The Holy King and Elites who occupied the upper echelons of the Levetia faith also possessed political and financial sway and considered religion to be another way to maintain control. It could be said that interpreting and amending doctrine to suit one’s personal needs was an inevitability born from structural cracks in the foundation.
And that’s why Eastern Levetia refuses to appoint a secular Leader.
Nearly every Leader of Eastern Levetia had been an average citizen. Those of high birth were typically kept at arm’s length.
Even Ernesto was originally a teacher in his hometown.
Leader candidacy was as simple as acquiring endorsement from a certain number of fellow believers, but this also meant a larger pool of applicants. During the selection ceremony, tests of dignity and doctrine, along with others for physical and mental fortitude, sifted out undesirables.
Ernesto, the latest winner, wants a sit-down with me…
Needless to say, such a request wasn’t a matter of mere curiosity. The man undoubtedly harbored some political motive. This would usually be the moment when Wein contemplated his answer while digging for his opponent’s intentions. However…
“I’d like to meet His Grace Ernesto as well. This must be some kind of fate. I’m sure the Leader of Eastern Levetia and I will have plenty to talk about.”
“Oh!” Yuan exclaimed with a gratified smile. “His Grace will be most pleased. I will make the arrangements immediately.”
“Yes, please do,” Wein replied with a magnanimous nod.
In truth, he would have preferred a bit more back-and-forth, but it couldn’t be helped. He let his opponent win this time. However, an audience was all Wein intended to concede.
“Sir Yuan, I’d like for His Grace to visit Natra, rather than the other way around. What is your opinion?”
Yuan grimaced slightly. “Hmm…”
His reaction was understandable. If Yuan agreed, the Leader of Eastern Levetia would have to travel to distant Natra and appear subservient in the eyes of society. Yuan was surely keen on preventing that. On the other hand, if Wein visited His Grace Ernesto, Natra might appear beholden to Eastern Levetia. Townsfolk would have found the matter comical, but for those cloaked in the invisible armor of authority, this was a vital negotiation to determine who buckled first.
“His Grace’s daily prayers for peace in the Empire have kept our people in good spirits. I understand that you are terribly busy as well, Your Highness, but their hearts will grow paralyzed with confusion if our Leader travels abroad. As an allied nation, I would assume this would not be in Natra’s best interests either.”
Yuan subtly used the Empire citizens as hostages, so that Wein would come to them. However, the prince wouldn’t be brushed aside so easily.
“That is my very point, Sir Yuan. The dispute among the Imperial siblings has taxed the Empire significantly and created a situation that might erupt into open war at any moment. Were I, a foreign royal, to arrive in the Empire and meet with your greatest religious figure…it would agitate some tempers, wouldn’t you say?”
“Ngh…that’s…”
“And if everything came to a boiling point during our conversation, it would endanger me and His Grace Ernesto. A discussion in Natra will ensure relative safety in the event of disaster in the Empire.”
Cowed by Wein’s logical explanation, Yuan fell speechless for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. Then finally…
“…I wish to consider your proposal further in the Empire.”
Wein nodded in satisfaction at what was essentially a declaration of surrender.
He got me…
After the meeting adjourned and Yuan excused himself, he sighed mentally as he traveled down a hallway of the royal palace with his retinue.
Wein was not an adversary to be taken lightly. Yuan had known this before entering the conversation, but the crown prince had pinpointed the smallest gap and used it to trap Yuan.
There is no question Wein is her elder brother.
Still, Yuan had no intention of backing down completely. For the rest of his stay in Natra, he’d have to devise a counterattack and lead Prince Wein to the Empire.
A familiar face interrupted his thoughts.
“My, if it isn’t Princess Falanya.”
“Oh, Yuan.”
Yuan offered the girl before him a deep bow. Her cherubic appearance could not mask her dignified air. She was Falanya Elk Arbalest, and as her name indicated, she was Wein’s little sister and Natra’s crown princess, the very girl Yuan had been thinking of.
“Have you finished speaking with my brother?”
“Yes. Several details still need to be ironed out, but Prince Wein has agreed to meet with His Grace Ernesto. This would not be possible without your aid, Princess Falanya.”
“He-he, I really didn’t do much,” Falanya said with a faint blush.
Falanya and Yuan first met at a ceremony held by the neighboring Delunio Kingdom. They had formed a strong bond there after working together to overcome some trouble. Before Yuan’s visit to Natra, he’d called upon Falanya to ask if she could act as an intermediary between himself and Wein.
“Returning from Delunio to the Empire only to arrive here in Natra soon afterward must be tiring,” Falanya remarked.
“I will do anything with a joyful heart if it is for Eastern Levetia and my God,” Yuan answered with a smile. “I must say, the young lady before me seems far more harried.”
“…You can tell?”
“With all due respect, your appearance is quite fatigued,” he observed.
Falanya pressed both hands against her cheeks.
Yuan’s supposition was correct. Falanya had been running about nonstop lately. She’d accomplished far more than intended during her recent trip to Delunio as an ambassador. The princess was only supposed to act as Wein’s assistant, but wound up being considered his proxy in name and substance. The other day, Natra’s vassals had decided they didn’t want to entrust all the responsibility and authority to Wein, so Falanya suddenly acquired more work than ever.
“ I also sense that your exhaustion is not merely physical.”
“…You can tell that, too?” Falanya appeared surprised.
Yuan nodded. “I wouldn’t be much of an emissary if I ignored the complexions of others. If something concerns you, I shall gladly lend an ear.”
“…” Falanya was hesitant. Yuan observed the princess in silence, waiting for her to speak. “Can you keep a secret?”
“For the princess to whom I owe so much, this glib tongue will be as still as a boulder.”
“I don’t mean to get your hopes up.” Falanya smiled lightly at Yuan’s exaggerated gestures. “There’s simply something I must do.”
“…”
“I take no joy in it, but it’s likely unavoidable. My fear of that moment has kept me up at night lately.”
“Why are you so frightened?”
“Because I feel it will overthrow everything I have accepted as normal,” Falanya confessed weakly.
Yuan gazed at her with a quiet sigh. He didn’t know what plagued the princess, but it was obviously a complex dilemma with no easy solution. His younger merchant self would have smoothly pried for details, but Yuan was a follower of Eastern Levetia now. There was only one course of action when in the presence of a troubled young lady.
“Trials and tribulations are an inevitable facet of life. We go to great lengths to elude them, but our efforts are so often in vain. Ultimately, we must concede and face reality. One cannot escape this.”
Falanya didn’t take her eyes off Yuan as he continued, “We either experience loss in the course of overcoming such ordeals or cross a point of no return. However, life persists, and new opportunities arise beyond those challenges. Your true priority should be what you will accomplish after the storm. An enormous flower will surely bloom from your keen wit, Princess Falanya.”
“What I’ll accomplish…”
Yuan smiled and gave a light nod. “In short, you should press forward without worrying too much. It’s important to reflect on occasion, but in my experience, an eighty-twenty ratio is ideal.”
Falanya hummed softly. After mulling Yuan’s words over for a moment, she said, her voice nearly a whisper, “…I’ll do my best.”
“Then my unpolished sermon may be considered a success.”
Yuan hadn’t expected to dispel her concerns completely. However, the princess’s profile was somewhat livelier than moments before, so his efforts hadn’t been in vain.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I must be going.”
“No, my apologies for keeping you.” Yuan offered another reverent bow. “May our paths cross again soon, Princess Falanya.”
“Yes. I look forward to that day,” Falanya said with a grin before turning on her heel.
“Are you sure about this? You agreed to meet so readily,” Ninym asked.
With Yuan gone, it was just her and Wein.
“An official meeting with the Leader of Eastern Levetia might rouse the Empire, and Levetia won’t be too pleased either.”
Both sects refused to recognize each other and remained hostile. Natra aligned closer to the West in a religious sense, but it was on better terms with the Empire politically. Balance was the key, and Ninym’s remark was meant as a reminder that any negotiations were likely to disrupt that.
Wein had an explanation at the ready, however.
“I know Falanya and Yuan really hit it off, but Lowellmina wants me to keep up appearances. I guess it’s out of our hands.”
Princess Lowellmina was responsible for this potential meeting with Ernesto. Wein had asked her for a favor earlier, and Lowellmina later requested Eastern Levetia’s help to make it happen. In return, she wanted Wein to meet with Ernesto because of the demands Eastern Levetia put on her.
In a sense, Wein was simply getting his just deserts. Nevertheless, Natra was an allied nation. Wein couldn’t ignore the princess’s request.
“Circumstances aside, I am interested in Ernesto.”
“It seems that candidates for Eastern Levetia’s Leader selection ceremony must endure numerous trials under the watchful eye of believers… Quite different from the West.”
“The East split because of a hatred for the West’s way of doing things. To the East, choosing a Leader based on character and skill rather than lineage and rank is the true way for the faith.”
What kind of man was Ernesto, really? The corner of Wein’s mouth twitched faintly with curiosity. Ninym poked his cheek.
“Your vassals will throw a fit if you don’t consult them, so you should take appropriate measures.”
“Oh yeah. That’s a good point.”
Wein’s recent wild antics had left his relationship with his vassals strained. They trusted his ability, of course, and understood that his resourcefulness and leadership skills had led Natra to prosperity. However, hindsight was twenty-twenty. Assuming everything would always be fine would be ill-advised.
“I wonder how long it’d take my vassals to unanimously agree, if at all.”
“It still seems risky to decide on your own.”
“You can’t please everybody,” Wein replied with a shrug. “At any rate, I’ll get them on my side. That’s why we’re having the meeting in Natra.”
“You still intend to hold the conference here?”
Wein nodded with a wry smile. “Of course. If I leave the country again, their complaints will only grow louder. The situation might change if something happens in the Empire or the West, though.”
“As a vassal, I pray that doesn’t happen.” Ninym heaved a small sigh. She meant every word.