Genjitsushugisha no Oukokukaizouki - Volume 15 - Chapter Pr

Prologue: As One Country Rises

The great library of Parnam held the largest collection of books in the Kingdom of Friedonia. This world already had printing, and there was some distribution of books, but owing to the low literacy rate, they had never gotten to establishing libraries. Still, with the greater focus on education since Souma ascended the throne, a full six out of ten people were now literate, and there was already demand for libraries.

“Books are the crystallization of mankind’s knowledge. There can never be too many kinds.”

Having said that, Souma bought or borrowed all of the books that he could from around the country, and from foreign countries with which they had relations, and ordered reproductions of them made. In the world he came from, there was the legend of the Library of Alexandria, which it was said would take foreign books from any traveler visiting the city and, after copying them, would return the copy. Souma, of course, wasn’t doing anything so malicious. He returned the originals, as was only proper.

The books collected were not limited to academic or technical subjects, but also legends and children’s fables, and even strange texts filled with obscure and absurd knowledge. These were all copied by the librarians and researchers to be stored in the great library. (Magical texts, however, owing to the difficulty of handling them, were instead sent to a specialized analysis department.)

Souma’s policy of not neglecting any knowledge or technology was on display here too. There had been a shortage of librarians and researchers in recent years, and even after recruiting from the graduates of the Royal Academy and Ginger’s Vocational School, there was still no shortage of work to be done. This was the sort of work that noted bibliophile Hakuya, the Black-robed Prime Minister, would have preferred doing. And while he often did help out during his time off, there weren’t many individuals with such curious tastes as his.

However, in the previous year, a woman of singular talent had arrived in this library. It was Ichiha’s elder sister, the third daughter of the House of Chima, Sami. Having lost her adoptive father in the political struggles of the Union of Eastern Nations, the emotionally wounded Sami was taken in by this country. She happened to be an excellent mage and avid reader, so much so that she often shared books with her sister Yomi when they were younger. However, as they grew, Yomi came to seek knowledge of a wide variety, while Sami focused on accounting, math, and the sciences.

When he heard that from Ichiha, Souma said, “Rather than staying cooped up in the castle, I’m sure Sami will be able to distract herself better if she’s surrounded by books,” and selected her to be a librarian in the great library.

She proved to be the perfect pick.

Sami demonstrated great talent in organizing the books left in her care, and was also excellent in her handling of the magical texts that occasionally got mixed in with them. This quickly made her a central figure of the librarian team. For Sami’s part, being in a quiet library surrounded by books helped to soothe her, so she worked hard at her tasks. It would still be some time before her wounds healed, but it seemed she was able to smile more and more often.

— Around the middle of the 1st month, 1550th year, Continental Calendar —

On this day, too, Sami was organizing the bookshelves. There was a ladder placed in front of a shelf close to twice her height, and she sat on it, speaking to the person below her.

“Ichiha, hand me the volumes of that Amidonian fable anthology in order.”

“Okay.” Ichiha searched through the pile of books on the floor to find the tomes Sami had asked him for. “Here, sister.”

“Thanks.” Sami slotted the books into open spaces.

As he handed the volumes to Sami, Ichiha was looking at her in profile. Sami’s side ponytail, tied on the opposite side from her elder twin sister Yomi’s, was shaking. Her expression was peaceful.

Back during his time in the Duchy of Chima, Ichiha had been tormented by his musclehead older brothers Nata and Gauche for having no talent. Because Sami and Yomi hated those brothers and stayed away from them, Ichiha hadn’t had much contact with his older sisters.

Is Big Sister Sami going to be all right...?

Because she wasn’t the expressive type to begin with, Ichiha couldn’t figure out what Sami might be feeling right now. He was thinking about it so hard that his hands had stopped moving.

“Ichiha?” Sami looked at Ichiha dubiously.

“Ah, sorry.” Ichiha hurriedly passed her the next book. Sami accepted the book, placing it on her lap.

“You’re worried about me?”

“Oh! Um... Yes...” Ichiha replied, giving up on trying to hide it. Sami smiled a little.

“You’re so kind, Ichiha.”

“I mean, we are family.”

“Family...huh? It’s amazing how different we all turned out despite coming from the same parents.”

A shadow fell over her expression, likely as she remembered their eldest brother, Hashim. Ichiha didn’t know what to say, but Sami shook her head, as if to drive off the emotions welling up inside her.

“Hey, Ichiha. Do you like living in this country?”

“Huh?”

“This country is just lovely. It’s peaceful, and the people in the castle are all so cheerful. They even treat me kindly, and look out for my well-being. You especially. You come to help all the time because you’re worried about my feelings...right?”

Sami was right. The reason Ichiha was helping her was because Souma and Hakuya had told him it would be better if there was someone by Sami’s side so that she wasn’t left alone. Being the clever woman that Sami was, she had come to notice this.

“Do you already serve Sir Souma?”

“Y-Yes. I’m still only a student, but he accepted me as a retainer.”

“I see... You won’t be going back north then.” Sami smiled slightly at that. “Yeah. This is for the best. If you went back north, you’d just be used.”

“Used...?”

“You know Sir Souma sent Fuuga Haan the Monster Encyclopedia, yes? The rulers of the Union of Eastern Nations were all so frustrated when they found out you were the author. No one, myself included, ever thought that your knowledge would be worth so much.”

Sami slid over on the ladder, patting the empty space next to her. That apparently meant, Have a seat beside me. Ichiha took her up on the invitation, and she put her arm around his shoulder, patting him fondly on the head.

“I’m sure if you did go back, they’d welcome you with open arms. They’d constantly praise you, totally forgetting the dismissive attitude they had towards you before. You’d be a hit with the girls too. I’m sure you’d be swamped with marriage proposals. But...from your perspective, it’d all be a bit too late, right?”

“Yeah, it would...” Ichiha sighed deeply. “I like this country, where I live among those who recognized me for who I was. The Duchy of Chima is already gone, so I have no reason to return.”

“Good. Now that people know what your knowledge is worth, I can’t see Hashim Chima leaving you alone. You’ll be safer under Sir Souma’s protection.”

Sami kept referring to their brother not as Big Brother Hashim, but by his full name, Hashim Chima. Ichiha sensed that this was intentional.

How far did her grudge go? It obviously included Hashim, who plotted her foster father’s murder, but did it extend to Fuuga, who carried out the plan, as well? What about Fuuga’s wife, Mutsumi? How about her twin sister, Yomi, who had joined Fuuga’s camp? How much did she resent her?

“Big sister. One of my friends is... Um...”

“I know. Fuuga Haan’s little sister, right?”

“Ah—”

Ichiha had been trying to choose his words carefully, but Sami figured out what was up.

“Does she live here in the castle? I haven’t run into her yet, though.”

“Do you resent Sir Fuuga, Big Sister Sami...?”

“I suppose... I can’t say that I don’t,” Sami said before shaking her head. “But the one I really can’t forgive is Hashim Chima. Setting aside Fuuga Haan, who carried out the plan given to him, I bear no grudge against Big Sister Mutsumi, who tried to save me. And as for Yuriga, who is just Fuuga Haan’s little sister...I have no problem with her at all. If anything...”

“If anything...?” Ichiha echoed.

Sami let out a self-effacing laugh. “The way she’s been jerked about at her brother’s whims, I feel a sort of kinship with her.”

“Uh...” Ichiha didn’t know how to respond to that.

As he was struggling to find the words, Sami told him, “If you say she’s your friend, then look out for her. As the sister of a ruler who has been entrusted to the central nation of the Maritime Alliance, she’s an easy piece to use. As a hostage, she can help to lower their guard, and by abandoning her, they can lay a trap for you. I can’t see Hashim Chima not using her.”

“I...see.”

It was certainly true that Hashim would suggest such a plan. The question was if Fuuga would use it...and that would probably depend on the situation. Under normal circumstances, Fuuga wasn’t that heartless. In fact, he was quite caring when it came to family. But as the scion of the times, it wasn’t improbable that a time may come where he would cast Yuriga aside.

Sami pulled Ichiha closer, pressing her head against his. “Not everyone cares about blood relations. Try to keep that in mind.”

Ichiha nodded silently.

There was another party silently listening in on their conversation, but that person left as if running away.

◇ ◇ ◇

Knock, knock.

As I was in the governmental affairs office, battling with paperwork alongside Hakuya like I did every day, there was a knock at the door. It was...still a little early for our afternoon break, but someone must have come to call me.

“Come in,” I called to the door.

“Excuse me...” Yuriga replied, entering. She looked uneasy somehow.

“What’s wrong, Yuriga?”

“I had something to talk to you and Mr. Hakuya about... Ah! If you’re busy with work, I can come back later...” Yuriga seemed awkward and noncommittal.

Is it hard to discuss with others around? Hmm... Well, we were going to take a break soon anyway, so it’s fine.

I cleared my throat loudly and said, “I think we’ll take our afternoon recess early today. Everyone but Hakuya may leave.”

“““Yes, sir!”””

All of the other bureaucrats working in the office bowed and filed out of the room at my suggestion. With Hakuya, Yuriga, and myself left alone (albeit with guards outside the door), I addressed Yuriga again.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Um... I happened to overhear Ichiha and Sami talking in the library...”

“Oh...”

Ichiha’s elder sister, Sami, was staying in the castle as a refugee from the Union of Eastern Nations. From what Ichiha had told us, Sami was a talented mage with a gift for accounting, so I had wanted to put her to work under Roroa. But because she was a guest, not a retainer, I couldn’t do that. If she seemed likely to eventually volunteer her services to this country, I would have recommended her to the Ministry of Finance, but it was too soon. The wounds hadn’t healed yet.

Still, just spending her days in idleness would be depressing. It would give her all the time in the world to worry, after all.

After talking things over with Ichiha and Hakuya, I decided it was best to give her something to do so she wouldn’t have so much time to think. I’d heard from Ichiha that Sami liked to read, so I tried giving her a job as a librarian in the great library. This seemed to have been somewhat effective, as she worked in silence, reading in her spare time. As if trying to shut away her painful memories...

Ichiha frequently went to help as well, in order to keep her from feeling alone. That must have been what Yuriga walked in on. As far as Yuriga was concerned, she was the younger sister of the man who killed Sami’s adoptive father, so she couldn’t bear to listen.

With a calm expression on my face, I told Yuriga, “For now...I’d prefer not to agitate her. I know this may feel restricting, but could you stay away from the library for the time being?”

“I know that much...!” Yuriga said, averting her eyes.

Hakuya and I exchanged a momentary glance before, in a consoling tone, I said, “You don’t need to worry too much. From what Ichiha’s told me, it seems her anger is directed more at their older brother Hashim rather than Fuuga. So long as you don’t do anything strange to provoke her, she’s probably not going to resent you.”

“I wouldn’t do that... I won’t, but...”

Seeing Yuriga get more and more deflated, Hakuya let out a sigh.

“It would seem that that’s not what she wanted to hear.”

“Ah?!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked, and Hakuya shrugged.

“Madam Yuriga was more interested in asking about Sir Fuuga.”

“About Fuuga, huh?”

“Recently, when I’ve been teaching Madam Yuriga, I see her taking what I can only assume is a different perspective from his occasionally. I think that...”

“That’s enough, Mr. Hakuya...” Yuriga raised a hand to cut Hakuya off. “I’ll say the rest myself.”

Raising her face, Yuriga looked straight into my eyes.

“In order to unify the Union of Eastern Nations, did my brother need to deceive and murder Madam Sami’s adoptive father...? I wanted to hear your opinion, as a king, on that.”

“Was the deception and murder justified, you mean?”

The look in Yuriga’s eyes was completely focused. She wasn’t looking for encouragement or platitudes... It was a serious question that demanded a serious answer. So I gave her one.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?! I’m serious here...!”

“And I’m being serious. There’s no way to be sure what the right choice was. If I’m not going to take a side, this is the only answer I can give.” It was rare you could neatly divide things into good and evil, after all. “If I were Sami, I’d think that what Fuuga did was evil. So it’s only natural she’d hate him for it. But if he had started a war to annex all of those countries with rulers that wouldn’t submit to him, even more lives would have been lost. On both sides.”

Yuriga remained quiet, so I continued.

“If Fuuga had invaded Sami’s country, and Sami’s adoptive father had surrendered after a battle and been spared, the people would have still been sacrificed. If someone, or someones, die so that others may live... There’s no way you can say with certainty which way was right. It may be that Fuuga’s actions are praised by later generations for minimizing the number of people sacrificed.”

Later generations are only able to view things with the benefit of hindsight, after all. They can only see this many people died, or this many people didn’t die. Especially when they try to look at things from a neutral point of view...

“Besides, I’ve done something similar myself. I have no right to cast stones.”

“Huh? You have?” Yuriga’s eyes widened. She seemed pretty surprised.

“Do I not look like I would?”

“Yeah... You don’t seem like you have that kind of ambition.”

“Ha ha ha... Well, she’s right about that. Isn’t she?” I said to Hakuya, who nodded.

“In order to stabilize a political regime, there are times when blood must be shed, even if we would prefer not to,” Hakuya said. “It is for the sake of rooting out sources of future strife.”

“But if you overdo it, you’ll breed resentment, and come to a bad end fairly quickly. You have no choice but to do it, however, within reason. That’s the kind of duty a ruler takes on. I’ve made a whole lot of people shed blood and tears to come this far, and I’m sure there must be those who hold grudges against me for that... Even now, I have nightmares sometimes.”

“Oh...? You do?” Hakuya asked, looking surprised. I nodded with a wry smile.

“I occasionally have these dreams where Gaius VIII rises from his grave to come kill me.”

The fear of him must have been seared into my memories. Regardless of how the man himself would actually feel, in my dreams he did whatever I was most afraid of. Nightmares show us the things we wouldn’t want to see. It’s not quite The Butterfly Dream, but...I sometimes wonder if what I’m seeing is actually reality.

On nights when I wake from a dream like that, I bury my face in the bosom of whichever wife is sleeping next to me to calm myself down. They always understand and hug my head, but... Wait, what am I rambling on about all this embarrassing stuff for?

“Uh, anyway, I can’t say whether what Fuuga did was right or wrong. We can only look at the results of the decision he made.”

“Right...”

“Sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you were looking for.”

Yuriga got very quiet. I’m sure she was hoping I would tell her that Fuuga wasn’t wrong, or maybe that he was.

If I said he wasn’t wrong, she wouldn’t have to feel a sense of guilt over Sami’s misdirected resentment. If I told her he was, she could feel sympathy for Sami, and be considerate of her feelings. Either way, Yuriga wouldn’t have to grapple with the righteousness, or lack thereof, of Fuuga’s actions, and would be at ease. But neither Hakuya nor I would give her an easy answer.

That might have been harsh for a girl in her teens, but she would eventually be a figure of national prominence. Coming to grips with intractable problems was just something she would have to learn to do.

Yuriga let out a sigh. “You’re harsher than you look. Both of you.”

“Ha ha ha. Well, we’re always happy to hear your complaints.”

Hakuya followed up with, “If I might add, Madam Yuriga, you have reliable friends at school, so you would do well to talk to them rather than internalize it all by yourself. Of course, you are always welcome to talk to me too.”

“Yeah... I’ll do that.”

Yuriga smiled just a little at what we’d said.