The Heroes of the Western Border
There was no dramatic moment like the courtroom scenes from the legal dramas I’d seen in my previous life—no bold cry of “Objection!” as someone kicked the door open and dramatically overturned the case with a recording.
“It went… much more quietly than I expected.”
That applied not only to submitting the recording, but to the entire trial.
After presenting the evidence, I took a seat in the corner of the courtroom as a key witness. The prosecutor and defense attorneys spoke calmly and solemnly, their voices measured throughout the proceedings.
After some time had passed, Berian’s lawyer produced the recording artifact.
“This is the material submitted by Counselor Kain, who oversaw Berian the mage’s treatment. It contains a recording of Berian’s testimony during one of their sessions.”
When the artifact was inserted into the dedicated playback device, a familiar voice filled the room.
It was Berian’s.
—We decided to rest in that village for a while. We didn’t really have a choice. We were all on the verge of starving to death.
The jurors stirred at the sound.
Throughout the trial, questions had been raised about whether the royal army had truly ended up in the orc village by chance due to supply shortages, or whether they had deliberately stayed there to meet with contacts for treason. That doubt was resolved in an instant.
—Join the royal army. A mage of your caliber would be treated well.
More than anything else, those words carried weight.
Berian’s desperate voice, pleading with Zubik to defect to the kingdom, echoed through the courtroom.
The army’s high command had accused Berian, Sir Dalmon, and Lieutenant Sigurd of being long-standing spies colluding with the orc empire, charging them with treason and rebellion.
The recording proved otherwise.
Thanks to it, the court acknowledged that the army had been forced to beg the orc civilians for food due to severe supply shortages. Their interactions hadn’t been part of some treasonous plot, but rather a natural bond formed while exchanging what little they had.
Furthermore, Berian had killed Zubik—his friend and something like a student—to save his own comrades. That, too, disproved the high command’s claims.
But the recording alone couldn’t prove the three were entirely innocent.
“It is true that Mage Berian taught magic to Zubik, an orc citizen, and that several soldiers died as a result. It is also true that Lieutenant Sigurd killed a subordinate soldier to cover it up.”
From the beginning, it was difficult to view the three as completely blameless.
The recording could correct misunderstandings, but it couldn’t rewrite the facts.
Did that mean the counseling, the hypnosis, and the recording had all been meaningless?
“However.”
They hadn’t.
“Hearing the recorded content, it is difficult to conclude that their actions were motivated by treason or rebellion. Their visit to the orc village and their interactions with orc citizens can reasonably be understood as choices forced upon them by dire circumstances rather than any rebellious intent…”
The recording had transformed their actions from “incomprehensible treason” into “understandable conduct.”
“Even the acts that could be seen as treasonous would likely not have occurred had they received proper support. Taking these circumstances into account, sentences such as life imprisonment or execution—penalties befitting treason or rebellion—cannot be imposed.”
The worst possible verdict, once seemingly inevitable, was also changed.
“Mage Berian and Sir Dalmon are to serve five years in the Demon Realm Defense Force, acknowledging only partial guilt in their collusion. As for Lieutenant Sigurd, the charge of killing a subordinate is applied, but given the extenuating circumstances of the summary execution, a five-year prison sentence is imposed with three years suspended.”
It had been reduced to the second-worst outcome.
No.
“This isn’t second-worst… This is practically the best possible result.”
I was somewhat puzzled.
“They reduced the sentence this much?”
Even with the recording submitted… was this really acceptable?
* * *
My questions were answered later, on the day Berian, Sir Dalmon, and Lieutenant Sigurd visited the counseling office.
“The three of us are heading to the Demon Realm Defense Force at the western border. We came to thank you for everything. We also wanted to pick up some medicine while we were here…”
“Ah, please wait just a moment.”
Their purpose was both a courtesy visit and a prescription refill.
Berian had overcome his pyrophobia, but in regaining his memories he had developed depression and anxiety. It wasn’t severe, but he still needed occasional medication.
“Sir Dalmon and Lieutenant Sigurd were in similar situations.”
Sir Dalmon’s condition was somewhat worse than the other two. He had been forced to kill the woman who was practically his lover with his own hands.
“The trial turned out quite favorably. I’m glad. And Lieutenant Sigurd won’t have to retire after all.”
As I retrieved the prepared medicines, I spoke in a casual, probing tone.
“Ah, well…”
Lieutenant Sigurd trailed off awkwardly, glancing at Berian. Berian carefully opened his mouth.
“That’s… I made a sort of deal. With the royal court and the military leadership.”
“A deal?”
“In exchange for serving in the Demon Realm Defense Force without causing trouble, Dalmon and I won’t serve separate prison terms. Lieutenant Sigurd’s sentence was also drastically reduced.”
It seemed they had made a judicial bargain.
“Is that allowed? I mean… can they really do that?”
Even so, the reduction seemed excessive.
At my question, Berian gave a bitter smile.
“As you know, overcoming my phobia made my flame magic even stronger.”
“Ah…”
“And the kingdom is currently under threat. From the north and east by the orc empire, and from the west and south by the demonic beasts of the Demon Realm.”
With a soft whoosh, a small flame bloomed at Berian’s fingertips.
Unlike ordinary magic, this flame burned blue. Though small, it radiated an astonishing heat. Even sitting at a distance, I could feel its warmth.
“They can’t afford to let a powerful mage rot in prison. In short, our interests aligned.”
Berian needed a reduced sentence, and the kingdom needed his powerful magic. In exchange for the dramatic reduction, the kingdom sent him to the Demon Realm Defense Force to guard the border.
“We also have you to thank, Counselor.”
I thought it might be empty flattery, but it wasn’t.
“No matter how well our interests aligned, we couldn’t have received this level of leniency without proper justification. The recording you submitted provided that justification.”
A reduced sentence for practical reasons required justification. Without it, there could have been backlash.
Apparently, the recording I had submitted had supplied exactly that.
“If you ever need help, please contact us anytime. Even if it’s not urgent, we’ll come visit occasionally. It’s a bit far, but it’s not impossible if we make up our minds.”
“You said you’re departing for the Demon Realm Defense Force the day after tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, actually.”
It was Lieutenant Sigurd who answered.
“You’re leaving quite suddenly.”
“We’re being sent there by force, so we have no choice. Ah, Counselor.”
Berian pulled out a small bundle.
“Please accept this.”
“No, what is all this…?”
“Dalmon, Sigurd, and I each contributed a little.”
Inside the bundle were gold coins. At a glance, there were dozens of them.
“You once mentioned dreaming of expanding the counseling office to create a world where no one suffers from mental anguish.”
“……I did.”
“Whether it’s for expanding the office or developing new medicines, please use it wherever it’s needed.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I accepted the bundle.
“There’s no reason to refuse money that’s being given.”
Money itself shouldn’t be the goal, but running a counseling office required considerable funds. Even with the recent increase in clients, the budget remained tight.
So I didn’t refuse the offered money.
“Thank you, Berian, Sir Dalmon, Lieutenant Sigurd.”
I met each of their eyes in turn and expressed my gratitude.
Then I handed them the medicines each of them needed.
“Here are the medicines. The instructions are written on the enclosed note. Adjust the dosage as you monitor your condition. If you’re unsure, send me a message via the communication orb. I’ll reply as quickly as possible. And…”
I looked at each of their faces.
“I hope you all take care of yourselves.”
It was spoken from the heart.
And none of them answered.
In the silence, I caught the faint scent of guilt. It clung to the three of them like body odor.
“Rather than living well… we’ll have to live atoning.”
It was Lieutenant Sigurd who broke the silence.
Sir Dalmon lowered his head deeply at those words.
“We’ll be going now. Please take care of yourself as well, Counselor.”
“Travel safely.”
I watched the three of them leave.
Thanks to Berian’s quick thinking, their sentences had been reduced.
But that didn’t erase the fundamental nature of their crimes. Nor did it erase their punishment.
Though everything had been resolved on the surface, they would carry the sentences they imposed upon themselves in their own hearts.
I sincerely hoped they would endure that punishment well.
* * *
A considerable amount of time passed after that.
Thud, thud, thud……
The counseling office was filled with noise these days—because of the construction.
Using the gold coins I had received from Berian, I had begun expanding the office.
“I’m building a ward where patients can be hospitalized.”
Currently, the office only handled outpatient treatment. There had been neither the staff nor the space for inpatient care.
But with this new space, patients who needed hospitalization could stay for extended observation and treatment.
There had been several clients I hadn’t been able to treat properly due to lack of facilities.
“That won’t happen anymore.”
I gazed out the window at the construction site.
A smile was about to form when Erisa looked at me and spoke coldly.
“Counselor, that’s an addiction.”
“What addiction?”
“Expansion addiction.”
“I expand when I get money. What’s addictive about that?”
“Not when you get money—every time you get money.”
“That’s……”
I had no comeback.
Then, as the construction neared completion and the ward began to take shape……
I thought of Berian. Of Sir Dalmon and Lieutenant Sigurd as well.
“……No word from them.”
Before leaving, Berian had clearly said he would visit the office from time to time.
Perhaps that had been an empty promise.
Still, one would think he might at least send a letter. But there had been no contact at all.
Not even a letter asking about medication dosages or adjustments.
“I wonder if they’re still alive.”
Dark thoughts crept in unbidden.
Perhaps they had been killed fighting demonic beasts in the Demon Realm.
Or perhaps… they had taken their own lives, unable to bear the guilt and depression.
“Counselor, have you seen this?”
Just then, Erisa suddenly held out a newspaper.
It was from Today’s Mage.
I didn’t particularly like Today’s Mage. It prioritized entertainment over objectivity and only covered events within the magical community.
Yet on its pages were familiar faces.
Faces that were familiar—and welcome.
“Berian? Sir Dalmon’s there too.”
“Right? The ones you counseled back then.”
“Yeah. Oh, Lieutenant Sigurd too……?”
I looked more closely at the black-and-white photograph of the three.
It appeared to be a combat scene. Berian, Sir Dalmon, and Lieutenant Sigurd were fighting together against a demonic beast that had crossed from the Demon Realm.
Most striking of all was the sheer scale of the flames erupting from Berian’s fingertips.
Berian the Mage, Who Opened a New Horizon for Flame Magic.
The flames were so tall and majestic they could have been mistaken for a fortress wall. The photograph vividly captured demonic beasts being reduced to nothing upon contact with the fire, and the article lavished praise on Berian’s magical prowess.
I was still reading when Erisa pointed to a section of the paper.
“It looks like the counseling office was mentioned too.”
In the section she indicated was an interview with Berian.
—Those who know already know, but I once suffered from pyrophobia. The place I visited to treat that phobia was none other than Kain Mental Health Counseling Office.
—A mental health counseling office? That’s unfamiliar. What kind of place is it?
—It’s exactly what it sounds like—a place that solves mental problems. Whether it’s unexplained melancholy, anger, or anxiety, they resolve these issues with astonishing ease.
—Did you treat your pyrophobia there, Mage Berian?
—Yes. Thanks to Counselor Kain’s kind and thorough treatment, I was able to overcome my pyrophobia. After the treatment, my flame magic’s power even increased. The fact that I’m now called a “Hero of the Border” and can establish a private academy to train mages… it’s all thanks to Counselor Kain.
……Berian’s praise for our office was so effusive that “extreme” didn’t even begin to cover it.
“No wonder we’ve had so many clients lately……”
“Last time someone even asked if this was a magic academy. Is it because of this?”
“Probably.”
As the number of clients increased, so did the number of “problem cases.”
Just as Erisa had said, there were people who insisted this was a magic academy and caused trouble.
“Shouldn’t we hire some staff? It’s getting to the point where you can’t handle it alone, Counselor. Even just a receptionist……”
“We don’t have the money to hire anyone. Or the people.”
Once the office grew further and the inpatient ward was completed, we would need to hire more staff.
“We’ll think about that when the time comes……”
I returned my attention to the newspaper.
Alongside the article about Berian, there were pieces covering general news from the western Demon Realm Defense Force. And among them were photographs of familiar faces.
“Meanwhile, the number of orc citizens defecting to the kingdom across the Demon Realm is referred to as the defection rate. This month, the western Demon Realm Defense Force recorded the highest defection rate among all military units nationwide……”
The article was accompanied by a photograph of Sir Dalmon standing with orc citizens who had defected.
“Lieutenant Sigurd of the western Demon Realm Defense Force was selected as an outstanding officer. The outstanding officer is chosen by vote among the soldiers under their command, and recipients are awarded a monetary bonus……”
There was a photograph of Lieutenant Sigurd standing awkwardly among smiling subordinates, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“Mage Berian has established a magic academy and is focusing on training mages specializing in flame magic.”
The accompanying photograph showed Berian with his arm around students in front of the academy.
Most striking of all was the name of the academy.
Zubik Academy……
Below the photograph, Berian’s interview continued.
—I don’t know if Counselor Kain will see this newspaper, but I’d like to say hello. I’m sorry I said I would visit but never even sent a letter. I’ve been busy with this and that—hunting demonic beasts, teaching the kids at the academy…… Sigurd and Dalmon have been busy with their own duties as well. But you don’t need to worry.
It was as if I could hear Berian’s voice in my ears.
—We’re doing well.
On the final page of the newspaper was a photograph of the three of them together.
It showed them celebrating their victory after eliminating every demonic beast that had crossed the border.
I stared for a long time at their brightened expressions in the photograph.