Bonus Short Story

Oh? Merak Seems...

Merak was alone, sipping wine from a glass in his bedroom.

When people referred to alcohol in this world, it was almost always mead made from honey. Wine did exist, but it was a little expensive. The fact that Merak was drinking it signified his status as a king.

While wetting his throat with expensive wine, he thought back to two hundred years ago.

Merak had never consumed alcohol before meeting Lufas and the others. He started drinking after he met them, and he never would have thought drinking alone could make things taste so bland.

Both Megrez and Benetnasch were still alive, but they basically never met up anymore. They all had too many shackles tying them down. Also, Merak had always thought he wouldn’t be able to face his friends with how far he still had to go to build this country.

However, he was made to realize something today. He was made to see that his attitude of not being able to face his friends, which had him wallowing in his own emotions, was the biggest insult to his friends.

If the victor was looked down upon, that degraded the loser by association as well.

Merak had claimed victory over Lufas Maphaahl, so he had a duty to maintain a character worthy of that achievement. He was taught that today by none other than Lufas herself.

I had to be taught by the very friend I betrayed and defeated. Is there anything more laughable?

But thanks to that, I’ve woken up to what I must do.

First, I need to rebuild this country from the ground up as fast as possible. I need to unite it into one. I’ll eliminate discrimination based on wing color, and this time, I’ll make sure to build the paradise for the heaven-winged that I’ve always wanted.

I’m sure there will be war soon. Now that Lufas has been revived, it’s clear as day that there will be a big upheaval in the future. There’s the Devil King, Lufas and then the Vampire Princess. There’s no way those three won’t clash. There will definitely be a fight between them somewhere, someday. And I’m just as sure that that fight will involve the entire world.

I can’t have this country be the only one that’s not properly led by then. I’d be a laughingstock.

Megrez... You’ve already predicted this, haven’t you? I’m always the last to act.

The ice in Merak’s glass clinked as it moved around. The wine inside reflected an unconfident, sad-looking man who seemed to be wasting away.

Look at how unreliable this man looks. It’s only natural that he’s long since lost the goodwill of his people.

Merak downed the wine all at once and walked to the window. Then, opening the window, he looked out at the night sky.

Just how many times have I mourned the fact that I will never fly in this sky again? How many times have I despaired?

To the heaven-winged, there was nothing more important than their wings, and not being able to fly was a torture greater than any other. Merak had even considered suicide.

However...

How small of you. So you can’t fly. And?

Aren’t you the way you are exactly because you’ve been so afraid of falling to the ground? You never soared high in the sky, but you never stood on the ground to experience the same sight as other people, either. You were just a half-assed person who sat in the middle.

No, that can’t be right.

At the very least, Lufas always stood firmly on the ground. She may have been covered in mud and had stones thrown at her, but she still desperately clung to life. That’s exactly why she’s so strong. She knows what it’s like to walk the earth, so she’s able to step forward more assertively than anyone else. And because she’s able to kick off the earth so strongly, she’s able to fly higher than anybody else.

So this time, it’s my turn. Yes. Even without wings, I still have my legs. Compared to Megrez, who can’t even walk anymore, I’m much better off. So I’ll walk. I don’t need to fly. My wing can just be a decoration.

I can move forward by just walking. I can’t stand still, mourning my lost wing. I need to walk forward. If I do, I’m certain I’ll be able to catch up to that back and those black wings someday, even if they have taken off ahead of me.

Also, depending on how you look at it, isn’t the fact that the Sky King is stuck on the ground and covered in mud ironically funny?

Merak snorted, giving a short laugh.

I never thought I’d be able to look at the world like this. It feels like I’ve been reborn.

Things got really violent when Lufas came along, but I should be thankful to her. I need to tell her thanks for giving this fool some spirit.

With that in mind, Merak looked down...and froze.

—The white town was collapsing.

“...”

Each part of the once beautiful townscape had been destroyed. The streets had been punched full of holes by Libra’s machine gun. Houses had collapsed and buildings had been blown up.

On the other side, the state of the black town was also bad. One spot that used to be a park had been turned to nothing but scorched earth, and there was even a line of burnt ground extending outside of the capital. It was damage brought about by the clash between Aigokeros and Aries, two of the Twelve Heavenly Stars.

The ground outside the capital had been ravaged and overturned like someone had dug through it, trying to get to something. That was thanks to Dina’s magic which had sprouted trees, destroying the scenery.

“...”

Merak clenched his fist, shaking.

I’m thankful to you, and I regret betraying you in the past.

But this is a different matter.

Merak knew he was partially at fault, but he couldn’t stop himself from screaming, “LUFAAAAAAAAASSSSS!!!!”

The Sky King’s cry of fury shook the night air over Gjallarhorn.