Epilogue
In Willeron Palace in the Kingdom of Natra…
“Aghhhhh, Eliseeeeee…”
…Falanya Elk Arbalest was lying across a desk, longing for the Flahm baby back in the Empire.
“I thought you’d never come home,” Nanaki grumbled, recalling the scene.
As they’d prepared to return to Natra, Falanya had refused to stop attending to Elise and let her go. It was like she was bidding farewell to her own life. In the end, Nanaki had to practically drag her back.
“But Elise was so cute! You understand, don’t you, Nanaki?!”
“We have officers with children in Natra, too. I’m sure they’ll let you play with them.”
“It’s different! I’m sure they’re adorable, but I want to see Elise!” Falanya kicked her feet up, still face-planted on the desk.
Nanaki gave up on any further attempt at constructive conversation. “Anyway, you have a meeting soon.”
“Oh, right.” Falanya hurriedly straightened her posture. Nanaki assisted her in fixing her appearance.
A knock came from outside the door. “…I’ve arrived at your request.”
A middle-aged man with a small frame appeared before them. His features were rather lifeless, and his demeanor was dry. However, Falanya looked at him and smiled.
“Thank you for coming. I may be inexperienced, but I hope you will support me as my vassal, starting today.”
“…I am so thankful to have the opportunity to stand before you, as someone who took refuge in the Empire after I was chased from my homeland. I would want nothing more than to serve you.” The man continued, “There is one thing I wish to ask, Your Highness.”
“Ask away.”
“…Do you not know that I harbor some resentment toward your brother, Prince Wein?”
“I do,” Falanya answered, nodding. “My brother had that coming to him. I imagine you might try to get him to fall—physically and socially—as you serve me.”
“…So why have you chosen me?”
Falanya briefly considered this. “Allow me to ask a question. I believe you’ve heard of what’s happening in the Empire. Do you know what I did for Natra during this incident?”
“Yes… You went to the Imperial Capital in Prince Wein’s stead, met with many of its local leaders, and returned to Natra with several treaties that work in our favor.”
“That’s right. I delivered a message from my brother to Princess Lowellmina, thus hindering her plan. I made several connections with some of the most important people in the Empire.” Falanya had on a look that seemed to mock herself, which didn’t suit her features. “In short, I was a living letter. Even though all the valuable treaties were technically set up by Wein, Princess Lowellmina wants to build me up as another authority figure in Natra, so she can pit me against Wein.”
“If that is what is concerning you, appointing me is not—”
“No. It’s necessary,” Falanya said firmly. “With Natra expanding, my brother can’t be everywhere at once. Even in this instance, I bet I could have served a greater purpose if I were better at handling this stuff. He might have even pushed back on the Empire. But that’s not what happened. Because I lacked experience.”
There was power in Falanya’s voice. Lowellmina called it devilish. The man standing directly before her and even Nanaki trembled a little.
“I admit it. I’m looked down upon. By both foreign nations and even my brother. All because I still have much to learn. Unfortunately, I can’t fix that overnight. I need a capable vassal to support me.”
The man groaned quietly. Should he accept or reject this offer? His decision kept flip-flopping in his heart until he finally reached a simple answer.
“…But that doesn’t change the fact that I pose a threat.”
Falanya offered a small smile. Her lovely lips parted so she could reminisce on an old memory.
“I once asked my brother, ‘What makes a great king?’”
“What makes…a great king?”
“They always talk about it in epics. Even if the ruler is incompetent, they might find that honest and capable vassals are drawn to them. That makes a great king, according to them.”
“Did Prince Wein say that it was something else?”
“Yes. My brother asked me this: ‘Are you saying there would be no kings if there were no honest and capable people in the world?’”
The man blinked at her, looking surprised. “I guess…he’s right.”
“People will want things from their king. But a king can’t expect things from his people. In the same way, you can’t demand integrity from your vassals. That just shows you’re an incompetent king. A real ruler isn’t just a beacon of hope for the people. They understand and handle the darker side of human nature: self-interest, enmity, corruption, ineptitude, criminality… I was so shocked when I heard that.”
Falanya had no way of knowing that Wein had told her this while he was on the lookout for honest and capable people. Natra had still been a small, insignificant nation. He’d made this comment out of frustration—Who needs talent? I can do this on my own! I definitely don’t care that no one wants to come to our little country! I couldn’t care less! But that was a story for another day.
“And that’s why you’ve called upon me?”
“That’s right. Just so we’re clear, I do need you here. Not just for you to serve as my vassal. I need this to test myself. Am I just a figurehead? Or will I be able to help my brother in some way? I’m trying to see if I can take your poison,” Falanya stated.
The man looked at her and squinted as if staring into the sun.
“…Your resolve is admirable, Your Highness.” The man’s expression burned with a hint of fire. “I do not have much skill, but I shall be your pillar and your poison.”
Falanya smiled. “I look forward to working with you—Sir Sirgis.”
Before his young and brilliant master, the former prime minister of Delunio bowed.
“Huh. Falanya hired Sirgis?” Wein said with intrigue as he listened to Ninym’s report in his office. “That’s one heck of a plot twist. Why would Sirgis be in the Empire?”
“After you bested him and he fell from power, his other political crimes came to light, and he was banished from Delunio. After traveling to various countries and failing to find a home in any of them, he secluded himself in the Empire.”
“Aw, that’s sad.”
“I think so, too, Mr. Perpetrator.”
Wein averted his eyes. “Anyway, it looks like he found a good gig with Falanya.”
“It seems your tutor, Claudius, is connected to Sirgis. When Princess Falanya mentioned that she was looking for a vassal, he told her Sirgis’s location in the Empire. When she arrived at the capital, it seems Her Highness went to convince him herself.”
“Wow, real nice of Claudius to introduce her to someone that I share bad blood with.”
Claudius was now Falanya’s tutor, but he used to teach Wein. Unlike him, she was an exemplary student, who must have been much more gratifying to teach.
“So what will you do about Sirgis?”
It was a simple question, but it was asking if he would get rid of him.
Wein had forced him out of his role in his homeland, so it was only reasonable to assume Sirgis harbored some resentment against him. He must have been aiming to use Falanya to get his revenge on Natra.
Wein waved Ninym’s concerns off. “Just leave him alone for now. We’ll respect Falanya and her choices.”
“You’re as easy on Her Highness as ever.”
“Right back at ya. I’ll deal with it if looks like it might pose some problems.”
“So we’ll just surveil her for now.”
With their policy on Sirgis decided, they moved on to the next topic of discussion.
“Now the Empire is convinced that we’ve joined Lowellmina’s faction.”
“Demetrio got me good at the end. Plus, we couldn’t have teamed up with the middle and youngest princes after we made enemies out of them.”
“By the way, how serious were you about presenting Prince Demetrio as a gift to the West?”
“Fifty-fifty,” Wein grumbled. “If we could just keep him in Natra, we might have gotten some stuff from the Empire and the West, even if we didn’t say anything about our stance on the matter. In the end, all I got were a few treaties that give us a little boost, which sucks.”
“And those were considered the success of Princess Falanya.”
“Yeah! Lowa doesn’t miss a thing…!”
“It would be no laughing matter if Princess Falanya became involved in the struggle for the throne. I’ll keep an even closer watch within the palace, but you have to stay on your toes, too, Wein.”
“I got it. At any rate, the Empire will be paralyzed while it’s recovering from this mess. Let’s just drop it for now.” He looked at the letter in front of him. “This is our real problem.”
“…An invite to the postponed Gathering of the Chosen.”
The Teachings of Levetia was the biggest religion in the West. The Gathering of the Chosen was its annual conference of the Holy Elites. Wein had just received an invitation to the event, which should have been closed to all except the Holy Elites.
“Think it’s a trap?” he asked.
“I do.”
“What do you think will get us: a demon or a snake?”
“My vote is for something scarier that chases them both away.”
“…Suddenly, I don’t feel like going!”
“Well, that’s another topic you can discuss with the vassals. We have to think it over.”
Wein nodded. No kidding.
“Sheesh. As soon as I get back from the South, I’m pulled to the East and West. I get no rest.”
“Isn’t that normal for you?”
“I feel like that’s something that really shouldn’t be normal, Miss Ninym—!”
Ninym ignored him, feigning ignorance.
And thus, First Imperial Prince Demetrio exited stage left from history.
The trouble across the continent was far from over, however, and fiery trials were waiting to scorch the remaining actors.
Who would be the last one standing? Or would everyone be swallowed by flames and turn to ash?
Only future history books could tell.
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