「Now then. Honestly, there’s still a lot I don’t understand… but first, let’s deal with Meishal and Miyako.」
Alice-san released Karen’s cheek and turned her attention firmly to the two at the center of the chaos—Meishal and Miyako.
「Meishal. This is no good… It’s too painful for me.」
Alice-san held up a small vial of poison, twirling it lightly between her fingers. At some point, she had taken it from Meishal’s hand without him even noticing. He looked at his empty palm in shock.
Offering him a wistful smile, she continued.
「I can’t fathom your life. That’s why I won’t give you simple advice. I’m not a god; I can’t just snap my fingers and fix everything for you. So, Meishal, you have to decide what happens next.」
Her words seemed distant, almost cold.
Yet her eyes overflowed with compassion.
「It’s you. It has to be you. You don’t have to be bound by your parents.」
「…!」
Meishal’s eyes widened in realization.
「No matter how much I care for you, no matter what your real parents think of you, you still have a future. And you have the right to decide it. You can decide it. I raised my children telling them that. So I’ll say the same to you.」
She stroked his hair, then embraced him, like a mother would her own child.
「Meishal. Even if your real parents don’t bless your life, I will bless it. I want you to be happy. So please, I beg you, live strong.」
「But… I raised a blade against Progenitor-sama. I plotted the fall of a nation… These sins cannot be forgiven.」
「What kind of mother doesn’t forgive her child’s mistakes, silly boy.」
「…A mother…」
「And if there is such a person, then she’s not a mother at all. Just toss that away.」
Alice-san gently released him. Meishal sank to his knees, but his face didn’t show despair or emptiness, nor was it twisted by anger or hatred.
Instead, he looked as though a burden had been lifted, as if a fog had cleared.
「Miyako.」
Alice-san stepped toward Miyako next. Her eyes narrowed with determination.
Then—smack!
A sharp slap landed across Miyako’s cheek.
「I am glad that our bloodline has continued, that our feelings have been passed down. But that’s not something I want at the cost of making others suffer. Your methods have strayed far from the path. You made a mistake. That’s why I’m scolding you. Because you did this for me, I must scold you.」
「Ah… ah…」
Miyako’s eyes began to cloud with despair. Her entire life, her purpose, was being rejected by the very person who had inspired it.
The darkness threatened to consume her completely.
But then—
「I won’t say you did well. But… you’ve come this far, and the path you’ve taken, the efforts you’ve made—use them for good from now on. Not for the Progenitors or the families, but for the future of the Elves. So that all of our children can live happily, with smiles on their faces. You can do that, can’t you? By the way… which lineage are you from?」
「My family, Vueda… We are branch supporters of the Ejetia line.」
「Ejetia… Oh, Sui-kun, do you know them?」
「Yes, the Agata family.」
「Ah, Eito!」
Alice-san’s face lit up with amusement at my response. She turned back to Miyako and gently patted her head.
「Miyako, your ancestor… he was twisted, sharp-tongued, but also incredibly kind. I believe one of their grandchildren married one of my children. So that means you and I are connected by blood, too.」
「I… I share blood with Progenitor-sama…」
「That’s right. So, you can do this, can’t you? You carry not only the Agata blood but mine as well. If you take pride in that, then don’t focus on Progenitors, main branches, or lineages—be proud of your own blood. Live a life that honors that pride.」
「Yes… yes. I am… deeply sorry…!」
「There, there. Good girl.」
Miyako sank to her knees, trembling.
Of course, the sins committed by the bloodline purists couldn’t be undone. But at least, it felt like children with Meishal’s fate wouldn’t be born in the future.
No doubt Alfheim had countless problems like these. Things were twisted and fractured, and the real challenges were only just beginning. Alice-san would surely become a pillar of support moving forward.
Yet, as much as I sympathized with this country and its elders, there was something more urgent for us right now—something we needed to do tonight.
I glanced at Chocola.
Sensing the cue, he let out a soft whine,
「Bark! Bark-bark!」
「Oh, what’s the matter, pup? You look just like your ancestor. Haven’t changed in two thousand years. Practically a Siberian Husky!」
Alice-san reached down to pet Chocola.
I seized the moment, slipping my phone forward, the memo app open and ready.
「Hm? What’s that device…」
It seemed Alice-san came from a slightly earlier era than me, unfamiliar with smartphones. Yet, her words trailed off as she saw the Japanese on the screen:
『I have something important to show you. It’s related to how I know about Kinoue-san and Agata-san. If possible, I’d like it to be just you and us.』
She nodded silently.
Then she turned to the Elders once more.
「I want to see how this country is doing and how everyone is living. But… it’s already late. Let’s do it tomorrow. In the meantime, Sui-kun, will you tell me about Japan?」
She turned to me, giving a quick wink as if to say, Is this okay?
「Sui. I’ve been thinking… Progenitor-sama is really sharp.」
「Yeah. She handled that tangled mess so effortlessly…」
Karen whispered, and I smiled wryly. In my heart, I apologized to Emishi-san and the others.
Sorry, but this—this can’t wait.
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