The Taste of Harmony
Rimer rose with unhurried composure and brushed the dust from his clothes. Then he dropped to one knee, drove his fist into the floor, and bowed his head.
"Leader of the Light Wind Squad. I receive the Family Head's command."
A solemn aura unfurled from that low voice and flared across his shoulders. A mighty pressure no one could have imagined belonging to a man who'd just been smacked around for clowning about spread in concentric rings, filling the Audience Chamber.
Seriousness settled into those green eyes that were always dancing with mischief — yet Glenn and Dokoe showed not the faintest surprise. They accepted it as naturally as if this were simply who he had always been.
"The mission hasn't been confirmed yet."
"Aigoo, you should've said that sooner! Putting on a serious face is such a pain!"
Rimer heaved a long sigh and stood back up. Muttering that the wind had gone out of his sails, he scratched his head.
"Hrm."
Glenn's brow furrowed. His fingers tapped against the armrest, as if he were weighing whether or not to call down a bolt of lightning.
"What kind of mission is this, that you'd mention it before it's even been decided?"
"Do you know of the Gazelle River — the one that borders the Rable River?"
"Of course I do. That's where the Chungru Tribe lives."
Rimer nodded. The Gazelle River sat at the far edge of Zieghart territory, home to the Chungru, one of the demi-human races.
"I stayed in Doran Village beside the river for a while. Quiet and restful, like a forest."
The people had been warm, and the atmosphere as still and gentle as the woods of his homeland. The memory of that rest rose unbidden.
"It's a fine place. There's a peculiar charm just in watching the Chungru Tribe at play in those clear waters."
Dokoe offered a faint smile, as if he too had been there.
"Right. The Chungru are kind of like cats — they're fun to watch."
Rimer nodded in agreement.
"Those same Chungru, I'm told, have been attacking people."
"What?"
The smile vanished from Rimer's face. His mouth fell open.
"Th-that can't be right..."
The Chungru lived only in the water and along its banks. At the sight of a person or a boat, they hid. They were a timid people. Despite possessing considerable martial strength, they never displayed it — beings almost like sages. That they would attack humans was simply beyond belief.
"Who did they attack?"
"The fishermen of Doran Village, apparently."
"Hah..."
Rimer scratched his chin. Doran Village was the only settlement that shared a symbiotic relationship with the Chungru. That they would turn on those people was even harder to accept.
"They didn't harm a Chungru child, did they? I've never heard of that tribe striking first."
Dokoe tilted his head, equally puzzled.
"The Biyeon Assembly is gathering information, but there's been no such report. They were passing through the Gazelle River as usual when they were suddenly attacked, and the boat was half-destroyed."
Glenn waved a hand, slow and dismissive.
"I've seen the Chungru myself. The moment they laid eyes on me, they fled. Not a shred of aggression — only a little curiosity."
"Exactly! They're incredibly innocent..."
"We don't know that. The Chungru never leave the water, so little has been uncovered about them. What nature they truly possess remains unknown."
"That's true..."
Rimer nodded. Glenn was right — precious little was known about the Chungru. What he himself had seen was only one face of them.
"The Biyeon Assembly will issue the mission once they've gathered sufficient intelligence, so you'll have a little time. Use it to prepare for departure."
"Understood. But..."
Rimer wet his lips and met Glenn's eyes.
"What exactly is the mission? Are we to restrain the Chungru, drive them out, or..."
He let the sentence hang, unfinished.
"Fundamentally, you are to find the cause of the Chungru's violence and restrain them. If that proves impossible, they will have to be dealt with."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
Glenn nodded without the slightest hesitation, his voice cold and even.
"Understood."
Despite the reasonably good impression he held of the Chungru, Rimer offered no argument. He accepted the order as given. Only his eyes had sunk far deeper than usual.
"Rimer."
Glenn called his name in a voice that had shifted, slightly lighter.
"Will you quit gambling now?"
"..."
Rimer did not answer. He lowered his gaze.
"You couldn't do it yourself, but your disciple has. Isn't it time to let it go?"
"Hrm."
He glanced toward Dokoe, a faint smile touching his lips.
"The Family Head has a point. What that kid wanted was to see someone complete the Three Pledges against that old geezer for the first time."
At those words, Dokoe's red eyes trembled — quiet ripples on a windblown lake.
"I suppose I can gamble for fun from now on. Still have to save up some money, though."
Rimer chuckled and rolled his shoulders.
"Rimer. Lingering attachments are meant to be let go — allowed to drift away as they are. Clinging to someone else's in their place is both exhausting and foolish."
Glenn's voice hung in the air, more hollow than usual.
"I see it differently."
Rimer shook his head.
"I believe lingering attachments are meant to be grasped. Those of the dead, yes — but especially those of the living."
He wiped away the bitterness he'd shown only a moment before, and the sly grin returned.
"I believe the Family Head's lingering attachment must be fulfilled."
"Come now! You do. You like Raon so mu— hngk!"
Rimer stamped out a desperate footwork sequence, barely slipping the lightning that flashed from Glenn's hand.
"Wagging that tongue again, I see. You must be feeling well enough. Shall we begin in earnest?"
"I-I have a mission to prepare for, so I'll be going now!"
He kicked the Audience Chamber doors open and bolted as if fleeing for his life.
"What was that just now about Raon?"
"None of your concern. It was nonsense."
Glenn shook his head quickly, as if to forbid even the thought of it.
"Hrm."
Dokoe narrowed his eyes at Glenn, then straightened his posture.
"I shall take my leave as well."
He bowed with formal courtesy and turned.
"Harrein."
Glenn spoke his name just as Dokoe was opening the Audience Chamber doors to go.
"...Thank you."
Dokoe dipped his head, a faint smile on his lips. He looked at Glenn a moment longer, then left the Audience Chamber behind.
"Hah."
Glenn frowned at the doors through which Rimer and Dokoe had gone.
"Those fools. They could live in comfort with no one to blame them for it..."
Raon headed for the commercial district with Yua and Julius. The reason he was going there instead of training was the tenant attached to his bracelet.
"You never keep a promise unless This King brings it up first!"
Wrath sat on his right shoulder with his arms crossed, snorting through his nose.
"When you need This King to work, you talk as if you'd give up your liver and gallbladder — then the moment it's over, you wipe your mouth clean!"
I was going to buy everything anyway.
"Don't make This King laugh! If This King hadn't spoken up, you'd have been standing in front of that mirror like a ghost at dawn, drilling the Illusion Sword!"
Ugh...
Raon let out a groan. Wrath had struck the mark. Ever since receiving Dokoe's advice, he'd done nothing but practice swordsmanship in front of a mirror. He had no defense.
That's why I came out here, isn't it?
To soothe Wrath's temper, he'd come to the commercial district at lunchtime. Yua and Julius happened to have no lessons, so he'd brought them along to lift the mood.
"This is your first time here, right? I'll show you around."
Yua bounced through the commercial district with light, cheerful steps.
"Yua!"
"Yua, you're here! These apples just came in — try one!"
"Yua! The pork is excellent today! It'll be delicious grilled!"
Merchants lining both sides of the street waved her over. Because she came shopping with the maids, everyone recognized her, and every face broke into a wide smile.
"I-I know this place too."
Julius, his pride apparently wounded at being the one who didn't know his way around, put on airs as if he'd been here a hundred times — despite it being his first visit.
"Oh really? Then what's that shop?"
"Huh? I-it's a clothing..."
"Wrong! It's a bakery."
"Ugh..."
Yua's laughter turned Julius's face scarlet.
Complete opposites.
Raon watched the two of them and let out a quiet chuckle. Yua still thought of Julius as nothing more than a friend, while Julius regarded Yua as a rival. Because they saw each other so differently, the whole dynamic was endlessly entertaining.
"They're rather amusing children, in their way."
Wrath snorted a laugh as well, watching them.
Since when do you like kids?
"This King has always taken talented people under his wing. And besides, the pineapple girl is This King's third maid, is she not? Talent aside, of course she must be looked after."
He still called Yua his maid. The looking-after and the fondness seemed genuine enough — though of course he never actually did anything for her.
Then why do you treat me like this?
"You. Bastard. Stole. Everything. That belonged to This King!"
Wrath surged with rage and frost, as if he might explode on the spot. His energy poured through the mana circuits in a flooding tide.
"Was that a provocation just now? This King will not tolerate such things!"
"Raon! We're here!"
Yua waved from in front of the bead ice cream shop.
"Hm?"
Raon hadn't moved, bracing himself to block Wrath's assault — but the rage and frost Wrath had raised drained from his body like a receding tide, gone in an instant.
"What are you doing? Get in there, quickly!"
Wrath had already forgotten he'd been angry. He stuck out his tongue like a puppy, urging Raon to hurry up and eat ice cream.
What a magnificent Demon King you are...
Raon shook his head and stepped into the ice cream shop.
"You two pick whatever you want."
"Okay!"
"May I truly have one as well? I have already received so much kindness..."
"It's fine. Pick some for the people at the Annex while you're at it."
Raon cut off Julius's tightly wound formality with a smile.
And you... hm?
He was about to ask Wrath to pick a flavor when a thoroughly familiar back of a head appeared in the display window.
"Runaan?"
"Hm?"
The silver-haired young woman who'd had her face pressed right up against the glass whipped her head around. It was Runaan, as expected.
"What are you doing here... ah."
Never mind. That was a pointless question. It was on the same level as asking why a cat was lingering in front of a fishmonger's stall.
"I was looking."
Her vacant eyes were full of longing.
"Looking?"
Raon tilted his head. He couldn't understand why someone who could buy the entire shop if she felt like it was standing there agonizing over it.
"Mom said I can only have one a day."
She hung her head as she said it. Tears looked ready to drip from those violet eyes at any moment.
"Well... want to pick one too?"
"I can't. I promised Mom..."
Runaan shook her head. Full of longing, and still keeping her promise — that was Runaan through and through.
"Then we'll have some later."
"Okay..."
Leaving Runaan nodding quietly behind him, Raon walked to the display counter.
What'll it be for you?
"Hrm. This King has thought so before, but this ice cream shop has far too few varieties."
Can't be helped.
Zieghart was cold year-round. Even though most of the residents trained in martial arts and were resistant to the chill, they still preferred warm food over ice cream, so the shop was bound to be small.
"First, This King shall fill one box with mint chocolate."
A whole box of mint chocolate...
Raon pressed his lips together. Just imagining eating that much of it made his head start to ache.
"No — perhaps two boxes? Let This King think a moment... hm?"
Wrath narrowed his eyes at a flyer stuck to the wall.
"What is that?"
He pointed at a poster depicting ice cream sandwiched between bread, like a sandwich.
I don't know either.
Raon turned and called the shopkeeper over.
"What's that?"
"A new product I created."
The mustached shopkeeper standing at the counter nodded.
"You made it?"
"Business has been slow lately, so I improvised and tried something."
He scratched his cheek, looking a little embarrassed.
"It's ice cream tucked between slices of castella sponge, made extra soft with plenty of milk. We call it a Bead Ice Cream Sandwich."
"An ice cream sandwich..."
Raon licked his lips. Eating bread and ice cream together — if that wasn't innovative, he didn't know what was.
"Hey! What are you doing? Order it this instant! This instant!"
Wrath's eyes blazed like a dog that had spotted food, and he pounded Raon's wrist with his cotton-ball fists.
"Could I get one of those?"
"Which flavor would you like?"
"Cookies and cream, please."
"Me too!"
"M-mine as well, the same as Raon's, if you would."
Yua and Julius both raised their hands, wanting sandwiches of their own.
"Uh..."
Raon glanced back at Runaan, who was standing there in a daze, and held up four fingers.
"Four, please."
"Yes sir! Four cookies-and-cream sandwiches, coming up!"
The shopkeeper smiled and disappeared into the back.
"You brat! It should have been mint chocolate!"
Ah, right. Should I change it now?
"Never mind. This King can simply order the mint chocolate as well."
Wrath licked his lips, apparently intending to try everything, as he stared at the ice cream.
"Here you are."
They must have been prepared in advance, because it didn't take long at all.
"Here, Runaan."
Raon handed her a sandwich first.
"Hm? I..."
"This isn't bead ice cream — it's a sandwich. That should be all right, shouldn't it?"
"Ah!"
Runaan's mouth loosened into a smile. It was the first time he'd ever seen her smile like that.
"Okay! Thank you."
She bowed her head and took the ice cream sandwich. She turned it this way and that, as if admiring its shape, and let out a tiny laugh.
Raon handed sandwiches to Yua and Julius as well, then claimed the last one for himself.
"So this is a sandwich..."
Cookies and cream nestled between slices of castella as thin and fluffy as cotton. His mouth watered at the sight. It was even round, like the bead ice cream itself — almost too pretty to eat.
"There is no time for admiration! Eat it, quickly!"
You're no gourmet, that's for sure.
A true gourmet usually lingered over a dish's appearance. He'd never seen Wrath do anything of the sort. This one was a glutton, through and through — quantity was all that mattered.
Raon shook his head and bit into the sandwich.
"Oh."
A gasp of wonder escaped him on its own. The castella wrapping the ice cream above and below dissolved as softly as water-soaked paper, creating a cloudlike texture, while the ice cream sank between the layers and coiled around his tongue in sweetness and crunch. The unexpected harmony of flavors drew a smile from him.
"W-wait..."
Wrath's eyes flew wide.
"To have lived thousands of years without knowing this taste — This King's entire life has been a loss!"
He muttered something strange, then mumbled the word divine. A complete madman, no two ways about it.
"The flavors of both ingredients are one thing — but their flaws have vanished. This is a perfect food!"
Wrath trembled as if he were on the verge of fainting.
Flaws?
"The ice cream catches the castella's dryness, and the castella's softness tempers the ice cream's excessive cold and hardness. This is a perfect food!"
Harmony and support...
Raon stared blankly at the half-eaten sandwich.
"Every ingredient has its strengths and its flaws. This is the finest of foods — one that uses those strengths to kill the flaws. This King could eat nothing else for the rest of his life!"
So each one's strengths can cancel out the other's weaknesses.
"If you've understood, stop mumbling and eat the rest! This King can bear it no longer!"
Wrath swayed and danced in place.
Raon nodded and put the rest of the ice cream sandwich in his mouth. Hearing Wrath's explanation, he could clearly taste how each ingredient's strengths were killing the other's flaws.
"Nnghhh! It's killing This King! Now order a mint chocolate sandwich! This King's hands are shaking with anticipation!"
Wrath was trembling all over, truly drowning in expectation.
Harmony...
But Raon wasn't listening. He stared at the ice cream sandwich flyer, murmuring the word harmony under his breath.
I might be able to create a harmony of swordsmanship this same way...
"What are you doing?"
If I fill in the Illusion Sword's slow activation with the shock generated by the Sound Sword...
"Raon Zieghart?"
"Hey! Hey, you!"
Wrath pounded on Raon's forearm and shoulder, but Raon didn't react.
"Eating one delicious thing and then falling into a trance — what kind of torture is this?!"
Wrath shrieked, but Raon's pupils only grew more unfocused, drifting further and further away.
"You devil of a brat!"
"This is..."
Raon blinked.
"What?"
His room in the Annex. He'd been eating an ice cream sandwich at the shop — and somehow he was back in his room.
"What do you mean, what? You went insane!"
Wrath's voice, thick with fury, rang from his shoulder.
"Huh?"
"You stuffed your face with an ice cream sandwich and fell into a trance! You sword-through-the-skull lunatic!"
"Ah."
Raon let out a small laugh. At those words, he remembered — he'd been eating the sandwich when he'd sunk into thoughts of harmonizing the principles of two sword techniques.
"You're laughing? You think this is funny?"
Wrath ground his teeth and shoved his face in close. His round eyes bubbled like boiling water.
"You said you'd buy everything, and This King got a single sandwich! And it wasn't even mint chocolate — it was cookies and cream! Cookies and cream!"
"It was still delicious, though, right?"
"That's... well, yes, but!"
Wrath's eyes darted away.
"Regardless, you have yet to keep your promise to buy This King an ice cream set! Don't you dare try to wriggle out of it later — remember it clearly!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Raon nodded slowly.
"Did I at least pay?"
"Even in that state, you bought the ice cream girl's, the children's, and even the maids' sandwiches before coming back! The only one you didn't take care of was This King! Nnghh!"
Wrath pounded his chest as if his indignation might burst it open.
"There is truly not a single thing about you that This King finds agreeable! This King so wanted to try a mint chocolate sandwich!"
"Sorry. We'll go again tomorrow."
Raon smiled faintly and patted Wrath on the back.
"Do you take This King for a fool? This King will never fall for your sweet talk!"
Wrath whipped his head away, as if he genuinely refused to believe a word of it.
"This time I mean it."
"Hrm..."
Wrath rolled his round eyes, as if he'd already forgotten what he'd said a second ago. A Demon King this pure in the face of food — it was almost wondrous at this point.
"This King does not believe you."
"You gave me a hint that saved me a lot of time."
Raon tapped his scabbard and smiled.
"A hint? This King did nothing but curse you. Lunatic, blockhead, you-deserve-to-die-by-the-sword..."
Wrath recited the insults he'd piled on and tilted his head, puzzled.
"What you said before that helped. About canceling out each other's weaknesses."
Raon stepped in front of the full-length mirror he'd brought in for training. He met his own gleaming red eyes and grinned.