Heart Piercing

— 15th day, 2nd month, 1,548th year, Continental Calendar — Genia's

Dungeon Laboratory —

On this day, I visited Genia's dungeon laboratory near the capital with

Aisha.

I was there to see the current progress on the joint project between the

Kingdom of Friedonia, the Gran Chaos Empire, and the Republic of Turgis:

the drill.

Today they were going to actually spin the drill and test it.

This drill was the work of the kingdom's overscientist Genia, the high

elf Merula, Trill Euphoria, who was the younger sister of both Empress

Maria and Little Sister General Jeanne of the Empire, and Taru, the

blacksmith from the republic.

In addition to these four, Genia's fiancé and keeper Ludwin was present,

as well as Taru's comrades, Kuu and Leporina.

Incidentally, the leader of this drill project was Trill.

Trill had been the first to start on development of the drill, and she'd had

experience as a researcher in the Empire, so this time, Genia and the others

were serving as her assistants.

I went over to talk to her. "Now, then... Madam Trill—"

"Just Trill is fine. I may be a princess of the Empire, but they sent me

here to be rid of me."

"Okay. Trill, then. Please start the test and explanation."

"I'll do just that. It may be dangerous, so don't stand in front of or

behind the experimental drill, the 'Little Piercer Mark XII.'"

"There are all sorts of problems with that name..."

Like how lazy it was, or how I was now wondering what had happened

to Mark I through XI...

The test drilling machine that Trill pointed to was not in the conical

shape everyone might imagine, but instead a stamp-type drill like those

used in shield tunneling machines for digging subway tunnels. The conical

type had a certain allure to it, but this was probably more practical.

When I asked, it turned out Taru had proposed this shape.

"With a conical shape, the tip is fragile and breaks while you're digging.

If that break makes the tip flat, its penetrative power drops, so we made it

flat-faced to begin with and used multiple blades for the digging."

"Ookyakya!" Kuu laughed. "I thought it looked unusual, but there's a

proper reason for it!"

Hearing Taru's explanation, Kuu looked impressed.

"Oh, hey," he added. "Do you think you could make a smaller version to

put on the end of my cudgel?"

"If I was going to do that, a sharp spearhead would be faster," Trill

retorted. "For a weapon, you want the power to pierce through in an instant.

The drill on the other hand, will be continuously carving away at a hard

object, so its form has to prioritize sustainability. It's not suited to being

used as a weapon."

"Hmm... It looks cylindrical, so I thought if I hid one in the tip, I might

be able to catch anyone who thought I was using a normal cudgel by

surprise. Ookeekee, that's too bad." Kuu shrugged, but he didn't look all

that disappointed. He tended to live in the moment, so he may just have

been saying whatever came to mind at the time.

We moved from beside the experimental drill to a place a little further

away. They said Trill had broken all sorts of stuff while she was in the

Empire, so I was a little worried to be so close, even at this distance.

Apparently Aisha had the same concern.

"Sire, please, stand behind me." She put her hand on the hilt of her

greatsword as she positioned herself between the drill and me. If it broke

and sent shards flying this way, she probably meant to cut them down.

Genia and Trill both had past offenses on their records, so I took Aisha

up on her kind offer and hid behind her.

"Now, I will begin," Trill said, raising her hand.

One researcher in a white coat pressed a switch of some sort.

Bwun, een, eeeen, eeeeeeeen, eeeeeeeeeeeeeen...!

The front part of the drill began to spin while making strange noises.

It was slow at first, but the speed gradually picked up, and in no time,

the countless blades embedded in the front of the drill were revolving too

fast for the eye to see.

"...It looks stable," I said after maybe a minute.

Trill thrust out her chest, which, relative to her height, was quite sizable,

with pride.

"Yes. This is all thanks to Big Sister Genia."

Then she hugged Genia's left arm.

Though she was younger, Trill was the more well-endowed of the two,

so Genia's arm was buried in her soft flesh.

"The biggest task was supplying the stored magical power to the

apparatus in a stable manner, but the magical power storage system Big

Sister Genia provided sorted everything out nicely. Ohh, how wonderful the

technology of the House of Maxwell is!" Trill rhapsodized. "Viva

Maxwell!"

"You're too into this," Genia told her. "Also, your drill hair is sitting on

my head."

Not only was Trill rubbing her cheek against Genia's, her hair, which

was tied in a distinctive drill-like sidetail, was resting on top of Genia's

head, so Genia was a little unamused.

However, Trill didn't let go. "Ohh, if I were a man, I swear I would take

Big Sister Genia as my bride..."

And she was saying some pretty incredible things, too.

I knew she was a big fan of the kingdom's overscientists, the House of

Maxwell, but this was already to feel less like she was a fan and more like

she was a worshiper.

It seemed not even Ludwin could let that line go unchallenged. He took

Genia by the arm and pulled the two of them apart.

"Please, stop, Madam Trill. Genia is my fiancée."

Genia, with a look that showed she felt she had finally been liberated,

hid behind Ludwin's back.

Trill looked at Ludwin and puffed up her cheeks. "They tell me you're

Big Sister Genia's childhood friend, but I see you have no appreciation for

the things she develops. I, however, can properly understand the way she

thinks!"

"True, Genia's greatness is difficult for me to comprehend." Ludwin,

who was by nature a serious man, countered Trill's argument directly. "But

I've been with Genia for a long time. If you claim to understand Genia's

greatness, I understand everything that's wrong with her. She's a shut-in,

unconcerned with anything outside her research, lacking in common sense,

and unconcerned about how she looks to others. Even though she's a girl,

she doesn't take care of her appearance, she lets the laundry pile up, and if

you leave her alone, she'll even collapse because she forgets to eat. I can't

say I don't have my reservations about our married life."

"Big Brother Luu, if you take it that far, even my feelings are going to

get hurt, you know?" Genia pursed her lips in displeasure, but...

Wow, Ludwin sure has been through a lot, huh?

It seemed even Trill was put off by how bad it was. "E-Even so, the

greatness of her technology wins out!"

"Because you comprehend its greatness," said Ludwin. "I can only

vaguely understand it. However, despite that, even as I'm confronted with

Genia's bad points and can't understand her good ones, I still want her to be

with me. I still want her as my wife."

"Big Brother Luu..."

As Genia clutched at Ludwin's cape, her cheeks reddened and her face

melted into a big silly grin. It was an uncommon expression for one who

was usually so aloof.

I guess if he was going to talk so seriously about how much he loved

her, that would be enough to make anyone smile.

It seemed Trill was not amused, because sparks flew where her eyes met

with Ludwin's.

...Hold on, why was this turning into a love triangle? It was an unusual

one, too, where even though there were two women and one man involved,

Genia was the one at the center of it.

Well, in the interest of friendly relations with the Empire, I couldn't

have the commander of our National Defense Force and the Imperial

ambassador's relationship go sour, so I'd have to put my foot down.

I slipped into my king mode just a bit, and spoke to Trill in a frightening

tone.

"Madam Trill. If you mean to take issue with the engagement of one my

vassals..."

"Wh-What are you going to do about it?" she shot back defensively.

"I will report your words and actions just now, not a single detail

omitted, to Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne. Madam Jeanne told me,

'Please, tell me if she does anything to embarrass the Empire. I will bring

her back, even if I have to tie a rope around her neck to do so.'"

This time, it was Trill who hid behind Ludwin's large body. "Th-That's

the one thing I don't want!"

Her distance from Genia, who had already been hiding there, dropped,

and Genia looked bothered by that.

"I'm finally in a position to learn from Big Sister Genia!" Trill wailed.

"I don't want anyone taking me back to the Empire! Please, spare me that,

at least!"

"Then please refrain from making waves about any of my vassals'

marriages, would you?" I glared at her a little.

Trill quickly saluted. "Understood, sir!"

Good grief.

Watching that exchange between us, Kuu smirked.

"...What?" I asked.

"No, I was just thinking you can sure talk the talk when you need to,

Bro."

"The castle is in a frenzy preparing for my coronation and wedding right

now," I said tiredly. "More than that, we have a plan to hold weddings for a

number of my vassals at sites around the capital at the same time. I'm short

on couples to marry as it is. If someone tries to get in the way of Ludwin

and Genia's engagement, that's a problem for me. I don't need more work."

"Isn't that a pretty personal grudge to be acting on?" Kuu questioned.

"I won't deny it."

I was already busy, so I didn't have time for this. If I was being honest, I

wanted to spend more time raising Cian and Kazuha. Ohh, how I wanted

paternity leave!

While I was thinking about that, Kuu got a pensive look on his face.

"Weddings, huh..."

It looked like he was plotting something, but, well, I could probably

leave him be for now.

For now, I had to focus on what was in front of me: the drill, "Little

Piercer."

While we'd been bantering like idiots, it had kept on spinning.

One of the earth mages who was standing nearby carried the Little

Piercer in front of a massive rock wall that had been prepared, and then

moved the drill forward.

We were moving the Little Piercer with an earth mage's gravity

manipulation magic for now, but in actual practice, it would be pushed from

behind by a large animal like a rhinosaurus.

As the front end of the Little Piercer made contact with the rock, it kept

spinning and chipped away at it.

The power to keep spinning when it hit a rock wall was incredible.

However, the speed with which it was carving away at the rock felt rather

slow. Though it was making steady progress, it went as slow as the walking

speed of a giant tortoise.

"Well... it's a start, I guess?" I said. "Can't you have it dig any faster?"

"That's what we'll have to solve going forward," said Merula, who

despite being part of the research team seemed to have been left on the

sidelines a bit. "Currently, this is the fastest it can dig. If we increase the

speed it moves without increasing the speed at which it can dig, it will

break the machine. That's why I suspect we will need to improve the spell

so that the central axis can spin faster."

"You think that's possible?" I asked.

"I think it will take time. But we'll do it."

If Merula, an expert on magic spells, was on the job, I could safely leave

it to her.

Fortunately, it seemed to be spinning nice and stably.

"The rotator itself is stable, right?" I asked. "I'd like to think of other

uses for it, too."

"Ookya!" Kuu exclaimed. "In that case, Bro, I'm interested in that

'leisure skiing' you were talking about before. If we have a rotational

mechanism, we can make what you were calling a lift, and that's what you

said would make this 'leisure skiing' stuff possible, right?"

Kuu's eyes were sparkling. Now that he mentioned it, we had discussed

that.

True, if it had leisure skiing, the republic, with its snow and hot springs,

could likely bring in tourists from the kingdom and Empire to gain foreign

currency.

I mean, I'd want to go skiing with my family, too... but still.

"I'd have to turn this machine over to Turgis for that, you know..." I

began.

"What are you saying, Bro?! This is a joint development project

between our three countries. No one's going to let the kingdom monopolize

it!"

Kuu sounded offended, but I tried to mollify him as I explained.

"No, I know that, of course. But some of the materials used in this

machine are sensitive. If I'm not careful, it could cause a conflict over

them. With the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State in particular."

The material in question was, of course, the central element of the magic

storage system, curse ore.

Curse ore, which had the property of nullifying (actually absorbing)

nearby magic, was hated in this world where magic tended to be seen as the

work of spirits or the gods. That trend was especially prevalent in countries

like the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State and the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan,

so if they found out we were using curse ore, it was bound to cause some

serious headaches.

It seemed it was commonly dug up in the southeast of this continent, and

our country had abundant reserves. They could probably mine it in the east

of the republic, too. I could keep it under wraps if we were only using it in

our country, but if we shared the information with other countries, too, there

was the risk that it would eventually leak to third parties.

When that happened, how many of the countries of mankind were

willing to support its use would determine how things developed after that.

In light of resistance from people connected to the Orthodox Papal State

and Spirit Kingdom, would the Empire and republic really be able to

continue cooperating with us?

I would need to sound them out on that as I negotiated.

That's why I told Kuu, "It's certainly true that this machine will have a

major positive effect on the Republic of Turgis. If the country profits, it'll

be easier to shut up those who support the policy of northward expansion,

so I'd very much like to see you introduce the technology."

"Bro..."

"It's just that we need to talk more about how the materials used in it are

to be handled first. So, Kuu, I want to arrange for talks between the

kingdom, Empire, and republic. Would it be okay to have you as

representative of the republic there?"

Kuu thumped his chest. "Yeah! My old man left me in charge of any

negotiations involving this drill. I'm not that smart, but I can tell this

machine's going to open a way to the republic's future. So, if it gets this

thing into the republic, I'll do whatever it takes to help!"

Kuu's eyes were earnest.

He'd been a bit of a goofball when we first met him, but at some point,

he'd become so reliable. There was a saying about how fast boys grow up.

I'd felt this with Julius, too. It seemed as long as people stay alive, they

keep growing.

I had to keep doing my best, too... or so I was thinking, but...

"Ookyakya! I can't help but wonder what this 'leisure skiing' stuff is.

The name's got a nice ring to it," Kuu added with a devilish look on his

face.

It seemed his growth was a bit uneven.

Half out of exasperation, I shook hands with him.

I didn't even notice the serious eyes Taru and Leporina had fixed on

Kuu.

Some days later, it was busy in Taru's workshop in the Parnam

craftsmen's town.

"Hey, Taru," Kuu said. "We're done filing the anvil. Where do you want

it?"

"Ohhh, it's pretty heavy," Leporina groaned.

Kuu and Leporina were carrying in a heavy-looking anvil. They had

been doing maintenance on it outside the workshop until just now.

Hearing their voices, Taru, who had been cleaning the ash out of the

furnace, stopped and wiped the mixture of soot and sweat from her brow.

She pointed to a spot near her.

"Close to the furnace here."

"Gotcha," said Kuu.

Kuu and Leporina laid the anvil down where they were asked to.

The three of them were currently doing a major cleanup of Taru's

workshop.

The workshop had been left vacant recently because of her work on the

drill development project, so Taru was using her day off today to clean the

place up and do maintenance on her tools there.

Kuu had volunteered to help, and then dragged Leporina along, too.

Ever since they were in the republic, Kuu had wanted to show Taru his

good side, so he often helped with cleaning the workshop, and was used to

doing maintenance on her tools.

Leporina, who was often dragged along into helping, was the same.

Taru had anticipated the work would take all day, but with the extra

help, they were finished before the sun went down.

As thanks for the assistance, Taru served the two of them black tea that

she had allowed to chill after making it. It was still before spring, and cold,

but the three of them were sweaty from their work, so the cold tea tasted

especially good.

"Thanks for today," Taru said bashfully, hiding her mouth with her cup.

"Master Kuu, Leporina."

"Ookyakya! It was nothing," Kuu said energetically. "Right, Leporina?"

"Yes." She seemed a little exhausted, her bunny ears drooping. "I've

long since gotten used to being run ragged by Master Kuu."

Taru watched those two contrasting individuals for a moment.

"So, Master Kuu, I still haven't heard what you were here about," she

said at last. "Why did you come to see me today? You didn't come just to

help clean up the workshop, I assume?"

"Ookya? Oh! Right, right!" Kuu slapped his knee as if he'd just

remembered.

Oh! He actually came on business... Taru's eyes widened a bit in

surprise.

In Kuu's case, it was more than possible that he'd just dropped by on a

whim. Or rather, before this, that would definitely have been what Kuu was

doing. However, today Kuu spoke to Taru with a serious look on his face.

"I wanted to hear about that drill in detail. How about it? How's

development?"

"Going smoothly," Taru said. "Even when there's an issue, if Madam

Genia and Madam Trill argue over it for a while, they have a new

breakthrough in no time. Those two are smart. From there, it's simply a

matter of me making parts of the quality they demand, and Merula

providing the spells."

"Simply...? I'm sure it's not as easy as you're making it sound, though."

Kuu let out a sigh.

There was no doubt Genia and Trill were geniuses, but for Taru to be

able to respond to those geniuses' demands surely meant she was a first-rate

craftsperson.

Kuu smiled in satisfaction. "Ookyakya, it's all thanks to you. If you

hadn't been around, our country couldn't have gotten in on the drill

development project. I'm really glad you came to the kingdom with me."

"...Sure."

Taru's response was curt, but her cheeks reddened a little. She probably

didn't mind the compliment.

Leporina was watching Taru with a peaceful look on her face.

Putting a hand on his knee, Kuu stood up and picked up the handoperated drill for use on wood. While spinning it, Kuu let out a little sigh.

"The problem now is, will our country be able to put the drill that's

developed into use? The question of whether we have people who can or

not... will have an effect on its future."

""Master Kuu?""

Kuu wasn't acting like his normal self, so Taru and Leporina got

worried. The usually easygoing goofball was acting like another person

entirely.

When Kuu unfurled a map of the continent in front of the two of them,

he smirked like a beast that had its eye on some prey.

"I've been thinking about what's to come ever since I met Fuuga in the

north. The future of the Republic of Turgis."

"The future of the republic..." Taru whispered.

Leporina was silent.

Taru was surprised by the unexpected seriousness of the discussion, but

Leporina had seen Fuuga in the Union of Eastern Nations with Kuu, and

she'd already been told all this.

"In future, Fuuga's Malmkhitan is going to rise in the north," Kuu said.

"He has the ambition, as well as the ability, to make it happen. Bro's

Kingdom of Friedonia is in the east, and Empress Maria's Gran Chaos

Empire is in the west. It's likely that future events on the continent will

revolve around these three countries."

Kuu pointed to the map as he said that, then he pointed to the Republic

of Turgis.

"In the middle of all that, what will our country do? We're involved in

the medical alliance and joint drill development project, so we have friendly

relations with the kingdom and Empire. But that's not enough for us to

relax. If Fuuga's Malmkhitan swallows up the Union of Eastern Nations,

and then either allies with or invades and destroys the Lunarian Orthodox

Papal State and the Mercenary State Zem, his fangs might reach all the way

to the republic. It can't even be assured that the kingdom and Empire will

be safe forever."

Kuu sat down in his seat, putting his elbows down on his crossed legs as

he groaned.

"If that happens, can our country get through it? The land is locked in

ice and snow during the winter, making it hard for enemies to approach, but

that doesn't give us much hope for victory. The snow and ice lower our

productivity, too, making it hard to develop our country. That said, it's not

realistic to think we could expand northward and claim some land that

doesn't freeze. We don't have an air force because of the bitter cold and

violent air currents, so we'd struggle to hold any land we could take."

The republic was so cold that wyverns and dragons hated it, the violent

air currents kept air forces away, and in winter the roads were closed by

snow, making it hard for foreign enemies to enter.

However, turning that all around, it also meant that they couldn't build

their own air force, and in winter the supply lines to their homeland were

cut off, so it was hard to invade other countries, too.

Many in the older generation in the republic still believed in the policy

of northward expansion, but Kuu thought they needed to hurry and wake up

from that pipe dream.

"In considering the future of the republic, we need a new path to replace

the policy of northward expansion," Kuu said. "I'm thinking this drill

development project could be the breakthrough we need."

"A new path, you say?" Leporina asked.

Kuu nodded firmly.

"Our people are skilled with their hands. The accessories they create

while cooped up in their houses for the winter are detailed, and I think it's

fair to say we're the best on the continent when it comes to making things

like that. I want to build on that even more. I want to make the republic

indispensable to the kingdom and Empire, just like your skill as a

craftsperson is absolutely vital for the drill."

Basically, what Kuu was thinking of was technological nationalism.

The ability to make complicated parts could, at times, be the most

powerful diplomatic card to hold.

If he could make it so the parts built in the republic were indispensable

to the kingdom and Empire, he could expect the other two countries to do

many things in return to benefit his country.

Furthermore, if the drill was developed and opened the roads in winter,

that would mean they could import large amounts of food. It would help to

raise the funds for that, too.

"The improvement of our technology will ultimately make the republic

wealthy," Kuu said. "In order to accomplish that, it's important for the

country to support craftspeople like you, Taru, who will create that

technology. For that, I need to change minds in the republic."

The people of the republic were residents of a country with advanced

technology, but they only thought of the accessories they made as a way to

pass the time during the winter. Until that thinking changed, he couldn't

expect further technological advancement.

"I plan to talk to my father about this, too, but we should praise

craftspeople who make something amazing, and clamp down on those that

churn out large amounts of shoddy garbage," Kuu said. "That will create a

desire to create something better in the country, and we'll grow. That's the

path the republic should take."

Taru nodded at Kuu, who gripped his hands into fists as he spoke. "I

think it's a good idea. Our techniques are a treasure."

"Master Kuu, you can say impressive things, after all!" Leporina was

even tearing up.

Kuu laughed bashfully. "I didn't come to the kingdom just to play

around, you know? I've been watching Bro's policies, and absorbing what I

think I should of them. That's why I know what needs to be done."

Then Kuu scratched the back of his head, as if troubled.

"The ability to create superior technologies requires adaptability. That's

something we lack."

"Huh? Adaptability?" Leporina asked.

"Yeah. Like how Bro used the jewels from the Jewel Voice Broadcast to

create broadcast programs. He used something that had only been used for

speeches before to provide entertainment for his country's people. No one

in this world ever thought of that, right? The ability to adapt and apply

existing technologies is guaranteed to be important going forward. Like the

rotational mechanism in the drill. I'm sure Bro's thinking of all sorts of uses

for it."

"You may be right." Taru nodded with a pensive look on her face. "I'm

sure Madam Genia and Madam Trill will come up with all sorts of uses for

it. But I can't think up ideas like that."

"Yeah, and neither can I. That's why, while they may not be up to Bro's

level, we need to find people of our own who can think of these things. Lots

of them, too."

"If we're going to find these people, do you have any idea where to

look?" Leporina asked.

Kuu smirked. "Not now, no. But with some time, we can make them."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"We round up some of the clever folks from our nation, young and full

of motivation, and we send them to the kingdom and Empire to learn. Just

like I'm learning from Bro. Then, if they come back home to teach, it

should increase the number of people who are able to think with

adaptability in the republic."

Kuu's idea was to gather students to study abroad in the kingdom and

Empire. Of course, he would need to get permission from Gouran Taisei

later, the man who was his father and the head of the republic, but Kuu

planned to convince him, no matter what.

Leporina was impressed. "Wow. That's amazing, Master Kuu. I never

knew you were thinking about all this."

"Yeah, well, you're welcome to keep the compliments coming, you

know?" Kuu said laughing bashfully. "Well, I am our future head of state.

I'd be in a sore spot if everyone was useless when I take over. I've got to

hire anyone useful I can, regardless of race or age."

"I think that's wonderful." Taru seemed genuinely impressed, which

only made Kuu happier.

"Ookyakya! You falling in love with me all over again?"

"You get carried away so quickly," she sighed. "How did you come to

that conclusion?"

"Well, because I want you to be the wife of the future head of state."

At hearing him express his affection for her directly like that, Taru had

no words.

The way he said it was as casual as ever, but his eyes were serious and

focused directly on her.

"I'm always serious, you know?" Kuu said. "I know we can't do it right

now, but I have every intention of making you my wife when we go back to

the republic. I want you to act as a representative for the republic's

craftspeople, after all. I want you to walk with me."

She was silent.

"Well, there's no rush to answer," Kuu said. "Think on it."

With that, he stood up with an, "Ups-a-daisy," and left the workshop.

Left behind, Taru and Leporina stared vacantly at the door through

which he had left.

At last, coming to her senses first, Leporina asked Taru, "The young

master seemed serious. What will you do?"

Having come to her senses, too, Taru answered her question with

another. "Huh?! What will I do...? Are you okay with this, Leporina? You

love Master Kuu, too, don't you?"

After she asked that, trying to read Leporina's expression as she did,

Leporina nodded.

"It's certainly true that I have feelings for Master Kuu. However, Master

Kuu will one day be head of the republic. If he were to ask for my hand on

his own, that would be one thing, but I cannot ask him to take me as his

wife myself. That's why, honestly, I'm jealous of you."

"Leporina..."

Seeing the worried look on Taru's face, Leporina giggled.

"Until you make your feelings clear, out of loyalty to you, Master Kuu

isn't going to look at another woman. Whether you choose to accept or

reject his proposal, I think now he'll finally be able to look at me, too. I

won't ask that he marry me, but I can appeal to him so he wants to make me

his bride on his own. I just want to be by Master Kuu's side, whatever form

that takes."

Taru was speechless.

Leporina stood up and put her hand on the door. "Now, it's just a matter

of what you want. I don't mind being second, so I'll be rooting for the two

of you. That said, if you reject his proposal, I'll work to soothe Master

Kuu's wounded heart, and make sure he takes me as his first."

"You're able to come out and talk about your feelings honestly, I see,"

Taru said quietly.

"Because I want to be with Master Kuu, from the bottom of my heart."

When Leporina said that, as if putting her words into practice, she

followed Kuu out the door. Left behind, Taru asked herself a question.

What do I want...?

◇ ◇ ◇

It was a winter day when I was still ten.

I hated the winter when I was little. The Republic of Turgis was shut

down by snow and ice in winter, and whenever I opened the door, the snow

was piled up to chest-level for me, so it prevented me going outside.

During this season, the adults stayed near the fire, their heads down,

working on crafts as a side job.

That was because it wasn't possible to work the fields or take the boats

out fishing in the winter, so they had nothing else to do. They seemed so

gloomy, it was mind numbing.

I would just stare vacantly as my grandfather the blacksmith struck the

iron.

In this season, blacksmiths were busy mending all the tools that the

farmers gave them to repair. The orders came in during fall, and they had to

be repaired during the off-season so they were ready to be returned in the

spring.

That was why, even though it was winter, my grandfather was currently

standing in front of a blazing furnace, wearing thin clothes.

Clang, clang, clang...

I listened to the banging of the hammer and stared into the dancing

flames. I thought my grandfather was cool when he was beating iron.

But when I had to see this same scene day after day, it inevitably got

boring.

I'm bored...

While thinking that, I let out the latest of who knows how many sighs

that winter.

Bwoon! My thoughts were interrupted by the trumpeting of some large

beast outside.

Was it a numoth?

Numoths were large, woolly creatures, and they would trudge,

undeterred, through the thick snow, so they were primarily raised as large

mounts for the military.

When I rushed to the door, the numoth's feet were right before my eyes.

It was so big, I had to look up to see it, so my jaw dropped in surprise.

"Ookyakya!" laughed an energetic young voice from above. "Would I be

right in guessing this is the Ozumi Workshop?"

For a moment, I thought the numoth in front of me had spoken, but I

soon noticed a young boy of the snow monkey race who was about my age

was peeking over the side of the numoth.

"I want you to repair my old man's sword, since I broke it swinging it

around."

It seemed the voice belonged to the boy.

"It... It is..." I managed to say.

A girl of the white rabbit race who looked a little older than me peeked

out after the boy.

"Hey, Young Master," she said. "We scared the poor girl by suddenly

riding up on a numoth. Also, this numoth's a military one that your father is

raising, and we borrowed it without permission, too, so he's going to get

mad again, you know?"

"Ookyakya! Where's the harm? It'd be grueling to walk through this

snow."

The snow monkey boy didn't seem concerned in the slightest at the

white rabbit girl's chastening. There was probably a difference in status

between them. The boy was acting like he was more important than she

was.

Then the boy nimbly jumped down from the numoth.

"Ookya?!"

He was not any taller than I was, so he sank into the snow up to his

chest.

Perhaps feeling stubborn, the boy shouted, "Fungh!" and trudged

through the snow towards me.

When he got in front of me, the boy finally grinned and said, "I'm Kuu.

And that's Leporina up there. You?"

"...Taru."

"You're called Taru, huh? Nice to meet you, Taru."

When he said that, the boy who had introduced himself as Kuu took my

hand and shook it vigorously.

The boy had cut through the snow that kept me from going outside as if

it didn't matter it was there.

That was my first meeting with Master Kuu.

"It's morning..." I murmured.

I had the day off, but out of ingrained habit, I had woken up before

dawn. As per usual, it was still dark out.

As I got out of bed, I remembered the dream I just had. It was a dream

of when I was little, the first time I'd met Master Kuu and Leporina.

After that day, Master Kuu and Leporina had repeatedly come over to

my house to play.

There were limits to the fun we could have indoors, though, so Master

Kuu had always been quick to take me outdoors. We'd ridden on the

numoth and gone all sorts of places.

Because Master Kuu was reckless by nature, he'd taken Leporina and

me to dangerous places where we were caught in avalanches, chased by

wild creatures, yelled at by adults who found out, and put through all sorts

of other rather unfair situations.

Fond memories.

I tried comparing the Master Kuu of then to the Master Kuu of now.

I think... Master Kuu really has changed.

I felt like coming to this country — coming into contact with a number

of worlds — had helped to broaden his horizons.

He'd tagged along to the Union of Eastern Nations, so he was as

reckless as ever, but through it all, he had an awareness that he was the son

of the head of our republic, and he was seeing what was good for our

country, and what was out there that threatened us.

I think he has grown.

But some things never change.

Master Kuu was always trying to break down walls that stood in our

way.

Like how he had broken through the snow to come to me in our youth,

now he was trying to use the drill to open a hole and bring fresh air into the

republic, which seemed locked in snow and ice.

It was because Master Kuu was the way he was that, even after all the

hell he put her through, Leporina loved and adored him, and would follow

him anywhere.

I... wanted to help Master Kuu, too.

I couldn't fight, so I couldn't follow him to the battlefield like Leporina,

but I could at least watch Master Kuu press forward from behind.

Just as Master Kuu had broken through the snow to take me outside, if

there was a wall that stands in Master Kuu's way, this time, I wanted to be

the one to tear it down.

Since I didn't have battlefield strength, I'd do it using all the technology

at my disposal.

"...Okay."

Having found my resolve, I ate breakfast and left the workshop.

◇ ◇ ◇

Ten days later...

"Heyyyy, Taruuuu, I'm heeeere!" Kuu called.

"Taaaaruuuu?" Leporina called.

Taru had just called Kuu out with a letter saying she had something

important to discuss, so he was here at her workshop with Leporina.

The furnace wasn't lit today, and it was high noon, so without light

shining inside the building, it was gloomy.

The two entered the workshop and looked around.

"Honestly, that Taru," Kuu said. "What's she doing so sneakily?"

Leporina was silent.

Taru had been acting strange lately.

It seemed she was always busy, so it was common for her to be out

when Kuu came to visit her workshop.

She seemed to be up to something, but when Kuu had asked, all she

would say was, "It's still a secret."

The "still" in that sentence suggested she meant to tell him eventually,

so he'd left it alone, but it bothered him.

There was one other thing that was odd, too.

About a week ago, Taru had come to borrow the cudgel that was his

favorite weapon. She was the one who'd made it in the first place, and

she'd said she wanted to do maintenance on it, but he didn't have it back

yet. Had she called him here to return it today?

While Kuu was thinking about that, Taru came out from inside the

workshop.

In her hands, she held an object that was very long and wrapped in cloth.

"Master Kuu, Leporina. Welcome."

"Hey, Taru," Kuu said casually. "Is that my cudgel you were working

on?"

Taru shook her head a little apologetically. "I'm sorry, Master Kuu. The

maintenance was a lie."

"Ookya? You didn't work on it? Why?"

"What I did wasn't maintenance, it was an upgrade."

When she said that, she pulled the cloth off the long object.

Inside was Kuu's cudgel, which had changed.

The central part which had the golden centipede design wasn't

noticeably different. However, both ends had two channels carved into

them, with bits of bare metal sticking out.

If Souma could have seen it, he might have thought it looked like the

Wolf's Tooth Cudgel or Langyabang that showed up in Romance of the

Three Kingdoms-inspired action games.

"Wh-What is this?!" Kuu cried out in surprise.

Taru pointed to the centipede's head section.

"Press the button there."

"Huh? This?"

When Kuu pressed the button like he was told to, the metal bits on each

end of the cudgel went, Gweeen! and started revolving rapidly.

As Kuu and Leporina stared on, dumbfounded by what they were

seeing, Taru explained, sounding somewhat proud: "I added the drill

function you said you wanted, Master Kuu."

"No... No, no, no, no, no, no!" Kuu pressed the button once more to stop

the spinning, and then turned on Taru. "No, didn't you say it wasn't

possible when we talked about it before?"

"It was pretty hard. If you're going to swing it around as a cudgel, a

cylindrical shape is better than a conical one, so I consulted with Madam

Genia and Madam Trill, and this is what we came up with. Scattering

countless blades across the end of it was inefficient, so we used two

grooves, similar to a hand drill for punching holes in wood, to make a shape

that would dig through things. The drill section was reinforced with

Merula's magic, so it's pretty strong."

Putting her hands on her hips, Taru thrust her chest out with pride.

"If I were to name it, it would be... the Drill Cudgel."

As Taru went on plainly explaining the change to the weapon, Kuu

clutched his temples.

"No, it's more than I expected, and I'm glad you made it for me. I never

expected you'd make what I wanted a reality. You're pretty stubborn, right,

Taru? I was expecting you'd blow off a silly request like this."

"This is... a show of my resolve." Taru touched the Drill Cudgel softly

and spoke in a serious tone. "The things you want to do, the wishes you

want granted, the things you want to accomplish... I want to support you in

all of them. Even if people say it's reckless or crazy, I won't reject it. I'll do

everything I can with my skills, and I'll make it happen for sure."

"Taru... You..."

Kuu reached out to her. When he did, Taru took his hand and pressed it

to her own chest.

"For as long as you keep facing forward, driving toward your dreams, I

will be right behind you supporting you. Because in my heart, I want to

break through with you."

"Does that mean... you'll accept the engagement?"

Taru nodded slightly.

Kuu was so full of emotion he tried to hug her, but just as he was about

she said, "Wait," and held up a hand to stop him.

Kuu screeched to a sudden halt.

Taru asked, "Can I put one condition on it?"

"S-Sure! If it's something I can do, then anything!"

"Well, then..." Taru walked over to Leporina, taking her hand.

"Huh? Taru?" Leporina asked.

"Come with me," she said.

Then, hand in hand with Leporina, the two stood in front of Kuu, and

Taru said, "If we're getting married, I want it to be with Leporina, too."

""Huh...? Whaaaaa?!""

This made both Kuu and Leporina's eyes go wide with surprise.

"U-Um, Taru? Why would you suddenly...?" Leporina began.

"I can support Kuu on the technological front, but I have a lot of

weaknesses elsewhere. I can make weapons, but I can't fight alongside him,

and I'm too shy to be much use in social situations, either. You can help

Kuu at times like that, right, Leporina?"

While Leporina stared at her in confusion, Taru snorted.

"There may be a time when I'll need to accept him taking a wife who

can do the things that I can't. If so, I want it to be you."

"Taru..." Leporina said, moved.

"H-Hey! Don't just decide this on your own... Taru's the one I..."

Kuu tried to interrupt, but Taru jabbed a finger in front of his nose.

"You're always being so reckless. I hear you were being reckless in the

Union of Eastern Nations, too."

"W-Well, yes, but..."

"No matter how much I worry, I can't help you on the battlefield. But

Leporina can defend you, and fight alongside you. If Leporina is with you, I

can feel a little more at ease waiting. I will support you at home, and

Leporina will support you outside. You don't hate Leporina, do you?"

"Well, no, I don't hate her... but that doesn't mean..."

As Kuu stammered, Taru kept pressing him.

"Before, you were saying, 'Will you be my wife?' to King Souma's little

sister."

"I was just trying to get your attention!" he yelled.

"I know. You were always flirting with girls, then glancing in my

direction. I kind of knew you wanted me to get jealous."

She was right. When she said all these things that saw right through his

vanity, Kuu wanted to find a hole and hide in it.

As he was feeling that way, Taru faced him straight on and said, "But

you never tried to hit on Leporina. Even though she's a cute girl, and

you've known her even longer than you've known me. That's because you

knew how Leporina feels, right? If you hit on her when you had no plans to

follow through, you'd end up hurting her. That's why you never did."

Kuu was silent.

"M-Master Kuu...?" Leporina asked hesitantly.

She'd hit the nail on the head again. She completely saw through Kuu.

That was probably because, though she treated him brusquely, Taru had

been watching Kuu all of this time.

"Leporina's always been thinking of you," Taru said. "And you don't

hate her. I like Leporina, too. So... I don't want her left out."

"Oh, fine, I get it! I give, I give!" Kuu raised his hands in surrender.

Then, awkwardly, he looked to Leporina. "Erm... there you have it. Will

you be my wife, too?"

Leporina must have been overcome by emotion. She was smiling as big

tears streamed down her face. "Master Kuu... Yes! I know I have many

shortcomings, but please take good care of meeee!"

Taru rubbed Leporina's back. Leporina who had been so happy about

their engagement, and Taru who was so eager to protect him that she

welcomed Leporina.

With those two wonderful girls in front of him, Kuu seemed to have

made up his mind. "Ookyaaa! If that's how it is, I'm going to be a man and

look after both of you!"

"That's wrong," said Taru. "We're the ones who'll be looking after you."

"Taru's right," Leporina agreed after sniffling.

With the two poking fun at him to the very end, Kuu wasn't able to act

cool.