Inherited Wills

“I want to buy as many necessities as I can over there so I don’t have to pack too much, but I’ll probably need to take at least a few sets of formal wear, huh?” Veight said to Airia as he packed his luggage for the voyage to Kuwol.

Airia smiled at him and replied, “You certainly will need spares in case you rip them by transforming. See, I was right to have extra pairs ordered for you, wasn’t I?”

“Thank you for your infinite wisdom, Airia. I won’t have to worry about ripping a pair or two now.”

They were rather expensive though, so I wish you would treat them with more care. Airia thought, but didn’t say. Ultimately, what mattered most to her was Veight returning home safe and sound. If he had to rip a few expensive pieces of clothing for that, so be it.

As Veight carefully folded his clothes into his suitcase, he said, “If something happens while I’m away that you can’t discuss with the council...like a potential mutiny or something...turn to the demon army for help. I know Master will give you her full support, and you can trust Melaine and Firnir too. They’re all part of your family now.”

“Don’t worry, I know.” Airia’s smile widened. “Like you keep saying, this shaky coexistence between humans and demons could shatter at any time. There’s no telling what might lead to discord in the future, so I promise I’ll keep my demon allies close.”

“Good. At this point, things are probably stable, but it never hurts to be too cautious.” Veight sighed and grabbed Airia’s hand. “I’m sorry I have to go while you’re still pregnant.”

“You really don’t have to worry about it. Besides, I’m the one who ordered you to go.” Airia gave Veight’s hand a reassuring squeeze, drawing strength from it.

— From Veight, to Airia.

A few days later.

“Thank you for taking the time to come all the way here, Forne. Our next council meeting will be quite productive, I think.”

Airia rose to her feet to see Forne off. However her condition still wasn’t perfect, and she staggered a little.

“Ah...”

Forne nonchalantly reached over to steady her. He clearly had experience helping people with morning sickness. Once Airia was steady he stepped back and said with a smile, “Please don’t push yourself on my account. I’m a man so I can’t say I know what pregnancy feels like, but I do realize it must be tough on you.”

“M-My apologies. It seems I’m still feeling a little under the weather.”

Forne sighed in exasperation. “Of course you are, you’re pregnant. Don’t bother seeing me off, just go rest.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I can’t afford to rest while my husband is out fighting.”

“Don’t be silly. Veight wouldn’t want you pushing yourself either. As a married man myself, I can say with certainty that it would pain him to see you neglect your health.” Forne gently pushed Airia back down onto the sofa before turning toward the door. “Fear not, I shall take care of everything while the esteemed Lord Veight is away.”

— From Airia, to Forne.

“Now then, it’s about time we got started,” Forne said, and the men gathered around him nodded silently.

They were in a VIP booth in one of Veira’s larger playhouses. It was the room Forne preferred to use for clandestine meetings. The men around him were the viceroys of neighboring cities, and the representatives or family members of the viceroys who were too far away to come in person. However, Melaine, Firnir, and Airia were not present. Shatina and Woroy were conspicuously absent as well. In other words, all of the demon army’s staunchest supporters were missing. The viceroys and representatives waited with bated breath for Forne’s next words.

“I’ve mapped out the demon army’s movements for the past few months. I can’t leave any written evidence behind, so I’m afraid you’ll have to just memorize what I’m about to tell you.” Forne didn’t even bother looking at his memo as he spoke. “First of all, in both a diplomatic and military sense, we absolutely need the demon army’s strength to keep Rolmund in check. You all do realize what would happen if we cut ties with the demon army here, right?”

Forne waited for everyone to nod before continuing.

“Rolmund’s current empress, Eleora, is only on friendly terms with Meraldia because of her personal connection to Veight. If we end up having a falling out with him, she might very well decide to invade.”

The northern viceroys nodded in unison once more.

“In fact, the demon army might even help her conquer us...” one person said.

“In which case our careers would be over,” another chimed in. “We would have no hope against a combined Rolmund-Demon Army coalition.”

Most of the elite knights that had served the Senate were working for the demon army now too, since they were paying them better and giving them higher status. It was hard to imagine they’d throw all those perks away to serve under the viceroys if it came to choosing between one or the other. The northern viceroys who were closest to Rolmund sighed.

“Vexing though it is to admit, we’ve had our swords stolen from us.”

“Yes, there’s no point in complaining about it now. If we wanted to break ties with the demon army, we would have to raise the funds for our own military, but by now, is there honestly even any need for that?” Forne said with a casual shrug, and everyone nodded, but then his expression grew serious and he added, “However, there is one recent administrative change that requires our scrutiny. The new Meraldian University.”

“What’s the problem with it, Forne?” Aram asked, cocking his head.

Forne sighed and replied, “Everyone but you has already realized it, Aram. All of Meraldia’s elite want their children attending that university. That’s extremely significant.”

“Well, it is slated to be the most advanced university in the nation. If you’re accepted, you’ll be able to build connections with the demon army, too.”

The existence of Airia and the Demon Knights proved that even humans could hold powerful positions within the demon army. Naturally, the nobles and wealthy merchants of Meraldia wanted to work their way in.

Forne quietly explained, “This nation’s future viceroys are all becoming friends with the demon army’s teachers and officers. Because of this, they have a favorable impression of the demon army as well. In a decade, we’ll see the rise of a pro-Demon Lord faction.”

“Ah, I see. That does make sense.”

“Even if we wanted to break off from the demon army, by the time we’ve amassed enough power to do so, half of the cities will be ruled by pro-demon viceroys. Our Black Werewolf King is an unbelievably farsighted politician.” Forne let out an exaggerated sigh and put a hand to his temple. “For both military and diplomatic reasons, we have no choice but to stick with the demon army—and considering recent affairs, it’s going to have to stay that way for the foreseeable future.”

One of the northern viceroys’ aides muttered, “So you’re saying the demon army’s...going to be here forever?”

“Pretty much. No matter what we do now, we won’t be able to beat the demon army.”

“Understood. I shall convey that to my master.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Once the meeting was over, Forne and Aram went out to the terrace to share a drink.

“You’re quite the actor, Forne.”

“Ahaha. I used to act in quite a few plays back in the day,” Forne said with a bashful smile. Aram poured an amber-colored liquid into his crystal glass and smiled back at him.

“You put on this whole show because you want to strengthen the ties between the demon army and the northern viceroys, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Among the southern viceroys, I’m the one with the most connections to the north. I’m tired of war, so I’d like it if everyone could be friends.” Forne looked out at the setting sun. “Veight is a man who understands people’s needs. On top of that, he’s kind to a fault and dislikes violence. So long as we come to him in good faith, he’ll do his best to accommodate us. We could ask for no greater ally.”

“Unfortunately, the northern viceroys still hold a grudge over the demon army’s invasion. I doubt they’ll trust Veight so easily.”

“Indeed. Not all humans are wise, either. Plenty of us are fools who work only in self-interest, or for the sake of some warped ideals. We need to keep an eye on things to make sure no one does anything rash.”

Aram gave Forne a concerned look. “Is the situation in Meraldia really that unstable?”

“I suppose there’s no real need to worry. However, right now, Veight is in Kuwol. The last thing I want is for problems at home while he’s busy elsewhere. Besides...”

“Besides, what?”

“I’d rather not entertain this thought, but on the off chance that Veight is slain in Kuwol, it’ll fall to us to maintain this precarious peace he worked so hard to create. I’m just being extra cautious because I know I can’t leave this job to anyone else.” Forne shrugged his shoulders as he said that. “Though, I doubt the invincible Black Werewolf King would kick the bucket in a small civil war like that. Chances are, he’ll be back in a month and we’ll be hearing tales of his heroic exploits.”

“For sure.”

— From Forne, to Aram

A few days after Forne’s secret meeting, Aram went to visit Woroy. As he looked up at the half-built city, Aram wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and murmured, “Wow, this is quite a sight.”

The coliseum that would serve as the city center was larger than any theater or arena Aram had ever seen. Traders from Shardier, Aram’s city, were spreading imported sand all over the coliseum floor. Woroy folded his arms and grinned.

“Thanks, Aram. The sand used in arenas needs to have good drainage, but also not form large dust clouds, or the spectators won’t be able to see anything. The grains need to be fine enough that the fighters won’t get badly hurt, but not so fine that their feet sink. Shardier’s sand is the only type that fits the bill.”

Aram smiled back and said, “I never imagined that our city’s sand, of all things, would end up being a product. Especially considering how abundant it is.”

“Hahaha, I’m going to be making plenty more orders for Shardier sand, don’t you worry. I’ll be counting on your boys for a while yet.” Woroy turned to look at the city sector still under construction and suddenly said, “Meraldia’s trying to achieve something no nation has ever attempted before. I’m glad I get to be a part of it. I’ll be sure to pull my weight so I don’t drag you guys down.”

“What do you mean, ‘trying to achieve something no one’s attempted before?’” Aram asked, confused. “Are you referring to making a place where humans and demons can coexist, Woroy?”

“That’s part of it, but Meraldia’s goals are bigger than just that. As far as I know, no other nation has succeeded in becoming a place that’s open to people of all races and religions. In fact, I don’t think anyone else has even tried.” Woroy frowned and added, “In Rolmund, we had a hard enough time getting humans to get along with each other. We’ve had a bunch of bloody wars fought between the Sonnenlicht and Sternenfeuer followers. We’ve even had wars between differing Sonnenlicht sects. Humans have a deep-seated problem with accepting things they see as ‘other.’”

“Come to think of it, Rolmund’s and Meraldia’s versions of Sonnenlicht interpret the scriptures pretty differently too, huh?”

“Yeah. We’re supposed to be sharing the same faith, but there’s tons of people who’d say one side or the other are heretics.”

Aram was a Mondstrahl follower so he didn’t know much about Sonnenlicht, but he knew there were various Mondstrahl sects in Kuwol that all feuded with each other.

Woroy’s expression grew even grimmer as he said, “People are willing to slaughter each other over the tiniest differences in values. They tell themselves ‘those other people aren’t like us,’ which makes it okay to kill them and dehumanize the other side.”

“Indeed...”

“That’s why most nations unite their people with a single set of laws, religion, language, and values. Anyone who steps out of line is immediately shunned. Anything different from the norm is unacceptable. It’s the only way to maintain order.”

“That’s exactly why the Senate failed. They were wise enough not to force Mondstrahl believers to convert, but they still treated them poorly. As a result, most of southern Meraldia ended up alienated.”

“There you go. But on the other hand, if they’d given ‘heretics’ equal treatment, the north would have complained instead. The Senate didn’t understand that they were walking on a tightrope, and they failed because of it.”

Aram was once again reminded of how precarious a position the Meraldian Commonwealth was in. Forne isn’t being overly cautious, he has every right to be as worried as he is.

Noticing that Aram had lapsed into thought, Woroy turned back to him and said, “Oh, I didn’t mean to insult Meraldia’s ambitions. If anything, I think it’s a goal worth having precisely because of how difficult it is to pull off. You’re trying to do the same thing, aren’t you?”

“I am?”

“I’ve heard about the lengths you’re going to in order to assimilate the desert nomads into your city. You didn’t marry the daughter of a nomad tribe’s elder just because you love her, that’s for sure.”

“True, it’s as you say. I thought joining our two families would help bring us closer together. Personally, I think if we stop treating the nomads like outcasts, they’ll stop raiding our caravans.”

Bandit troubles were one of Shardier’s biggest problems. Aram couldn’t just send an army to subjugate the nomads either, since they weren’t just raiders. They also traded their livestock for clothes and other necessities, and they had deep ties with the villages around the city. Instead of trying to eliminate them, Aram had decided to slowly forge a relationship of trust, and was now encouraging nomads to move to Shardier. As part of his efforts, he had also gotten engaged to a nomad woman.

Aram scratched his head and said, “That being said, it’s not strictly a political marriage. If I didn’t truly love her, I wouldn’t have proposed. She’s as gentle as the moon on a quiet desert night, and as caring as an oasis. She also looks captivating when she’s galloping across the dunes on horseback.”

Woroy grinned at that. “I didn’t think you were the kind of person to brag about their wife, Aram.”

“Oh, uhh, sorry. Now I’m embarrassed.”

Aram blushed and looked away. Unsure of how to respond, Woroy just stared awkwardly at him. It was rare to see a legendary warrior like Woroy look stumped, but after a few seconds he went back to his usual cheerful smile.

“I guess Rolmundians and Meraldians both make the same kind of face when they’re bragging about their sweethearts.”

“Where did that come from?”

“Well...the way you looked just now was really nostalgic, that’s all.”

“Nostalgic? I see.” Aram cocked his head, but then remembered what Forne had told him earlier. “Woroy.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m a Mondstrahl believer from the south, so my upbringing and religion are totally different from yours. But even then, the two of us are here, working together towards a common goal. I think that’s a really, really good thing.”

For a moment, Woroy looked taken aback, but then he laughed, “Ahahaha. It’s kinda embarrassing when you put it bluntly like that! If your wife is the moon, then you’re Meraldia’s sun, Aram. You’re bright, cheerful, and bring everyone fortune!”

“I-I don’t think I—”

“No need to be humble. Not everyone would accept an exiled noble like me—especially since the country I fled from still wants my head. Take pride in yourself, Aram.” Woroy patted Aram on the back. “There’s a lot that’s different about us, but we’re both walking down the same path. I hope we can continue to do so for a long time to come.”

He then held out his hand for a handshake. Aram timidly gripped it, marveling at how much bigger and rougher it was than his own.

Smiling like an innocent young boy, Woroy asked, “By the way Aram, would you like to try a game of battleball?”

“I’m not really a fan of violent sports...”

— From Aram, to Woroy

After Aram left, Woroy got back to work. He needed to inspect all the buildings currently under construction and prepare a proper welcome for the incoming residents. He also needed to draft a charter of laws and a tax code and meet with the other exiled Rolmund nobles. By the time he was done with all of that, there were more new buildings for him to inspect, and the cycle began anew.

I miss fighting the Nue in Wa. Back then, he’d had far fewer responsibilities. He could fight freely, with no subordinates to protect or land to manage. Things had been simple. A fight to the death against a deadly monster with trusted comrades at his back. It had been such a thrilling experience that Woroy doubted he would ever forget it. If I didn’t have my family name and Ryuunie to take care of, I think I really would just give all this fame and authority up and become a wandering warrior. Sighing, Woroy went back to inspecting buildings. He knew from experience that checking up on the workers in person and hearing their grievances was important for a leader.

As he was making the rounds, a familiar face walked up to him.

“Prince Woroy!”

“I’m not a prince anymore, Myurei.”

As Myurei was Ryuunie’s best friend, Woroy had met him a few times. Like always, Myurei looked a little nervous in Woroy’s presence. He looked like he was trying his hardest not to mess up.

“R-Ryuunie said I gotta see, er...I mean, he invited me over to observe how the city’s construction has progressed.”

“Well, it’s an honor to have a future viceroy like you here, Sir Myurei. We welcome you with open arms. By the way, where is Ryuunie?”

Myurei hung his head and said, “I’m afraid your vassals caught him. He’s busy listening to their reports on building blueprints and street designs.”

“You two may be friends, but right now you’re a guest. I’ll have to scold him later for showing you such poor hospitality. Allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

“N-Not at all! He’s crazy popular—err, I mean, he’s clearly beloved by the residents of this city, and he’s able to provide valuable advice so it’s only natural that they would seek his opinion. He can actually do things, unlike me.”

Seeing Myurei try to cover for his friend, Woroy smiled.

“There’s no need to put yourself down like that. Veight would be sad if he heard you say that.” He placed a reassuring hand on Myurei’s shoulder. “You’re a promising young man. You’re good with both the pen and the sword, and you’ve got even more drive than Ryuunie. If we were back in Rolmund, I’d be willing to put a hundred knights under your command.”

“Really, a hundred!?”

“Yep. And since each knight is accompanied by a lance, you would actually have a few hundred men.”

“Th-That many!?”

“I mean it, you know. When you grow up and become the viceroy of Lotz, I’ll give you your own five hundred-man unit as a gift.”

“No way!”

Myurei’s jaw dropped open. Meraldian military units were generally smaller than Rolmund ones, so to a Meraldian, 500 men was a huge number. After seeing Myurei’s reaction, Woroy felt compelled to ask a question that had been burning at him for the past few days.

“Myurei. Meraldia is filled with demons and humans from all different backgrounds and religions. Why do you think there isn’t any strife between these groups?”

Myurei looked taken aback by the question, but he didn’t have to think hard for a reply, “Isn’t that because there are amazing people like you and Professor Veight making sure everything’s okay?”

“I don’t know if I’m all that impressive, but I will admit Veight’s achievements are numerous. His presence here is definitely a big factor, since he understands both humans and demons. Plus, he knows how to negotiate in ways that both sides profit. He’s a great man for sure.” Woroy’s lips curled up into a grin. “And if anyone gets in his way, he can use his overwhelming might to beat them to a pulp. Man, he’s scary when he’s fighting for real.”

“I-Is he really?”

“Oh yeah. I fought him back in Rolmund, so I know. Even with hundreds of my best knights, I wasn’t a match for him. He’s not the kind of guy humans can beat. On top of that, he’s brave and reckless.”

“Yikes.”

Myurei shrunk back a little, and Woroy chuckled.

“He knows when to be merciful and when to be ruthless—that’s how he’s been able to win so many people over. When you boil it down, the Black Werewolf King is just really good at using the carrot-and-stick strategy. But it only works because he has no ambitions of his own, and his ideals are all pure. As long as Veight’s around, humans and demons should be able to get along.”

“I knew it! It really is all thanks to Professor Veight!”

Smiling, Woroy shook his head. “Only when it comes to human-demon relationships. It’s up to bishops and viceroys and people like us to make sure people with different backgrounds don’t get at each other’s throats.”

“I-I see.”

“Also, while Veight may be a great man, he won’t be around forever. Eventually, someone is going to have to step up to inherit his place. The same holds true for all the viceroys currently active right now.”

Myurei finally realized what Woroy was getting at.

“Y-You mean me?” he stuttered.

“Yep. Ryuunie, too. Unlike demons, humans put a lot of stock into bloodlines. Whether you like it or not, you’re going to be one the leaders of the next generation, Myurei, so you need to grow into someone who can lead us to a better future.”

“I’m going to shape...the future of Meraldia?”

“‘Course you are. The reason I keep inviting you here is because I know you have the potential to be one of the brightest stars of the next generation. I wouldn’t waste my time with incompetent fools when I’m this busy. If I thought you didn’t have it in you, I’d only bother inviting you to the city’s opening ceremony.”

Indeed, it was Woroy who had pushed for Ryuunie to regularly invite Myurei to his city.

A mixture of surprise and excitement spread across Myurei’s face as he realized that. “Y-You really think I’m that amazing!?”

“Yeah. But you’ve got a tough road ahead of you. Guys like us don’t have powerful fangs or esoteric magic we can rely on. We don’t have the Black Werewolf King’s foresight or courage, either. So you’re gonna have to work hard to find something that can make up for all that.”

“I-I will! I’ll work really hard!” Myurei stood ramrod straight, and Woroy gave him a slight bow.

“I hope you continue to be good friends with my nephew. He’s a lot happier when you’re around.”

“Huh?”

Just then, Ryuunie called out to Myurei from behind, “Ah, Myurei! Sorry I left you alone! They finally let me go! Listen to this, I got them to adopt a three-shift schedule starting— Huh? What’s wrong, Myurei?”

Ryuunie gave Myurei a questioning look, but Myurei kept his gaze fixed firmly on Woroy. Slowly but resolutely, the young boy nodded to the exiled prince.

— From Woroy, to Myurei

Some time later, in Lotz.

“Hey, gramps.”

“Call me by my title when I’m in my office, ya brat,” Petore barked. He took off his reading glasses and peered at Myurei. “So, whaddaya want?”

With an unhappy expression, Myurei held out copies of some of Lotz’s official documents.

“Gramps, you’re ripping our merchants off. How can you charge them this much in harbor fees?”

“Hmph. Lotz pays for the building and maintenance of all of these harbors. If we don’t charge at least this much, we’d be operating at a loss.”

Myurei looked unconvinced.

“Even so, if we charge this much, our exports in Kuwol will end up being priced higher,” the young boy replied. “The merchants will try to offload the costs onto Kuwolese consumers”

“And how’s that our problem, huh?”

“It’ll give Wa a chance to undercut us by pricing their goods cheaper. We both have a few specialty products, but a lot of our exports overlap!”

Frowning, Petore put his glasses back on. Myurei was being surprisingly persistent today.

“Alright, what do ya think we should set our harbor fees at, then?”

“Why don’t we just charge a yearly fee to all the ship owners, and abolish the tax on export profits?”

“Ye’ve gotta be joshing me.”

Petore was floored. If they did that, they would lose a ton of money. Ship owners could only pay so much.

However, Myurei shrugged his shoulders and said, “If we make it a fixed yearly fee, we won’t have to spend money on hiring tax collectors or appraisers. That’ll speed up bureaucracy and increase throughput on all our ports.”

“True, we won’t hafta pay as many people, but...” Petore did a few quick calculations on his abacus. “Nope, we’d still lose a ton of money. Give me a better idea.”

“Wait, I really think this is our best bet. Hear me out, gramps.” Myurei pointed to the map of Meraldia hanging from Petore’s wall. “The age of individual cities is gone. We’re in the Commonwealth era now. If we have a standardized yearly fee that’s cheaper than every other place’s, then all of Meraldia’s merchants will use Lotz as their home port.”

“Ya got that right. Since they’ll get to use it as much as they want for a fixed price. Which means we’ll lose a ton of money,” Petore grumbled.

Smiling, Myurei smacked the map with the back of his hand. “Yeah, but won’t that help the seventeen cities as a whole? We’ll sell so many more goods, and bring in a bunch more foreign currency. The profits will be a lot higher than if all those merchants sold domestically.”

“Uh-huh.”

“If that happens, all the other cities will have more money to spend on producing higher quality luxury goods, which means they’ll bring way more of their stuff to our ports. All of Meraldia will benefit, and in the long run, Lotz is going to prosper from the massive increase in traffic!”

“Hmmm...”

Petore took his glasses off again and scrutinized his grandson’s face.

“And ya came up with that idea?”

“Of course. Pretty good, right?” Myurei puffed his chest out proudly.

Sighing, Petore said bluntly, “Things won’t go the way ya think.”

“Huh? Why?”

“‘Cause if we do things this way, we’ll need to issue permits to captains who’ve paid. Issuing permits takes money, making sure no one’s printing forgeries takes money, hiring people to check permits takes money, and updating permits and retiring expired ones takes money. It also puts the burden of responsibility onto the ship owners, and they ain’t gonna like that. Yer plan isn’t as simple as it appears.”

“Oh, I see...” Myurei muttered, hanging his head. Petore jotted down a few things on the back of one of his outdated reports.

“There’s also a physical limit to how fast you can make harbor traffic. Managing a harbor’s a lot more complicated than ya think. But, well, it was a good idea for a kid.” He looked up and saw that his grandson looked seriously depressed. Shrugging his shoulders, he cracked his neck and said, “But it looks like ya finally learned to use yer head, at least. Yer a good deal better at this than yer dad.”

“Stop insulting dad, gramps.”

“Hmph.”

Petore would never forgive Myurei’s dad for stealing his cute daughter’s heart. Deep inside, though, he was proud of his grandson’s growth.

“Gramps, you’re grinning.”

“Ahh, shut up, ya brat. Come back when yer smart enough to actually give me a good idea.”

“Screw you! I’m still right about it being the era of the Commonwealth now. You have to stop thinking about just Lotz and look at all of Meraldia as a whole.”

With that parting remark, Myurei ran out of his grandfather’s office. Petore folded his arms and grumbled, “Good grief.”

— From Myurei, to Petore

A few days later, Petore paid a visit to Ryunheit.

“What brings you here all of a sudden, Petore? Did something serious happen?” Airia asked, surprised, as she welcomed the old viceroy. Petore looked uncharacteristically excited.

“Nah, it’s nothing major. I was just thinking about changing up my harbor fees. Right now we have every ship owner pay a tax based on their profits, but what do ya think of making the viceroys pay harbor fees?”

“You want the viceroys paying for harbor upkeep?”

Petore took out a thick sheaf of documents and handed them to Airia.

“Yep. Ya can take it from yer merchants as a tax if ya want. I don’t mind how each city handles the specifics. But this way, we can cut down on a lotta hassle and make our harbor cheaper to use for everyone. The details are all in there.”

“I see...”

Airia flipped through the documents, skimming over the core points. She looked at the numbers Petore had written down, then did some quick math of her own. Making it a fixed fee would definitely lower the overall cost for Ryunheit’s merchants. It wasn’t a bad proposal by any means, but Airia couldn’t fathom where Petore had come up with it.

“I’m afraid I can’t decide on my own authority, so for now I’ll go over these documents at length. After that, we can discuss your proposal at a council meeting.”

“Sounds good to me. Whew, now I won’t hafta feel bad about shooting that brat down.”

What is he so happy about? Airia thought to herself.

“Is there some sort of story behind this proposal, Petore?”

The moment Airia asked that, Petore started gushing about his grandson, “About that. My cheeky grandson Myurei came to me with all these crazy ideas. He talked my damn ear off about it, actually.”

“You mean to say this is Myurei’s proposal?”

“Heh, yeah, ya could say that. He didn’t have the details ironed out, so I fixed it up a bit, but the idea’s his. Sheesh, it sure took a lotta effort to get it in working order.”

Petore happily massaged his shoulder. He was known for being an obstinate blockhead, but he was also famous for being a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Smiling, Airia carefully placed the documents on her shelf.

“It seems Myurei is growing up quite fast.”

“Hah, he’s still a little chick. If ya ask me, he’s letting all this praise get to his head. He even went and told me ‘the age of cities is over, gramps. It’s the Commonwealth era now.’ Can ya believe that?” Despite his complaining, there was a wide grin on Petore’s face. “I must be getting old if I’m being lectured by my own grandson.”

“Myurei’s one of the top students at Meraldia University. His friendly rivalry with Ryuunie has really helped him grow.”

“Yeah. I’m glad.” Petore nodded in satisfaction, then bowed deeply to Airia. “This is all thanks to you and Veight and everyone else from the demon army. I’m deeply grateful for all you’ve done for us. Thank you, truly, I am in your debt.”

“I really don’t think I’ve done all that much, but...” Airia smiled gently at Petore. “It’s true that Meraldia is finally moving in a better direction. We have to do our best so our children can inherit a better nation.”

“Indeed, esteemed Demon Lord.” Petore smiled, then went back to his usual casual tone. “Now then, I think I’m gonna head back and see what I can learn about Kuwol’s situation. Damned brat left his newlywed wife to go off cavorting there, so the least I can do is get some updates for ya. By the way, if ya got a letter for Veight, I can deliver it.”

“Huh? Oh, in that case, could you wait a moment? I’ll write one now.”

Airia hurriedly took her pen and ink bottle out of her drawer and grabbed a fresh piece of parchment.

— From Petore, to Airia

Far to the south, in the land of Kuwol, Monza returned to her house in Karfal and waved at Veight, who she spotted in the living room.

“Watcha doing, boss?”

“Oh, I just got a letter from Ryunheit. It came by express courier, so I thought it might be urgent, but...” Veight cocked his head to one side. “It seems like everything’s fine.”

“Hmmm.”

“It’s too casual to be something that needs to be delivered express, but if it’s some kind of cipher, I can’t crack it.” Veight cocked his head to the other side.

Monza slapped him on the shoulder and said, “I bet they just wanted to get it to you quick since you’re doing such a good job and all. Probably.”

“I’m not convinced, especially not when that’s coming from you.”

Confused, Veight raised his head. “Well, whatever. If there’s no problems back home, that’s a good thing. Everyone seems to be doing fine, and it looks like my students are working hard too.”

“Ahaha, sounds nice.”

“Which means I better work hard too, so I can get this dumb civil war over with and go home to see my kid being born.”

“Yeah, I wanna see, too!”

Smiling, Veight and Monza bumped their fists together.

— From Airia, to Veight.