Toaru Hikuushi e no Seiyaku:V9Part12
Part 30 The skies above Sierra Greed on Santos Island were filled with confetti scattered from airships.
More than 300,000 citizens poured into the main streets of the city, singing songs of peace and dancing to the symphonies played by orchestras.
Overhead, the Second Isla Fleet, the St Vault Multi-island Sea Fleet, and even the aerial fortress "Suzaku" from the Kingdom of Keiken sailed past in procession. People looked up at the sky with smiles, raising their hands to the heavens as they celebrated the triumphant return of the warriors.
Despite the victory parade, the airships passing through the sky showed no fresh signs of damage.
This flying fleet had won the great war, now formally named the "Mitterrand War" by the Multi-Island Sea Alliance, with little actual combat.
Mothers, overjoyed at the return of their sons from the front lines, embraced one another, tears streaming down their faces, offering their gratitude to the sky-bound fleet with hands raised. Women rushed up to the soldiers riding in military vehicles parading on the streets, blessing them with kisses. The expected bloodshed of a massive fleet battle never occurred. The gruelling ground combat to retake the Mitterrand continent was almost avoided entirely as the Harmonia Imperial Army retreated.
A miracle had led the Multi-Island Sea Alliance to victory.
The "Miracle of Pleiades"—
Newspapers and magazines gave this name to the shockingly dramatic outcome of the battle that took place on February 18, Year 1352 of the Imperial Calendar, in the capital city of Pleiades. The largest covert operation in history, "Operation Odin's Spear," was planned and launched by Deputy Chief Strategist Balthazar Grimm. As the name suggested, "the lightning strike of a thunder god" completely destroyed the heart of Uranos' power structure. Furthermore, the uprising in the Stefano District provided divine assistance, causing far greater "systemic failure" to the Uranos fleet and ground forces than initially anticipated.
The day after "Odin's Spear," the "War God's Hammer" reverse landing operation on the Mitterrand continent stirred a storm of warfare in the Brutonian region. The attacking forces suffered about 8,000 casualties, but they succeeded in landing 140,000 troops within two days without interference from the enemy fleet. The Uranos side had intended to let the landing proceed and then send their newly-formed Multi-Island Sea Fleet southward to annihilate the Second Isla Fleet, followed by a piecemeal defeat of the St Vault Fleet. Had the Uranos Chief of Staff Achilles' strategy proceeded as planned, the landing troops would have been cut off from supply and wiped out without a fight.
However—
The order for the Uranos fleet to march south from the capital Pleiades never came.
Both Grand Marshal Demistri and the demon of the Uranos Court, Pope Illustriali—the source of the will to continue the war—were captured alive by the insurgent people's army in Pleiades. Under threat from this rebel force, Demistri himself requested a ceasefire from the Multi-Island Sea Alliance's supreme command.
Even the Alliance could hardly believe the impossible turn of events.
No one could comprehend how such a miracle—capturing both Demistri and Illustriali alive—had occurred. Illustriali, in particular, had not been recognized as a central figure of power. During the people's army's interrogation, it was revealed that this old man was actually the true ruler of Uranos, with Nina Viento merely acting as his puppet.
In retrospect, the individual who captured Illustriali had effectively handed victory to the Multi-Island Sea Alliance. Had Illustriali escaped, even if Demistri were captured, he could have ignored any ceasefire agreement made under duress, and the Mitterrand War would likely still be ongoing.
For now, both the Ulysses Palace and the Royal Assembly Hall in Pleiades were occupied by the insurgents. The former members of the Senate, held responsible for the war, had collapsed in defeat. The nobility would have naturally risen in retaliation, but they were powerless against the people’s army backed by the might of the Multi-Island Sea Alliance. The insurgent forces, largely composed of the lower-income residents of the Stefano District and calling themselves the "Free Uranos People's Liberation Army," had completely seized control of the power structure. With support from Elisabeth Sylvania, the Supreme Commander of the Multi-Island Sea Alliance, they were now shifting Uranos' policy from "Heavenly Domain Sovereignty" to the new vision of "Heaven and Earth Unification."
Moreover—the dark forces revealed were not limited to Illustriali.
The existence of the arms dealer society, Chrono Magos, which had been spreading war throughout the world, was also exposed when Zenon Kavaris and Ethan Syra were captured alive. Interrogated by the People's Liberation Army, Zenon and Ethan disclosed the entire truth about Chrono Magos. They revealed that the society sowed distrust among multiple governments, spreading false intelligence about military build-ups in rival nations to perpetuate endless arms races without producing any clear victors. With Zenon’s full confession exposing all its members, Chrono Magos—the root cause of much of the world’s suffering—was finally brought to an end. This collapse heralded the arrival of a new era, one that would soon spread its fresh winds over the Multi-Island Sea and across the entire world.
Queen Elisabeth Sylvania stood on a special balcony on the third floor of the Multi-Island Sea Alliance headquarters, watching the airships filling the blue sky, the colourful confetti swirling, and the cheers of the people, filled with deep emotion. From this balcony, specially prepared for today’s triumphal ceremony, she could see both the ships passing through the sky and the throngs of people filling the streets below.
Beside her stood the heads of the Multi-Island Sea Alliance military, waving to the citizens with smiles, exchanging words of celebration while already busy planning for the future. With diplomatic relations set to open with Uranos and a trade agreement soon to be signed, they were calculating the potential national benefits. As they mentally tallied up the figures, Elisabeth spoke to Prince Manius Sidus, the second prince of Uranos, who stood next to her, smirking cynically at the crowd and the airship fleet.
"I heard you’re leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes. The commoners begged me in tears, so I have no choice but to go."
"We’ll miss you. But I’m sure we’ll meet again soon."
Manius snorted, looking distantly at the people and the fleet.
The Free Uranos People's Liberation Army had decided to crown Manius as the new king. Of course, the Multi-Island Sea Alliance was the real power behind the scenes, pulling the strings, and Manius would ascend to the throne as their puppet.
Elisabeth had expected him to refuse outright. Someone as proud as Manius would never accept a crown knowing he would be a puppet. But, surprisingly, the stubborn prince had accepted the offer without hesitation. Tomorrow, he would board the royal airship and travel to Pleiades, where he would be crowned under the endorsement of the People’s Liberation Army.
What had changed him, Elisabeth did not know. But perhaps, she hoped, the words she had drunkenly spoken to Manius before the battle had somehow influenced his heart… It was a hopeful thought that Elisabeth allowed herself to entertain.
We should start with us.
If we connect heaven and earth with our friendship, the suffering will end.
Ending war through friendship—that is our destiny.
The words Elisabeth had shared with Manius back then now echoed in the sky. Tomorrow, Manius would depart for Pleiades, and perhaps those words were still alive in his heart. The thought filled Elisabeth with a deep sense of joy.
"Your Highness will surely change Uranos for the better," she smiled at Manius, who stood to her right. He merely snorted in response, offering no reply. Then, the commander of the Second Isla Fleet, Luis de Alarcon, who stood to her left, inquired:
"Grimm Junior General isn’t here… Where is our hero?"
"He had urgent business and had to leave."
"Urgent business…? Forgive my impertinence, but what could be more important than the triumphal ceremony?"
Balthazar, the mastermind behind the miraculous operation that saved the world, was now a hero to all humanity. The 300,000 citizens gathered below, cheering and waving to the balcony, were all eagerly awaiting the moment their hero would appear on the special stage.
However—
"It seemed to be something even more important… He’s no longer on Santos Island. He’s gone far away on a mission."
"Oh, I see… May I ask what kind of mission?"
Elisabeth answered Luis' question with a serious expression.
"He went to check on someone more important to him than the world."
She looked up at the sky, thinking of Balthazar, who wasn’t here.
Elisabeth believed that Balthazar would uncover the truth. All she could do was pray that this truth would be a good one for everyone.
Luis, gazing at the same sky, scratched his chin.
"…I see. How romantic."
"As a strategist, Grimm Junior General is a realist, but in private, he’s the most romantic man in the Multi-Island Sea."
"Oh, that’s an unexpected side to him. I’d love to hear about the results of his mission sometime."
The great admiral who had discovered the Sacred Spring, the edge of the sky, and united the Multi-Island Sea region with Balesteros, smiled warmly but refrained from further inquiry.
"Time for the photos. Everyone, please smile."
The press officer of the Multi-Island Sea Alliance pointed a camera at the assembled military leaders on the balcony, and the flash went off. Everyone present immediately straightened up, concealing any inner thoughts behind polite smiles as they posed for the photos.
As the flash continued to go off, the photographer made a request of Elisabeth.
"We’d love a photo of Your Majesty and Prince Manius together. The people are eager to see it."
Naturally, Elisabeth accepted with a smile. The public eagerly anticipated the positive relationship between Elisabeth, the new leader of the Multi-Island Sea world, and Manius, the symbol of the new Uranos. Together, they embodied the new friendship between heaven and earth.
However, when the photographer pointed the camera at them, Manius did not smile.
"Your Highness, a smile, please!"
The photographer urged him, but Manius' face remained stiff. It was likely he didn’t even know how to smile. In all her time with him, Elisabeth had never seen Manius smile.
Well, it can’t be helped.
Sighing internally, Elisabeth pulled out her improvisation skills.
"Ah, that’s great!"
The photographer was delighted, snapping the camera as Elisabeth playfully raised their clasped hands.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing!"
Startled, Manius' face stiffened even further as he scolded Elisabeth for raising their linked hands high above their heads.
"It looks like we’re getting along, doesn’t it?"
With a cheerful smile, Elisabeth mischievously waved their clasped hands to the crowd below.
"Your Highness, smile! Smile!"
At the photographer's urging, Manius forced something resembling a smile onto his stiff face. The leaders gathered on the balcony chuckled at the sight of the young pair and joined in with a round of applause. This moment, captured by newspapers and radio broadcasts, would be shared with the world, heralding the dawn of a new era.
The citizens filling the streets cheered even louder at the sight of Elisabeth and Manius holding hands. The airships fired celebratory cannons, and more confetti rained down, covering the skies of Sierra Greed in a rainbow of colours.
The people chanted the names of Manius and Elisabeth, celebrating the new relationship between heaven and earth.
"You’re overdoing it," Manius said through gritted teeth, his face still stiff as he held Elisabeth’s hand aloft.
"It’s fine. Everyone’s happy," Elisabeth replied with a smile, turning back to the crowd and declaring to the world:
Look, we can be friends!
The capital of the Kingdom of Keiken, Misato.
After numerous air raids, this war-torn and weary city was finally beginning to see the return of daily life. Barracks lined the streets, stalls selling food set up shop, and the modestly dressed people ate a gruel that was hardly more than water while discussing work for the next day. Despite their hardships, the vitality of humanity could still be felt in this bustling street as Balthazar walked alone.
Spotting a flower vendor, he bought a bouquet for a grave and checked a map he had prepared beforehand. He then rode a shared bus for about fifty minutes, eventually getting off in the countryside.
After walking for fifteen minutes along a rural road bordered by abandoned fields and farms, he arrived at Shutoku Temple, his destination. Unfortunately, it began to drizzle, and Balthazar regretted not bringing an umbrella.
Inside the temple grounds, he used his broken Akitsu to ask the head priest about the location of the nameless cemetery. The place he was led to was at the far edge of the temple grounds, an overgrown and forgotten area, with moss-covered small gravestones. After thanking the priest, Balthazar placed the flowers in the vase in front of the gravestone.
With his hands shoved in his pockets, he stood in the light rain, staring at the unmarked stone. The white lilies in the vase drooped under the rain.
This was a nameless grave for wanderers who had no one to mourn them. There was no one to visit, and the water in the vase had long since rotted.
"Is this your future, Kagura?"
He spoke to the stone, though there was no reply. Balthazar knelt down and faced the gravestone head-on. According to the Akitsu Daily, Kagura’s bones were buried beneath this gravestone.
"How’s your resting place? It doesn’t look too comfortable."
The rain continued to fall around him, covering Balthazar in a damp veil. He ignored the rain soaking through his clothes and continued speaking to the grave.
"The war is over."
The only response to his soliloquy was the sound of the rain hitting the stone.
"They're holding a victory parade in Sierra Greed right now. Soldiers, politicians, businessmen—everyone’s partying like idiots. They think the war ended because of their efforts."
Kagura had sparked a revolution at the cost of her own life, ensuring the transfer of power to a new Keiken emperor. She shouldered all the blame and was executed by firing squad. Her family, who had once protected the Keiken Dynasty, refused to accept her remains, and thus, her bones were laid to rest in this lonely graveyard.
"They're all fools. None of them understands who truly ended this stupid war."
Balthazar’s hair was drenched with rain.
"Some idiots even think it was thanks to me. I couldn't stand it, so I came here. I'm smarter than that. I know exactly who really ended this war."
The raindrops dripping from his hair ran down his cheeks and onto his chin.
"They're calling you a criminal. They say anyone who gathers comrades to rebel against the emperor, kills their own kin, steals the imperial seal, and forges imperial orders deserves to be executed by firing squad."
The drops of water dripped from his chin and splashed onto the ground.
"If that logic holds, then every politician and soldier should be considered criminals. Whether you win or lose, war itself is a crime. All the leaders, whether they’re from the victorious or defeated sides, deserve to be executed. Why is it only you who has to bear this burden?"
The rain on the ground grew louder.
"You’re the one who ended the war. Thanks to you, tens of thousands, if not millions, of lives were saved, yet here you are buried in a place like this. Why aren’t the people celebrating in Sierra Greed here instead? It’s absurd. The world’s gone mad. So, at the very least, I’ll keep my sanity."
Though the rain hadn’t intensified, the drops sliding down Balthazar’s face seemed to grow more numerous.
"You were right. Unquestionably right. You’ve achieved something greater than anyone else in this world. You ended the war. No one else but you. If anyone throws stones at you, I’ll catch them and hurl them back tenfold. If anyone dares criticize you, I’ll crush them with logic until their mind shatters. If anyone tries to harm you, I’ll destroy them, leaving nothing behind but ashes. So, Kagura... Please tell me it’s a lie. If you’re hiding, just come out. You can tease me, mock me—whatever you want. I’ll accept it all. Just tell me you’re alive."
The rain continued to blanket Balthazar’s surroundings. His words were answered only by the rain. The world was filled with nothing but rain.
At that moment—
A faint, phantom voice reached him through the silvery curtain of rain.
"Sorry, Baltha... But Kagura Murasaki is dead."
Balthazar raised his head. He could see nothing but the rain.
"Kagura is no longer in this world. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth."
The voice came from the gravestone in front of him. Even if it was just a hallucination, Balthazar responded to it.
"If you’re there, come out, Kagura. I don’t care if you’re a ghost."
The sound of the rain continued. Balthazar strained his eyes through the silvery veil of rain.
And then—
Suddenly, Kagura appeared beside him.
She crouched next to Balthazar, staring at the same gravestone. Her figure, veiled in a silver film, seemed faintly translucent.
"It’s been a while, Baltha."
Kagura gazed at him with a mysterious smile.
Balthazar looked at her smile with suspicion. He wasn’t sure how to react if she really did show up as a ghost.
"Are you a ghost?"
"What do you think?"
"That’s how it seems."
"Then that’s fine."
Kagura said this with a familiar, nostalgic smile.
Balthazar pulled a single white lily from the vase. He rolled the stem between his fingers and, with determination, placed the flower in Kagura’s hair.
The white lily nestled perfectly in her hair.
The rain began to let up, and sunlight started to filter through the clouds, casting its rays on Balthazar’s soaked figure.
With the lily in her hair, Kagura smiled, her body bathed in the brilliant light breaking through the clouds.
The white blouse she wore clung to her skin, soaked through by the rain. Water dripped from her sleeves, falling to the ground and dampening her own shadow. Her right arm was bandaged, hung in a sling, and she leaned on a cane as she smiled at Balthazar.
"Kagura Murasaki is dead. Now, I’m just a nameless woman. As you can see, I’ve sustained serious injuries to my right arm and leg, and I can no longer wield a sword."
Balthazar simply stared at the white lily in her hair and the smile below it in silence.
"I had a twisted older brother. I thought I had defeated him with my own hands at Kyonagi Palace, but it turns out he survived. He held a grudge over me throwing that dagger and was waiting for his chance to exact revenge."
"........................"
"Right after I turned myself in and was imprisoned, The Emperor secretly granted me a pardon. Officially, they had to announce my execution, so they paraded me to the execution grounds, but the plan was to quietly release me. However, my brother insisted on taking revenge. He disguised himself as the executioner and shot me in the right shoulder... I had a feeling the executioner resembled my brother, but I never imagined it was actually him... He’s a cruel brother. It would’ve been easier if he’d just killed me."
"........................"
"My shoulder was blown apart, and I protested. I told him that I couldn’t hold a sword anymore, so he should kill me properly. But my brother said, ‘Your punishment is to live with that body. If you feel sorry for me, then live out your days with that broken body.’ And so, here I am, alive. It’s absurd, isn’t it?"
"........................"
"I can’t hold a sword. I can’t return to my family. I have no name, no profession. My right arm and leg don’t move as I want them to, and I don’t know where my next meal will come from. So, Baltha, what should I do from now on?"
"........................"
"Are you listening to me? Baltha? Hey, give me a response, Baltha."
Kagura waved her hand in front of Balthazar’s face, but he remained frozen, his face pale as if he were a stone statue. He didn’t move, nor did he answer. He wasn’t even breathing. Kagura, worried she had shocked him to death, grabbed Balthazar by the shoulders and shook him back and forth.
"Hey—hey, what are you doing, dying like that? Come back, Baltha!"
After five minutes of shaking, calling out his name, slapping him, and pinching his cheeks, Balthazar finally regained some colour in his face. A moment later, his face turned bright red, as though lava was bubbling up inside him.
Kagura could practically read his thoughts and tried to console him.
"Because all your embarrassing lines were heard, you're feeling like you want to die, right? It's okay, Balthazar, I'm feeling great. Ever since I was shot by my brother and had my name taken, I've been depressed, but for the first time in a while, I feel like laughing out loud. Thank you, Balthazar. You really are funny. As far as I know, you're the funniest person in the world."
"……………………"
"Yeah, I see it's still hard for you to react. Alright, I get it. I'll stay by your side. Until your thoughts return to normal, I'll be right here with you."
Kagura declared, patiently sitting by.
The head priest, noticing, gave permission for them to enter the hall, but Kagura smiled and politely declined, continuing to sit next to the petrified Balthazar.
As the clouds cleared and the sunlight began to shift, their shadows stretched longer across the rain-soaked ground. It was only then, perhaps having finished preparing his excuse, that Balthazar finally opened his mouth.
"It was a joke."
"I thought so."
"…I had thought up a joke like that. …And I was going to wrap up the earlier line with those words, but you showed up halfway through, forcing me to stop what I had prepared. In other words, it's your fault."
"You're funny, Balthazar. You really are, the funniest in the world."
"Indeed. It's good that you understand. I didn't believe a single word of that newspaper article. After all, I'm a pro at information warfare. Even Achilles, the Chief Strategist of Urano, can't match my intellect. It's laughable that anyone would think they could fool me with such an article. I saw through your intentions from the very beginning."
"Wow, you're really smart. By the way, could I ask for your advice? As I mentioned earlier, I've had my name and my sword taken, and I don't have a job. I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm staying here thanks to the goodwill of the head priest, but I can't stay forever."
Balthazar stroked his chin and snorted, "Hmph."
"There's an old man who's on the verge of death. I'll need to visit him soon because he'll likely die soon."
"Okay."
"You're coming with me. We'll point and laugh when he dies."
"If I translate your words, you're saying that you want to take me along to visit a very important elderly person so we can be there for him in his final moments. That's what you're saying, right?"
Kagura rested her head on Balthazar's shoulder as he sat beside her, smiling.
"Sure. Let's go together. And after that?"
"I'm tired of being a soldier. I want to resign. If I keep acting strangely, pretending to have a mental illness or being involved in some shady religion, there are plenty of people who hate me. They’ll surely kick me out of the military without much fuss."
"Sounds good. I agree. I'm tired of the military too. But what will we do about our livelihood?"
"Work, huh. Let's see... What should we do?"
Balthazar looked at the white strands of Kagura's hair resting on his shoulder. It smelled sweet and pleasant, far removed from the horrors of the battlefield.
"How about we start a flower shop?"
Hearing that, Kagura looked up at Balthazar and smiled.
"A flower shop? You?"
"Better than being a warmonger. Besides…"
You look good with flowers. Balthazar swallowed those words. Instead, he conveyed his wish in a more indirect way.
"You could probably do it too."
Kagura realized that this was Balthazar's roundabout way of asking for her partnership, and she smiled.
"…You're right. I'll study hard about flowers. It sounds fun."
Kagura held Balthazar's hand. Feeling the strength in her grip, Balthazar's palm responded in kind.
"Let's run a flower shop together."
Hand in hand, they stood up and looked at the sky after the rain.
A large rainbow arched across their path, a bridge of seven colours. From its clear hues, new hope poured out.
Deep in her heart, Kagura felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
From now on, they would walk together, planting seeds of flowers along the way.
Together with Balthazar. Forever and always, walking through this wounded world, making flowers bloom. What a wonderful, joyful life it would be. The path ahead, walking with him, seemed filled with flowers of every colour.
Kagura looked up at Balthazar with a dazzling smile and squeezed his hand tighter.
"Let's fill the world with flowers."
With the two of us.
With all of us...
