Bonus Story: The Happiest Queen of All

It happened on a day when Sir Souma's coronation and wedding to

Liscia and the others was closing in.

"Cian, Kazuha. Grandmother is heeeere," I said, peeking into their crib.

"Dawoo?" asked Cian.

"Ayee!" squealed Kazuha.

As our eyes met, Cian's face froze with his fingers still in his mouth,

while Kazuha moved her arms and legs around excitedly.

They were different reactions, but both very babyish, and so cute. I

brought my hand to my cheek and stared at them, charmed.

"Oh, goodness me, your children are cute," I cooed to my daughter.

"Mother..." Liscia, who was beside me folding baby clothes, said with a

somewhat wry smile. "It's true these two are cute, but what's with this

'Grandmother' business? You're not Excel, you know?"

"Oh, what's the harm? Being called Granny makes me feel old."

Liscia had given birth to Cian and Kazuha before turning twenty, and I

had given birth to Liscia in my teenage years, too. That was why I was still

just shy of forty.

(Author's note: The year is slightly longer in this world, so by Earth

reckoning, she would be slightly over.)

I giggled at the look of exasperation on Liscia's face and told her, "In

another twenty years, you'll know how I feel, you know?"

"I'd... really rather not think about that." With a sour look on her face,

Liscia put the folded clothes into the dresser.

There was a knock on the door, and when Liscia answered it, one of the

maids, Carla, came in.

"Liscia. The master wishes to speak to you regarding your dress for the

ceremony."

"Souma does? Okay." Liscia looked over at me. "Sorry, Mother, could

you look after the children for a while?"

"Certainly," I smiled. "I wouldn't want you to keep our son-in-law

waiting. Take care."

Liscia smiled back and left the room.

Carla, who had taken her place as a result, saluted and said, "Give me

any command."

I answered her with a smile, then returned to peering at the babies in

their crib.

"It's... like a dream," I whispered to myself so quietly that Carla couldn't

hear.

◇ ◇ ◇

I was twelve when I first gained a proper understanding of my magic.

I, who was born to the King of Elfrieden and his third primary queen,

lost my mother at a young age. I was raised by my adoring father, and

became quite the little tomboy as a result.

I was unfortunately gifted with a talent for martial arts and horse riding,

so I joined the castle guards on rides, and spent my youth covered in

constant scrapes and bruises.

One day, I had heard there was a wild horse in the stables that wasn't

used to people, and convinced myself, "I will break it in!"

Ignoring the attempts of my maids to stop me, I tried to ride the horse.

"...!!"

That was when it happened.

Suddenly, "memories" that were much too vivid flowed into my head.

Of me, recklessly mounting the wild horse.

Of me, calming it, despite some resistance.

Then of the horse, going wild the moment I got full of myself and let my

guard down.

Of me, thrown from the horse, falling head-first to the ground.

Intense pain, the ground appearing much too close, and a spreading pool

of my own blood.

That vision spread inside my head, and I had a realization.

These were my memories. The memories of a future "me" who had

gotten on that horse.

"...Let's not do that, after all," I whispered.

I decided against riding the wild horse, returned to my room to the relief

of my maids, and lay face down on my soft bed.

Up until then, I hadn't known what my magic was.

This was common for those with dark magic, which was any magic that

wasn't healing light magic, and that didn't belong to the four elements: fire,

water, earth, and wind.

Because dark magic as a category was special, and often included

magics that could only be used by one individual, it wasn't uncommon for

that person not to understand it all that well.

However, after my experience that day, I understood mine clearly.

"The power to send memories back to my past self when in mortal

danger."

That was my personal magic.

It was an ability that, when faced with a threat to my life, allowed me to

send regrets such as, I should have done this back then or I never should

have done that to myself as I stood at the branching point that led to that

future.

My impression, having received the memories of that future "me," was

that it was like I, myself had made that decision, and time had rolled back

from that future to the time I was in now.

However, I also had the sense that it wasn't my own future.

I had not, after all, made that decision yet. It was like being shown the

result of an entity that was identical to myself making the decision I was

about to make.

In addition, because of the requirement that I had to be facing a threat to

my life, it was also an ability I could only use once in my life. Because the

odds were high that death would await me not long after I sent the

memories.

It felt like a divine revelation or a sixth sense when I was on the

receiving end, but when I was the sender, it would be like leaving a will to

my past self.

When I realized that, it made me shudder.

It was fine to be the receiver. But when I thought of being the sender, I

felt nothing but fear.

It was also difficult to explain this power to others, and if I was not

careful, they might think I had gone crazy.

I wanted to know if I could send memories to people other than myself,

but this was a magic that came with risk to my life, so I couldn't test it.

Unable to talk with anyone about this magic, I got depressed.

Whenever I thought about receiving more memories of my life being in

peril, I couldn't be as rash and reckless as I had been before.

When those around me saw how ladylike I had become, they welcomed

it, saying, "I know she is only the daughter of the third primary queen, but

maybe she's begun to recognize her role as royalty."

All I could think in response was, You people have no idea what I'm

going through.

"Sigh..."

When things got like this, I couldn't muster the will to do much of

anything, and I spent a lot of time staring off into space.

I spent my days gazing out the window, looking at the flowers in the

garden, and so on.

Then, one day, it happened.

I was wandering through the garden in a daze, and I heard a voice.

"Hmm, I see, I see."

I poked my head out from behind a hedge, and there was the old

gardener and a young noble enthusiastically talking about something.

"That is why you need to prune the flowers during this season," the

gardener was saying.

"I see," said the noble. "You're teaching me a lot here."

It seemed that the old man with the pruning shears was teaching the

young man, who seemed to be a noble, about gardening as he worked. The

young man was better dressed, and likely of a higher status than the old

man, but he was enthusiastically taking instructions from the old man.

I snuck closer to the two of them, and observed that man.

He was likely somewhere between eighteen and twenty years old, and

had a somewhat exhausted look about him, making him seem older than his

years. His face was average and lacked impact, and though he seemed kind,

he didn't look like he would be able to move up in the world in future.

Patting his own lower back, the old man said to the young man, "Is that

all you wanted me to teach you? Was it any help?"

"Yes! Thank you for your tutelage," the young man said happily.

It looked like they had finished their conversation.

The old man left to move on to his next task, and the remaining man sat

down. Producing some paper and a portable pen with its own ink bag, he

began to write something down.

I approached the man and asked him, "What are you doing?"

"Just a moment," he said, writing without looking up to see who was

addressing him. "I'm taking a summary of what I heard just... Huh?!"

As it suddenly hit him that someone was talking to him, he jumped a

little. He looked kind of silly like that.

"I'm sorry to call out to you so suddenly," I said.

"Oh, no, it's fine... Wait, Princess Elisha?!" The man quickly got to his

feet, and bowed to me as hard as he could. "That was incredibly rude of me,

not realizing I was speaking to a princess!"

"It's fine," I said. "I'm the one who crept up on you, after all. But,

setting that aside, what is it you're doing here?"

The man put a hand on his head as he looked up. "Well, the truth is,

gardening is a hobby of mine. When I saw this beautiful garden, I wanted to

hear what the person maintaining it would have to say, and I had him teach

me some things."

"Gardening... is it? Even though you're a man?"

"Oh, you see, my domain is out in the mountains, in the middle of

nowhere, but we have a lot of land and a large yard, so I took up gardening.

It seems I'm a little clumsy, and I come up short in both martial and

political pursuits, but, let me tell you, when it comes to gardening, I have

some confidence... Just kidding."

With that, the man let out a weak laugh.

He felt so unreliable.

It seemed my first impression, that he wouldn't be going far in life,

wasn't wrong.

"Ahaha... I'm weird, aren't I? I know that." He may have sensed what I

was thinking, because the man said that with a wry smile.

Seeing the dejection on his face, I kind of felt bad about it. Maybe it was

because I'd seen all the people in the castle with glaring ambitions. I'd

gotten into the habit of appraising everyone I met.

"But you're fine that way, aren't you?" I said without intending to.

"There are plenty of knights and nobles who pride themselves on their

martial ability, or their cleverness. Having one laid-back noble like you

around isn't going to make the country any better or worse."

"Princess..." The man's eyes widened.

I smiled at him. "I think you should just be yourself. With all the

schemers in this world, I find it comforting to know there are people out

there like you, too."

"You are... too kind." The man placed his hand over his chest and bowed

his head.

Three years passed, and I turned fifteen.

My father, the King of Elfrieden, passed away.

In order to build a nation that could oppose the massive Gran Chaos

Empire on the western side of the continent, my father had fought wars to

expand the country's territory. He had annexed a number of small and

medium-sized nations to the north, carved a large swathe out of the

Principality of Amidonia's territory to the west, and held repeated clashes

with the Republic of Turgis in the south and the Nine-Headed Dragon

Archipelago in the eastern sea.

This rapid expansion bred friction, and our country came to contain the

conquerors and the conquered, the plunderers and the plundered, the killers

and the killed, all at the same time. Those seeds of unrest rapidly grew

when my father died without designating an heir.

Who would become the next king and inherit the country?

Because the country had grown so large, there were many who raised

their hands.

Internal struggles inside the royal house intertwined with the intrigues of

the knights and nobles, and the sparks grew larger.

Then the seeds of unrest germinated.

"If that house is siding with them, our house will join their opposition."

"We can never forgive that person, so we won't join the faction they

support."

Like that, the upper echelons of society divided into camps, and those

camps came to oppose one another.

These sparks very quickly fell my way, too.

"Choose a fiancé, they say..."

I looked at the portraits of suitors piled up on my desk and let out a sigh.

I was the daughter of the third primary queen, and had more than a

handful of half-siblings who were above me. I was around tenth in the line

to the throne, and with my mother already deceased, and without the

backing of any families, I should never have been involved in the

succession crisis.

That was why, initially, I had been left sitting on the sidelines.

However, as the conflict had intensified, a number of successors had

died under suspicious circumstances (most likely assassinated by rival

claimants). Now I could no longer remain uninvolved.

I was an insignificant girl with no backers, but I still bore the blood of

my father, so there were those around me who were starting to think they

should bring me into their camp for whatever little benefit that would bring.

Or maybe thinking that... in order to keep me from being taken by another

camp, it would be better if they just did away with me.

It was around this time that my magic started to activate often.

I would be about to drink tea, and see an image of myself suffering for

it.

I would be walking on a balcony, and see an image of a chandelier

falling.

I would be traveling in a carriage, and see an image of myself

surrounded by armed men.

Those were surely warnings from a future "me."

In order to keep those futures from becoming my reality, I wouldn't

drink the tea, or I'd take a different route, and I'd managed to avoid that

future somehow.

But there were limits to how long that would be enough. In the eyes of

those who were watching me dodge crisis after crisis, I must have appeared

a rather bizarre person indeed. I would have to gain backers of my own, and

quickly.

That was when talk of an arranged marriage was brought to me.

In making a choice, it would decide my faction and backers. Being a

member of the royal family, I had long since resigned myself to not seeking

to marry for love. In my current situation, I knew I had to find a partner

who could overcome the succession crisis and survive with me.

Thinking that, I picked up one of the portraits, and then...

"Eeeeek!"

I was hit by an intense image of death.

Not just one, either: countless visions of my fated death raced around

inside my head.

It overpowered me, and I blacked out.

When I awoke, I was in bed.

It seemed one of my maids had heard my scream, rushed to my aid, and

cared for me.

I told the maid by my side, "Thank you, I'll be fine now," then left my

room, thinking about the visions with my still-muddled head.

They had come from many futures in which "I" had made the wrong

choice.

One "me" had gotten engaged to a man from an accomplished military

family.

He was an impressive warrior himself, and his followers were strong. I

had hoped that a man like that would be able to protect me.

However, he'd taken advantage of his military prowess, acting in a

prideful way that stood out and made more enemies. In the castle, full of

both allies and enemies, those actions had cost him his life. In the end, he'd

been deceived with surprising ease, and killed before "we" could even be

married. The memory ended with "me" and his servants at enemy

swordpoint.

One "me" had gotten engaged to a man who was an excellent schemer.

He'd hatched plots to eliminate members of opposing factions.

However, he'd earned the resentment of many, lost their trust, and

eventually suffered betrayal, falling at the hands of his own companions.

That memory ended with "me" getting caught up in the same incident.

One "me" had gotten engaged to a man who was in the largest faction at

the time.

That faction currently had many members and was overwhelming the

opposition, but when all the other factions were gone, it would fracture due

to an internal power struggle, and that would turn into an endless quagmire.

This might have been the future where the most blood was shed.

That memory ended the same as the others.

One "me" had tried to flee the conflict.

If the outcome would be the same no matter who I married, I'd decided I

would choose to marry no one and go into hiding. However, for someone

like me without the backing of a family, hiding in town had been the only

option.

In an environment without the security of the castle, I had been quickly

discovered, and because of the atmosphere of suspicion, I'd been assumed

to be plotting something and viewed as a threat.

That memory ended as I was about to be disposed of for being a

troublemaker.

The choices of all the other "me"s didn't lead to bright futures, either.

Even in the futures where I would narrowly survive the succession

crisis, after all the blood that was shed, the Kingdom of Elfrieden would not

be able to unite as one. The invasions that followed, the attacks by

monsters, the scheming of nobles, and the uprisings by the people would all

work to weaken the kingdom.

Ultimately, the memories of every "me" seemed to end with the castle

burning.

Ten or so of those sorts of visions raced through my head.

It was like time had been wound back over and over, but I could still tell

that the memories were not my own.

I was forced to witness the outcomes of the choices that those "me"s

who were not me made.

As I remembered those scenes, I rushed into the washroom and threw

up.

When my stomach was empty, I collapsed powerlessly on the spot,

leaning against the wall for support.

"I... can't do this anymore."

Those were the words that slipped from my mouth.

Ten times I had failed.

There might be some disagreement on whether that number was a lot or

a little, but it was more than I could bear.

Even if I received the memories, I was still only myself.

Even if I made a decision, failed, and passed on my experience to the

next "me," that didn't mean I could return to the past. It would be the end

for the me who had failed.

The next "me," or the "me" after the next "me," might reach a happy

future.

But she wasn't me.

I could only become happy here, in this world where I was. If I failed,

death awaited, like it had for all of the "me"s so far.

When I thought of it that way, I was terrified to even choose.

It was frightening that the memories I'd received all cut out right before

death. I was sent to the brink of death again and again, without knowing

what death was like.

To make an analogy, it was like there was an infinite number of ropes

hanging in front of my eyes, one of them tied to a sword hanging above my

head, and I was watching the ropes be cut one by one. I lived in fear of the

sword that would eventually fall and take my life. Even if it didn't fall this

time, I could never relax.

I felt cornered, and hugged my knees.

No! I don't want to make any more choices!

If nothing I did would work, I would do nothing.

My heart was completely broken.

From then on, I spent even more of my time staring off into space.

I was wandering a maze in which I could see no exit, and I had reached

a dead end. I lacked the will to resist fate, and I was simply waiting for the

inevitable end to come.

Thinking and fretting over it only made it more painful, so I did

everything I could not to think about it, and would spend my time lying out

in the sun.

I think, by this point, my thought process was already that of an old

woman.

Then, one day, when I chose the garden for my dazed wandering...

"Please! I'm begging you!" a man's voice cried.

"I hear you, but I can't..."

Two men were talking.

I poked my head out from behind the hedge, wondering what it could be

about, and saw a man in his early twenties bowing his head to a still-young

(his mane was short, so he looked young) lion beastman.

The beastman man sounded troubled. "Raise your head, Albert. There

are things I can't do, even for you."

"Please, do something, Georg!"

Georg... Oh! I remembered.

That lion beastman was Georg Carmine, the eldest son of the House of

Carmine, one of the three ducal families which controlled this country's

Army, Navy, and Air Force. I remembered him having come to the castle

with his father, the current head of the house, back when my own father was

still alive and well.

The other man, Albert, on the other hand... Who was he? I knew him

from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where.

He was still young, but his exhausted face and beard made him look

older than his years.

"Please, Georg! Let me meet with your father, at least!" Albert begged.

"I'm telling you, I can't."

They were arguing over something, but their informal tone implied a

friendship that had lasted many years.

Albert had a more bureaucratic look to him, so it was surprising to see

him on good terms with someone from the House of Carmine, who were the

representatives of the military officers.

Georg started pulling at his mane. "I owe you, and I do want to be of

help. But the Duke of Carmine is my father now. My father and his men are

following Duchess Walter's direction to not get involved in the succession

crisis. If the three branches of the military get involved, the crisis will

spread throughout the entire country. They're each clamping down on their

own subordinates to ensure that doesn't happen."

It seemed Albert's request had something to do with the current crisis,

and, though it pained him to do it, Georg was refusing whatever-it-was.

It was true that if the three forces got involved in this conflict, it would

only invite more chaos.

I felt it was a given that Duchess Excel Walter, who had supported this

country for many long years, would take steps to keep them under control.

And if Duchess Walter strongly opposed getting involved, her son-in-law,

Duke Vargas, would obey her. Meanwhile, if the two other houses were

opposed, Duke Carmine would have to be, too.

I felt like reason was on Georg's side.

However, Albert was not ready to back down.

"This isn't a request for him to support anyone! I just want him to

provide protection to keep somebody from being harmed!"

"And I'm telling you that doing so could be interpreted as intervening!"

Georg pressed Albert's shoulder. That was all it took to unbalance him,

and the man took a few steps backward before falling to his knees.

Seeing that, Georg pityingly said, "If anything, I'd like to ask you not to

involve yourself in the conflict any further. You're a good guy. As your

friend, I know that."

"Georg..."

"But you're weak. So weak that you stumbled when I shoved you just a

little. You lack the power to overcome this crisis, and you're too softhearted

to bring others down. That's why I'm telling you, if you shut yourself up in

that mountain domain of yours, you can stay out of this."

Albert hung his head in silence.

Georg placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "So back off, Albert."

"Georg... I still..." Albert grabbed the arm of the hand Georg had placed

on his shoulder. "I still want to save her! I want to save Lady Elisha!"

Me?! Why?!

For a moment, I didn't understand what he'd said. He wanted to save

me? I didn't know who he was, so why was he so desperate?

Thankfully, Georg asked exactly the same thing I wanted to know. "Why

go so far for Lady Elisha?"

"Because she told me, 'You're fine that way,'" Albert said in a tortured

voice. "I'm a mediocre man, with less power, wisdom, wealth, or influence

than anyone. I'm so boring that, if asked if I have one thing I can be proud

of, it's my skill at gardening. But she told me, 'You're fine that way.' She

also said, 'I think you should just be yourself,' and 'With all the schemers

in this world, I find it comforting to know there are people out there like

you, too.' I felt like those words saved me!"

It's him...

I finally remembered that day. That man.

The one I had met in this garden and spoken to a few years ago was

Albert. And all because of that short conversation, he was desperate to help

me.

Upon learning that, it hit me hard. I had forgotten that we'd even talked,

yet this person had remembered an off-hand comment I'd made, and was

trying to save me.

Looking back, I realized this man had been in the memories I'd received

from the other "me"s, too. No matter what position "I" was in, no matter

who "I" had gotten engaged to...

"Now is not the time for infighting!"

"Can't you put your weapons down and talk this over?!"

"The royal house will be destroyed at this rate! Please, reconsider!"

I'd witnessed him visiting many factions, trying to make such appeals to

them.

Of course no one would listen to a man with no power, yet he had been

left alone because there was no way he could become a threat. Even "I" had

taken no notice of him.

But he had done it all to protect me.

How foolishly, meaninglessly, and ridiculously honest he must have

been.

Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks.

It felt as though my heart, frozen by the memories I'd witnessed, was

beginning to thaw.

When I was wiping away my tears with my sleeve, Georg told Albert

with a pained look, "I really can't help you in my current position."

"I see." Albert slumped his shoulders. "That's that, then."

Georg helped him up to his feet. "I want you to remember this. I pledge

to do my utmost to help you when I inherit the House of Carmine. Even at

the cost of my life."

"Georg..."

"So don't be reckless. Don't make an ingrate of me."

Once he said that, Georg clapped Albert on the shoulder and then left.

Albert, who was left behind, stood there in silence, watching him until

he was gone.

I waited until I was sure my own tears had dried, then came out from

behind the hedge and walked over to Albert.

"Sir Albert."

"Huh?! Princess?! How long have you been there?!"

"Quite some time." I smiled at the surprised man. "Um... thank you for

doing this for me."

"N-No! I've been of no help... In the end, I couldn't even get my friend

Georg to aid me."

"There was nothing you could have done," I told him. "But setting that

aside, I was surprised to see you speaking with Sir Georg of the House of

Carmine in such a friendly manner. You're not very similar people."

Albert put his hand behind his head and laughed. "We got to know each

other through our parents, and we've been together since we were

children."

"I'm sort of interested," I said. "Ah! Should we sit down somewhere?"

It seemed odd to just stand around talking, so we sat down on one of the

benches in the garden.

"Come to think of it, Sir Georg mentioned he owed you for something,"

I went on. "What was that about?"

"Oh... Georg has settled down these days, but he used to be a

rambunctious little brat. He broke his father's precious vase, he cut up an

impressive tree in the garden while swinging around a sword, and, although

this one wasn't entirely his fault, he beat up a nobleman's son who was

causing trouble in town."

It seemed Sir Georg had been your typical tough kid in his younger

years.

"He was always being punished by his father for it, so Georg often fled

to our house. I wasn't as active as Georg, but I lacked the guts to get up to

any real mischief, and I was a quiet boy, so I was well-liked by adults. I

smoothed things over between Georg and his father a number of times. He

wasn't always entirely in the wrong, after all."

"I see..." I murmured. "That's why he 'owes' you, is it?"

"Yes. Oh, because Georg is clumsy with words, there was also the time I

acted as a go-between between him and his fiancée. He never flinches in the

face of an enemy, but you can see the fear on his face when he doesn't

know how to handle a woman. I helped make sure he wasn't misunderstood

because of that."

"O-Oh...?" I was dumbfounded by this unexpected side of Georg.

This was... maybe it wasn't my place to say this, since I'd asked the

question, and Georg might have preferred I didn't know. Still... I'd learned

something from asking.

This man before me didn't have a public face and a private face; he was

exactly what he looked like. I had witnessed so much hatred and ugliness

through the other "me"s that this felt like a kind of salvation to me.

Surely, this man wouldn't try to eliminate anyone.

Even if someone was harmful to him, and eliminating them would be to

his benefit, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it. That was his

weakness, and his kindness. It was disqualifying as the ruler of a country,

and a comfort to me right now.

This man surely would not be able to overcome the current crisis.

However, if it was a fate I couldn't transcend anyway, it might not be

bad to spend my final days relaxing by his side.

I would surely see less dirtiness than the "me"s up until now had.

Because this man couldn't possibly do anything dirty.

But... in order to do that, there was something I had to tell him.

If he was with me, he would be caught in the unrest, and might lose his

life.

It would be dishonest to cling to him without telling him that much.

If, even after being told, he would still take my hand... I...

"...Sir Albert," I said slowly. "There is a garden at your family home,

isn't there?"

"Oh. Yes. It's much smaller than the gardens at the castle, though,"

Albert said, staring blankly at me.

I looked Albert straight in the eye and asked, "Would you take me to see

those gardens?"

Albert's eyes went wide. "That's...! No, I would love nothing more than

to show them to you, but my domain and mansion aren't fit to invite a

member of the royal house to..."

"I know that. I wouldn't be going as a princess of the royal house."

Albert didn't seem to get where I was going with this, so I told him clearly.

"I wish to cast aside my family name, and marry down into yours."

"M-Marry down?! You want to come and marry me?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. Do you already have a wife, perhaps, Sir Albert?"

"Oh, no, I'm still single..."

"That's perfect, then."

"Wait, that's not what I wanted to say! Why is this coming up so

suddenly?!"

With a self-effacing smile, I told the confused man, "I'm currently being

pressured to choose a fiancé. However, no matter who I marry, as long as I

am in the castle, I will be caught up in the conflict. That's just how valuable

royal blood is. Using people, and being used... I've had too much of it. I

want to spend my days relaxing with someone like you, and to do so as long

as I can!"

Then I extended a hand to Albert.

"This is my selfishness. From where you stand, I am a troublesome

woman who might drag you into the conflict just by being at your side.

Even so, if you will allow it... I want... for you to take this hand. I'd like to

spend time resting my heart with you, for as long as possible."

My words made Albert gulp.

I knew I wasn't being fair. I realized I was taking advantage of his

kindness.

Still, if I couldn't change the fate that would ruin me, I at least wanted

someone like Albert with me at the end.

Now that I had given up on resisting, like the other "me"s had, this was

my sole wish.

There was a short silence, and then Albert slowly opened his mouth.

"I've always... wanted to protect you. Yet I lack the wits to do it, and I

could be of no help. That... frustrates me."

I was silent.

"That's who I am, but if all you want is for me to be with you, I can do

that much."

Then Albert took the hand I'd offered him.

"I can in no way promise you'll be safe if you come to my domain. I

doubt you'll be able to live in the same splendor as at the castle, either.

Despite that, I will work to allow you to spend your days in peace and quiet.

If you are willing to have me, then please."

"Thank you... Albert," I said.

This was how I chose my fiancé.

"It sure is tranquil out here, isn't it?"

I was staring out the window at the scenery during a rocky carriage trip.

Albert's domain was in the countryside, centered around a farming and

dairy village in the mountains. While the carriage bounced along the

country road, we passed ox-drawn carts.

There was a pastoral scene, unlike anything in the castle, spread out

before me.

"I'm getting a little excited," I said with palpable anticipation.

Albert smiled wryly. "I can see that. Though I am not sure we have

anything that will entertain you, princess."

"Albert!" I grabbed him by the beard and pulled out a few hairs.

"Yes...? Ouch!"

"You're going to be my husband, so drop the formal language, and don't

call me 'princess.'"

"O-Okay. Elisha."

Albert begrudgingly nodded as he rubbed his chin. The fact that he

couldn't take a firm stance against me, even though he was about five years

older than me, spoke to an inborn timidity. That said, I was gradually

beginning to see that as part of what made him cute.

"Oh! What a pretty river," I said, enchanted. "Do you think there are fish

in it?"

"Yes. When fall comes around, they'll be quite plump indeed. Georg and

I often went fishing there when we were children. Georg was always quick

to get bored and resort to catching them by hand, though."

"Fishing! That sounds nice. I've never done that before, so, please, take

me."

"Of course I will."

While looking at the country scenery, which seemed unaffected by the

murderous atmosphere in the capital, I chatted with Albert about nothing in

particular, saying things like, "What's this?" "What's that?"

It was a lot of fun to simply do that, and I felt my original, more active

personality coming back to me.

That kept up for a while. Finally, before I knew it, we had arrived at

Albert's mansion.

It was small for a noble's manor, but in this land, with its lack of other

buildings nearby, it still had a certain presence.

When we passed through the little gate in a wall that wasn't going to

provide a defense against much more than wild animals, the well-kept

gardens were right before our eyes. They weren't the size of the royal

gardens, to be sure, but they were a good match for the compact space, and

they came off as being in good taste.

"The gardens are wonderful..." I sighed in contentment. "Did you do all

this, Albert?"

"Yes. I made these gardens as a hobby."

"They're incredible. Well done."

"It's embarrassing when you praise me so freely."

Albert laughed bashfully, but I really did think his gardens were

wonderful.

We sat down in a roofed terrace between the gardens and the mansion.

Staring into the sunlit gardens from the shade there, the contrast of light and

shadow felt very tasteful.

"This is the perfect place to relax," I told him.

"We can relax all you want. Now seems like a good time, so would you

like tea?"

I nodded, so Albert had one of the servants prepare it.

When we were drinking tea here in the seats of this terrace, time seemed

to flow at a more relaxed pace.

"Whew... I'm starting to get sleepy." I yawned.

"It's a warm, sunny day, after all. You must be tired from traveling, too.

It's the perfect situation for dozing off. It's all right if you go to sleep. I'll

wake you when the sun starts to go down."

"Hee hee, it's a luxury to be able to use our time like this."

I took him up on his kind offer and did just that.

The pretty garden, the warm atmosphere, and Albert's gentle smile made

my heart and body feel like they might just melt away.

How long had it been since I'd felt so at ease?

If I could have a wish, it would be for these good days to last as long as

possible... I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

I'm sure, somewhere, I must have thought it was an impossible wish.

However, contrary to my expectations, those dream-like days continued.

It seemed that the bloody struggle continued unabated in the capital, but

it never extended to this domain.

I learned this later, but apparently my marriage to Albert worked in my

favor.

Albert was known for being mediocre and without ambition.

When the factions saw me throw away my family name to marry a man

like Albert, they must have seen me as lacking ambition, too. They might

have thought, "If she has such a poor eye for men, that little girl is not

worth worrying about."

There was also Albert's well known friendship with Georg. If they

carelessly acted against someone with connections to the House of

Carmine, they would be in trouble if Duke Carmine intervened.

It was possible Georg made sure talk of their friendship spread far and

wide. That would have been the most he could do to help his friend Albert.

Perhaps those were the reasons why I, who had demonstrated that I was

of little threat by marrying a mediocre man, and who was also difficult to

act against, was being left alone for the time being.

Thanks to that, I was able to spend my days relaxing here in this land.

In fall, we went out to fish.

"There... Got it! I caught one, Albert!" I grinned.

"You're good at everything you do, Elisha. I can't catch a thing."

I usually helped Albert with his work, but on days off we would go

fishing together like this, or enjoy a picnic in the hills.

"What shall we do on our next day off?" I asked him.

"It should be just about time of year when we can pick mushrooms in

the back hills. Do you want to go?"

"Mushroom hunting! If we manage to pick a lot, let's share with

everyone."

"Hmm. I do need to give Johan the hunter something in return for the

venison."

Our relationship with our subjects was good. It was a small domain, so

we had to interact with the people without regard to status. When we went

out like this, people wouldn't hesitate to call out to us.

"While we're at it, why don't we roast them in the garden?" I suggested.

"Ha ha ha, there's an idea," he laughed. "I'll call all the townsfolk."

And so, as we spent our days in peace, at some point, I stopped thinking

about my life being targeted. I was able to believe that tomorrow would be

another day just like today.

After surviving a harsh winter, animals would go looking for mates in

the spring. In the same sort of way, my relationship with Albert deepened,

too.

It had been a lifestyle of resignation, where I thought that if I couldn't

change my fate, I at least wanted to spend time at his side, but at some

point, I began to feel I was happier than the other "me"s who hadn't chosen

him.

"Albert," I said, "I'm glad I came here."

Albert gently hugged me around the shoulders.

About a year had passed since I'd moved to this land.

Rumors on the wind told us that bloody incidents were unfolding in the

capital frequently.

When I say "rumors on the wind," I allude to the fact it took

considerable time for news to reach such a remote location, and when it did,

it came by word of mouth.

By this point, I didn't care what happened in the capital anymore.

I had no desire to return, and... I had no need to, either.

On a clear spring day, in a small chapel in our domain, Albert and I were

married and became husband and wife.

Afterwards, our people, Georg, and a small collection of friends called

out their best wishes.

"Congratulations, my lord!"

"Lady Elisha, you look so pretty!"

"May you both be happy! The blessings of Mother Dragon be upon

you!"

It was a chapel like you'd find anywhere, the dress was a hand-me-down

from Albert's mother, and the guests came wearing whatever they happened

to be wearing. It was no different from a wedding between the common

people.

So why was it that it made my heart flutter so?

I had memories of more glamorous wedding ceremonies, but I could say

that the me I was right now was the happiest "me" I'd ever experienced.

I said to my new husband, who was smiling bashfully, "Albert."

"Yes, Elisha?"

"The me who can be here, loving you like this, is happier than any other

'me.'"

Albert stared at me blankly.

It may have been a weird way of saying it. However, those were my

honest feelings, without an ounce of untruth.

Albert turned his head to me, laughed, and said, "That should be my

line. I had such an adorable, wonderful princess come to marry a man with

no future prospects like me. No matter who you ask here, they'll say I'm

the happiest of all."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," I teased. "I'm far happier."

"No, no, I'm happier."

We argued like that, then both burst out laughing in unison.

"We're both so happy, darling," I said with a smile.

"Yes. We are indeed, my beloved wife."

We looked at one another and smiled together.

After that, a little more time passed.

Gradually, news of incidents in the capital stopped filtering in. Had the

succession crisis finally settled down? ...Not that it mattered much to me.

No matter who took the throne, no matter what faction won, it had nothing

to do with us.

Besides... I had something more important going on than that nonsense.

As I was relaxing in the living room with Albert, I mustered up the will

to tell him. "Darling."

"What is it, Elisha?"

"It looks like we made a baby."

"...Huh?" The book he was reading fell from Albert's hands. His mouth

hung open, an amusing look on his face.

While I was chuckling, Albert came back to his senses.

"A baby... Our baby?!"

"Oh, my. Do you doubt my fidelity, darling?"

"Not at all! I see... I see!"

Albert stood up vigorously and hugged me, then, as if that weren't

enough, he lifted me in the air and spun around. Honestly, he was too

excited.

"Thank you! Thank you, Elisha!"

"Hee hee, you're getting a bit ahead of yourself," I chuckled. "Don't

thank me until it's born safely."

As soon as Albert settled down, we sat on the sofa.

"If it's a boy, I hope he'll be energetic and brave, like his mother," he

said.

"Hee hee. If it's a girl, I hope she'll be gentle and quiet, like my

husband."

We talked about the future of our as yet-unborn child.

I think that was the peak of our happiness.

Then it happened.

One of the three dukes, Duchess Excel, came to visit.

"Lady Elisha, I have come to ask you to inherit the throne of the

Elfrieden Kingdom," the beautiful, blue-haired beauty of the sea serpent

race said, and then knelt before me.

For an instant, my mind was so blank that I couldn't tell what she had

said.

While Albert looked on with concern, I barely managed to speak.

"The throne... you say?"

Why now, after all this time...? Why was that word coming up?

"A-Anyway, please, come in." Acting on my dazed behalf, Albert

invited Excel to come in to the living room.

We sat down on the sofa, and when all three of us (mainly me) had

calmed down, Excel explained the events that led to this point, and the

current state of the country.

From what she told us, the succession conflict had ended in the

elimination of almost the entire royal family. Though the chaos had been

limited to the capital, maneuvering to recruit members into factions and

pulling them from others, betrayals, scheming, and deceit had run rampant,

and much blood had been spilled.

That had bred further resentment, resulting in interminable tit-for-tat

violence. The contenders all became suspicious, and in many cases, both

sides killed each other, or even members of their own side.

It may have been inevitable that this would lead to the near-elimination

of the royal line.

The reason it was only a "near" elimination was because I had survived.

That was the reason Excel was here.

"But I've already married out of the family, and cast away the Elfrieden

name," I tried to protest.

Excel silently shook her head. "The only one remaining in the direct

royal line is you, Lady Elisha. If someone outside the House of Elfrieden

were to name themselves king, the chaos would spread further. Neighboring

countries like Amidonia and Turgis are already making unsettling moves. In

order to quell the chaos, I need you to ascend the throne."

"But... I..."

I was at a loss for words, and Albert put his arm around my shoulder.

"From what Georg told me, the three dukes won't be getting involved in

the issue of who succeeds the throne, right?" Albert asked.

"...Yes. That was the case, at least. It was because we were doing all we

could to keep our own forces in line, so as not to expand the chaos.

However, at this point, Lady Elisha is the only royal left. There can be no

division now, so the three dukes and our forces will put our lives on the line

to protect and serve Lady Elisha."

When she said that, Excel knelt on the ground and pressed her head to

the floor.

"I am aware that you two have avoided the conflict, and were living in

happiness here. I also know our request will destroy that. However, if the

country falls into chaos, it won't be long before the fires spread to this

land."

I could understand what Excel was saying. I understood it, but...

"If I return to the castle, what will happen to Albert and this child?" I

brought my hand to my not-yet-apparent belly.

Excel's eyes went wide. It seemed she hadn't known.

She bowed her head deeply once more.

"I beg your apologies for troubling you at such an important time! Of

course, the child and its father will both move to the castle, too. I swear we

will protect all of you. In particular, Georg, who assumed the mantle of the

Duke of Carmine the other day, is prepared to throw his own life away for

you."

"Georg took over as head of the house, did he...?" Albert whispered to

himself.

I closed my eyes in meditation for some time.

...No memories are coming, huh?

I had thought a future "me" might send back the result of a decision I'd

made here, but there was no sign of that happening. Did that mean this

decision would not be fatal, or had no other "me" managed to reach this

point yet...? I couldn't be certain. What I did know was that I had to make a

choice.

The choice I should make is...

I thought, and thought... then looked at Albert.

"Darling. Will you stay with me, no matter which choice I make?"

Albert gave me a big nod. "Of course! We are husband and wife, after

all."

Hearing his response, I made up my mind.

The choice I made, after having seen what became of all the other "me"s

up until this point, was...

"Very well. Let's return to the castle."

"Ohh...!" Excel cried in relief. "You have my gratitude, Your Majesty."

"However..." I held up a hand to stop her before she could bow again.

"Once I have ascended the throne, I will entrust all of my rights as king to

my husband, Albert."

"Wha?! That means..."

"Yes. With my assent, Albert will rule the country as king."

"M-Me, rule the country?! That's impossible!" His eyes wide with

shock, Albert vigorously shook his head.

...Sorry to get you involved, Albert. But this is an absolute necessity.

"With all due respect, I have to agree that is not possible," Excel said.

"For one thing, if he is not of the Elfrieden royal line, I doubt the people

will accept him."

However, my resolve did not falter.

"I have inherited the blood of the royal house, as will this child. Albert,

who is my husband and the father of this child, should be able to serve as a

temporary king until the next generation."

"No, but... again, with all due respect, I cannot imagine Albert has the

qualities required to be king..."

Excel seemed pained to tell me this, but I shook my head silently.

"Duchess Walter, the Royal House of Elfrieden has shed too much

blood. That is the result of ugly internecine violence. That is known by our

retainers, and even by the people. The Royal House of Elfrieden has lost

their faith. Am I wrong?"

"I... believe it is as you say." Showing some hesitation, Excel finally

acknowledged what I was saying and nodded.

"Even if I were to take the throne now, I couldn't bring the country

together," I told her. "More than anything else, that is because of the royal

blood which is my claim to the throne. Even if I took the throne, the people

would feel uneasy, and it would gall those who backed other candidates in

the succession crisis. I couldn't unite the country in times of crisis. Because

the royal house has lost its power, if there were further division among our

retainers, the country would truly be finished."

Excel listened to me silently.

I probably was convincing. That was because I had seen it through the

eyes of a future "me."

Even if one faction survived the conflict, the resentment it gave birth to

would have lasting repercussions. Unable to unite in the face of crises like

natural disasters, monster attacks, and foreign invasions, the castle would

burn.

That would be the same, even with me as the queen.

"I understand what you are saying, but... why would you make Sir

Albert king?" Excel asked.

I gave a direct reply to her obvious doubts. "Because Albert will be a

king no one hates."

"A king no one hates?" she repeated.

"Yes. If he were a wise king, that would please our loyal vassals, but the

corrupt ones would find it restricting, and eventually bring him down. If he

were a powerful king, he could eliminate those corrupt vassals, but I

suspect the royal house currently lacks the power. If we act carelessly, it

will lead to resistance and civil war. In the opposite case, if he were a king

who pleased the corrupt vassals and pushed away the loyal ones, the

country would go to ruin."

She was silent.

"What this country needs right now is a king who will not be hated by

loyal vassals or corrupt ones. Only a ruler the loyal retainers will want to

help, but the corrupt vassals will see as easy to manipulate, can keep the

country alive."

"...And you're saying that's Sir Albert?" she said slowly.

"Yes. The reason I wasn't caught up in the conflict must have to do with

his personality. He is incompetent and harmless. That is why no one has

paid attention to us."

Excel sighed and said, "What you describe is practically a puppet, isn't

it?"

"Yes." I nodded. "In the current situation, I don't believe the country can

be maintained by anyone other than a puppet king. That is just how deep

our country's wounds run. We need time for them to heal."

I looked straight into Excel's eyes.

"Even if we cannot eliminate the corrupt vassals, if we rule by listening

to the loyal ones, the situation shouldn't degenerate too easily. We will have

the loyal support of the three dukes, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then, as I've said, Albert is the most suitable king for this country right

now. Let us maintain the status quo, buy time for our wounds to heal, and

leave improving the situation to the next generation."

I brought my hand to my belly.

Excel slumped her shoulders in resignation. "Put off seriously rebuilding

the country until the next generation?"

I chuckled a bit. "For a member of a long-lived race like you, it's not

that long, is it?"

"I understand," she said regretfully. "Very well. We three dukes will

support Lady Elisha and Sir Albert. I would have preferred to leave the

throne to you, who can think this far ahead, though."

"There is no future where that happens," I told Excel firmly, and then

turned to face Albert. "Darling, I'm sorry to cause all this trouble for you,

but, please, for our child's sake, could I ask you to become the king of this

country?"

Albert seemed to have gone into a daze at some point in the

conversation, but when I took his hand and made him touch the belly our

child was in, he came to his senses.

"H-Hmm... I think the burden is too far beyond me, but if it is for you

and our child, I will have to do it. I can already feel the pain in my stomach,

though."

Albert's tone made him sound less than reliable, but he nodded.

The way he couldn't say no when others relied on him was a weakness,

but it was also a strength that kept people from being cruel to him.

Thus, we returned to the castle, and Albert became king with my assent.

Though there was some resistance to the idea, the three dukes who were

in charge of the three forces gave us their full support, and because Albert

wasn't self-righteous and would listen to anyone's opinions, there were no

major sparks over it.

Time went by, and the country did not get better, but it did not get much

worse, either. You could say Albert was doing a solid job of maintaining the

status quo.

As for me, I gave birth to a girl not long after returning to the capital.

Albert gave this girl, who cried with great energy, the name Liscia, taking

the overall sound of her name from my own.

Liscia grew up smoothly, without any major illness, and before I knew

it, she had become the same sort of tomboyish princess I once was.

"If it's a girl, I hope she'll be gentle and quiet, like my husband."

It seemed my wish from that day had not come true.

She grew attached to Georg, who came to visit from time to time, and

took an interest in the sword.

When she went out to play, she received an endless number of cuts and

bruises, making me worry for her as her mother, but, well, if she would just

grow up healthy, that was good enough for me.

However, as we spent our peaceful days, unexpected events like the

appearance of the Demon Lord's Domain, the invasion of massive numbers

of monsters, and the flow of refugees from the ruined countries of the north

caused the slow decline of the country.

Until the day when he was summoned.

In the middle of the burning castle, I remembered all this.

Had the threat to my life brought back the memories?

The hero summoned from another world, Sir Souma Kazuya... Albert

had mishandled his treatment of him.

He'd made him the prime minister so that his revolutionary policies

could get the country back on its feet, but he'd been unable to protect him

against resistance from the nobles, and been forced to relieve him from his

post and drive him away.

The result was that our loyal vassal who supported him, Georg Carmine,

had died in the burning of Randel, along with Sir Souma and our daughter,

Liscia.

Now we, too, faced our ends at the hand of a noble insurrection.

The nobles had hated Sir Souma, but the people had supported him, and

driving him out had pushed the people away from us, leaving us isolated

without support.

If we had trusted him more, and given him more authority, things might

have gone differently.

However, thinking about that now wasn't going to help.

I decided that the least I could do was confess to Albert about my magic,

and send our memories back to "us," around the time we first met Souma.

So that the past "us" wouldn't have to arrive at this future.

It was my first time sending another person's memories (it was my first

time sending my own memories, too), but I feel like it worked. I could be

confident the "me" who received them would reach a different future.

Perhaps even a world in which Liscia, Sir Souma, and the others wouldn't

have to die.

When I thought about that, it lightened my heart a little.

"I'm sorry, Elisha," Albert apologized. "This is all because of my folly."

I shook my head. "No. I've had more than enough happiness. Meeting

you, giving birth to Liscia. More than any past 'me,' I can say with pride

that I was happy."

The fact that I was facing a crisis to my life, and had just sent my

memories to the past, was proof that I was the first to have reached this

point.

That meant I was the first to have chosen Albert as my partner.

I was the first to have loved him, and the first to be loved by him.

I was also the first to give birth to Liscia, and the first to know the

happiness of family life.

Even if the "me" that I sent my memories to would have a more

wonderful future than my own, none of that would change. My life was

fully satisfying.

"I'm glad I met you that day," I told him.

"Elisha..."

In the middle of the flames, we embraced one another.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Lady... Lady Elisha!"

"Huh?!"

Hearing a voice, I came to my senses, and found Carla looking at me

blankly.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "You seemed out of it."

"No, I was just thinking about a different 'now.'"

Looking at Cian and Kazuha's faces, I remembered the memories I'd

received that day.

Based on our memories from that day, Albert had been able to give our

son-in-law the throne without making the wrong decision. The country had

been rebuilt after the transfer of power, to the point where it was actually

greater than before, and we could now look upon our grandchildren's faces.

If I thought of it that way, I had to thank the "me" who had sent these

memories.

I must be the happiest of all the "me"s so far.

"Come to think of it, when I said I would be going ahead to help out and

see these children first, he pouted a little," I chuckled. "He said I wasn't

being fair."

"Of course he would. Sir Albert's been left all alone in his domain."

"Hee hee, what a troublesome grandfather you have, Cian, Kazuha."

As I spoke the children's names, they both turned and stared blankly at

me.

"Oh, gosh, you're both so cute. I wish I could just drag you back to the

mansion like this."

"If the heir to the throne suddenly vanishes, there will be a huge uproar,

so please don't," Carla said.

"I suppose I'll just have to visit regularly, then. About twice a week."

"If you leave the house that often, won't Lord Albert end up sulking

again?"

"He can come with me," I said. "Staying the night would be nice, too."

"If you come and spend the night twice a week, you'll be at the castle

more than half the week, won't you? I thought you two had left the castle to

prevent sowing the seeds of strife?!"

It was cute the way Carla felt the obligation to respond to everything, so

I giggled.

Ohh... I really am happy...

◇ ◇ ◇

In the middle of the flames, as we prepared for the end, I heard two

voices echo.

"Father! Mother!"

"Are you both okay?!"

When I looked up, there was a young man and woman rushing to our

side.

Why? How am I able to see these two? I thought in my dazed mind.

They were supposed to be dead.

Were we seeing phantoms? Or, with our deaths approaching, had they

come to take us to the other side?

"Liscia! And Sir Souma!" Albert had a shocked look on his face, and

called them by name.

When I heard those words, it woke me up. It wasn't just me; Albert

could see them, too.

That meant what I was seeing before my eyes was the undeniable reality.

Liscia rushed over to my confused side. "Thank goodness. You're both

all right."

"Liscia, you're alive?!" I exclaimed. "I was sure you'd died..."

"Duke Carmine got us out," Liscia said painfully, grasping at my sleeve.

It turned out that while Randel was burning, Georg had bought time for

the two of them to escape.

"I want you to remember this," he had once said. "I pledge to do my

utmost to help you when I inherit the House of Carmine. Even at the cost of

my life."

Sir Georg, you kept the promise you made that day, I thought gratefully.

You risked your life for Sir Albert, and you saved Liscia and Sir Souma's

lives.

I closed my eyes in thought for a moment, and then asked something

that had been bothering me. "But how did you two get here? The castle is

surrounded, and on fire."

"Ahh... That would take some explaining, so let's save it for later," Sir

Souma told me. "First, we'd better get out of here."

I heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching.

A cute, petite girl with long, black hair, antlers that were larger than

Excel's, and a black lizard tail growing out of her bottom rushed into the

room.

"This is bad, Souma! The fire's spreading fast. We've gotta get out of

here, quick!"

"Got it, Naden," Sir Souma said. "Okay, you two, come this way."

Sir Souma led us out onto the balcony. We were able to get some fresh

air there, but the rising smoke made it hard to see the situation around us.

This place was high up in the castle, too, so even if we got outside, there

was no escape from here.

However, Sir Souma said, "It's okay," with a laugh. "All right, we're

counting on you, Naden."

"Roger that... I'd rather not let anyone but my partner ride me, though."

Once she had said that, the girl called Naden jumped over the edge of

the balcony.

That's dangerous! I thought, and tried to run over, but Liscia caught me

by the wrist and stopped me.

"To sum things up quickly," she said, "when we escaped Randel, we

disguised ourselves as adventurers and headed for the Empire. Souma

figured if we went to the Empire, which wanted the summoned hero, they

would protect us, given the right conditions."

"Then, on the way there, we met a messenger from the Star Dragon

Mountain Range."

The Star Dragon Mountain Range? I thought, befuddled. The

independent domain of the dragons, ruled by Mother Dragon?

"The messenger told me that the Mother Dragon, Madam Tiamat,

wanted to meet me. Then we were invited to the Star Dragon Mountain

Range, and we met her there."

As I watched, Naden grew, becoming a massive, long, black creature.

Her face resembled a dragon's, but I had no idea what manner of being she

was.

Touching the creature's body, Liscia added, "She's Naden Delal. The

dragon Souma formed a contract with."

"Well, there's still some time before the Contract Ceremony, so it's just a

provisional contract for now, though," Sir Souma added, scratching his

cheek.

A dragon...? Really?

"Geez! You can talk about all that later, can't you?!" I heard Naden's

voice echo inside my head.

This creature... the black dragon... was talking, so did that mean this

dragon really was Naden?

"It looks like the sight of me has the soldiers down below making a

fuss," she added.

"We'd better hurry then, huh?" Sir Souma said. "Okay, everyone, get on

Naden's back! There's nothing to tie us down, so everyone will have to hold

on tight to each other, and not let go!"

Following Sir Souma's directions, we got on Naden's back. Liscia held

on to Sir Souma, Albert held on to Liscia, and I clung to Albert.

"Okay, go for it, Naden!" Sir Souma ordered.

"Roger that!"

Then, in the next moment, Naden rose into the sky.

The burning castle shrank away beneath us. The capital was going off

into the distance.

"Sir Souma, where do you plan to go now?" Albert asked.

"We'll head for Lagoon City, and join up with Duchess Walter," Sir

Souma answered. "We'll have Duchess Walter announce Liscia's survival,

and reassemble the currently scattered Army. Those officers deeply

respected the late Duke Carmine, and they hold Liscia, whom he loved like

a daughter, in high regard. That's why they broke when they heard the two

of them had perished, but when they learn Liscia is still alive, I believe they

will gather once again. Duchess Walter and Duke Vargas support the royal

family, so the three forces will come together."

"It's not just me," Liscia added. "Those corrupt nobles hated you,

Souma, but you had the support of the people. If they know you're alive, it

will embolden the people."

The two of them hadn't given up. I felt something rising in my chest.

The passion of these two youths, whom I had thought were still just

children, brought tears to my eyes.

I could believe the future would go on.

I tightened my arms around Albert's waist.

Hey, "me" who I sent my memories to.

It looks like, even after sending my memories, life goes on.

Like I thought, I really am the happiest