Chapter 107

“Peace of mind?” “Yes. What I am hoping for is a revitalization of the Sacred Blooded.” Sairi paused, briefly waiting for any response from Alfoncina, before continuing, “Until this moment, there has only been one country representing the Sacred Blooded. And this left regular humans anxious. They didn’t know who the Sacred Blooded were or what they were thinking. Of course they were uneasy—they had nothing to compare any of that to. That unease will turn to fear, which will bring about persecution. You will find similar situations happening over and over again if you flip through any history book.” “So you created something to serve as a comparison, then…?” “Yes. Having two separate camps will make it infinitely easier for others to determine what sort of people the Sacred Blooded are. Don’t you think that will deepen their understanding of us? Perhaps our existence is a thorn in your side, but the best thing for the survival of the Sacred Blooded is to have another visible entity besides Akinomiya. We’ll behave ourselves out here in Japan; that way, the Japanese people will feel as though they’ve domesticated the Sacred Blooded. I’m sure you understand that, Archbishop.” Alfoncina chuckled, but her laugh betrayed none of her emotion. “I am perfectly clear on what you mean. I won’t deny the benefits of having another ‘empire’ in Oshiro.” “I’m glad you understand.” “But that cannot be how you truly feel, can it?” Alfoncina sensed Sairi’s outward excuses and inward intentions were still jumbled. “Oh my. You think I’m hiding something, don’t you?” “Perhaps having an opposing camp will ultimately prove beneficial. But no one would try to create another country entirely to those ends.” No person in their right mind would attempt something so tedious for such a roundabout reason. Sairi’s words were almost certainly excuses. A real founder wouldn’t use such rhetoric, nor would they act on such abstract ideals. “You just wanted to create your own country, didn’t you?” Alfoncina could hear Sairi laughing on the other end. Perhaps it was a given, considering they were speaking over the phone, but her voice sounded very far away. Alfoncina returned the favor with an insincere laugh of her own. It was much easier to hide her intentions with a laugh than with anger. But despite her smile, her eyes were cold. This was not funny at all. This was war. “I would appreciate if you would stop laughing and answer my question.” “You’re shrewd, Your Excellency.” “I’d rather not hear such a thing from you, Progenitor.” “Then I’ll give you the truth, as a treat. I…wanted to give Shiren a country.” Alfoncina found herself nodding unconsciously. She now had her answer. “I have put Shiren through so much pain and hardship up till now, including when I took her back. And I plan to give her everything to which she has a right.” “And one of those things is a country.” “Yes. She has the right to be emperor, you see.” “I do. I understand everything now.” With her free hand, Alfoncina wrote down a single note: “Blind parental love.” The pen slid easily across the paper. Had Shiren ever even said she wanted those things? “I will make up for every one of Shiren’s lost opportunities. With this country, I can do that—I can give her everything. Things would be difficult if the country broke down, however, so I aim to make it something relatively durable. Well, you get the gist of it, I suppose. I have no ill will toward you all in Akinomiya, so rest easy.” The expression you all in Akinomiya touched a nerve, but Alfoncina ignored it. “Shiren will have everything over here, and I mean everything. We don’t need the old Empire anymore. That place will only make her sad.” And that was that. Alfoncina now thoroughly understood Sairi’s intentions, and it seemed safe to believe she would not attack them head-on. She was also impressed the other woman didn’t suggest anything irritatingly optimistic such as the two empires remaining on good terms. But there was one thing that still didn’t sit right with her. Emotions aside, there was nothing wrong with the situation. Alfoncina could have even shaken on it with a smile. But I have a heart, too, you know. She managed to keep herself from clicking her tongue, at least. “I’ve heard what you had to say. I can see you have thought very hard about Shiren’s happiness.” “That’s because I’ve made her unhappy for a very long time.” “But the way you are doing things now will not make her happy. Thinking about making her happy and actually making her happy are two different things.” “…Why do you think that?” “You’re her mother. Think for yourself.” Alfoncina added another note to her pad: “Idiot.” She was starting to doubt that being a parent had anything to do with it. Alfoncina was finding it difficult to pass this off with a smile. If she had been in the same room as Sairi, she would have been inclined to start lecturing her right then and there. Though perhaps it wouldn’t mean anything coming from someone else. “That is your duty as a mother, Progenitor.” Alfoncina did not wait for a response before hanging up. She sighed. “I guess I need to be a better person, too.” She added another note to her pad: “Blind, doting, stupid parents will destroy their children.” She was starting to feel bad for Shiren. There were some things only a mother could give to her child. She had no doubt about that. But those things were only a tiny, tiny part of life. It was the fourth night since the founding of the Holy Sacred Blood Empire. Work had gone much more smoothly that day. There were a lot of documents, but Shiren had gotten a lot faster at stamping things now. Sairi still had a lot to do and wouldn’t be home for a while yet, so Shiren ate her buffet dinner alone. Afterward, she decided to laze around in her room until her mother returned. The bed in their hotel room was so soft and fluffy. She lay on top of it reading manga. There was an entire stack of unread volumes by her pillow, all of which she’d bought after leaving the Empire and coming to Japan. Sairi had given her tens of thousands of yen just to buy manga, so it would be a while before she ran out. As a result, she’d managed to buy every volume of all the series she wanted, even those she’d been eyeing for a while but had been hesitant to start due to the massive backlog. Sitting by the pile of manga was a box of expensive cookies. Every so often, she would take a break from reading to pop one in her mouth. These cookies were one of the gifts they had received from various affiliates to celebrate the founding of the Holy Sacred Blood Empire. There had to be over a hundred boxes of just snacks and sweets. Even Shiren wasn’t going to be finishing them for a while yet. “Mm, it’s a whole new experience reading YouRou IKou! in this country. I’d heard the volumes came with special goodies when you bought them in Japan, and it’s true! But why don’t they come with anything special in their original country? Oh, I suppose it’s like when overseas CDs include special bonus tracks only on the Japanese editions. Maybe that’s just the way things are.” Manga to enjoy. A beautiful room. Delicious treats. In all honesty, compared with the dingy house she’d had in the Empire, this was like another world. “Maybe this really is heaven. At least, actual heaven must be a lot like this. The most virtuous of people get to read all the manga they want, eat all the sweets they want, and live in fancy rooms like this one. People who hate manga go to hell.” She was so used to a commoner’s life that even her ideas were cheap. “And Mom is here, so everything is perfect—as perfect as a dish of avocado, tuna, and wasabi soy sauce.” “You sure talk to yourself a lot.” It was then that Shiren realized Kiyomizu was standing by the window. She was wearing loose ninja clothes that allowed her to move freely; this was probably a combat outfit. It didn’t seem like she’d come to hang out, and she looked a little fed up. Shiren could easily believe the girl was here to assassinate her. Shiren sat up on her bed; it wasn’t easy to talk while lying down. “Hey, you know this is the thirty-fifth floor, right…? How did you get in…?” “The window.” “I thought I closed the window.” The window was, in fact, open. This was a skyscraper, so strong gusts of wind were blowing in. “I used Virginal Father techniques,” Kiyomizu replied. “Aren’t those abilities of yours a little too overpowered? They’re basically cheating.” “Do not underestimate the order of the Virginal Father. For me, there is no such thing as a locked door. A room dozens of stories above ground is the same as a one-story building. The prime minister’s official residence and the Diet Building are but houses made of straw.” In essence, she could get into any place she wanted. “What do you want, then? Ryouta isn’t here, so— Oh.” The moment the words left her mouth, she realized what had been bothering her. She’d been trying so hard this whole time not to think about Ryouta, and now… “Forget Ryouta dearest for today. When I heard you’d become emperor of a weird little country, I decided to drop by and tease you on my way home.” “No need to trouble yourself. My life is so utterly and perfectly fulfilled right now that nothing you do could possibly bother me.” Shiren folded her arms and turned her head away. Who does this intruder think she is? No one in the new Empire had said anything so ridiculous to her. Everyone here merely sang her praises as the emperor. “I thought you might say that.” “Then wallow in your envy of my amazing new life and be on your way. You can take a box of sweets if you want, too. I’m generous, you see.” Kiyomizu surveyed the hotel room. “Mm. Your standard of living has shot through the roof—it’s almost comical. Even a tenfold income increase wouldn’t normally result in this kind of life. And though this might be a bit rude to my dearest Ryouta, your previous life was a bit of a joke, as well.” “Exactly. I’m an emperor now. I’m important—important enough to eat every dish at the hotel buffet every single day. And I do just that.” She was definitely overeating. “I don’t have to check for special-deal days at Freshmart Warakia anymore. I don’t have to choose the cheapest butter or miso anymore.” “You’re still thinking like a commoner.” “That’ll go away as time passes, I think… Anyway, right now, everything is super great. That’s all there is to it.” “You sure look bored considering things are ‘super great,’” Kiyomizu replied, as if stating the obvious. Her expression hadn’t changed since she arrived. Everything was just as she’d predicted. Shiren wasn’t enjoying her life here at all. “Th-that’s not true! How could any lifestyle be richer or more fulfilling than this? And didn’t I just say? My life is totally perfect right now!” “To be honest, it hurts to look at you right now. Like watching someone in the pits of hell.” “Where on Earth did that come from?! This isn’t hell—this is heaven!” “Whatever. But I do have one thing to say to you.” “What…?” “Those who can’t even figure out what makes them happy are the biggest idiots of all.” Kiyomizu’s gaze was now full of scorn. She seemed to sense nothing she said would get through to the other girl.