... You should really stay away from me," he said, smiling. "It'd

be a problem if you caught what I've got."

"I've never heard something so unconvincing before!"

He was probably cooling down. The way Shuukin spun his arms in

circles, it was hard to imagine he was sick. Seeing him like this left Elulu

exasperated.

"I don't think anyone has caught this disease while caring for the sick.

It probably doesn't spread from person to person that way...but, no, before

that, why can't you stay put?!"

The reproachful look in Elulu's eyes had no noticeable effect on

Shuukin.

"I may not be at my best, but my body still works. So I've gotta keep

up my training until I can't move anymore or it'd reflect poorly on me as a

warrior."

"Just sit down, please!"

Elulu had Shuukin sit down, and laid a tray with gruel on his lap.

"It's mealtime! Please eat!"

"Oh, okay. I understand."

Seemingly intimidated by her intensity, Shuukin ate his gruel. As she

watched, Elulu sighed, a sad look in her eyes.

"Lord Shuukin... How can you be so full of energy?"

"Mmph... Hmm? What do you mean?" he asked between bites of food.

"When warriors fall victim to the Spirit King's Curse...most despair.

The moment they catch it, they see the writing on the wall and give up on

everything... Some even end their own lives the same day... Wait, I guess

I'm in no position to say this, though."

"Princess Elulu?"

"If we'd told you about this disease sooner, then maybe..."

Elulu shrunk into herself with regret. When he saw that, Shuukin shook

his head.

"It's not your fault, is it? No one knows what causes the disease, so no

one knew we could catch it on the Father Island as well."

"B-But still..."

"I have only myself to blame. After all the victories I've attained under

Lord Fuuga, I'd grown so complacent that I didn't see the huge pitfall at my

own feet. You never know where traps may lurk in this life. It's been a good

lesson."

Hearing him say that, Elulu looked at him with surprise, and then envy.

"You're so strong, Lord Shuukin..."

"That's not true..."

"No, you're truly strong. How can you be so stout-hearted despite your

illness?"

"Hrmm..." Shuukin crossed his arms in thought, a wooden spoon

hanging out of his mouth. After a few seconds, he answered, "It's...probably

because I don't think this is the end."

Elulu's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Take a look at the message there." Shuukin nodded towards the

bedside table.

"What is this?"

"A letter from Lord Fuuga."

"From Sir Fuuga? Is it all right for me to read it?"

"Yeah. There's nothing in there I shouldn't let you see."

"Oh, okay... So, what does Sir Fuuga say?" Elulu asked as she took the

letter. Shuukin smiled.

"In order to resolve this issue with the Spirit King's Curse, he's secured

the full cooperation of King Souma of Friedonia."

"Frie...donia?"

"It's a huge country in the east of the continent. Until a few years ago

there was nothing notable about it but its age. However, it has seen an

unbelievable amount of progress since the new king took the throne. It was

so impressive that it made Lord Fuuga wary of him, and he even sent his

little sister Yuriga there to study."

"Oh, I remember now. That's the country that heads up the Maritime

Alliance."

Elulu recalled that her uncle had gone to the Kingdom of Friedonia for

help at first. They had apparently used the Spirit Kingdom's policies of high

elf supremacy as a reason to refuse cooperation, however.

With his arms crossed, Shuukin said, "This is just me repeating what

I've heard from Lord Fuuga, but Lady Yuriga's letters tell us that that

country's progress in science and technology has been remarkable. And

when it comes to medicine in particular, she says they're decades ahead of

us. People who aren't light mages can provide treatment, and they're even

capable of curing diseases once thought impossible to treat with light

magic."

"They're that far ahead?! That's incredible... How great must the gap

with our country be? We've remained shut off from the rest of the world for

so long."

With a wry smile at Elulu's shock, Shuukin said, "And they're going to

help us. It's still far too soon to give up hope, don't you think?"

"I see."

"Well, my one regret is that my failings have put my liege in King

Souma's debt. And I may have troubled Lady Yuriga as well."

"That's all the more reason you need to get better, then!" Elulu beamed,

seeming to regain her cheer. "So long as you're alive, you can show your

gratitude to your liege, and repay his debt to that foreign king. But if you

die, you'll be nothing but an ingrate who never repaid his debt. So please,

get better!"

"Pfft...! Ah ha ha ha ha!" Shuukin burst out laughing, amused by her

enthusiasm.

Elulu couldn't help but chuckle too. The room was filled with such

cheer that it was hard to imagine anyone there was sick at all.

◇ ◇ ◇

In a mansion in Parnam, two babies slept soundly in a crib in the living

room. Their mothers were watching over them.

"Seein' 'em side-by-side like this, they look like twins. It's remindin'

me of Cian and Kazuha," Roroa confided.

"You're right," Tia agreed. "If their hair colors weren't different, I

might get them confused."

The two of them were sisters-in-law, and their pregnancies had been

discovered at nearly the same time. Hilde had given them their regular

checkups together, and they'd given birth at almost the same time too. They

had recovered after giving birth by now, so Roroa often brought her baby to

play at Julius and Tia's residence.

The doting mothers carried on.

"Leon's sleepin' with his mouth wide open. He's gonna be a big shot

someday."

"Tius is so quiet. I sense Lord Julius's intelligence from him."

Roroa's son with Souma was Leon Amidonia, and Tia's son with Julius

was Tius Lastania. Because they were both infants, Leon and Tius looked

like two peas in a pod; but the thin wisps of hair on Leon's head were a dark

brown, while Tius's hair was a light beige.

As the mothers looked lovingly at their children, the fathers watched

them from a table a short distance away, where they were having a cup of

tea.

"Those two are both mothers... It makes me rather emotional just

thinking about it," Souma said between sips of tea. "You know...they don't

look that different from when I met either of them."

"Well, after the age of sixteen, I suppose two or three years doesn't

make that big of a difference."

"Emotionally, though, it absolutely does. They say men don't grow that

much after they have children, but when a woman gives birth, she becomes

a new creature called a mother... Or so I've heard some people say."

"You speak from experience?"

"We're on our fourth, after all. I can't even hold them off at this point."

"Heh, you say that as if there were ever a period when you could,"

Julius said teasingly.

"Oh, shove off," Souma replied, shrugging his shoulders.

The two of them casually bantered while watching their beloved wives

and children.

Would anyone who saw this peaceful scene be able to tell that these two

men once led armies tens of thousands strong against each other in a battle

to the death?

"Thank you for introducing us to Dr. Hilde," Julius said, bowing. "It's

thanks to her that both mother and child are healthy."

"Hilde's the only one you need to thank. Even if I hadn't introduced

you, the Kingdom has plenty of midwives and gynecologists now. I think

any of them could have helped you without it making much difference who

you chose," Souma said, waving his hand.

Julius nodded. "It's certainly true that the Kingdom is ahead when it

comes to medical systems."

"Honestly, it's a field I want us to expand in more and more. I think we

still need more doctors and hospitals, but...that would also necessitate

raising taxes, I'm sure."

"It's an important thing to do, but...I could see there being pushback

from the people," Julius crossed his arms and groaned.

"Yeah. I was just talking with Roroa about how maybe we should just

throw the idea to the Congress of the People."

"The Congress of the People... That was the body that collects and

organizes requests for the king, right?"

The Congress of the People was attended by representatives of every

race and social stature from every region of the country. They were like a

suggestion box that allowed "the people's voice" to reach the king. They

only existed to make those voices heard, and it was up to the king whether

to act on those requests or not.

However, if he ignored them too much, the king would lose the

people's support, and so he usually implemented the ones that were unlikely

to cause him any problems. An example of this was the expansion of the

broadcast programs.

"I think we'll let the people decide whether they want taxes raised to

fund an even more complete medical system," Souma said.

With a somber look in his eyes, Julius shook his head. "They'll reject it,

without a doubt. People are shortsighted."

"Well...yeah, you're probably right. The education system has made it

so more of the population can think for themselves, but they haven't gotten

to the point where we can make reforms that cut into their own livelihood."

"Knowing the result, you still intend to leave it to the people?"

"There's meaning in making them decide."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I've already factored in that it will be voted down several times,"

Souma said, grinning. "But each time it is, we publicize that result to the

people. A robust medical system is a necessity. As time goes by, the number

of citizens who understand that will increase. There will be people out in

the rural areas thinking, 'If only my town had a doctor too,' right? Well,

once that happens..."

"...The people will force the congress to pass it, or some of the

members will take up the fight in order to play to win their favor."

I should've known Julius would get it. He was a sharp one, so if I gave

him a hint, he'd figure out the rest himself.

"But aren't you being a little impatient? The people won't understand

what you're trying to do here."

"I know... But, you see, Julius, I want the people to never stop thinking

for themselves. If they take everything they hear, see, or are told at face

value, then they'll never find out what's really true. Simplicity can be a

virtue, but it also makes people susceptible to conspiracy theories. I don't

want that to happen to my kingdom."

Souma sighed deeply.

"It'll help keep them from being taken in by Fuuga's faction too."

"Fuuga Haan?" Julius asked.

"You know how his charisma draws people to him? If Fuuga says,

'Naden is a white ryuu,' people will all agree. If he says, 'I can make your

lives better,' people will want him to rule them even though he has nothing

to back that claim up. If Fuuga says, 'That guy is evil,' people will hate that

person."

"I think I see what you're getting at... All right. That's a move Hashim

used to carve up the Union of Eastern Nations. Stir up resentment against

the current administration, and draw the people in with Fuuga's charisma.

We lost all of our refugee soldiers except for Jirukoma and those who

stayed with him that way."

Julius winced at the memories that were brought back.

Souma nodded. "He may try the same thing in this country at some

point. When he does, the situation will change depending on how much our

people can think for themselves. Even if he tries to win them over with

honeyed words, we need our people to be able to think, 'Is it really going to

be that good?' and 'Is that person really as bad as Fuuga says he is?'"

"You're training the Congress of the People not to be susceptible to that

sort of incitement then?" Julius let out a sigh that was half of admiration

and half of dismay. "It's a roundabout method, but seems likely to work...

How tiresomely roundabout though."

"You didn't have to say roundabout twice. And is it that much of a

bother?"

"I can imagine the pains Princess Liscia and Prime Minister Hakuya

went through working with you for so long."

"I get that a lot..." Souma replied with a wry smile.

Incidentally, after several rejections, this motion finally passed. The

events to come and a certain person would be involved in that, however.

When Souma saw the report, he may have said, "That went faster than I

expected..." That's enough of that digression.

There was a clink as Julius laid down his cup in its saucer.

"But before we think about the future, we need to think about now.

What's happening with the Spirit King's Curse?"

"We're still actively looking into that..." Souma answered after taking a

sip of tea. "I've sent a medical team to the port city Fuuga gave us on the

western coast, and they're gathering information. First, they're verifying

what little we do know. Fuuga said it was a disease that primarily affects

warriors, and not one that spreads from person to person. That seems to be

correct."

"That's good... Or is it?"

"It's hard to say. Because people are still coming down with the disease

on the Father Island." Souma wrapped his hands around his cup, looking

down into it. "Now that we know the disease doesn't spread from person to

person, Hilde and Brad are asking to go there, but..."

"It's still dangerous. You should stop them."

"Yeah, I know. We can't afford to lose them. I'm having them review

all the information we get and come up with countermeasures... The best

way to suppress their urge to do something rash is to keep them

preoccupied."

"True."

"I also have Genia and her crew on the move as well."

"Genia is...the chief of the Kingdom's technical research department,

right?"

"Mhm. I have them focused on the study of magicium now, and one of

the typical symptoms of the Spirit King's Curse is that it makes the people

who contract it unable to use magic. If it's having some effect on the

magicium in their bodies, that may give us some hint. I decided to have

them cooperate on this."

Julius seemed taken aback for a moment. Souma cocked his head to the

side.

"What is it?"

"Oh, I was just being reminded of how well-staffed the Kingdom is. No

matter what you set out to do, you have the right personnel for the job and

they can get to work right away. Honestly, you've created one terrifying

country."

Souma smiled wryly at that.

"What're you talking about? You're one of us now."

"Me...?"

"We'll be doing more negotiations with Fuuga in the future. Hashim

will be in the background scheming, no doubt. I'm not sure how well things

will go without both you and Hakuya working together. Once you've settled

down with your child, please come to work."

"Heh, you are my liege now. If that's your order, then I shall follow it."

As each smiled at the other, they got their cheeks sandwiched from both

sides. Roroa and Tia, who had circled around behind their respective

husbands, had each stuck their hands around their husbands' faces.

"Come on, darlin', big brother. What're you actin' so glum for?"

"She's right! It's awful you would ignore your adorable wives and

children like this!"

"Ah! Sorry, Roroa."

"S-Sorry, Tia."

With their wives getting miffed at them, Souma and Julius were on the

back foot.

"Oh my. I see you're all getting along well," came a sudden voice.

It was the gray-haired gentleman who had come to bring them a fresh

pot of tea. Manager of the apparel business called The Silver Deer, and

public face of Roroa's company, Sebastian Silverdeer.

"It's only a matter of time before there are even more children, I see,"

Sebastian said with a smile, and Roroa nodded enthusiastically.

"Darn tootin'. I thought I was gonna die when I was givin' birth, but I

already want another."

"M-Me too."

Seeing the expectant looks on their wives' faces, Souma and Julius

looked at one another awkwardly. Sebastian watched it all with a smile.

"Father. Baby," said a slightly lisping voice next to the crib.

It was a girl of about three or four years old with the same hair as

Sebastian. He walked over to her side and, lifting her up, made it so she

could see the babies' faces better.

"Look, Flora. It's Lord Leon and Lord Tius."

"They're cute, father."

This smiling girl was Flora Silverdeer, Sebastian's daughter who had

droopy eyes.

As he looked at them, Souma reaffirmed his resolve, thinking, I have to

do my best to protect these children's future.

◇ ◇ ◇

There was a highway that connected the north of the Great Tiger

Kingdom of Haan and Parnam, the royal capital of the Kingdom of

Friedonia. It was one long, continuous road, but it changed completely the

moment you crossed from one country to the other.

The road on the Great Tiger Kingdom's side was just a dirt path trod

down by people and their mounts, while the Kingdom of Friedonia's was

much easier to use, being paved with Roman concrete and having monsterrepelling trees placed at regular intervals to keep wild animals off of it. It

was an eloquent demonstration of the difference in commitment to

infrastructure between the two rulers.

A single man was on the road on the Kingdom of Friedonia side. His

face was hidden by the hood he wore, and his steps were heavy. He walked

almost like a prisoner with his legs bound.

And yet the man still didn't stop.

Eventually, he reached a small town in the mountains. He bought a

small amount of food and wine there, then sat by the roadside to scarf it all

down. The way he ate, it was like getting some nutrition was all that

mattered.

"Hey, mister. You're not looking so hot," someone called out to the

man.

It was a big man with great muscles and a bushy beard that seemed to

be his defining feature. Honestly, he looked like nothing if not a bandit.

The hooded man cautiously grasped the dagger hidden inside his robe

as he replied, "I'm afraid I don't have anything on me at the moment..."

"Huh?" the bearded man looked blankly at him for a moment, then

burst out laughing. "It's been a while since anyone talked to me like that. If

you don't know me, then... You're not from around here, are you, I take it?

You a traveler?"

It seemed the bearded man wasn't hostile. The hooded man let go of his

dagger.

"Ahh... You could say that... You're not a bandit then?"

"You've got me all wrong. Don't worry, I'm not gonna rob you. The

king'd get mad."

The bearded man thumped his chest with one hand.

"I'm part of the mountain rescue team around these here parts... Wait, if

you're from out of the country, you wouldn't know about us, huh? Our job

is to look for people who get stuck in the mountains, or who disappeared

there, and rescue them."

"I've never heard of a job like that... And? Did you have some business

with me?" the hooded man asked cautiously, but the bearded man shrugged.

"Sure do. You're obviously not looking too hot. I thought I'd check and

see if you were all right."

"Could I ask you to leave me alone...?"

"No can do, I'm afraid. If you drop dead in my area, I'm gonna get all

sorts of questions from the higher-ups and be forced to fill out a ton of

reports. That's too much trouble, so would you let me help you before it

comes to that?" the bearded man said jokingly.

It was a harsh way to put it, but you could sense his concern.

The hooded man rose to his feet, putting a hand on a wall for support.

"I appreciate your kindness. However, I...have a place I must go."

"Go? Where're you going in that state?"

"To the capital of this country, Parnam."

The hooded man started walking, but was unsteady even with one hand

on the wall for support. Then his legs gave out beneath him.

"Careful!" the bearded man instantly reacted by supporting him with

those thick arms of his.

"You're tripping all over yourself. There's a big hospital just a little

ways from here. I'll take you there, so let them have a look at you."

"What's a...hospital?"

"It's where doctors—uh, think of them as medicine men or light mages,

only more amazing. Even without light magic, they can treat wounds and

diseases that're hard to treat with magic. Government-backed hospitals are

cheap too."

"Diseases too...? Is the Kingdom's medicine that advanced? While we

shut ourselves away, the outside world changed... What a mistake..." the

hooded man said in a self-derisive tone.

The bearded man looked at him quizzically, but the hooded man shook

his head.

"I know my own body better than anyone. Even these 'doctors' of

yours can't save me."

"Huh?! It's that bad?!"

"I don't have long left. I must go to Parnam as soon as possible. For my

homeland... To do everything I can do with the life I have left."

The hooded man reached out in the direction of Parnam. The bearded

man scratched his head as he watched, then scooped the hooded man up in

his arms.

"Cripes. Looks like I don't got much choice... Whoa, buddy, you're

way too light!"

"Wh-What are you doing...?"

"I already got myself into this. Can't back out now. I'm a public

servant. I'll contact my superiors and ask if they can take you to the

capital."

"Are you sure...?"

"They're the ones who'll decide. For now, just rest."

The bearded man walked, carrying the hooded man. As he did, the hood

fell back. The emaciated face it revealed was that of an elf. The bearded

man's eyes widened.

"You were an elf?"

The de-hooded man didn't respond.

"Oh, yeah, you never did give your name, did you? I'm Gonzales.

You?"

"Gerula Garlan... If you give them my name, I'm sure they'll figure out

the rest."