Maydare Volume 6 Chapter 4 - Believer

 

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“Oi, is Thor Bigreitz here?”

Suddenly, the room’s door in the research institute opened without so much as a knock.

After Bishop Eska looked around at Nero, Lapis, me, and Thor, he glared down at Thor and called out to him.

“Thor, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Come with me for a second.”

Thor looked blatantly suspicious.

“...What is it? I’m not leaving Milady alone in a foreign land.”

“Ugh, do something about that ‘Milady dependence’ of yours. Really.”

Thor even managed to make Bishop Eska fed up.

But Thor remained nonchalant, not even attempting to listen to what the bishop was saying.

“I’ll be fine, Thor. Nero and Lapis are here too.”

“...But…”

“It’s definitely something important, so go with Bishop Eska.”

Thor still didn’t leave my side even when I told him that.

A hand was placed on Thor’s shoulder from behind. It was Lapis, wearing a cool smile on her face.

She was there before we knew it.

“Mr. Thor. I understand that you’re worried about Makia, but do you really think that I would ever put her in danger?”

“...I understand, Instructor Lapis.”

Oh? Surprisingly, Thor obediently listened to what Lapis said.

Thor once had Lapis subject him to extremely intense training in the Black Demon King’s magic. Maybe he had all kinds of fear ingrained into him…

So, Thor was taken away by Bishop Eska.

I was left behind with Lapis and Nero, and in the brief moment of silence, my stomach growled.

“You’re hungry, huh,” Nero said.

“Shall we have lunch?” Lapis said.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, no need to apologize,” Nero said.

“It’s typical Makia,” Lapis said.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

At Nero’s and Lapis’s prompting, we decided to have lunch. 

Ah, how embarrassing. My stomach had always been very honest.

In Vabel, lunch was generally eaten in the cafeteria at a fixed time, but here at the institute, since there might be research to keep an eye on, everyone was free to eat lunch at their own leisure. 

The room in this research facility was stocked with all kinds of preserved foods, including canned soup, fruit, fish in oil, and olives from the Kingdom of Ruschia. Besides those things, there were also the specialties of Frezier, which had a culture of processing meat, such as sausages and bacon.

Potatoes were the staple food of Frezier, so there were plenty of them. Well, as we learned at magic school, potatoes had a large amount of magical matter in them, so we immediately steamed some potatoes and warmed up some canned foods.

Canned tomato soup with meatballs and cabbage.

Canned herring in oil.

Black olives for a snack.

Wieners kneaded with garlic and herbs, grilled with a magic fire.

Simple steamed potatoes. And so on.

When we put these dishes on the table, I was reminded of the times when we all ate together in the glass bottle atelier at magic school. It wasn’t so long ago, though.

“Frugal is the motto of Vabel. That’s why we’re forced to eat only simple things like barley porridge. The seasonings are also weak. For those of us who have eaten rich meals in the Kingdom of Ruschia, it’s a bit tough for us.”

“T-That’s true…”

I realized that a little yesterday and today. To think of that continuing forever was terrible…

“But Bishop Eska told us to eat meat. That person never follows the rules of Vabel when it comes to meals.”

“Well, Bishop Eska is hardly ever here. Once he heads out, there’s no need for him to eat according to Vabel’s rules.”

Is that how it is? How irresponsible…

I grumbled as I stuffed my mouth with grilled wieners.

Ah…the sound of crispy skin splitting apart, the juicy meat juices, and the aroma of herbs that came after were irresistible. Frezier’s meat processing technology was very advanced, and apparently they ate a lot of ham and wieners every day. Sorry for indulging in luxury in the Vabel State.

“Speaking of which, how is Frey doing?”

Nero mentioned the name of his ex-roommate Frey.

Frey was a member of Garnet Team 9, and the fifth prince of the Kingdom of Ruschia. He was a playboy who liked older women. 

With a sigh, I said, “He’s fine, he’s fine.”

“On the day I left for Frezier, he cried in the harbor and tried to stop me from leaving by clinging to me. Everyone in Garnet Team 9 except for him had gone to Frezier, so I guess he didn’t want to be alone. I can’t believe he could act in such an unmanly way.”

I could still recall that scene where Airi, the Guardians, and other important government figures were all put off by him. In the end, he was pulled away from me by Thor, who was extremely irritated, and an embarrassed Prince Gilbert and dragged away.

“...He hates being lonely, that guy,” Nero said.

“But what will he do from now on? Garnet Team 9 is gone now, so will he be assigned to another team?” Lapis asked.

“Oh, that’s right, Frey ended up joining Garnet Team 1. In other words, Beatrice’s team.”

“Uh, wow…”

“That’s a tragedy.”

But weren’t there already five people in Team 1? Lapis asked.

Teams were limited to five people.

“Mmm, that’s because, ever since that happened at Lune Ruschia Magic School, a lot of students dropped out. Lots of kids went back home.”

It was understandable. A peaceful school was attacked by Hermedes, overran with unknown creatures like ogres and dragons, and tossed into a hopeless situation.

It was a terrifying experience, many children were injured, and many teachers died.

The school island was also half destroyed, and there was little prospect of reopening the school.

With the situation of the world unstable, not knowing when a war would break out, and not even the magic school being safe, there were probably many parents who took their precious children back home, and other kids who wanted to leave school for a while to heal their bodies and minds. 

“Garnet Team 1 is made up of the sons and daughters of nobles, so it seems that two of them quit school at their parents’ request. Since there weren’t enough people, Beatrice invited Frey to her team. I’m sure that Prince Gilbert asked her to help with Frey…”

I finished talking there and drank the canned tomato soup.

As for Nero, when he heard what I said, he seemed somewhat satisfied.

“That’s a relief. It would be better if a strong-willed woman like her leads a careless person like Frey.”

“That’s true. Wouldn’t it be better if Beatrice and Mr. Frey got engaged? Beatrice was originally the third prince’s fiancee, and I feel like those two would be a surprisingly good match,” Lapis smiled as she said that, like it was a stranger’s business.

Next to her, Nero had a “Huh…?” face.

I folded my arms. “Hmm. Actually, there has been a lot of talk about that. It seems like Frey was being approached with a lot of marriage proposals, and Beatrice is one of them, so I’m not sure what will happen yet.”

Frey was the fifth prince, but I felt like his future marriage was treated as very important to the Kingdom of Ruschia.

Since it was a political marriage, Frey’s desires were ignored, and that was why he panicked and flustered, even asking me to marry him and become his consort. Thor was extremely wary of him for a while. He was already wary of Frey from the start, but it was even more so.

That’s why, when I heard that Beatrice Asta, the daughter of a prestigious magic family, was at the forefront of Frey’s marriage candidates, I thought, surprisingly, that she wasn’t a bad choice.

That was because Beatrice was originally the fiancee of the third prince, Prince Gilbert. Although the engagement was now called off, she had a connection to Prince Gilbert’s mother, the High Consort Alicia, and as the successors of her will, Beatrice and Frey might share like-minded resolutions.

I think it was precisely in times like these that we needed a strong resolution.

Before I went to Frezier, I even said goodbye to Beatrice, but she took me by the hand and looked at me with a steely gaze.

“Please leave the Kingdom of Ruschia and His Highness Frey to us.”

Perhaps she had some kind of premonition or determination to take on the responsibility of the nation.

Well, we still didn’t know what the future held yet…

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Excuse me, is First Lieutenant Nero Pachelbel here?”

It seemed that a young soldier had come for Nero.

And Nero seemed to have been promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. 

“It’s almost time for the meeting.”

“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, Makia, we’re in the middle of our conversation, but I have a meeting with Frezier. I’ll have to step out for a while.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

I nodded. Lapis quickly stood up with a worried look on her face. “Mr. Nero, shall I come with you?”

“Lapis, no…”

Just as Nero was about to say something, the young soldier stepped forward and glared at Lapis. “Watch yourself, Lapis Twilight. There are still many suspicions surrounding you.”

“...”

“You are suspected of having guided the Twilights on Hermedes’ side to attack Lune Ruschia Magic School. In the first place, not a single member of the Twilight clan can be trusted. Disgraceful, lowly magicians like you who shave off their own bodies are the same as the demons. After all, don’t you Twilights have the blood of demons running through your veins?”

“Wha…what are you-”

I was about to say something back to the soldier who had suddenly made a discriminatory remark towards Lapis.

“Stop it,” Nero said in a deep voice that I had never heard before from him.

“If you’re going to suspect and condemn Lapis, then you should do the same for me. Do you realize how much the information and magic that Lapis brought will affect the outcome of the war? Since I’m the general’s younger brother, you might not say anything to me, though.”

“T-That’s out of the question, First Lieutenant. …I apologize.”

The soldier who had been speaking harsh words against Lapis was chided by Nero and hastily bowed his head.

After that, Nero and the soldier left the room. As for me, I still couldn’t accept what happened and had mixed feelings.

“What’s with that guy? He said awful things to you, Lapis.”

“That young soldier is from a small country in the north, and he fled to Frezier after his country was invaded by Hermedes. It seems that the invasion was carried out with the Twilight clan and monsters, similar to the attack on Lune Ruschia. He lost many of his family and friends. There are many people like that in Vabel.”

“That’s…”

“He probably needed someone to vent his hatred to.”

Lapis was very calm. It felt as though she was used to the kind of discriminatory remarks that were made earlier, like she had heard them many times before. But it didn’t seem like she wanted me to defend her anymore…

I felt bitterly sad about that. 

The air became heavy, so I sat back down on the couch and changed the subject.

“Hey, Nero has become a lot more reliable than when we were at magic school. Well, even back then, he was a reliable genius. I’d say he’s become more mature, or maybe he’s become manlier and stronger.”

I could feel that from his words, actions, and aura. Perhaps it was simply because he had grown taller, but his mannerisms from earlier were dignified and imposing, and he even looked regal.

A small wrinkle formed between Lapis’s brow, and she smiled.

“When we were at magic school, there were very few people who knew Mr. Nero’s origins. I’m glad that he was simply Mr. Nero. Back then, he was sometimes ridiculed by the noble students for coming from a commoner background, but…maybe for him, that would have been far better.”

“...”

“However, here in Vabel, Mr. Nero is the prince of Hermedes. As a member of the royal family, he is responsible for the deeds of that nation, so he is always on guard and desperate in everything he does. There aren’t many people who blame him here, but he is blaming himself more than anyone else…I’m sure he thinks that he must become stronger. He can’t let Hermedes do whatever they want anymore.”

Was it this kind of awareness that made Nero mature? 

Was Lapis worried about Nero? Although she spoke matter-of-factly about her own problems, I thought that she sounded somewhat emotional when she talked about Nero.

“That’s right. Both you and Nero are fighting.”

“...”

“I’m sure we’re all fighting our own battles.”

Lapis looked surprised at the words I murmured.

A thought might have occurred to her, but she didn’t say anything.

“But it feels weird to see you two together. Earlier, Nero was defending you. You guys seem to be getting along well here as well~” I poked Lapis with my elbow while acting strangely suspicious.

But Lapis, as usual, acted mature and giggled.

“It might be a bit wrong to say that we get along well. Mr. Nero probably feels some kind of debt towards me… Besides, we’re monitoring each other.”

“Huh? Monitoring?”

It was a more unsettled relationship than I expected.

My elbow, which had been poking at Lapis, drew back weakly.

“However, because of the relationship we cultivated during our first year in Garnet Team 9, we naturally spend a lot of time together. I have been ordered by Queen Shatoma to protect Mr. Nero, and I’m sure that he is also keeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t do something selfish again. …Even though this is the safest nation in the world, you never know what might happen.”

“...That’s right. Even though the magic school was said to be an impenetrable fortress, it was attacked.”

“Yes. The Twilight clan members on Hermedes’s side are the enemy. My older brother is also there. I’m sure that they will one day find a secret path into Vabel.”

“...Older brother?”

“Yes. His name is Solomon Twilight. He’s probably the one who unifies the Twilight clan on the other side.”

Solomon Twilight. 

I’ve heard that name somewhere before, but I had never heard the details.

He was Lapis’s older brother and the greatest genius in the Twilight clan…

“You’re also fighting your own brother.”

“Yes, but that was what I was prepared for when he killed so many people of our clan in the Twlight village. We, the Twilights on Frezier’s side, must do our best to take measures while anticipating my brother’s actions. Right now, I’m still just a member of the Twilight clan, so there are occasions when people don’t trust me, but…”

She declared her own family as her enemy.

I heard that the Twilight clan once clashed over whether to side with Frezier or Hermedes, and were divided.

It was the Hermedes Twilights who launched the attack on Lune Ruschia Magic School, and apparently it was Lapis’s own brother who led the attack. However, the Frezier Twilights, including Lapis, were still devoted to Frezier even though they were burdened with Hermedes’s crimes.

Still, there were people with various opinions on them and voiced them out loud. Just like that soldier who came to get Nero.

“But it’s okay. We’re not alone, and we’ll do what we have to do. As long as there are people who believe in us, we can do our best.”

“Lapis…”

Before I could say anything, Lapis raised her head and turned towards me. “Um, Makia…”

“Makia, will you believe in me?”

I slowly widened my eyes. 

But Lapis asked me that question, like it was very important.

“I am a Twilight. I am descended from a family that are the villains of the world, and I have inherited their magic. As that young soldier said, I am related to the Hermedes Twilights, and I might be a traitor. I might have helped the surprise attack on Lune Ruschia…even so, will you still believe in me?”

“...”

I never thought Lapis would ask me such a thing.

I had never suspected her even once.

However, Lapis’s eyes were trembling, and she sounded urgent, like she was pleading for help.

Her hands, which were placed neatly on her lap, were shaking slightly.

“Of course I will. What are you even saying!”

I jumped up and hugged her.

“I believe in you, Lapis. Forever, for the rest of my life. Because you’re my best friend!”

“...”

As long as there are people who believe us, we can do our best.

She said that earlier.

Maybe that was why she wanted to me to confirm it again.

“I believe in you, Lapis.”

Lapis’s shoulders gradually started to shake, and she buried her face in my chest, hugging me tightly. She cried silently.

Why did Lapis cry?

There were her troubles, her battles, that I still didn’t understand yet.

But I knew that I must never forget her tears.

Lapis and I were the same.

No matter how hard we worked, if we didn’t have others who accepted and believed in us, we would eventually reach our limit.

You can’t win alone. 

Even if each of us were fighting our own battles.

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