Those Who Were Reunited

The story turns back to after the meeting with Julius...

"Tia..."

"Heh heh, you're in that much of a hurry to see your darling wife, huh?"

"Of course I am. Who wouldn't be?" Julius responded to me with a

shrug.

After Julius's audience, I went with Roroa and Aisha to guide him to

where Princess Tia and the former Lastanian royal couple were waiting.

The exiled royal family had been given a mansion in the nobles' quarter of

Parnam.

When we had shown Princess Tia the house, she'd said, "Oh, this is too

much! I know we're imposing on you, so a small house would be plenty!"

But it would have been a lot more trouble to guard them if they lived among

the common people where anyone can come and go, so I made her accept it.

They were related to Roroa, the third primary queen, after all.

The mansion wasn't so far that it was worth making Naden take us, so

we took a carriage instead. Jirukoma, who was now treated as Julius's

servant, volunteered to act as our coachman. Jirukoma's wife, Lauren, the

former captain of Lastania's soldiers, had a live-in job at the mansion where

they were hiring Lastanian exiles as guards and servants. He probably

wanted to see his beloved wife and children in a hurry too.

Inside the carriage, I sat across from Aisha, and Roroa sat across from

Julius.

"Still, I never imagined you would become a mother..." Julius said,

looking at her swollen belly. "Grandfather Herman must have been quite

pleased."

"And Sebastian too. It's a load off my shoulders," Roroa said, chuckling

as she patted her abdomen. "Ever since she had the twins, Big Sis Cia's

been pushin' me to have a kid of my own. She only got more insistent when

we found out Big Sis Juna was pregnant before me."

"I'm jealous, though..." Aisha said with a somewhat pained smile.

As members of long-lived races, Aisha and Naden had a harder time

getting pregnant. They both wanted children eventually, but they were

going to have to take the long view of things.

"Speaking of children... What really surprised me was Jirukoma's

family."

"I'm sure," Julius agreed, nodding.

Jirukoma's wife had come to the Kingdom together with the Lastanian

royal family as a bodyguard. At the time, she had brought Jirukoma's

children with her. Three of them. Apparently, after their first, she had

immediately gotten pregnant with twins. That meant she'd given birth to

three children in the span of a year. And she was pregnant with their fourth

on top of that.

"Kuu's servant, Leporina, is a member of the white rabbit race, which

were famous for their fecundity. Perhaps Lauren has some white rabbit

blood in her too? Or is Jirukoma just that virile?"

As I was cocking my head to the side, Julius sighed.

"I'm sure it's the latter. You should have seen how those two were all

over each other after the wedding."

"It was that bad, huh...?"

"Tia got a little upset, seeing the way they were constantly going on

about how much they love each other."

Well, yeah... She would. You all got married at almost the exact same

time, I thought.

"Well, now you two have a house where you can flirt to your hearts'

content."

"A house...huh?" Julius got a slightly troubled look on his face.

"Hm? Is something the matter?"

"When you said the word house... It made me think—if I'm coming

home now, what kind of face should I be making? I...wasn't able to defend

Tia's country, after all."

"I'm...not sure there was anything you could have done, was there?"

There was no way a tiny state like Lastania could have handled Fuuga's

forces. If anything, Julius deserved praise for foreseeing the conflict and

getting the royal family out safely. However, despite this, Julius was having

a hard time processing it.

"The joy of being able to see Tia, the relief that she's safe, the shame at

having our country stolen, the guilt I feel towards her...all of those things

are inside of me. What sort of face should I make?"

"Julius..."

"Ya meet her with a smile, of course!" Roroa said with a grin. "Big sis's

been worried about you all this time, y'know? All you need to do is say,

'I'm home,' with a smile. And try huggin' her too!"

"Oh... Yes, I suppose you're right." Roroa's encouragement made Julius

smile a little. She was always good at bringing people's spirits up like this.

While we were talking about it, we reached the mansion where Princess

Tia and the others were waiting.

This mansion, which had a rather impressive garden, was one of the

ones that had belonged to a corrupt noble who had opposed me when I was

given the throne. It would have been a shame to demolish them, so there

was talk of giving them to people who distinguished themselves. But

because of who the previous owners were, no one, aside from newcomers

like Poncho who had no house in the capital, had really wanted to live in

them. They said they were bad luck. Because of that, they had been used as

museums, or to house guests like Kuu and his entourage.

Once we had tied up the horses, Princess Tia emerged from the mansion.

"Lord Julius!" she exclaimed, rushing over to gently hug him.

"Tia...! Be careful you don't trip."

"I'm so glad you're all right. I've been so, so worried...waiting for you,

with the baby."

"Yeah... I'm home now, Tia." Julius gently stroked her head as she cried

on his chest.

Their long-awaited reunion was finally here. Roroa, Aisha, and I all had

the decency to give them a quiet moment together... We were the king and

queens in this country, though. Our coachman, Jirukoma, rushed into the

house as soon as he was done cleaning up the carriage. He must have been

going to see his own wife and children.

Some time after, the former royal couple of Lastania came out to greet

us, then showed us to the living room. We all sat down at a table by the

fireplace.

With everyone gathered, Julius told Princess Tia and her parents what

had happened since they left. The Kingdom of Lastania had already been

absorbed by Fuuga's forces, and no longer existed as a distinct entity.

Julius bowed his head to the former king. "Father. We lost the country

due to my lack of power. I cannot apologize enough."

"You don't have to. Raise your head, son-in-law," the former King of

Lastania said, placing a hand on Julius's shoulder with a peaceful smile.

"Without your efforts, we would have lost not only our country but our very

lives. It is thanks to you that our family could be reunited like this, Sir

Julius."

"Father..."

"While it is a shame we lost the country, what my wife and I truly wish

is for you, Tia, and the children you'll give us to be healthy. So please,

don't push yourself too hard. You don't need to try and get the country back

for our sake."

The former Queen of Lastania nodded in agreement.

Julius's eyes seemed to be watering at those words, but after some time

he said, "Yes..." and nodded. With his report concluded, I opened my

mouth.

"Julius has decided to offer his services to me now. Our country will

defend you with all its might, so please enjoy a relaxed life here in the royal

capital."

"And come around to the castle to play sometimes, will you? I'll be

sendin' you invitations, big sis," Roroa said, grinning. "But lookin' at these

bellies, I reckon that the first place we'll be goin' together is Dr. Hilde's

clinic."

"Hee hee, you could be right. Please come with me."

"You're going with Roroa? That's worrisome..."

"Hey now, big brother!" Roroa got really mad at the way Julius was

frowning, but...I knew how he felt.

"You can take time off on the days she goes, Julius," I said.

Aisha followed up with, "Yes, that would be wise. I would feel more at

ease if Sir Julius were to accompany you."

"You're gangin' up on me with him, darlin' and Big Sis Ai?!"

"Well, when I see how you run around with that belly, I worry..."

Hilde had explained that a certain amount of exercise was needed as part

of prenatal care, but I still felt like she was moving around too much. It

made my heart race when I thought she might fall down the stairs. You can

assume everyone in our family, except for Roroa herself, felt the same way.

While we all laughed at the sulking Roroa, the maids came in with a tea

set and said, "Tea is ready."

As they were passing around the cups, Julius's eyes went wide.

"Wha?!" He stared at the dishes. "What's going on?! Why are these

dishes here?"

""......""

When we realized what Julius was surprised about, Roroa and I looked

at one another.

Then, nodding, I told him, "Julius, those are exactly the dishes you think

they are."

"Ah! Then these are the ones we left in the house in Lastania?"

Princess Tia's family and Julius had all had to flee the country without

time to pack all their things. Only a handful of their belongings had made it

out of the royal manor in Lasta. And yet, most of the things that had been in

that manor were now found in this mansion. That was because...

"After annexing Lasta, Fuuga was kind enough to send your belongings

to us."

"Fuuga Haan did? Why?"

"Probably...as a warning."

◇ ◇ ◇

Around the time the dragon knights and Fuuga's army collided...

Having called a truce with the dragon knights who had come to rescue

Julius, Fuuga entered the capital of the Kingdom of Lastania, together with

Hashim and a subsection of his army. When they passed through the gates,

his wife Mutsumi, who had come to Lasta ahead of the others to calm the

people there, rushed over to him.

"Lord Fuuga! Are you all right?!"

"Hey, Mutsumi. I just got back."

Fuuga dismounted from Durga and gave Mutsumi a hug. As he held her,

he touched her body all over, verifying for himself that she was real and

there.

"You fought the dragon knights, right? You're not hurt anywhere, are

you?"

"I'm fine... I just hurt my shoulder a little. It's no big deal."

The truth was that a good half of his body was aching from getting

slapped by Pai's wing, but Fuuga laughed it off because he didn't want to

worry Mutsumi.

She took his helmet off and touched his cheek. "The wound on your

cheek still hasn't healed. Don't be reckless."

"Sorry... I'll be more careful from now on."

While Fuuga and Mutsumi were talking, Shuukin, Kasen, Gaten, and the

others who had been fighting on the ground came back.

"Ha ha ha... It's not fair the way they can use dragons like that. We

couldn't lay a hand on them," Gaten grumbled, upset that the iron fan he

was so proud of was ineffective against the dragon knights.

"We tried shooting at them when they descended to spit fire, but their

hides are thick, so we couldn't deal lethal blows. It was all we could do to

keep them at bay," Kasen agreed, his shoulders slumping in dejection at the

fact his archers had been equally unsuccessful.

Behind the two of them, the tough guys, Nata and Moumei, glared at

each other as they walked over.

"Damn it, I haven't been able to let loose anywhere near enough," Nata

carped. "Hey, Moumei, come see me after this."

"Another test of strength? Don't you know how to do anything else, you

barbarian?"

"I don't wanna hear crap like that out of a guy who swings around a

giant hammer. Today's the day we settle things."

Maybe because they both prided themselves on their strength, Nata had

been testing his strength against Moumei's constantly since joining Fuuga.

They usually wrestled, but were an even match, and neither had been able

to claim victory yet.

Leaving the muscle heads to themselves, Gaten put an arm around

Shuukin's neck.

"Hey, Sir Shuukin, don't you think we should work on our air force?

The current wyvern cavalry was soundly defeated."

"We should, but it's not something that's going to happen overnight,"

Shuukin said, sounding irritated as he shook free of Gaten's arm. "We've

only just stepped onto the stage, so there are still far too many places where

we're lacking. We have to expand our territory, gather people, and build a

solid base for ourselves before we'll be able to strengthen our air force. We

need to take care of the things we can do one by one."

"Ha ha ha! Shuukin's got it right!" Fuuga said, looking around to each

of his retainers. "But you put up a good fight against the dragon knights

today. Take a good rest here. You've earned it."

"""Yes, sir!"""

Shuukin and the other retainers bowed, then left. Fuuga, Mutsumi, and

Hashim watched them go, then headed to the fortified royal manor. The

people of Lasta fell to the ground in prostration when they saw them; a

show of deference to their new ruler.

Casting a sideways glance at the people, Fuuga asked Mutsumi, "So,

how does it look? Will the people follow me loyally?"

"Yes. The fear of the demon wave still lingers. Those who've remained

want a strong protector. Many of them are still emotionally attached to the

royal family, but they realized it was more realistic to choose you, Lord

Fuuga."

"Sounds great to me."

While they were talking, the three reached the fortified manor. Seeing

what only looked like a large house because the city was small, Fuuga

muttered, "This is the former ruler's house, right? Should we put the torch

to it to send a message?"

"I would advise against it," Hashim replied.

Surprised, Fuuga cocked his head to the side. "Didn't see that coming. I

thought you'd tell me to raze the whole city to show how severe I can be."

"If it were to your benefit, I would tell you to do just that. However,

burning this manor will change nothing. I will not recommend doing

something I know is meaningless," Hashim said with a shrug. "Had you

succeeded in eradicating the Lastanian royal family, I might have

considered burning the manor so that they would not be remembered, or

even destroying the city. However, the royal family and Julius are still alive.

Even if you burn the manor, the people will remember their former masters.

It would only spark resentment."

"Hmm... What do you want to do, then?"

"It would be a shame to waste the manor, so let's use it as is. We'll take

one more measure at the same time."

"And what would that be?"

Hashim smiled coldly in response to the question.

"Gather up all the personal effects left in the manor, and send them to

the Kingdom of Friedonia. Have the people assist in that process as well."

"We're going out of our way to send their stuff to them? Trying to do

them a favor?"

"I wouldn't count on any gratitude for such a small favor. It's simply to

our own benefit. By having the people gather up the royal family's things

and send them away, it will impress on them that their former rulers will not

be returning. They'll be helping them with the move, after all."

Fuuga was half impressed and half appalled by how Hashim could

discuss the nasty moves he was going to make with such a tone of

indifference.

"I get it... They'll feel like they chased them out themselves."

"Indeed. It will also force the departed royal family to contend with the

reality that there is no place for them to return to here. We're saying,

'We've sent you all you need to live, so spend the rest of your lives in

Friedonia.'"

"Makes sense..." Fuuga stroked his chin as he thought about it, then

nodded. "I like how you're always so pragmatic about everything. We'll go

with your idea."

"By your will."

And so, Fuuga rounded up the people of Lasta, and had them send back

all the personal effects left in the manor. The belongings in question were

delivered to the Kingdom of Friedonia before Julius, who was staying in the

Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom, could arrive.

◇ ◇ ◇

That was what we found out from a letter Yuriga received from Fuuga.

When he heard this explanation, Julius crossed his arms and groaned.

"Fuuga and Hashim seem to get on better than I'd expected."

"Yeah. I was surprised too."

The method of gathering the neutral faction together to wipe them out

had seemed too vicious for Fuuga. And as for the way he'd sent them their

belongings, it seemed too subtle for him. Both were likely Hashim's

schemes. The way Hashim could be firm or flexible as the situation

demanded was frightening, as was the fact that Fuuga had the capacity to

accept the plans he was offered.

I had thought that, strong as Fuuga was, he would find using crafty plans

annoying.

I had been hoping that his strength would give us an opening, like how

Xiang Yu failed to heed the advice of his advisor Fan Zeng, and was

destroyed when enemy rumors tricked him into becoming suspicious of his

own subordinates—or how Lu Bu was unable to take proper advantage of

his strategist Chen Gong.

But Fuuga was surprisingly open to accepting ideas from Hashim. I

considered Fuuga to be like Xiang Yu, but he seemed to have the openmindedness and popularity of Liu Bang. If he was Xiang Yu and Liu Bang

combined...that worried me, as someone who lived in the same era as him.

Did Fabius feel this way about living in the same era as Hannibal the

Barcid...? I thought, frowning, and Julius laughed.

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. Fuuga only has one Hashim, but

you have the Black-robed and me. He won't get his way easily."

"Ah ha ha..."

Hearing Julius say that so confidently, all my worries were blown away.

"I told you this during the demon wave too, but I'm counting on you,

Julius."

"Yeah. Leave it to me."

With that, we nodded to one another, and I shook Julius's hand. Roroa

and Tia watched us, smiling.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some days later, Colbert, Julius's former Minister of Finance, came to

visit him at his new house.

He was shown into the living room where he met Julius and Tia.

"Julius!"

"Colbert, it's been a while."

The two of them exchanged a firm handshake.

"I heard everything that happened in the Union. I'm just so, so happy

you were safe... Thank goodness..." Colbert said, overjoyed to see his old

friend that he was tearing up a little. "I was a little worried about whether

you would be willing to rely on this country."

"Sorry to worry you... I've formally entered King Souma's service

now."

"You have...? But, um... Are you okay with that?" Colbert asked,

concerned, but Julius nodded.

"I bear no grudge against Souma or Roroa at this point. What matters to

me now is Tia, her parents, and our unborn child. If this country is going to

protect them, then I'll do everything I can to ensure that continues."

"You've really changed, Julius..."

"I get that a lot. I look forward to working with you."

"Yeah. It'll be reassuring to have you with us."

The two men shook hands.

While they were having an emotional reunion, Tia introduced herself to

Colbert's companion. "It is nice to meet you. I am Julius's wife, Tia

Lastania."

"Oh, how polite. I am Sir Colbert's self-proclaimed fiancée, Mio

Carmine."

When Colbert, who was helping with Mio's administrative duties, told

her, "An old friend of mine escaped to the Capital, so I'd like to go check in

on him," she said she would come along with him.

Today, Mio wasn't wearing her armor or helmet, instead choosing an

outfit similar to a dirndl that accentuated her figure.

"Self-proclaimed...?" Tia cocked her head to the side.

"Madam Mio is just calling herself that. It hasn't been officially decided

yet."

Mio puffed her cheeks up at Colbert's interjection. "Isn't it about time

you found your resolve? I and the people of the Carmine domain eagerly

await the day when you come to be my groom, Sir Bee."

It had been quite some time since Colbert went to Randel to assist Mio

in governing the Carmine Duchy and its surrounding area. Thanks to his

passionate instruction, Mio had done a passable job as an administrator, but

Colbert's own, greater talents had seen a rapid rise in his popularity there.

He skillfully handled all the work put before him while teaching Mio.

There was no way she wouldn't rely on such a capable man. The

bureaucrats of the House of Carmine, whose skills were beginning to

develop, earnestly hoped that Colbert would marry into the family. Their

calls for it grew by the day.

"Do you hate me, Sir Bee?" Mio asked, looking at him with teary,

upturned eyes.

Colbert grunted, then said, "Um... N-Not at all..."

Mio was wearing especially girly clothes today, and it suited the way she

was acting. Her attempts to boost her femininity in an effort to get his

attention were working. Because of that, Colbert couldn't respond

immediately, but he loudly cleared his throat in an attempt to hide that.

"I don't hate you, but...I'm not sure how I feel about being married for

my administrative acumen."

"That's perfectly normal among knights and nobles! And I love you, Sir

Bee!"

"Well...that's a whole problem in itself."

"Heh heh... I see things have gotten interesting," Julius said, smiling, as

he watched Mio and Colbert go at it.

"This is no laughing matter, Julius."

"Hey, why don't you sit down and tell me all about it."

Julius had them take seats on the sofa, and called the maids to bring tea.

Then, sitting across from them with Tia, he asked, "Now, Madam Mio, you

said your name was Carmine. Would I be wrong in assuming that..."

"Oh, yes. I am the daughter of Georg Carmine, former General of the

Army."

"The daughter of that lion general, huh?"

When Julius was still in the Principality of Amidonia, there had been a

standoff along the border with the Carmine Duchy. While it didn't develop

into full-blown war, there were frequent clashes between border guards

from the two sides. Georg, Gaius VIII, and Julius would sometimes go to

sort things out after the fact, and they had to occasionally meet each other

while doing so. Julius was quite familiar with Georg, albeit as an enemy.

"Come to think of it, I believe the general had a pretty female knight

along with him one time we met. Was that you?"

"Oh, um, I'm not sure I'd say that..."

"Lord Julius...?" Tia called his name, seeming upset, but Julius smiled

wryly and petted her on the head.

"Of course, you're the prettiest to me, Tia."

"Hee hee."

Seeing the satisfied smile on Tia's face, Mio's expression changed to

one of jealousy.

"Sir Bee, I want to be treated like that too."

"If you're looking for that from me, we're going to have a problem..."

For a long time, and without realizing it, Julius had been something of a

ladykiller. That, paired with how beautiful he was made him popular among

the female bureaucrats in the castle. His father Gaius had been the same

way, but was so focused on his military exploits that he never responded to

their affection.

But seeing the way he acted with his wife, it looked like Julius was the

type who fell deeply in love once smitten.

"Still, Colbert, you've gotten to a ripe old age yourself, haven't you?

You're almost thirty, and still single. Isn't it time you settled down?"

When Julius said that, Mio loudly agreed. "It's time for you to make up

your mind. Are you going to take me as your bride, or am I going to take

you as my groom?"

"Those are the same thing!"

"Seriously, what are you so dissatisfied with? I've told you that I love

you for both your personality and your talents."

"Guh... Well, that's...that's, uh, you see..." Colbert couldn't find the

words.

As he watched, Julius came to a realization.

"I see how it is..."

"Did you figure something out, Lord Julius?" Tia cocked her head to the

side.

"Madam Mio. My friend Colbert has a truly troublesome personality."

"Julius!"

"Um, what do you mean?" Mio asked and Julius smiled wryly.

"Maybe it's because he's always dealing with numbers, but he can't

handle things that are vague. It's all or nothing with him. He likes to make

clear distinctions—or something like that. The reason he's rebuffing your

proposal is likely that he can't decide whether it's because you love him, or

because you need his abilities."

Colbert became very quiet as Julius hit the nail on the head.

Mio cocked her head to the side. "Huh? But they're both true..."

"See, that's just the problem for him. If, for example, you had simply

said, 'I love you, let's get married,' Colbert would likely have given you a

positive response." Julius said, raising his index finger. He then raised his

middle finger. "Alternatively, if you had gone to him and said, 'I want to

marry you for political reasons,' Colbert would likely have accepted the

inevitability of it and acquiesced. Though he would accept in both cases, his

treatment of you afterwards would have differed, I suspect."

Basically, Colbert couldn't tell if Mio's proposal was for love or out of

pragmatic concerns, and was hesitant because he didn't know whether he

should repay her with love or service.

Julius's explanation made Mio's eyes widen.

"Well, that's...certainly a troublesome personality, yes."

"Ha ha, he's an awkward man. It's why my father kicked him so often."

"J-Julius!"

Unable to take it anymore, Colbert flushed red. Seeing him get so

flustered, Julius told Mio, "Madam Mio. This is what Colbert is like. So, if

you truly want to be with him, you'll need to think about how you want to

propose."

"I see..." Mio thought for a while, then finally stood up.

"Sir Bee... No, Sir Colbert!"

"Y-Yes!"

"I had thought if you had no interest in me, I would be fine with a

political marriage. Even if you believed I only wanted your abilities, that

was fine as long as you would be with me."

"......"

"Listen, I want to be loved too! I envy Lady Liscia and Madam Tia! I

mean, Lady Liscia's husband has multiple wives, and they still get along

amazingly! And she's got adorable kids too! She was just like me, a warrior

who admired my father, but the gap between us is only growing larger!"

There was a little selfishness creeping into her words, but that was how

you could tell they were earnest.

"I love you so much, Sir Bee! I want you to love me back!"

"......"

"Can I get a response?!"

"Y-Yes!" Colbert stammered, then, realizing what he said a moment

later, "Ah!"

He'd practically been forced to, but Colbert had certainly given a

response.

"Con...gratulations?"

Tia cocked her head to the side and clapped. Mio was utterly verklempt,

looking like she might fall backwards, while Colbert hurried to support her.

Given how fast he was to react, Colbert no doubt felt something for Mio as

well.

It's only a matter of time now, Julius thought, sipping his tea.