Start of the 5th month, 1549th year, Continental Calendar
Fuuga was leading a Malmkhitan military procession as it advanced through the ruins north of the Union of Eastern Nations, in the Southeast of the Demon Lords Domain. They marched in a long, undefended, snakelike column as if to boast there was no enemy that could defeat them. In fact, the monsters that had long infested this area had already been exterminated by Malmkhitan. The road the troops were traveling along was now stable enough that traveling rchants could use it.
Here, in this land where it never snowed, they had been able to fight properly even in winter, but the sumr heat made it hard to fight for any length of ti. For that reason, the battle to reclaim the Demon Lords Domain would have to take a break during the seventh and eight months of the year, when the region was hottest. However, in order to stay on the offensive right up until that point, Fuuga had decided they needed to let the troops rest. He was currently pulling them back to the safe zone.
Standing out in the middle of the column was the great white tiger, Durga. Fuuga was lying on the tigers back, his armor removed. He was using this opportunity to nap as Durga walked along at a relaxed pace.
Zzz...
Audible snoring could be heard. Although they had returned to safe territory, there were still violent creatures that lived in the area, and he was surrounded by ard soldiers. That he could sleep in this situation spoke to Fuugas strength, and the bold personality underpinned by that strength.
A single temsbock rider approached Fuuga.
Please wake up, Lord Fuuga!
Hm...? What is it?
Waking to the sound of his na being called, Fuuga sat up and scratched his head.
Noticing that it was Shuukin whod roused him from his slumber, he asked, Whats up, Shuukin? Did sothing happen?
No, nothing in particular. Were about to arrive.
Hmm? Oh, were finally there, huh? Fuuga said, stretching. Traveling with an armys always so slow. I couldve been here with Durga in no ti.
Youre our commander-in-chief. Who could lead the n if not you?
Sheesh. The bigger the military gets, the more people care about stuff like rank. Even youve gotten used to calling Lord Fuuga now.
Because of their close age, Fuuga and Shuukin had once treated one another casually, like friends. And it wasnt just Shuukin; there were many others in the army like Moui, Gaten, and Kasen, who had long been his partners in mischief. Ever since Fuuga took the throne, though, Shuukin had begun showing him the proper respect as a retainer so as to keep his other subjects from disrespecting him. It must have made Fuuga feel a little lonely.
Shuukin shrugged his shoulders with a look of exasperation on his face.
Youre the sovereign of a nation. Of course Id pay you due respect. Anyways, were on the march, so please wear your armor and helt. Youre setting a poor example for the troops, and more importantly, its careless.
Dont be so stiff. Weve pretty much wiped out all the monsters around here, havent we?
Shuukin shook his head, a stern look on his face. Youre right that we wont see an attack by monsters. However, there are so who have not taken kindly to your profile rising inside the Union of Eastern Nations. There could be assassins along the road, Lord Fuuga. Ive sent out scouts, of course, but...
Human jealousys scarier than any monster, huh? What a nuisance, Fuuga said, digging the wax out of his ears as he listened.
Shuukin furrowed his brow at his lieges incaution. How can you talk like this has nothing to do with you? Your life is in danger.
Hey, Shuukin... Wouldnt you say our country has grown? Fuuga asked, suddenly changing the topic.
Hm? I suppose it has... Shuukin cock his head to the side quizzically. Weve expanded outside the steppes, and we have a lot of protectorates. Its fair to say we have the greatest montum of any country in the Union of Eastern Nations.
Yeah. Its like this was fate. If theres a will of the heavens, its apparently on our side, Fuuga replied, with a suspiciously calm tone.
Dont tell ...youre saying because the heavens are on our side, we dont need to worry about assassins?
Shuukin gave him a pointed look, as if to say, Thats not how things work. Fuuga shook his head with a wry smile, looking up to the sky.
Weve overco all the trials weve faced to grow our country. So, maybe thats why...when things are going too smoothly, it actually makes more uneasy. Am I moving forward of my own will? Or is there so unseen force pushing ?
Lord Fuuga... Shirin muttered, hearing his sentintal words.
Well, its not a bad feeling. If I keep riding this current, it will take furtherhigher. And if I fall along the way, Ill be able to accept it ans I was never cut out for anything more than that. Its fulfilling, in a way.
You shouldnt talk about falling like that... Its ominous.
Ga ha ha! Its fine, Sir Shuukin! said a wolf-eared warrior as he approached.
It was Gaifuku of the mystic wolf race. He flexed his pecs and biceps, striking a pose as he shot the two of them an overbearing smile. He was still a mass of muscle despite having passed middle age.
If a vile assassin cos anywhere near my lord, my well-toned body will be your shield! I have built this strong back and these abs all for the House of Haan!
..........
Hah! Hah! Gaifuku continued striking poses like a bodybuilder as he spoke. He was sweaty, and the temperature around him had probably risen a good five degrees Celsius from his body heat.
Fuuga and Shuukin did their best not to look at him and kept talking.
By the way, wheres Mutsumi? I dont see her around.
If youre looking for Lady Mutsumi, she went on ahead with the vanguard to the city where we will be staying starting today... I believe she was just as bored with the slow journey as you are, Lord Fuuga.
Shes such a free spirit. Im jealous.
Youd better not both disappear on at the sa ti, Shuukin said out of exasperation, earning him a shrug from Fuuga. Then...
Behold these roaring biceps Thock!
Urgh?!
?!
As Gaifuku approached to give them a closer look at his muscles, sothing suddenly sprouted from his arm. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an arrow. If Gaifuku hadnt raised his arm just then, the arrow would have flown straight at Fuuga.
They instantly grabbed their weapons, looking around the area.
Werent you supposed to be watching out?
We were, over a broad area. We used your effective range as a guideline.
Which ans theyre shooting from outside it. Must be soone skilled.
Firing such an accurate shot from beyond the scope of their marching procession was no small feat.
Gaifuku! You okay? Fuuga asked.
Th-This is nothing. If I was able to serve as your shield, I could ask for nothing more, Gaifuku said, tearing the arrow from his arm with a grunt of pain. The wound was shallower than they had thought, causing Fuuga to smile a little.
Yeah, you saved . It could be poisoned. Get to a dic imdiately.
Surely the enemy must still be aiming for you, Gaifuku protested.
Dont worry about it. You prevented their surprise attack. And without the elent of surprise...!
Whoosh... Smack! Another arrow flew in, only to be deflected by Fuugas Zanganto.
Thats how its gonna go. If I know the arrows coming, then cutting it downs easy. And that shot just told roughly where they are. Shuukin, the soldiers who noticed the assassin are starting to make a fuss. Get them to calm down.
Dont tell youre planning to go after the sniper yourself! Its too dangerous! Shuukin warned him, but Fuuga was having none of it.
The enemys a good distance away. Without Durgas speed, itll be hard to catch them.
But that doesnt an...
Besides, Im going to make them pay for hurting one of my n. Personally.
With ferocity in his eyes, Fuuga drove Durga onwards. Having lost the will to argue anymore after seeing those eyes, Shuukin could do nothing to stop him from going.
Then, once Durga had leapt into the sky, Fuuga placed a hand on the flying tigers back and said, I know you can sense the enemy, partner. Lead to them, would you?
Gworghhhh! Durga roared and they picked up speed.
As they did, Fuuga spotted a figure on top of a distant hill, in the middle of a thick copse of dead trees. This discovery was quite exciting to him. If soone could take a shot at him from that far away, the world still had surprises left to throw.
Then another arrow ca flying. Whoosh!
Ah!
Because he was closer now, the arrow arrived quicker, and Fuuga twisted out of its way rather than try to cut it down. The closer he got, the faster they would be coming. Despite the increasing danger, Fuuga still smiled.
I like this! Its tense! Havent felt this pumped up in a long ti!
He soon closed the distance to his enemy. Neither of them would miss at this range.
Fuuga jumped from Durgas back and spread his wings to glide, taking aim at his enemy in the treetops. The enemy was doing the sa. They got the shot off before him. Its aim was true, hurtling straight towards the center of his face.
Guh...!
Fuuga instinctively twisted his head to the side, but couldnt get completely out of the way, and it struck the gap between his helt and cheek. The arrow must have been magically enhanced; he felt it tear through his cheeks flesh inside the helt. But despite feeling his own blood splatter inside the helt, his eyes never left the enemy.
Twang! Fuuga loosed an arrow from his own great bow. It flew straight, impaling the sniper through the chest. They fell headfirst, like a puppet with its strings cut.
At that mont, either of them could have fallen. The deciding factor had to be where theyd aid. The sniper, confident in his own abilities, had aid for the head, certain he would make the kill. anwhile, Fuuga knew that even if he ssed up the shot, he could still win if he closed the gap, and so had aid for the center of mass.
Urgh... Tch! Fuuga tore the arrow from his helt as he touched down on the ground.
Having escaped the threat to his life, and with the adrenaline from slaying a powerful foe fading, the gouge in his cheek started to throb with pain. Fuuga took off his helt and walked over to the sniper. Hed been a young man, no more than twenty years old. The arrow Fuuga fired had taken him in the heart.
Hm? This guys... Fuuga had a feeling he knew the man, but couldnt rember from where.
Not long after, Shuukin and the temsbock riders caught up with him.
Lord Fuuga, are you all right?! Shuukin asked, sounding concerned.
Im fine, he replied with a wave. I took a minor wound, thats all.
Youre bleeding! Please, dont be so reckless!
Ill be more careful next ti. Weve got more important stuff to talk about now. Fuuga wiped away the blood running down his cheek, indicating to the sniper with his chin. This was the sniper. I think Ive seen him sowhere before.
Huh...?! But this is...!
You know him?
You should too. This man is Gauche Chima. Lady Mutsumis younger brother.
Wha?! Fuugas eyes bulged as he looked at Gauches corpse. Hed seen Gauche at the awards ceremony, but had only had eyes for Mutsumi, and so he hadnt rembered him.
My brother-in-law tried to kill , and I struck him down...?
Gauche had been a simple warrior. This couldnt have been sothing hed decided to do on his own. Soone must have directed him to make an attempt on Fuugas life.
The image of a man flashed through his mind. It was the face of the man who was the father of his darling wife, and who had always seed suspicious sohow. This is what happens the mont I start moving towards my ambition, huh? His grip on Zanganto tightening, Fuuga looked up to the sky.
At so point, solitary raindrops had begun to fall.
I guess...Im gonna have to tell Mutsumi about this... Fuuga thought before walking back to Durga, a feeling of hesitation gripping his heart.
It was a silent night.
Mutsumi sat at the window of a dimly lit room, idly staring outside. The earlier rain had let up, and a round white moon had shown its face through a gap in the clouds.
I wonder what kind of face I must be making right now... Mutsumi thought to herself.
She had certainly been shocked when she heard about the death of her brother Gauche, and that Fuuga had been the one to kill him. Yet, despite this, she was not as torn up about it as shed expected to be. That confused her. From the mont she decided to join Fuuga on his road to dominance, she had known this was a possibility. Shed sensed her scheming father might try sothing. Perhaps that was the reason. It wasnt that she didnt feel sadness and anger, but that at so point she had resigned herself to this happening.
She didnt want to see herself in the mirror now. Because, probably, her face wasnt that of an elder sister mourning the loss of her younger brother.
As she stared vacantly out the window, there ca a knock at her door. It was Fuuga.
...Can I co in?
Normally, he would have strode in without asking, but this ti he did. Taking note of the consideration he was showing her, Mutsumi smiled a little.
Yes, please do, darling.
Yeah... I will.
Fuuga closed the door behind him and walked over to Mutsumi.
Sorry, he continued, for shutting you up in your room like this.
Have I been shut up in here...? Really? Mutsumi cocked her head to the side a little. There are no guards. And the door wasnt locked.
Its just a temporary asure anyway. My retainers all know what youre like. They know you wouldnt do sothing short-sighted out of anger. But so of the newcors are worried you might try to avenge your brother. Just try to think of this as us protecting you from them doing anything malicious.
Yes. I understand, Mutsumi said, pressing herself tightly against Fuuga. When she did, his body stiffened a little. Do you think...I would try to avenge Gauche, darling?
No, not really, but...Im ready to accept your anger and grief. Im ready to get slapped...no, punched for what I did. Ill stand here and take it for ten or twenty hits.
If I were to punch your brawny body that many tis, I think my hands would co off the worse for it.
Mutsumi smiled a little, but it was short lived.
Ive been thinking. What would I be doing now if you were the one who fell? I doubt Id be nearly as calm. She stroked the fresh wound on Fuugas cheek as she continued. If the arrow had been a little closer, I might have lost you. If you had died, I dont think I would have been able to forgive Gauche or my father who no doubt instigated this. I am certain I would have sought revenge.
Thats pretty intense. I like that about you though.
And yet, I cannot even resent you for what you did. When I think about how little my bond to the House of Chima ant to , I feel a sense of loneliness.
Her house had survived in the Union of Eastern Nations with its ss of small- to dium-sized states through subterfuge. In their history, they had repeatedly taken advantage of their own parents, siblings, and children. That was partly why Mutsumi felt a bit of a disconnect with Mathew, obviously, but also her own siblings. The twins, Yomi and Sami, were close, but the other siblings all had their own areas of expertise, and that left little in common for them to talk about.
Mutsumi had really cared about her youngest brother, Ichiha, who had been seen as talentless at the ti. If hed been the one killed, she might have bawled her eyes out. Ichiha had left her side to go to Friedonia, where his gift had been given the chance to blossom. Mutsumis only place now was here with her husband Fuuga, surrounded by the n of Malmkhitans army.
I know you just said he instigated it, but...youre sure it was Duke Chima pulling the strings? Fuuga asked and Mutsumi nodded.
It has to have been. Although the plan feels too sloppy to be one of fathers.
In light of the haphazard nature of the plan, Mutsumi suspected sothing had gone differently from how Mathew envisioned.
Nata and Gauche both had a tendency to overestimate their own strength and ability. He may have struck before my father intended him to.
Oh, yeah...?
Im a cold woman, arent I...? Calmly analyzing my own brothers death like this.
No, I can tell how hurt you are, Fuuga said, hugging her from behind. You were betrayed by your own family. Theres no way you wouldnt be sad. Youre just telling yourself it was inevitable because of the kind of house you were born into.
Darling...?
Yeah, thats right. Im your darling husband. Your family. Tch, these sorts of lines suit that guy better... Well, whatever, just for today, Im gonna say them. As your husband, Ill accept all of the sadness and anger you feel towards your family.
Mutsumi buried her face in Fuugas chest, clutching his clothes.
I...cant forgive my father.
Yeah.
I cant forgive the way he uses us for the stability of the house, and then throws us aside for the sa reason. I-I cant allow him to obstruct your path, darling.
Yeah.
I want to cry! I never wanted it to co to this!
Go ahead and cry. You dont need to hold it all in.
Mutsumi let out a little sob, and then a much louder wail. Her complex feelings had left her unable to cry, but now she finally did. The tears flowed ceaselessly like a dam had broken.
Fuuga seethed with anger as he held the bawling Mutsumi.
You made her cry, Mathew Chima. You made Mutsumi cry.
His arms tightened around Mutsumi.
You made my woman cry! Thats gonna cost you! Big!
On this day, Fuuga decided that Mathew was his enemy.
anwhile...
Slam! On hearing the report of Gauches death, Mathew Chima kicked over the chair of the desk in his office.
Why?! Why did Gauche die?!
Hed just been told that Gauche had attempted to assassinate Fuuga, which resulted in his death. As Mathew threw a fit, his eldest son, Hashim, watched him with an impassive look on his face.
Was this not your plan, father...?
No! When we gathered the kings of the anti-Fuuga faction for a conference, we talked about a plan to assassinate Fuuga when he was returning from his campaign. We assud that after eliminating the monsters, he would let his guard down, and it might be possible to slay him.
Mathew slamd his hands on the nearby table.
But I never proposed anything this sloppy! Gauches skills were suited to the task, so I did discuss an assassination plan centered around him. But the idea was rejected because, if we were to fail, it would put Fuuga on high alert.
Yet Gauche carried out the assassination plan, Hashim pointed out.
And I dont know why! What was Gauche doing there alone in the first place?! Mathew clutched his head. The proposed operation had him leading a unit, or possibly an even larger force, not going in by himself. That would have lowered the risk of Fuuga escaping. And yet Gauche goes and tries to assassinate him on his own.
He released his hands and raised his head up.
Its also strange that he stayed there and let himself get killed. When you consider his long range, Fuuga shouldnt have been able to pinpoint Gauches location after the first shot. Had he run and hidden when his first attempt failed, he should have been able to get away.
Mathew looked utterly baffled. Hashim sighed at him.
I can think of only one possibility. Gauche was acting on his own initiative.
What?!
Of all my siblings, Nata and Gauche have always been the most confident in their abilities. Overconfident, you might say. And he had been waiting for a chance to put those skills to use and make a na for himself.
N-No... Mathews eyes widened with surprise. Hashim nodded.
It seems probable that Gauche heard about the ambush plan from the King of Gabi, who he served. He then thought that, with his skill at archery, he could definitely slay Fuuga... If this was, indeed, Gauche acting on his own initiative, it would explain why he didnt bring anyone with him. Knowing his personality, he would have thought that a large group increased the risk of him being found, and they would only get in his way.
Hashim sighed as Mathews jaw hung open.
And so, Hashim continued, the reason he didnt flee after missing his first shot is that he knew he would have several more as Fuuga closed in on his position. He only needed one of them to hit, and so was certain he could kill Fuuga. That is just how highly he overrated his own abilities.
That fool! Mathew punched the table again. That damned, overconfident fool!
Hashim watched his raging father with cool eyes.
You are the one who raised him to be that way, he thought, but he didnt say it out loud. You praised our abilities far more than we deserved in order to raise opinions of us abroad. That was what made Nata and Gauche arrogant, and they ca to look down on those without talent. They were especially harsh to Ichiha, and our sisters hated them.
Nata and Gauche had belittled and tornted Ichiha because, at the ti, he was believed to be without rit. Their younger sister, Mutsumi, stood up for him, but Hashim had been uninterested in their quarrels. Later, when Ichiha developed an unusual talent in the Kingdom of Friedonia, Mathew and the other rulers of the Union had deeply regretted letting go of him.
If we consider this most recent outrage, I think its clear to see who was truly the talentless one, Hashim was thinking as Mathew suddenly looked up, as if realizing sothing.
This is bad. Fuugas anger will turn towards us and the Kingdom of Gabi. We cant afford to sit around. We have to unite the anti-Fuuga faction before he makes his move! Mathew said, hurrying out of the office.
With a cold look on his face, Hashim snorted as he watched Mathew go.
I cautioned him against acting rashly, but he goes and embarrasses himself like this, overconfident in his own abilities. Crossing his arms, Hashim stroked his chin as he thought about it. Still, this Fuuga Haan... He managed to escape Gauche, did he? No matter how excellent a man is, without the love of the heavens, he will fade away all too easily. I suppose this ans that he has the makings of a great man, loved by the heavens. In which case...
Hashim smirked to himself.
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