Chapter 200: Book 15(2)
Chapter 200: Book 15(2)
There was no problem. At a glance, it truly seemed as if nothing was wrong.
However, when shady people—especially politicians—say such things, the credibility of their words converges to zero.
If they remain silent for ages and then suddenly blurt out such a statement out of the blue, anyone would be suspicious.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a few specific individuals staying quiet; an entire nation had been silent before reacting this way, which signaled that something unusual was afoot.
Animus had been founded three hundred years ago through the heroic exploits of Hik, but it hadn't made any significant moves since then.
While part of that might have been to solidify their internal affairs, centuries had passed, not just decades. It was time for them to look outward.
If they were preparing for war while avoiding the public eye, it would be a bolt from the blue for other nations. Naturally, they had no choice but to rush their personnel to the scene.
[Is there truly nothing happening? The Minerva Empire, the Kingdom of Ters, and many other nations have sent delegations to Animus...]
[Historically, when a civilization is established, culture naturally flourishes. Politics is no different, and Animus is likely undergoing that very phenomenon.]
[War is an extension of politics. We must prevent their gaze from turning outward.]
At Animus's single claim that "there is no problem," the world was thrown into an uproar once again. If political turmoil was indeed brewing within Animus, other nations had every reason to be on guard.
Humans, in particular, had a history of massacring the beastkin on a racial scale during the Race War, so they had to be cautious. We lived in an era where wars were waged on the flimsiest of pretexts, after all.
This meant they had to uncover the internal situation by any means necessary to prepare. One could say they were facing a rather tense situation.
The simple fact that there had been no reaction following the release of Volume 15 of the Xenon Chronicle began to snowball, growing larger and larger.
[Was the Grand Chieftain murdered due to political issues, just like the story in the Xenon Chronicle?]
[Concerns are becoming reality. Did Xenon perhaps foresee even this?]
[Animus has shown no significant movement since its founding. Given the bellicose nature of the beastkin, this cannot be ignored.]
While various predictions were being poured out, eyes naturally turned toward me as well. The general consensus was as follows:
Just like in the Xenon Chronicle, a beastkin who had been discarded after outliving his usefulness due to political reasons returned and challenged the Grand Chieftain to a Holmgang. As a result, the position of Grand Chieftain became vacant, and the nation was now suffering from internal chaos.
In truth, while traditions and culture serve as important mediums for uniting a race, the beastkin's ways could be considered somewhat barbaric.
The 'Holmgang' was a custom where, depending on the outcome, one could seize everything from the opponent—even their life. This might have been fine when they were scattered into tribes, but in the context of an established nation, it birthed numerous problems.
If someone were to challenge the Grand Chieftain—the King—to a Holmgang and emerge victorious, as in the Xenon Chronicle, the subsequent impact could not be ignored. If the pillars of the state were shaken so frequently, the nation would eventually scatter to the winds.
[Will they abandon tradition and culture for the sake of the state? Or will they maintain them to the end and eventually return to their original ways?]
[The beastkin hold the Holmgang sacred, believing that Hirt, the Goddess of Nature and Creation, watches over it.]
[Maintaining culture and tradition is well and good. However, as seen with the Senate of Albenheim, stubborn adherence to tradition eventually leads to obsolescence.]
As a result, people began to think deeply about tradition and culture once more.
Should one maintain tradition and culture to lead a stable life? Or should one move forward by appropriately resolving the irrationality and inequality embedded within those traditions?
Coincidentally, Albenheim and the elves served as a perfect example, and many scholars presented their opinions based on this. It triggered another social phenomenon, much like the Half-blood Incident.
"What is this now?"
I couldn't hide my bewilderment as I read the newspaper articles. I wondered why things had been so quiet, but it turned out they were just busy running wild with their own theories.
The delegations dispatched to Animus hadn't even returned yet, but people had already concluded that there was a problem. And they were basing it entirely on the contents of the Xenon Chronicle.
In the past, I would have been driven up the wall, but now I could just laugh it off. I was practically in a state of half-resignation.
'Should I ask Leona?'
I wanted to ask Leona, who was closely related to this situation, if there really was a problem in Animus.
She took great pride in being part of the Lion Clan. Yet, she had suppressed that pride to enroll in Halo Academy.
I thought deeply about Leona for a moment before folding the newspaper and standing up. Interfering needlessly might draw suspicion, so staying quiet was the best course of action for now.
'For now...'
Maybe I should go grab some lunch. I was currently in the laboratory.
Elena had stepped out for a moment to consult with another professor, and Cindy was sprawled out on the sofa opposite me, fast asleep.
It seemed that even after earning her degree, the exhaustion remained; the dark circles under Cindy's eyes looked even deeper than before.
It would be a pity to wake her, so I figured it would be best to handle lunch on my own.
Creeeeak—
I carefully opened the door and stepped out of the lab, making sure not to wake Cindy. And then...
"...Oh? Cherry?"
"Ah, hello..."
I ran right into Cherry, who was waiting outside the door. I recognized her immediately by her pink hair, reminiscent of cherry blossoms, and her completely lifeless eyes.
I blinked in confusion at the sight of her waiting in front of the lab.
Checking the time, it was indeed around the hour when classes ended. However, the fact that she was waiting exactly at the moment I stepped out was a bit strange.
"Did you have some business with me?"
"No. I... I mean, I wanted to have lunch with Assistant Instructor Isaac..."
"With me?"
"Yes. You usually go to eat around 12:30, don't you? So I waited as soon as my class was over."
"... ..."
What was this? This sudden chill. I flinched as Cherry spoke with a slight curl to her lips.
In truth, this wasn't the first or second time Cherry had waited for me in front of the lab. But this was the first time she had mentioned my daily routine.
Was she really going to turn into a stalker? Considering Cherry's unstable mental state, it wasn't entirely impossible.
"...Hm?"
The goosebumps on my arms were only momentary as I noticed the papers she was clutching dearly. I had been so distracted by her face and eyes that I only noticed them now.
It wasn't the torn, footprint-covered paper from before; it was a very clean manuscript, likely rewritten. It seemed she had gone through the revisions as I had suggested.
I pointed at the papers and spoke.
"Cherry. Is that the revised version?"
"Yes... I wanted to show it to you today... Hehe."
She smiled shyly, and while she was truly beautiful, her dead eyes created a murky, somber atmosphere.
Still, compared to when she moved as stiffly as a doll, she looked significantly better. Back then, she had truly looked like a living corpse.
I smiled at the sight of Cherry gradually regaining her vitality and decided to have lunch with her.
I could check the manuscript while we were at it, so there shouldn't be any problem.
"Alright. Since it's come to this, let's go grab lunch together. I can check it after we eat."
"Yes... Thank you."
"If you're thankful, buy me a meal sometime."
I said it as a joke, but I intended to pay for everything.
Shouldn't I do at least this much for a budding dream that had been crushed beyond recovery but was finally starting to sprout again?
Cherry blinked slowly at my joke, then curled her lips and whispered quietly.
"...I could give you something better than a meal instead."
"What?"
"I can give you something better than a meal."
"Really? What is it?"
At my question, she maintained her smile and answered in her characteristic gloomy voice.
"I'll give it to you someday. It will be very delicious."
"Um... okay."
As soon as I heard that answer, my gaze drifted toward Cherry's chest. Despite being hidden by her school uniform, she had a large bust that could rival Cecile's.
Surely she wasn't referring to herself as a dessert or something, like Cecile does? I wondered if I had a dirty mind, as my thoughts kept drifting in that direction.
Of course, Cherry wasn't as provocative as Mari or Cecile, so there was almost no chance of that. She probably meant she'd give me something that literally tasted better than a meal.
'...My mind is full of wicked delusions.'
What was I thinking about a girl whose mental state was already unstable? I shook my head from side to side.
Like Adelia, Cherry was someone whose dreams and hopes had been torn to shreds by an unfortunate family environment and was only just managing to recover.
To have such strange thoughts about such a child was something I, as a colleague and senior, should never do.
"I'll look forward to it. Are you making it yourself?"
"...Yes."
"Can you tell me a little bit about what it is?"
"It's hard to explain, but..."
Cherry trailed off, then gave a faint, shy smile before speaking.
"It will definitely smell like cherry blossoms."
"Cherry blossoms... that's unique."
Given the scent of cherry blossoms, she likely intended to give me food that reminded me of her. It was sweet of her, and above all, quite cute.
I looked forward to the food Cherry would one day gift me as we walked together. First, we had to handle lunch...
"...Cherry?"
"Yes?"
"Phew... never mind."
Cherry was walking while holding onto my long hair. Since she was following me like this, it was only natural that people around us were staring.
In fact, this wasn't the first time Cherry had grabbed my hair. She had done this when we first met, and she continued to grab it every time she saw me.
I had scolded her sternly once because of this, but she only tilted her head, showing no sign of fixing the habit(?). In the end, I had more or less given up.
"Do you like my hair that much?"
"Yes... it's soft... and red... and it smells good... and it's delicious."
"What?"
What was that supposed to mean? Startled, I turned to look at Cherry.
But Cherry just tilted her head and blinked slowly, as if wondering why I was looking at her.
"What is it?"
"...Nothing."
I probably misheard "cool" as "delicious." I headed toward the cafeteria, a lingering sense of unease in my heart.
"Mmm..."
Leaving behind the strange sound coming from behind me.
*
Exactly three days later.
[The Grand Chieftain of Animus has been murdered! Just like in the book, a member of the Tiger Clan, dissatisfied with policy, challenged him to a Holmgang...]
[Since then, Animus has been a whirlpool of chaos. Holmgangs are being declared indiscriminately against one another...]
[The foundations of the state are being violently shaken.]
"Ah. Fuck. Again?"
There was never a dull moment.