The Battle of the Father Island

Having received a request from Gerula for military aid, Fuuga was

holding a war council with his wife Mutsumi, his close friend Shuukin, and

his advisor Hashim in preparation for retaking the Father Island.

"So, you're sure I don't need to go along with this dispatch?" Fuuga

asked.

Hashim nodded, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Yes. The lands

retaken from the Demon Lord's Domain remain unstable. If you were away

and something happened, our response would be delayed. It's unlikely you

could return quickly from overseas, right?"

"Well, Durga does hate it..."

The flying tiger would fearlessly charge into hordes of thousands or

even tens of thousands of monsters, but for some reason hated the sea and

wouldn't go near it. That was likely for the same reason wyverns didn't like

to go so far out to sea that they couldn't see land, but as Durga was one of a

kind, there was nothing more that could be said on the matter.

"Come to think of it, Yuriga's report said something about Souma being

able to use wyverns at sea. He has this massive island-like ship...or

something like that? Do you think if we built one of those and trained on it,

Durga would be less afraid of the sea?" Fuuga said jokingly, and Hashim

shrugged.

"Surely you jest. It may be rude of me to say this, but just how much

manpower and resources do you intend to spend on a single tiger? And even

if we wanted to build one, we couldn't. We have no technology that can

move large steel ships without sea dragons to pull them."

"Hrmm, I was obviously joking, but...when you look at it that way,

Souma's made one hell of a thing, huh?"

"The skills to develop that kind of technology..." Mutsumi, who had

been listening, suddenly murmured. "If he applied them to the military,

wouldn't he have been able to destroy the Empire by now?"

"I agree with you, my lady. The Kingdom of Friedonia...is terrifying,"

Shuukin said, and Fuuga nodded.

"Yeah...you're right. But for better and for worse, he's got way too little

ambition. Instead of seeking greater happiness in the future, he tries to

defend what he has now. If you just know how to get along with him,

there's no one easier to manage, but..."

"And what if we don't get along with him?" Mutsumi asked, and Fuuga

laughed, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"There'll be no one more dangerous to deal with."

"I see. And that's why he worries you, darling."

"I agree. At this point, he poses a greater threat than the Empire,"

Hashim agreed, nodding.

Shuukin cocked his head to the side. "Oh? You're wary of the Kingdom

too, Sir Hashim?"

"They have too many capable people. This is partially my fault, but no

small number of talented individuals from countries in the Union of Eastern

Nations that we destroyed have drifted there. Julius of the Kingdom of

Lastania, for instance."

"Ohh... The guy who acted faster than you, huh? It was a shame to lose

him," Fuuga said, groaning, and Hashim nodded.

"I couldn't agree more. If we could have taken the Lastanian royal

family into custody, we might have been able to make him submit to us,

but...he was too well prepared. And now King Souma has happily taken in

all of those people. They bear a grudge against Lord Fuuga, so we won't be

able to win them back by offering favorable conditions. There's no way for

us to get in between them."

"But didn't Julius's father die in a war with Souma?"

"Lord Fuuga, which would you be angrier at? Someone who injures

you, or someone who injures those you love...say, Queen Mutsumi, for

instance?"

Fuuga closed his eyes to think about Hashim's question.

"Mutsumi."

When he thought about himself being injured or killed... Well, there

wasn't much to be done about it. He'd probably be able to accept that he

had been capable of no better, or that he had simply been unlucky. But if

anyone were to hurt or kill Mutsumi, he would never let them get away with

it. Whatever they did to her, they'd pay for it several times over.

"Exactly," Hashim nodded. "That's how people are."

"So, the guy who killed his dad earned less of a grudge than we did for

taking his wife's country?"

Hashim wouldn't know this, but in Machiavelli's The Prince it says

"Men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their

patrimony."

Unlike Souma, who had to work to put those ideas into practice,

Hashim came by them naturally, and was very Machiavellian (including in

that sense of the word which comes from a misunderstanding of the man's

work).

"Yes. That's precisely why we need this dispatch of troops to be a

success." Hashim pointed to the Father Island on the map on the table.

"Rather than the Spirit Kingdom itself, we must stop the Father Island and

Mother Island from falling into the Maritime Alliance's sphere of influence.

It would give the Kingdom of Friedonia a base of operations on the western

coast of the continent."

"But didn't we promise to give them a port?"

"We can take that back with our land forces at any time. Souma knows

that too, so he will only build it up to the absolute minimum. However, if he

were to build a base across the sea, in another country, that would be

troublesome. We must bring the Father Island into our sphere of influence

no matter what."

When Hashim explained that, Mutsumi brought a hand to her mouth

and cocked her head to the side.

"Judging from what we saw of Sir Gerula's personality...the high elves

must be rather haughty. Will they so willingly submit to us?"

"You are precisely right. That's why we'll have to take action." Hashim

pointed to the Mother Island, which was the heartland of the Spirit

Kingdom. "As you well know, the Spirit Kingdom believes in high elf

supremacy. And excessive discrimination based on race will always breed

resentment. There must be those of the other oppressed races in the

heartland of the Spirit Kingdom, and even high elves who are opposed to

the current state of things. Once the Father Island is retaken, we will

support those people, and have them create a puppet state on the island for

us."

"I get it. You're going to break the Father Island away from the Spirit

Kingdom and have them join our faction, huh?"

"Yes, my lord. Fuuga the Liberator needs no racist high elves among

his vassals."

It's all in how you say a thing, the other three thought, but none of them

said it.

If we were to sum up Hashim's plan, it looked like this:

First, land forces on the monster-infested Father Island at the invitation

of the Spirit Kingdom.

Second, eliminate the monsters and liberate the island.

Third, have the Spirit Kingdom launch an offensive to eliminate the

monsters on the east side of the Mother Island, and when that is finished,

have them cooperate in liberating the Father Island.

Fourth, have those discontented with the Spirit Kingdom declare

independence on the Father Island to create a puppet state, and then

effectively take control of the island with the excuse of providing them

support.

When the monsters were extirpated from the Spirit Kingdom, the high

elves would no doubt think of Fuuga's men as their saviors. There was an

opportunity to take advantage of that.

Hashim's cunning plan was to team up with those high elves who were

opposed to the racial supremacist policies in their country and wanted to

pursue a more liberal path. He would set up a puppet state for them on the

Father Island, allowing him to present himself as something other than an

invader. As could be seen from the example of Merula Merlin, the people of

the Spirit Kingdom were not an ideological monolith.

Furthermore, because the puppet state would create a society where

people were not divided between high elf and non-high elf, instead

instituting what might be called a more equal system, it would be hard for

other countries to criticize. People would be hard-pressed to say that living

under a regime steeped in racial supremacy was worse than having racial

equality but effectively being under the control of the Great Tiger Kingdom.

Not even Maria, the head of the Mankind Declaration, could say that.

Naturally, the Spirit Kingdom would gnash their teeth at this result, but

they didn't have the power to face Fuuga's forces alone. Even if Fuuga's

men left the island, there was still the uncertainty of whether their country

could survive another attack from the monsters. They'd want to avoid

finding out.

The Spirit Kingdom would have no choice but to regretfully accept the

independence of the Father Island.

"The reinforcements will need someone who will be able to discern

who should be made to declare independence and is capable of making

political decisions," Hashim said, crossing his arms and respectfully bowing

his head. "It pains me to say this, Lord Fuuga, but your subordinates are..."

"Yeah, I know. They're a bunch of lunkheads."

"Indeed. In order to bring this plan to fruition, we will need a sensible

person with the intelligence to be able to win the hearts of the local people.

It would be unthinkable to send someone like my own brother, Nata, who

just wants to run wild."

"That means it has to be...you, Shuukin, or Moumei, huh? But you have

other duties, so I'd be in trouble if you took off. Moumei may look like a

big oaf who swings around a giant hammer, but he's surprisingly learned

and sensible. But people tend to mistake him for a barbarian based on his

appearance, so he's not a good choice to win people over."

Fuuga counted on his fingers as he spoke. His camp included many

great warriors, but he had a limited number of wise commanders who could

make political decisions.

"Gaifuku is a wizened old general, but he still hasn't healed from the

injuries he took protecting me. Kasen is wise but too young, and opinion

will always be divided on the showy way Gaten presents himself."

"Yes, all of that sounds correct. There is also my younger sister's

husband, Sir Lombard, the former King of Remus, but it has been so soon

since he joined us that it would be hard for the men to follow him. I also

suspect that, given his honest nature, subtlety may be beyond him. He

would make a good second-in-command, however."

"Which leaves..."

They both turned to look at the same person.

"Yeah, it's gotta be me," Shuukin said, thumping his chest with one

hand. "Let me handle it. I will represent you to the best of my abilities,

Lord Fuuga."

"Sorry, Shuukin. I'll be making you do a lot of hard work."

"What else is new? You have been ever since we raced across the

steppes together."

Shuukin and Fuuga both smiled.

Mutsumi giggled. "Male friendship is a wonderful thing."

"Don't tease... So, Hashim, how many reinforcements should he take?"

Fuuga asked, and Hashim bowed his head.

"We want to be sure this succeeds, so we should send about a third of

our forces to take control in one fell swoop. Let Sir Lombard be his secondin-command. And...let's have Sir Bito, the former King of Gabi, and his

men go to the Father Island as well."

"Those guys, huh...?" Fuuga's expression grew harsh.

Bito had been the master of Gauche, who had tried to assassinate

Fuuga. He'd been pardoned of that crime after switching sides at the Battle

of the Sebal Plains. He'd been one of Fuuga's vassals ever since, but it was

hard for them to trust him.

With a sinister smile, Hashim said, "Let's use up Sir Bito and his men

in this battle. Once they're gone, we'll be free to use the elite archers from

the former Kingdom of Gabi as we please. Sir Bito must realize we don't

trust him, so he'll work desperately to prove himself."

"Well, what goes around comes around, I guess."

This sort of dark scheme was not to Fuuga's liking, but he understood

that he had to do some evil for his greater purpose.

Ultimately, this strategy was how Fuuga's forces decided to dispatch an

army to the Spirit Kingdom. Their intervention was the start of an incident

that would shake not just the Great Tiger Kingdom and the Spirit Kingdom,

but the nations of the Mankind Declaration and the Maritime Alliance as

well.

◇ ◇ ◇

First, let's review the situation in the Spirit Kingdom.

The monsters that had attacked the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan were

almost entirely of the insect type. However, these bugs were all man-sized,

if not larger. The insect monsters had appeared en masse during a demon

wave before Souma was summoned, and crossed to the Father Island via a

series of islands too small to appear on maps.

The high elves resisted, but because they lived in a land where magic

was stronger, the insects were also powered up, and more ferocious as a

result. The high elves fought at a disadvantage, and were finally driven

from the Father Island. Then, with the island taken, the insect monsters

settled there, and their numbers didn't fall even after the end of the demon

wave.

Because there were a variety of types of insects, they likely fed off each

other on the Father Island, creating a sort of ecology. And as the monsters

fought among themselves, those driven out came to invade the Mother

Island next.

The Spirit Kingdom had not only lost the Father Island, but allowed an

incursion onto the Mother Island as well. For the operation to retake the

islands, Shuukin would be sent to the Father Island and eliminate every last

monster there. At the same time, the Spirit Kingdom would exert their full

power to destroy the monsters on the Mother Island, then volunteers would

go to the Father Island to assist Fuuga's forces.

— Fuuga's camp — The Father Island —

Shuukin; Lombard, the former King of Remus who had been chosen as

his second-in-command; and Yomi, who was Lombard's wife and a capable

magician, were in the main camp, discussing what they were going to do.

A messenger rushed into their tent.

"I have a report! Sir Bito and his unit from the former Kingdom of Gabi

have been isolated in the middle of the enemy!"

"What?! Why did they rush ahead?!" Lombard demanded.

The messenger fell prostrate before him before responding. "Sir Bito

and his men were headed towards Min, which was once the most

prosperous city on the Father Island, sir. It's well-suited for garrisoning

troops, and they were likely hoping to take the credit for liberating it

themselves."

"Urgh... Was he too desperate for glory, or was he trying to atone for

his past betrayals?"

"Lord Lom..." Yomi said, looking at Lombard with concern.

He looked at Shuukin who was silent. "Lord Shuukin. Should we send

reinforcements?"

"No... They're too far. We'll never make it in time." Shuukin quietly

shook his head.

Fuuga's advisor Hashim had been planning to use up Bito and his men

in this operation. He might have been behind their decision to rush ahead.

Hashim may have suggested, "If you achieve great things on this

expedition, that will demonstrate your loyalty, Lord Fuuga's view of you

will improve, and I am sure your former lands will be returned to you," or,

"If you can retake the central city of the Father Island, all other glories will

pale in comparison."

In that case... It's my duty to leave him to die, Shuukin thought. He

wasn't enthusiastic about being placed in this role, but they had chosen him

as commander because they believed he could do it. As such, Shuukin felt

he had to do it, for his liege's sake.

He gave an order to the messenger. "We'll withhold reinforcements to

avoid increasing our losses. I'll take Sir Bito's archers under my command

for now. Deliver that message to all the commanders!"

"Yes, sir!"

Shuukin let out a sigh after watching the messenger rush out of the tent.

Without knowing the reason for that sigh, Lombard tried to comfort him.

"It's not your fault that Sir Bito and his men rushed ahead. Don't let it

weigh on your conscience."

"Thank you, Sir Lombard." Shuukin felt a little guilty over the man's

kindness.

Yomi clapped her hands, as if trying to change the topic. Then, opening

her collar a little, she mimed fanning herself with one hand. "It sure is

humid in this country. It's quite a change from my homeland."

"It certainly is..." Shuukin agreed with a slight smile. "This kind of

humidity makes me long for the dry air of the steppes and the desert."

"Hrmm..." Lombard groaned as he looked outside the tent. "The dense

foliage and the suffocating earthy smell... It really makes it painfully

obvious we're in a foreign land."

"Yes. We're on unknown ground here. But in order to make Lord

Fuuga's majesty felt, we cannot afford to lose."

With Shuukin's words, Lombard and Yomi nodded in agreement.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, on the Mother Island of the Spirit Kingdom, the battle to

repel the monsters from their island was in its final stages.

"Hahhhhh!"

Standing at the vanguard was Gerula, the younger brother of Spirit

Kingdom King Garula, who had traveled around many nations, starting

with the Kingdom of Friedonia, to seek assistance.

Gerula approached a massive pill bug with a carapace as hard as stone

(its Magic Part Identification system name was "rock pill bug"), planting an

upwards kick under its head then stabbing its soft underbelly with his rapier.

The rock pill bug squirmed a while, then stopped moving.

When Gerula was sure his opponent had breathed its last, he casually

tore his rapier free. Showing no concern for the yellowy ichor that stained

his face, Gerula shook the blood from his blade and returned it to its sheath.

Much like the dark elves of the Kingdom of Friedonia, the high elves

specialized in fighting at long range with bows, but Gerula was the

uncommon elf who preferred melee combat. Even among that rare breed, he

was top class.

There was a buzzing of wings, and a swarm of bees that had a spiral

shell on their abdomens (MPI name "snail bee") came to attack Gerula.

He swung his hand up. In an instant, there was a whooshing sound as

countless arrows flew over his head and pierced all of the snail bees.

It was a barrage from the elite high elven archers behind where he

stood.

With a glance to the snail bees as they dropped to the ground, Gerula

raised his voice to shout, "Now, it's time to finish the job! We'll wipe these

monsters from the Mother Island!"

"""Yeahhhhhh!"""

The high elf soldiers seemed to be venting all their rage at having been

pushed to the edge all this time. They were roused by Gerula's speech, and

continued exterminating the monsters.

Not long after, the operation to wipe out the monsters on the Mother

Island came to a successful end.

That night, when Gerula visited the tent in the center of the main camp,

King Garula was there sitting on a camp stool, and a beautiful high elf girl

wearing the breastplate of an archer was standing by, ready to serve him.

Garula's eyes narrowed when he saw his younger brother. Being twins,

their faces looked exactly alike.

Gerula took his place next to the girl, putting his hands together in front

of him and bowing his head.

"Elder brother. The extermination of the monsters infesting the Mother

Island is complete."

"Well done, Gerula."

Garula rose and walked over to Gerula, moving to place a hand on his

brother's shoulder to thank him for his efforts. However, Gerula stopped

him just before he could.

You mustn't touch me, he seemed to say.

Seeing that, Garula and the girl next to Gerula got pained looks on their

faces.

Once Garula had returned to the camp stool, Gerula bowed his head and

said, "Even with the monsters cleared from the Mother Island, if the Father

Island is not liberated, we can expect they will come again."

"I know. We will send an army to work with Fuuga's forces in retaking

Father Island. The commander-in-chief of that force, Elulu, will be you."

"Yes, father. I will fulfill my duty even if it costs me my life."

Elulu was Elulu Garlan, daughter of Garula. She looked to be about

sixteen or seventeen years of age, but as a member of a long-lived race, her

true age was much older.

Gerula looked apologetically at Elulu.

"I'm sorry. Normally, I should have been the one to go..."

"No. You've been working too hard, uncle. Please...just rest now," she

responded with a sad look on her face.

Everyone here understood. This battle to drive the monsters from the

Mother Island was also to be Gerula's last.

Elulu slapped her own cheeks to psyche herself up and then bowed her

head to her father, the king.

"Well, father, uncle, I'll be on my way."

"Mm."

Elulu left the tent without turning back.

Once they had watched her go, King Garula let out a long sigh. "I may

not be seeing her for a long while..."

Gerula looked up and offered an encouraging laugh. "We're a longlived race. It's unlikely you'll never meet again."

"To hear that coming from you...? I can't laugh."

"Please do. I put my whole body into that joke."

"That's not funny either."

When the twins were alone, they always talked like brothers.

"We may not get the Father Island back..." Garula said with a sigh.

"We don't know that." Gerula shook his head. "But Fuuga was not so

kindly as Souma of the Kingdom of Friedonia or Maria of the Gran Chaos

Empire. His skills I am sure of, but his ambitions are just as great as a

result. Most likely...he'll try to bring our country under his sway. That's

why you sent Elulu to act as commander-in-chief, right?"

Garula nodded in response.

"Yeah. As an easy puppet for them. She's progressive by this country's

standards."

Among the high elf race, which had a strong belief in their status as the

chosen people, Elulu was comparatively liberal-minded. That was likely the

influence of the researcher, Merula Merlin. Among the younger generation

of high elves, there was a tendency to view Merula, who had questioned

high elf supremacy and the closing of the country to the point that her

curiosity eventually drove her to escape, as a hero.

Garula said, "They'll make a puppet state out of all those who question

high elf supremacy and declare independence on the Father Island. She's

the perfect flag-bearer for that. And once they're under his influence,

Fuuga's army will have to defend the island."

"Even if Elulu and her faction break off with the Father Island, the

Mother Island will be protected...right? Does Elulu know?"

"She understands well. She's enthusiastic about it, even. She'll no

longer be held down by the old ways."

"You wanted to do this yourself, didn't you...?" Gerula said

mischievously, but Garula laughed it off.

"If our father were still alive, sure. But now I have to defend my own

country."

"Sorry... I'm putting you through a lot of work."

"Don't be sorry. I mean...like Elulu was saying, you're..."

"Yeah. I'm going to use my remaining time as I see fit." Gerula rose,

then he spoke in an almost theatrical tone. "O king. O brother. O Garula. I

ask your permission to go on leave."

"Huh?! Gerula?!"

"This is one last selfish request... No, I guess I've always been selfish,

haven't I? Well, this is the end of that. I'm sorry to leave you to handle

everything..."

King Garula looked Gerula in the eyes and could say nothing. They

were the eyes of a man who had made up his mind.

"You're going, Gerula..."

"Yeah. Even if it costs my life, I'll lead this country to the best

outcome."

"I see..."

They stared into each other's eyes for a time and then nodded.

"Farewell, elder brother."

"Farewell, younger brother."

With that last exchange, King Garula watched Gerula turn and go.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time after that, there was a battle against insect monsters on the

Father Island...

This island was swarming with warped insects that, despite having parts

from unrelated creatures, still moved around agilely. The most common

were the snail bees that had also been on the Mother Island, as well as a

beetle monster with a turtle-like shell (MPI name "shell beetle"), and an ant

monster with a conical shell on its abdomen like the snail bee's (MPI was

"snail ant").

A large amount of smoke rose up from the forest. Not a fire's, but

artificial white smoke.

At the same time, there was the rumbling of many feet and the buzzing

of many wings.

Fuuga's commander Shuukin was watching from just outside the forest,

and he gave an order to the elite archers who had once served the former

King of Gabi, but were now under his command.

"They're coming... Archers, mages, get ready!"

The archers nocked their arrows and drew back their bowstrings while

the mages, led by Yomi, prepared to loose their magic.

A moment later, a great many insects rushed out of the smoky forest.

First the bees flew out, and then the ants crawled after them.

"Shoot!"

The countless arrows and spells unleashed at Shuukin's command

rained down on the insects, and the bee monsters dropped like flies as the

attacks tore through their heads and wings.

Next the arrows rained down on the ants, lowering their numbers.

"Don't stop! Keep on shooting!"

The insect monsters were good at concealing themselves, and it would

be trouble if they hid in the forest. That was why the plan had been to set

off a smoke the insects hated in the forest, and have the archers crush them

with a synchronized volley when they were smoked out.

This was the most effective and least dangerous way of fighting them.

"Lord Shuukin! Something's coming!" one of the soldiers watching the

forest shouted.

There was the sound of trees snapping, and a massive beetle standing

maybe three meters tall emerged from the forest. It was a shell beetle.

"Focus your attacks! Don't let the big one get near us!"

"It's no use! Our arrows do nothing!"

The archers shot at the monster, but their arrows plinked harmlessly off

of its turtle-like shell. It probably couldn't fly like an ordinary beetle with a

shell like that, but in exchange, it seemed to have gained a powerful

defense.

The massive beetle moved forward almost like a heavy tank, paying no

heed to the arrows and magic raining down on it. If it charged now, it would

break through their fortifications in no time, and cause mass casualties.

Shuukin gave an immediate order.

"Sir Lombard, lead the infantry to hold off the snail ants."

"Got it."

"Cavalry, follow me. We're going to stop that shell beetle."

"""Yes, sir!"""

Shuukin mounted his temsbock and raised his sword aloft, leading a

cavalry charge into the swarm of monsters. They cut down snail ants as they

pressed onward, getting closer to the shell beetle.

"Aim for the legs!"

Shuukin circled around to the side of the beetle and lopped its leg off

with his sword. While it had hard armor in the front and on top, its spindly

insect legs weren't so tough.

After losing two legs on one side, the beetle lost its balance and

tumbled over, thudding to the ground.

"Once you stop them from moving, there's no need to risk going for the

kill! They can't do anything at that point! Don't forget we're in the middle

of the enemy!"

Following Shuukin's orders, his cavalry sliced the thin legs off of the

shell beetle, or pulverized them with blunt weapons, one after another,

stopping it dead, or at least disabled, in its tracks.

With the big one's advance stopped, Shuukin gave the next order.

"Okay! We're going to break through the enemy and return to camp!"

That's when it happened...

"Urgh!"

The soldier next to him let out a groan of pain and fell from his horse.

Looking at the man, Shuukin saw a long, thin spike that resembled a

throwing spear sticking out of him. Looking up, he saw the bee monster that

had no doubt launched it hovering in midair, its compound eyes watching

Shuukin and his men. It had probably launched a needle (or more like a

stake) out of the end of its abdomen.

Tch... They have a troublesome means of attacking us.

As he complained mentally, the bee monsters all launched spikes at

them in unison. This time it was Shuukin and his men's turn to face a

synchronized volley.

"Incoming! Defend yourselves as you pull back!"

At Shuukin's orders, the cavalry raised their shields against the needles

as they retreated.

Normally, after a volley, they would have used their mobility to get

away, but the jungles of the Father Island were thick and had quagmires

scattered about. That limited the temsbocks' ability to jump, and the horses

got their feet caught in the muck, preventing Fuuga's forces from using

their vaunted mobility.

"Sir Shuukin! Damn it!"

Lombard, who had been watching the cavalry, tried to take his infantry

to back them up, but he couldn't abandon their camp, so was forced to

watch in frustration. As the cavalry fought a hard battle, Shuukin broke into

a cold sweat, worrying that they might actually be in a bit of trouble, until...

Whoosh, whoosh... Thock!

A rain of arrows coming from the opposite direction of the camp

accurately shot the bees that were attacking the cavalry. Looking towards

the forest the monsters had come out of, there were countless people

carrying bows standing in the treetops.

One of them called out to him, "Lord Shuukin! Are you all right?!"

"Ah! Princess Elulu?!"

The voice came from Elulu, the daughter of Spirit Kingdom King

Garula.

The people in the trees that she was leading were a unit of high elves

called the Garlan Volunteer Force. They were nominally a group of

vigorous young folks who Elulu had brought along on her own initiative to

assist Fuuga's forces. In reality, though, they were officially sanctioned

reinforcements from the Spirit Kingdom. You could say that the harm of the

Spirit Kingdom's closed-off nature was evident in the way that they had to

engage in a pretense like this.

However, the Garlan Volunteer Force led by Elulu was unusually

cooperative. The smoke used to drive the monsters out of the forest had

been the work of her volunteers, who had been hiding in there.

With the Garlan Volunteer Army's volley having reduced the number of

bee monsters, Elulu rushed to Shuukin's side.

"Are you okay, Lord Shuukin?!"

"Yeah... You saved me, Princess Elulu," Shuukin said, relieved, and

Elulu puffed up her cheeks angrily.

"Murgh! Don't call me princess! Please, just call me Elulu. On the

battlefield, I'm just another soldier."

"Ah ha ha... Fair enough. You saved me there, Elulu."

"Yes!"

It seemed this princess was quite the tomboy. She was also so friendly

it was hard to believe she was one of the high elves famed for their

xenophobia. Her personality let her interact candidly with just about

anyone. In some ways, she reminded Shuukin of his liege's little sister.

Although Yuriga wasn't so honest with her feelings, and her tone was

standoffish.

"For now, we need to hurry and esc— Look out!"

"Huh?"

One of the ants had leapt at Elulu while she was distracted.

Shuukin jumped from his temsbock, pulling on Elulu's arm to trade

places with her, and then severing the ant's thorax from its abdomen. Seeing

how the ant flailed around, scattering its bodily fluids, after losing its

abdomen, Shuukin cut off its head to put it out of its misery.

Elulu looked at him with eyes full of admiration.

"Lord Shuukin, you're so cool!"

"Is this really the time...?" Shuukin said with a sigh, wiping the bug

juice from his sword and sheathing it.

Then, mounting his temsbock once more, he pulled Elulu up with one

hand and placed her behind him. Elulu hurriedly wrapped her arms around

his waist.

"Hang on tight, Elulu!"

"Okay!" she replied, squeezing him.

Looking around as he maneuvered his temsbock, Shuukin saw that the

insects that were closing in on their camp had been fended off and wiped

out by Lombard and Yomi. As for the bugs that were surrounding the

cavalry, they had been destroyed by a coordinated attack with the Garlan

Volunteer Force.

"Okay! The monsters nesting in the forest have been dealt with!

Everyone, head back!"

With that order given, the cavalry and Garlan Volunteer Force returned

to camp.

Bringing Elulu back to camp, Shuukin was greeted by Lombard and

Yomi.

"Good work. I was scared when you got surrounded out there."

"It's a good thing you were okay."

Looking a bit relieved, Shuukin said, "It was a close shave, but the

Garlan Volunteer Force saved me."

He dismounted and then helped Elulu down from his temsbock.

"It's only to be expected that we'd come to our allies' aid!" Elulu said,

puffing her chest out proudly, and the other three smiled wryly.

"Weren't you in danger yourself, Madam Elulu?" Yomi pointed out,

and Elulu gulped, short for words, her eyes darting around awkwardly.

"W-We just let our guards down a little."

"You say that, Princess, but your endgame has always been weak," one

of the other high elves chided her.

"I'm sorry, Sir Shuukin, for making you protect our princess," another

apologized.

"Huh?! You people...!"

Elulu turned a bright shade of red. Shuukin and Lombard watched the

Garlan Volunteer Force warmly.

"She's a nice girl, isn't she?" Lombard said.

Shuukin nodded. "Yeah. All of the high elves she led here are good

people."

"Agreed. I always had the impression that high elves were arrogant and

full of themselves..."

"There are probably misfits and dissenters no matter where you go."

Lombard watched Elulu chase the subordinates who'd teased her.

"Apparently, they're the reformers and liberals," Shuukin explained.

"They're a group of relatively young high elves."

"Are they? I can never tell an elf's age by looking at them..."

"It probably means their ideologies are more flexible. They're the ones

who found themselves in a closed-off way of life and wanted to go beyond.

They wanted to bring in things from outside, and would be willing to

abolish the policies that favor their own race if it will make that possible...

Elulu said she'd gathered people like that who have no place in the Spirit

Kingdom as it is now."

"And she's the king's daughter? She must have been a handful for King

Garula... Hmm? So the reason he sent these reinforcements..."

"I'm sure part of it was getting rid of troublemakers," Shuukin said

with a shrug. "If they can retake the Father Island, then good. If they can't,

the Spirit Kingdom can at least isolate its dissidents. Maybe he's thinking it

would be best if they never returned from their mission?"

"Even though his own daughter is here?"

"That, I don't know. From what Elulu tells us, she seems to be on good

terms with her father, so I don't think he's abandoned her. He may have

yielded to her passion, and plans to take her back once the fighting is over.

Well, we have no way of knowing the truth."

"It's difficult when you have a position to consider..." Lombard said,

his voice full of emotion. Shuukin, however, had his mind elsewhere.

It's certainly a difficult situation for the Garlan Volunteer Force,

but...you could say it's convenient for us.

Shuukin was under secret orders to search for high elves who they

might be able to support as a puppet regime. While he was able to make

political decisions, Shuukin was too honest, and was not fond of scheming,

so he hadn't been keen on the order. However, he thought Elulu might be

the right person for that role. She was a reformer and a liberal with an

interest in the world outside. She also got along well with other like-minded

high elves. It seemed likely that she wouldn't hesitate to become the head of

a puppet regime for their sake.

So long as he was careful to respond to their needs, she and her people

wouldn't end up in a bad situation because of it. Elulu was someone he

could support without many pangs of conscience.

Maybe I'll talk it over with her at length tonight. To see if she's willing

to act as our puppet.

That night, Fuuga's forces held a small victory banquet in their camp.

With the insect monsters in the forest wiped out, the surrounding area

was now safe. The battle for the Father Island was still ongoing, but it

wasn't good to be too tense. This was probably a good time for a break.

That was what Shuukin had decided when he arranged this banquet.

"Hey, you high elves! Is this enough to get you drunk?"

"What are you talking about, young'un? We're not even tipsy yet!"

"Who're you calling young? You've got the face of a kid!"

"And you haven't even lived a century! You're basically a child

compared to us here in the Spirit Kingdom!"

The mixed races of Fuuga's forces and the high elves of the Garlan

Volunteer Force were all sitting shoulder to shoulder, pouring drinks for one

another. Some drank, sang, or fought, while others told emotional stories.

Maybe because many of the members of both forces were so approachable,

it felt like they were comrades who had been fighting together on the

battlefield for a long time.

Shuukin sat around the campfire with Lombard, Yomi, and Elulu, and

they all poured drinks for each other. Elulu was in high spirits, and looking

a little flushed as she chatted with Yomi.

"Lord Shuukin was just so cool when he protected me!" Elulu

exclaimed, knocking back and draining a wooden mug full of wine. "Have

you seen his muscular arms when he swings his sword? Is there a girl alive

whose heart wouldn't race seeing that?!"

Elulu seemed quite taken with Shuukin, and it was awkward for him to

listen to her praise him so effusively. Lombard and Yomi could only listen

with wry smiles.

"But aren't the warriors of Garlan strong too? You all seem so reliable,"

Yomi said as she refilled Elulu's mug with fresh wine.

Elulu held her mug tight, groaning in thought.

"Sure, they're strong, but most of them are thin. It's how our race is.

We're more suited to long-range attacks. Oh! It's not that I'm into, like,

super buff guys! I just think that some nice, firm muscles are good and

healthy."

Is this girl into muscles? the others all thought, but decided not to dig

into it. It seemed like it'd be an awkward question, and more importantly,

they had more pressing questions.

When Shuukin signaled to the other two with his eyes, they stood up.

"I'm tired from today's fighting," Lombard opined. "We'll be going

now."

"Pardon us."

With that, Lombard and Yomi headed into their tent.

"Whaa, you're going already?" Elulu protested, her voice carrying a

tinge of loneliness. Although there were other soldiers drinking and having

a raucous good time around them, it was only Shuukin and Elulu left at this

campfire.

"It's suddenly feeling all lonely," she mumbled. "I wanted to talk with

the two of them some more."

"Well, Sir Lombard and Madam Yomi are husband and wife. They need

their alone time."

"Ohh, that's why..." Elulu's ears perked up a bit with interest.

With a wry smile at her behavior, Shuukin moved on to the main topic.

"By the way, Princess Elulu?"

"Grr, you're calling me Princess again?"

There was indignation in her eyes, but Shuukin continued.

"This is a serious question. What do you plan to do after this battle?"

"What do you mean, 'what'?"

"After the island is liberated. Will you be returning to your father?"

"Hrmm... I wonder about thaaat," Elulu said, the wine having left her

relaxed and easygoing. "I'm one thing, but those hard-heads back on the

Mother Island probably don't want the reformers I brought with me coming

back. They probably think this volunteer force was a good way of getting

rid of us, so we'll probably need to stay here awhile. None of the reformers

are going to want to go back to the Mother Island where they're looked at

with scorn either."

Shuukin's eyes widened at how easily Elulu broached such a heavy

topic.

"Umm...Princess Elulu, does your father treat you unkindly too,

perhaps?"

"Hmm? My father and I get along well."

Shuukin had asked out of concern, but Elulu laughed it off.

"I hear he used to be a militarist, but father has always seemed like a

flexible thinker to me. He's far easier to talk with than the old folks who are

set in their ways. Even with this volunteer force, it felt less like father

wanted to exile us, and more like he wanted to set us free. He even let me,

his own daughter, lead it, after all."

The more he heard, the less Shuukin understood. He'd been convinced

that the Garlan Volunteer Force members were driven out of their country

due to policy differences. And due to this, it'd make them easy to bring in.

Yet, from their discussion just now, it didn't seem that simple. At the very

least, Spirit Kingdom King Garula didn't view Princess Elulu with any sort

of hostility.

Is it...really okay to have her join our side? Shuukin was at a loss. As a

figurehead for pulling the Father Island away from the Spirit Kingdom of

Garlan, there couldn't be a better candidate. However, since her relationship

with her father Garula wasn't particularly bad, she might still want to return

to the Spirit Kingdom.

For his own part, Shuukin was hesitant to tear father and daughter apart

by pulling Elulu into his own forces. He thought over all of this, not saying

a word, before finally resolving himself and downing his drink in one go.

It's not like agonizing over this is going to get me an alternative plan... He

wasn't like Mutsumi or Hashim. Shuukin knew better than anyone that he

couldn't use trickery the same way those two did.

That was why, at the very least, he wanted to be loyal to his lord and

honest with his allies. To be trusted by everyone—the easiest pawn to use.

Hashim had to have known his personality when choosing him to lead this

force anyway.

"Hey, Elulu."

"What is it?"

"I've heard that the reformers and liberals are interested in the outside

world," Shuukin said, looking straight into her eyes. "Lord Fuuga is seeking

to strengthen our country even more in order to liberate the Demon Lord's

Domain. That's why he wants to incorporate the Father Island into our

forces."

"I'm sure he does... It's why he sent us reinforcements, right? To have

the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan form an alliance with him as a reward."

"Yes. However, at the same time, our leaders can't trust the high elves."

Hearing this, Elulu's eyes downturned.

"It's said that people who hold themselves up as superior and look

down on other races can't be expected to meekly submit. Of course, I now

know there are relatable people like yourself and the others in the Garlan

Volunteer Force. But as for whether we can trust those on the Mother

Island..."

"...is another issue entirely, I'm sure. I can't say that I blame you,"

Elulu answered quietly. "And? What will you do, Lord Shuukin?"

"Let me be honest with you... Lord Fuuga has tasked me with finding

high elf dissidents, and supporting their independence on the Father Island

so that we can incorporate them into our forces."

"So he means to set up a puppet?"

"That makes it sound like a bad thing, but you're welcome to see it that

way. It's just that we want to see the Father Island in the hands of those we

can trust," Shuukin said, cautiously gauging her reaction. She chuckled.

"You can't tell a lie, can you, Lord Shuukin? You've probably missed

out on a lot of things as a result."

"It's just my nature..."

"I find it pleasing, you know? So, have you found the person you're

going to support?"

"I think you're the one best suited to it, Princess Elulu," Shuukin said.

"You aren't steeped in traditional views of your own race's supremacy.

You've been able to interact with a group of mixed races, like ours, without

discrimination. And you're highly interested in the outside world and what

mysteries it holds. I think you could serve as a bridge between the continent

and the Spirit Kingdom."

"Aren't you overestimating me...?"

"We just agreed I can't tell a lie, didn't we? This is how I truly feel,"

Shuukin asserted. "I don't think I'm making you a bad offer. Not every

reformer and liberal on the Mother Island has joined this volunteer force,

right? If you rise up, then you'll be able to take in those still left behind.

From what I've heard, they seem suffocated there. Why not invite them to

the Father Island and wait for attitudes to soften across the whole of the

Spirit Kingdom?"

Elulu was silent for some time before finally speaking. "I hear that our

views on high elf supremacy were born from a sad history of oppression on

the continent."

Shuukin looked straight into her eyes once more.

"If we're separated from the motherland, the Father Island will have

little power. Will you and your people protect us during that time, Lord

Shuukin? Will we find ourselves oppressed the moment we change our

allegiance?" Elulu asked, staring right back at him.

Shuukin crossed his arms.

"I swear that I will protect you and the high elf liberals. If Lord Fuuga

mistreats you, I will risk my life to chastise him for it. I will be your shield

against the terrible customs of the Spirit Kingdom, political malefactors,

and the threat of the Demon Lord's Domain," he said sincerely, bowing his

head.

"Okay. I understand," Elulu answered quickly. Even Shuukin was taken

aback.

"Huh? That easily...?"

"It wasn't easy. I've given it a lot of thought," Elulu said, chuckling.

"Which, of course, means I already had a similar idea of my own. It seems

we can trust you, Lord Shuukin, so I thought we should go along with your

plan."

"R-Right..."

Seeing how thrown off Shuukin was, Elulu let out a little sigh.

"The situation the Spirit Kingdom finds itself in right now...is worse

than it appears from the outside. When we have no ability to resolve it

ourselves, closing the country to the outside is the stupidest thing we could

do."

"Are you talking about the monsters that landed on the Mother

Island...?"

"That's not all..." Elulu said with a self-effacing smile.

"What are you..." Shuukin began, confused at her words.

"I...can't say anything for certain just now. It's an issue on the Mother

Island. I don't know if it affects the Father Island too at this point..."

Elulu made no attempt to answer. That bothered him, but he decided

that since he'd accomplished his goal, there was no need to push her and

provoke her to anger.

And so, as the night went on, a secret agreement was formed.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, Fuuga's forces and the Garlan Volunteer Force

succeeded in liberating the Father Island.

When Fuuga received a message from Shuukin saying "The Father

Island has declared independence under Elulu, and joined your forces,"

Gerula Garlan just so happened to be visiting.

"So, there you have it..."

Fuuga related the events to Gerula, who was kneeling before him in the

audience chamber.

Once he had heard it all, Gerula glared at Fuuga.

As he did, Fuuga asked, "Are you angry that things played out this

way?"

"Of course..."

"Well, you went to the wrong people for help," Fuuga said dismissively.

"No, maybe we were the right people. We'll leave the Father Island to

Princess Elulu and her high elves. Shuukin asked me to, and as long as they

cooperate with us, I'm not going to mistreat them."

"If you'll excuse me..." Gerula rose and left.

Fuuga didn't feel anything in particular as he watched him leave in

frustration. Gerula, however, was highly irritated—angry—not at Fuuga and

his men, but at himself. How pathetic... Everything I've spent my life to

protect...

It wouldn't be until a little later that they'd hear Shuukin had collapsed

out on the Father Island.