Chapter 4: The Expiration Date of That Grudge

Now then... After chatting up a storm with Citrina about mushrooms and deepening their friendship, Mia went to see Rafina in her room.

“Hello, Miss Rafina. It’s been a while.”

Rafina’s expression changed to a radiant smile at the sight of Mia at the door.

“Gosh, Miss Mia. It really has, hasn’t it? Please come in.”

“...Right. Coming in, then.”

Mia’s expression, meanwhile, was stiff as a rock. It was hardly surprising, since she had to report to Rafina that the first emperor of Tearmoon had been in cahoots with her mortal enemies, the Chaos Serpents, and was complicit in their conspiracy.

Okay, this is Miss Rafina. Surely, she of all people won’t insist on the idea of ancestral sins being inheritable...

Even so, the report was not a fun one to make. Worse yet, that wouldn’t even be the main topic of discussion for the day.

I need every bit of information I can get about the Holy Eve Festival so I can prepare. Fate has given me another death sentence, and I need to get out of it somehow...

Her morbid resolve must have shown, because Rafina fell silent for a few seconds while studying her face.

“Let me go make some tea. I also have some berry pie I saved for just such an occasion. I’d love it if you had some with me.”

“You do? I’d love some!”

With that, Mia’s mood experienced a V-shaped recovery. As she nibbled on the scrumptiously crunchy crust, enjoying the flavor that tickled her tongue, she let out a sigh of pleasure.

“Aaah, the mild sweetness of this crust...it goes perfectly with the tartness of the stellaberries. A wonderful pairing. This is happiness in pie form.”

Seeing her grinning from ear to ear, Rafina smiled too.

“Ha ha, I’m glad you feel better. So, did you have a good summer vacation?”

The question pulled Mia out of her epicurean reverie and reminded her of why she was there in the first place.

“Ah, well, it was...a very meaningful summer vacation. I’ll say that much at least.”

She proceeded to tell the story of her summer, the island, and what she found there. What had seemingly begun as a tale of adventure on a tropical island veered with narrative whiplash at the appearance of the first emperor. By the end, even Rafina couldn’t hide her astonishment.

“Wow... I see... Who would have thought the Tearmoon Empire had such a secret...” murmured a pensive Rafina. She let out a short sigh. “Let me get this straight. Basically, a long, long time ago, there was an evil cult that was banished from the continent. They were the people who would later go on to become the Chaos Serpents, and they went into hiding on a small island in the Galilea Sea, where they lived in secret.”

“That underground shrine they built was really quite something.”

The work that must have gone into that eerie lighting, allowing them to work in the dark... It bespoke the technological skill of those who had resided there.

“Investigating that place might turn up some information about the Serpents’ roots. That shrine in particular is worth taking a closer look at. We can learn a lot, like in what era it was built based on its architectural style, for example...” After another period of quiet contemplation, Rafina continued. “Then there came a turning point for the island’s residents, which was the arrival of the tribe of hunters. They were the ancestors of the modern Tearmoon people. Under the leadership of the first emperor, they met the Chaos Serpents and, sharing a similar plight of exile from their homeland, found resonance in their sentiments and beliefs...”

“I’m not sure if it was just the first emperor who went Serpent though, or if the other nobles were influenced as well...”

“There’s also the question of the degree of influence. Did the first emperor really take the Serpents’ teachings to heart? Was he a true believer? Or was he simply using them to further his own ends?”

Neither Mia nor Rafina were strangers to conspiracy, and this shared experience made clear that in terms of complicity, the spectrum could range from the White Crows on one end to Jem on the other.

“It’s not hard to imagine that someone with the brilliance and capability to craft an empire the size of Tearmoon could simply take advantage of the Serpents, employing their doctrine, their logic, and their believers alike all for his own ends. On the other hand, considering he went so far as to build an entire empire to satisfy his own desires, you could also say he’s obsessive to the point of being delusional, which suggests a deep-seated worship of the Serpents’ ideals isn’t exactly unthinkable either.”

At that, Rafina paused and frowned.

“Something just occurred to me. What about your father? Is the current Emperor of Tearmoon aware of this?”

“My father?” Mia pictured her father’s face. “Definitely not.”

Her answer was swift and certain. Her faith in her father was unshakable. She trusted in him with all her heart.

“The only thing father ever thinks about is how to get me to like him more.”

More specifically, she trusted in how all-consuming his annoying nature was. Someone who’d use an imperial decree to make his daughter call him “dad” would never participate in a conspiracy that could endanger her.

“Ha ha, I see neither of us have it easy. The imperial family certainly threw a wrench into the first emperor’s works with, erm, how some of their descendants ended up. Of course, it’s thanks to your father’s eccentricity that we can laugh about this discovery right now.”

Rafina smiled, though the expression was a tad wry. She said nothing else, her brows furrowing as she fell into a contemplative silence, as if some new concern had just made itself apparent to her.

“Is something bothering you?”

“No, not so much bother as... Well, I was just wondering if someone with the competence to craft a nation from scratch would have been blind to the possibility of his descendants deviating from his original plan...”

She took a sip of tea, pausing with eyes closed to collect her thoughts. Then she continued.

“Bliss, Miss Mia, erases grudges. Resentment withers when happiness grows. Such is the nature of these things. When people become emperor, do they really continue to harbor the bitterness of their ancestors and satisfy that ancient desire for revenge?”

It was an extremely apt question. For example, a son might seek revenge for his father’s grievance. That was plausible. A grandson might even try to avenge his grandfather. But what about a great-grandfather? Or a great-great-grandfather? How far back could it go? Was it truly possible for people to continue harboring a desire to avenge ancestors they’d never even met?

“The act of building a nation inevitably requires one to rule over a people. It necessitates their ascendance to the highest seat of power. The man in question accomplished this and became the first emperor, ensuring his imperial position would pass down to his descendants, as it has to your father and you. But would those descendants, after ascending to the throne themselves, keep to his mission? Would the second and third emperors harness the power of their empire to ruin the world? Their world? When they are living happy lives? Would they destroy it all just to settle their ancestor’s grudge?”

It was highly likely that at some point, they’d go “To hell with revenge!” and decide to just enjoy their lives. The first emperor’s grand plan was doomed to fail from the start.

“It seems like an awfully critical flaw... A blind spot, perhaps? Or was even that part of his plan?”

While Rafina contemplated the scope of the first emperor’s machinations, Mia was busy harboring her own grudge.

Whatever they thought, they’re all a pain in the neck! The first emperor, father, all of them! Why is my family so full of nutcases? I’m the only one who’s sensible and competent! Ugh, this is why I can never get a break...

She shook with indignation at being the underappreciated workhorse of her lineage, inadvertently illustrating the plight of all the actual sensible, competent, and underappreciated workhorses around her. Ludwig and Keithwood, hang in there. Anyway...

“Uh, Miss Rafina, could I...ask you to send some people from Belluga to investigate that island?”

Normally, she’d prefer to send her own team of investigators from Tearmoon to scour the place, but with the first emperor’s conspiracy having come to light, that option was off the table.

“It can’t be a descendant of the conspirator who takes charge, after all...”

“True... That island might hold valuable information pertaining to the Chaos Serpents’ origins. This isn’t something Belluga can afford to sit out.”

Rafina’s ready acceptance of the task made Mia feel a little better.

“Thank you very much. I’ll ask Esmeralda to send over some nautical charts. Oh, also, could I ask you one more thing?”

“Hm?” Rafina’s eyebrows rose. “Sure. What is it?”

“About the Holy Eve Festival this coming winter...” Mia said nervously. “Could you, um...tell me in advance how to prepare for it and what I’ll need to do?”

Her question made Rafina beam.

“Gosh... There’s all this going on, and you’re still thinking about your duties as the student council president?”

“O-Of course! You entrusted me with the job, after all!” Mia smiled back, pretending that was what she’d meant all along.