Osvalt
AFTER ASKING PHILIA to wait for me, I joined my brother in his office. “What’s the matter? You had something else to say?”
Whatever it was, it was something he couldn’t say in front of His Majesty and Philia. What’s more, he said it was unsuitable for Philia to hear ahead of the honeymoon, which seemed ominous. What could it possibly be?
“I was unsure whether to tell you this,” my brother began. “I’m probably being paranoid.”
“What do you mean? You’re not making yourself clear.”
“I know. The truth is…a merchant recently showed up at the palace, trying to peddle his armory.”
“Armory? A merchant went out of his way to sell weapons to you? That’s rare.”
All the nations on the continent had ratified a peace treaty, so there hadn’t been a war for centuries. With the Pope in Dalbert at their center, the countries that formed Sedelgard remained relatively united. Their militaries were too busy dealing with the constant threat of monsters to start conflicts. Although saints dedicated their lives to protecting their people from supernatural threats, armies were dispatched to combat them, too.
It seemed strange for a merchant to visit my brother just to sell him weapons.
“Yes. I found it unusual, too. That’s precisely why I decided to hear him out.”
“So, what exactly was his sales pitch?”
“He claimed that nefarious forces from neighboring countries have their sights set on Lady Philia. Of course, he had no solid evidence, but I’d heard similar rumors elsewhere.”
“Wh-what did you just say?!” My brother’s words made me raise my voice without thinking. I couldn’t comprehend what he said. Why would our neighboring nations target Philia, again?
“Stay calm. As I said, it’s only a rumor.”
“How do you expect me to stay calm? It’s bad enough that such rumors exist at all! Philia is a hero who earned the title of archsaint from the pope! She hasn’t just saved our country, but the whole continent!”
“I know. Philia is, without a doubt, a hero.” My brother’s expression turned bitter. “That’s exactly what makes her a target.”
“Huh?”
Philia was a target because she was a hero? I didn’t get it. What was he talking about?
“Ever since Philia discovered the Moontear Flower, she has revealed too much of her abilities to other nations. They no longer see her as just another saint. Her contributions have made Parnacorta too powerful, and people have even begun to fear her.”
“You’re saying our neighbors are wary because they’re starting to see Philia as a threat?”
“Yes, according to rumor. But, as I’ll continue to remind you, none of this disgraceful talk originates from the royal families of other countries. It’s merely a handful of hot-blooded nobles who have started this scaremongering.”
People could be so shameless. Philia had saved them again and again, and yet they resented her power.
Apparently, heeding my brother’s advice to keep the details of the Moontear Flower incident as private as possible had been the right decision. The news that Philia had obtained Moontear Flowers was enough to get the rumor mill going. If people found out that she’d gotten them from the Volcanic Miasma Zone, there was no telling what chaos might ensue. It wasn’t seen as a place humans could survive. The fact that Philia made it out of there alive would strike fear into even more people.
“If it weren’t for the Great Purification Circle, all the kingdoms would be teetering on the brink of collapse,” I said. “I don’t understand how anyone could harbor such reprehensible thoughts against someone while enjoying the peace that person granted them.”
“That Great Purification Circle is part of the issue. Now that people are safe from monsters, there are threats of a new conflict—this time, between human beings.”
“How ridiculous!”
Had Philia’s efforts all been for nothing? As soon as peace was secured, people started looking for more trouble.
It made no sense. How stupid were these people?
“It seems ridiculous to me, too—but the rumors fueled by this panic were enough to inspire an arms dealer to come sniffing around. He thought he could scare me into buying his wares.”
“You didn’t buy anything, did you?”
“The merchant urged me to purchase a huge number of weapons—but our budget simply doesn’t stretch that far. He must have assumed that royalty is made of money.”
Budget restrictions? My brother’s reasoning seemed cold, but it made sense. Over the past year, a range of circumstances had caused the kingdom’s expenditures to rise. Even if we wanted to invest in weapons, we simply didn’t have the funds.
“You couldn’t afford them, huh?”
“I told him I didn’t have the funding, but he refused to back down. In the end, I ordered one armament for the purposes of defending the royal capital. He made a zealous sales pitch, insisting that it was custom-made. Eventually, he wore me down.” My brother sighed. “At the end of the day, we can’t drag Philia into human conflicts, can we?”
“Of course not.”
Philia was unquestionably powerful—but her power was for protecting the nation from monsters and demons, not for use in war. I would never let her get involved in that kind of dirty work.
“I’m sure you already know this, but before the peace treaty was enacted, crimes committed by foreigners were commonplace. Our nation’s central location was a factor.”
“Yes, of course. That’s why foreigners are still strictly punished for crimes.”
The law of Parnacorta dictated that if a foreigner was arrested for a crime, any of their immediate family members who happened to reside in the country would be held accountable, too.
We now lived in more peaceful times. My own wife came from a neighboring country. People were calling for the abolition of these laws, and yet…
“Yes. I have no intention of returning to a situation that necessitates such laws, but keep your wits about you.”
“I understand. Did you call me aside to ask me to watch out for Philia during our honeymoon?”
“That’s correct. Of course, Philia is far stronger than you, physically. She could easily subjugate attackers without even getting her hands dirty.”
“That’s true, but you don’t need to be so blunt about it. I am a little insecure, you know.”
Sad to say, I was just an ordinary, non-magical human. I didn’t possess the kind of miraculous power that Philia did. She’d always used her own strength to overcome whatever predicament stood in her way.
“I’m sure she relies on you, too—for emotional support.”
“Brother…”
“From time to time, I find myself envying your open-mindedness. You’re unique in your ability to treat Philia as a human being, as a woman, without an ounce of prejudice. Just be yourself, Osvalt, and support her in your own way.”
In the past, my brother devoted himself to political success to support Lady Elizabeth. While she wasn’t as powerful as Philia, she was still a gifted saint. All my brother could do was back her as the crown prince.
“Strength comes in a range of forms. Philia can do anything—but that in itself can be a weakness. You’re the only one who can compensate for her shortcomings, Osvalt. At least, that’s the way I see it.”
“Whoa, would you look at that. You’re actually complimenting me for a change.”
“I’m not complimenting you. I’m simply stating the facts. If you fail to protect Philia, it will go against our national interests.”
How typical of my brother, ending on a cutting remark. I should have known better than to assume he would try to cheer me up. In fact, he was the one who dragged me down in the first place. He was really clumsy with his words—but I appreciated him nonetheless.
“I get the picture,” I said. “You want me to be careful on our trip because Philia may have enemies.”
“Precisely. For now, just keep your wits about you. And don’t tell Philia. It’s her special trip—I want her to enjoy herself.”
“Sure, leave it to me. I won’t say a word. That’s a promise.”
I couldn’t believe Philia was under attack because of her talents and skills. It was utterly absurd.
She was the perfect saint. The greatest saint who had ever lived. She’d only gotten that far because she wanted to dedicate her life to helping others.
The two of us would live happy lives together. That was the pledge I made on our wedding day.
Philia, I’ll dedicate my life to protecting you.