Dear Seika. Would you like some tea?　Uh-huh.

Master Seika. You're here? Would you like to have a word with me?

Seika-sama?　Where are you located?　Seika-sama........


****


Huh....

　I leaned back against the barn wall and sighed.
　It's a dead zone from the house, and the sun doesn't shine on it, so it's cool.

　After that day, Fiona seemed to have taken a liking to me quite a bit, and I had been following her around.
　Just when I decided to stay out of it.... I shouldn't have been so nice to her, should I?

　But today is the last day of those days.
　Tomorrow is the day of our departure.
　After I send her back to the imperial capital, I won't have anything more to do with Fiona.

　As I was thinking this, a figure passed by nearby.

''Whoa, Seika!　What are you doing over there...

　Amu noticed me and was surprised to see that I had a mock sword in my hand.

　He has a mock sword in his hand and seems to be sweating a little.
　He has a mock sword in his hand and is sweating a little.

"You too," he asks, "have you been practicing? Have you been practicing?
It's just. Your brother used to keep me company.
'What?　What's your brother, Glei?
Of course you do.
How could it be...?
Because ... because of ... the way it happened?　I came outside in the morning and found him in the yard waving his sword.
'Heh...'

　He swings his sword at night and swings it in the morning too? He's really dedicated.
　The thing is, he's just trying to beat me to a pulp.

　But I'm going to ask you something.

"Are you okay?　Be careful, okay? He's probably going to have an ulterior motive.　Did they touch you in any way?
'What?　That's a weird question. No, not really. It was just a mock battle.

　Amu sighs with a huff.

I'm not going to be able to win at all, though.

　I don't want you to think of me as a brother to that one.
　
　She has become more diligent, caring, and competent.
　She became unusually hostile toward me, and, come to think of it, she also became a misogynist, and so on, as usual there are some strange things about her.

　On the other hand, however.
　On the other hand, however, a different thought has flashed through my mind.

　Why (..........) can't Amu win (........)?

　She's a brave girl. There is no doubt that she has talent.
　It doesn't seem that Glei is too strong.
　If you think about it normally........Amu is weak. At least, at this stage. It is far less than the strength spoken of in legends, let alone in the public eye.
　Even though he will soon be fifteen in age. Why in the world....

　And then, to me who is silent, Amu opens his mouth as if he was dumbfounded.

You're still thinking. I'm sure you're the one who was doing it. In the shade of a storeroom like this.
I was hiding from His Highness.
'Uh....'

　I interrupt my thoughts to answer, and Amu sounds like he understands.

'You've been much liked, haven't you?
I'm hoping you'll give me a break, because I'm dead awful at dealing with the big boys.
Yeah?　You weren't used to that?　Well, but ... no one who's going to be an adventurer is going to be good at that.

　Amu chuckles, then slackens his tone a bit and says

'But ... today is the last time, okay?　We have to leave tomorrow.
....
Why don't you at least give her a chance to talk to you at the end?
...Amu.
'I saw you just now, by the window of the mansion, moving your chess pieces by yourself. She looked so sad. That's all I have to say to you. Bye.

　I sighed, looking at the back of Amu as he left.

　Well, let's see, let's go.
　Besides.........it might be good to have a chat.


****


In this world, too, there were games of warfare, such as chess, xiangqi and chess, in which two people moved pieces that resembled soldiers.

　At the window of the second floor of the Lamploog residence.
　Looking down at the chess board placed on the table, Fiona moved the "infantry" piece forward alone.
　There is no one on the other side. The move on the other side also seemed to be advanced by Fiona.

''Don't you have someone to ask for an opponent?''

　As I spoke to her, Fiona looked up and smiled at me.

"No one will sit in front of me anymore," she said, "because I'm no match for you. I'm not a good match for you," she said. Seika-sama, do you understand the game?
I can at least move the pieces.
Then you can do it.

　Then Fiona returns the pieces to their initial position on the board.
　I sit down in front of Fiona and say with a reluctant expression on my face, "I don't see why anyone would want to play with Your Highness.

"If no one else can play with Your Highness, how can I, a novice, play with him?
Uh-huh. Of course I'll drop your piece for you.

　And then Fiona removes the pieces from her own board.
　She even dropped powerful pieces such as 'sorcerer', 'sage'.......not only that, but 'dragon knight' and 'chariot', and in the end, there was only 'infantry', 'knights' and her own 'king' on Fiona's board.

　Since you can't use the pieces you take in war chess, I can win just by exchanging pieces one-by-one.
'Mm-hmm, that's true, in theory. However, the condition for victory in the game is not that the opponent is annihilated, but it's interesting to know that you can use the pieces you have taken. It might be a good idea to add a rule like that....

　As you said, I move one of the "infantry" pieces forward.
　Then I murmured quietly.

I'm sure that since you're going to concede, the first to attack is probably more advantageous.............are you sure?　I'm not good enough to go easy on you, so you'll really win.
Mmm-hmm. If you can. If you can, then yes. If you insist, would you like to bet?
"Bet?
'Yes. The loser listens to one thing the winner says.
I bet it's pretty tight!
'Uh-huh. Of course, it's just for fun, so if it's a matter that's impossible for you to handle, you can refuse it. What do you think?
...Okay. Good.
''Hmmm, I've taken Seika-sama's word for it.
I'm scared.
For the record, I'm going to win.

　Fiona says in a good mood as she moves her own "knight".

''It may seem surprising, but even with this, I'm quite strong.
No I'm not surprised.

　I said, "I suppose this kind of tactical thinking is important in government.

He says, "I suppose this kind of tactical thinking is also important for government.
Well. It's called overpaying.

　Fiona moves 'The King'.

'This is just a hobby. ''This is just a hobby,'' she said, ''because when there was no freedom, entertainment was limited. Besides ... my battlefield is not such a bloody place.
'Then where is it? What is the political battlefield?
Mmmmm...

　Instead of answering my question, Fiona smiles as she moves forward with her piece.

"Seika-sama. What would you consider to be the most powerful piece in the world?
Well that's not really a war game, is it?
'No, yes. Since you're taking the trouble to point out where it is here, please point out where it is. If it's not there, I don't mind if it's not there.
Okay.

　And I answer, "Yes," and I point to Fiona.

If I were to describe it now, the strongest pawn in the room is me and you, Your Highness Fiona. Not only can you control your soldiers, but you can also control the king, and you can never defeat him on the battlefield. Politicians are the most powerful pawns in the world.
Well. You give a pleasant answer, Lady Seika.

　Fiona smiles radiantly.

''Perhaps an ordinary person would have answered 'dragon knight' or 'king'. It is the kind of answer I was looking for,
Is it right, then?
No one can know the right answer. But I have a different opinion.
Which of the pieces does Your Highness consider to be the most powerful?


　With that, Fiona pointed behind her own camp in a big circle with her finger.
　There was nothing there.
　The top of the table on which the game board was placed just spread out.

There's nothing here right now. "There's nothing here right now, but in reality, there are many people around soldiers, kings and politicians - the people who live in this country.
"The nameless people are the most powerful people in the world?
Yeah.

　Fiona nodded without hesitation.
　But I'm still not convinced.

It is possible for a regime to be toppled by a popular uprising, but that's the exception. Most of the time, the people are powerless and helpless.
Yes, you are right. But still, the people are the strongest.

　Fiona smiles at me, her brow furrowed.

Kings and politicians produce nothing. They just take what the people produce and resources in the name of taxes. In reality, they are more like fleas living as parasites on a beast.
That's quite a mouthful for a woman who's supposed to be a princess.
'Ugh, fleas aren't stupid either. First of all, they have an amazing jumping power.
'I don't want to sound like an idiot.
'And, by sucking blood and transmitting disease, you can torment a host many times larger than yourself. Perhaps, in truth, it is even easier to kill them. As it is to the king, so it is to the people.
....
But, uh-huh. The flea will never be able to kill its host. That option has never existed in the beginning. Because ... it would mean its own destruction at the same time. The flea can't live without its host.
....
Without tax revenues, politicians can't exist. Without logistics, you can't sustain an army. The people are truly our lifeline, our great host. We can't destroy them, never.

　Taking my pieces, Fiona continues, "In addition, they have enormous power.

"In addition, they have enormous power. Overwhelming power in numbers. If they could unite, there's no way they could stand in the face of such a material deficit and the Imperial Guard would be helpless. It would be very difficult to do so, but if they were displeased, it could happen at some point.

　I just listened to Fiona's explanation.

The people are immortal and immensely powerful beasts. The people are immortal and immensely powerful beasts, and once they wake up from their slumber and bare their fangs, there is not a flea in sight. They are the most powerful pawns in the world.

　It was an idea I had never thought of.
　The people of the prehistoric world were nothing but weak people who were robbed by thieves and aristocrats and died of hunger, cold, and epidemic diseases. In Japan, in the Song Dynasty, in Islam and in the West.
　But Fiona's argument has a logic that can be applied even in her previous life.

　Or maybe it's also a national trait.
　In the Urdwight Empire, where there is anecdotal evidence that a hero standing up from the people became the first emperor, there is still a ceremony in the square of the imperial capital where the people approve the new emperor when he succeeds to the throne.
　Even as a ruler, he cannot ignore the people.

　I say, "So, Your Highness...

"Is that why you, Your Highness are so eager to make your presence known to your people?
''Yes. I don't have a king or a dragon knight among my pawns, so I use pieces that no one pays attention to. That's why I use pieces that no one pays attention to. If they are the strongest, all the more so.

　Fiona gives a small laugh there.

I think that this is just a confusing situation right now. But I am sure that in the far future every politician will be beholden to the people. One day, in every country, the people will have the right to rule.
'The people have the right of kingship?　No way.
'Hmmm, is that funny?　It will be natural for the greatest authority to fall into the hands of the most powerful. Like water flowing in a low place, it must come one day. A time when the people elect their own rulers and the people denounce their injustices.

　I look at Fiona, who talks like a dreamy girl, and I think: "After all, this princess is a politician.

　After all, this princess is a politician.

　Even if she doesn't have any backing or real power. Even if she is only a young girl.
　I can see the dynamics and scenery that I can't see, but I can see it in her eyes.

　She opens her mouth quietly.

You can't see that far into the future, even with His Highness's vision of the future.
Oh, my. Grye?

　I nodded and Fiona said in a surprisingly relieved tone.

I must thank you," she says. I've been wondering how to talk to you, Lady Seika.
So it's still true.
Uh-huh.

　Fiona says as she plays with the piece she dropped off the board.

'When I was very young, I did not understand what this power was. The future that I could see and the memories that came with it were all like possibilities that could fade away. One flap of a butterfly's wings can change things. What made me realize the true nature of these daydreams, which sometimes come true and sometimes don't, was the realization that there is a flow of destiny that cannot be changed by the flap of a butterfly's wings, a flow of destiny like a storm. And when I was told who my mother was, I was convinced of this, and at the same time, I realized the meaning of my birth.
The meaning of birth, sir? Is that like having the power of futurism to benefit the Empire?
Mmmmmmmm no, no.

　Fiona tells her with a somewhat fragile smile.

'There is no meaning to human life, Lady Seika.

　Fiona continues when I stop talking to her.

The future is a transient, easily changeable thing. The flow of destiny is only the future that is most probable to be realized. When I realized that life has no predetermined meaning from heaven, I decided to live my life the way I wanted to. I have decided to live my life the way I want to live it, not under house arrest, but rather by my own will, not depending on anyone's thoughts.

　When I was silent, Fiona, who had finished her turn, grinned at me and said, "We're getting outnumbered, aren't we?

It looks like you're getting outnumbered. Would you like to continue, Lady Seika?
''I won't give up until the end. We're still evenly matched in terms of the number of pieces.
Oh, wonderful. But the board is actually packed in seven moves.
By the way, how do you jam it up from here?
''Uh-huh. When this place goes like this....

　Fiona's slender white fingers moved the pieces around.
　It seems that the board was really a dead end, and I let out the words with a heavy breath.

It's a complete defeat. You are really strong, Your Highness.
You don't think it's cunning to be able to see the future?
It's not a power that can be used that conveniently.

　I said, "And even if you could see them, all the positions of the pieces and how to move them are public knowledge in warfare.

He says, "And even if you could see it, the game of warfare is a game in which all the positions of the pieces and how to move them are open to the public. Anyone can predict the future if he or she wants to. Future vision has nothing to do with war games. I think His Highness is definitely strong in this game.
''Hmmm, I'm kind of glad to hear that. When I hear you say so, Seika-sama.

　Fiona smiles at him and says in a good mood, "But if I wanted to, I'd say that I wouldn't be able to do something so unfair.

But if I wanted to be greedy I would have liked you to say that I would never have done something as cowardly as that.
Well, I can't really say that for sure. I can't say for certain that His Highness doesn't have a more sinister side to his personality than he does now.
...Then how can I trust you?

　Suddenly, I stopped talking.
　Although she's smiling, Fiona's tone and facial expression show that she's serious.
　I'm not sure if this is about me personally, but about how to increase the number of allies in the political arena or something like that.
　I guess I was wrong to joke about it at first. While thinking about this, I also formulate a serious tone of voice and say, "In general, though...

I'm not saying that in general, but they say it's good to talk about your true feelings and show your weaknesses.
A weakness for real feelings, huh?
I've heard that you have to trust them first, and then open up to them about yourself. I've heard that if you do that, the other person will naturally open up to you. Of course, this may be difficult for His Highness to do in his position.
'Ummm...'

　Fiona snorted with a reluctant expression.

'Uh, okay. Well ... let's go, shall we?
"...?　Yes.
I'm not very good with pigeons.
Huh?　Doves...?　Why again. Any bad memories?
'No, it's not like that but I'm afraid of it anyway. Especially those eyes. Seika-sama, have you ever seen a pigeon's eyes up close and personal?
Maybe not...
Then you should take a look at it when you get a chance. They have red white eyes and small, round black eyes, and they have the eyes of a freak who can't understand what they're thinking. Of all the animals, the pigeon is the only one with no heart. I think they are almost like insects. I used to cry a lot when I saw a pigeon outside my window.
'It's quite a story. I mean, I've never seen anyone so afraid of pigeons.
Also, I was afraid of stew when I was little.
Stew?　Cooking?　You mean you didn't like it?
'No, I liked it. But I was afraid of it. Especially in winter, eating in a room with a fireplace.
What do you mean...
I once learned that wheat is used in stew.
Yes, sir.
I was young and well-informed, and I knew that bread is made from wheat.
Yes.....
Bread is made by baking wheat. When you eat a stew, you have wheat in your stomach, right?　So ... we figured that if we let it sit over the fireplace, the wheat would swell in our stomachs and turn into bread and overflow out of our mouths.
'Hahahaha!　Huh?　Oh, are you serious?
I'm serious. So when I was a little girl, I'd finish my stew and run off to the cold room at once to cover myself with a blanket, much to the consternation of my attendants.
"Hahahahahahaha!

　I laughed.
　I do laugh, you know.

I'm sorry. His Highness must have been seriously worried about it................
''To make the imperial family a laughing stock, Seika-sama must surely be guilty of a terrible crime. It's sad....
No, no, no!　Any loyalist would laugh at that one!
'Hmmm, I guess so. It feels so good. I have never had anyone laugh at me because of my story before. There's one more thing. This one is not a weakness, but a true feeling.

　Fiona speaks quietly with a gentle smile.

'I ... want to help, if you will,'
Help?
'Suppose a child is playing in a meadow, but there is a big hole near it. But there's a big hole near it and the child doesn't know it. If he doesn't know it, he will fall down and I want to help him. I'm the only one who notices the hole, and this is something only I can do.

　I think for a minute and open my mouth.

"This child is the Empire?

　Fiona only smiled vaguely in response to my question.

I'm sorry, but I can't give you all the details. The future could change in an unexpected way.
You think meeting Amu was part of that?
That's... well, you can take it as you will.
Are all of those things of your highness's own volition?

　I laughed back at Fiona, who nodded firmly this time.

Then I'll support you. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Uh-huh. It's nice to see you.

　After I said it, I realized that I was about to get into something unnecessary again... but it was too late now.
　I'm going to get another little argument from Yuki later. Let's try not to think about it now.

Yeah, I know. I'm not very good with carriages, am I?
The carriage?　I didn't expect that.
I can't get drunk. Though I've gotten pretty good at it lately.
I don't mind the stew anymore.
Would you like to compete?
'Mmmm... it was fun, Seika-sama.

　Fiona sits up.
　Thinking about it, we've been talking a lot.

'Thank you for talking to me,'
No, sir. My pleasure.
"Uh-huh.

　Fiona looks down at me and says, "I'll think long and hard about what you're asking me to do.

'I'll think long and hard about what kind of request you're going to ask.
'Oh, haha...'

　I looked away from Fiona and let out a dry laugh.

　d*mn.....I didn't forget....