“What can I do to help the people of Ethenell live happier lives?” Cezar murmured with a pained expression.
Cezar really does think deeply about his country and the people who live there, huh? That’s why he never takes a break from his work, and is desperate to learn even on a trip abroad. I thought his dedication was wonderful, but I also worried that his approach was starting to endanger his own health. I could understand why Janne and his king were concerned. In any case, the question of what Cezar could do to help the people of Ethenell live happier lives was a difficult one, and not one I felt I could answer. But I did find myself wanting to say one thing. What I’d like to say is...
“I don’t think that’s the kind of thing you can work out right here, all by yourself, Cezar. Once you return to your country, speak with your older brother and the other people you trust. I think you’ll be much better off discussing this with everyone else and then thinking about it. This surely isn’t the kind of problem you should have to deal with on your own,” I declared firmly.
Cezar goggled at me, stiffened briefly, then he suddenly laughed.
“You’re right. It’s not something I can think through all by myself. Just as you say, I ought to discuss it with other people once I return home.”
“Please do exactly that. I find that when you try to figure things out by yourself, you often end up making mistakes,” I said, trying to make sure he got the message that he mustn’t overdo it and should take breaks when he needed to.
“I guess so. Thanks for the advice.” He then smiled and nodded.
I hadn’t expected him to accept my advice so earnestly, let alone thank me, so I got flustered and waved my hand dismissively.
“No, no, no. I wouldn’t call that advice, just a little thought that came to me...”
How can I put it... Cezar is a very generous sort of guy. I can hardly believe that he’d respond so seriously to the ramblings of a young lady from a foreign land. I spent a moment being impressed by Cezar.
“Hey, mister, are you from Ethenell?” asked Liam, looking straight at Cezar. It appeared that he had been listening to our conversation.
With a warm expression, Cezar looked at Liam and nodded.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“I thought so. I used to live in Ethenell too, before I came here. Will you be going back there, mister?”
“I see, so you’re from Ethenell. As for me, I’m just here for work, and so I do plan to return to Ethenell.”
“Huh... What is it like now? Is the war over?” asked Liam.
I felt like I saw Cezar’s expression darken slightly after this question, but he maintained the same cheerful tone of voice to hide his reaction from Liam.
“The wars that raged on for so long have not all ended, but they are mostly over. Right now, we’re working on rebuilding the kingdom.”
Liam’s face lit up when he heard this.
“Really? Then I bet there aren’t so many bandits now either. My dad used to tell me there were so many bandits because the war went on for so long.”
“Right,” Cezar responded. “There were some who took advantage of the wars, and others who lost everything because of them and had to steal in order to survive. So we saw more and more bandits as the wars continued. But I’m sure there are fewer now.”
“I hope so. That means there’ll be fewer kids like me,” said Liam happily.
That’s right... I did hear that both of Liam’s parents lost their lives to bandits.
Cezar seemed to immediately realize this based on what Liam had said.
“Wait, do you mean to say... Did you lose your parents to bandits?” he asked with some hesitation.
“Yeah. My dad, my mom, my brother, my sister... They killed everyone who lived in my village. I only survived because everyone else protected me. Then I went to the slums for a while, living like an animal. I was picked up off the streets one day, and a lot of stuff happened, but I ended up being brought here,” said Liam matter-of-factly.
I’d been told that, when Liam shared his story in the past, it had pained him to do so, but he didn’t seem to feel that way anymore. When I’d had the chance to ask him why, he told me that he had decided to keep looking forward and make the most of his life. At the time, I thought Liam was really strong, despite being such a small child.
But when Cezar heard his story, his expression grew dark and his brow furrowed.
“I’m sorry.” He bowed deeply to Liam after saying this.
Liam’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Eh? Why are you apologizing, mister?”
That’s a good question. I thought that Cezar was probably apologizing on behalf of Ethenell’s royal family, but we were supposed to be merchants right now. Cezar was just a merchant from Ethenell.
Cezar gasped as Liam’s question drew his attention to that fact. When he remembered he was hiding his true identity, he stopped to think for a moment.
“I’m apologizing on behalf of all the grown-ups of Ethenell. We weren’t able to protect kids like you.”
When Liam heard this, he smiled so widely that we could see his teeth.
“Just because you’re a grown-up, that doesn’t mean you could have done anything about it, right? I don’t need an apology. I’d much rather that you work hard to make Ethenell better. That way there won’t be any more kids like me.”
Cezar cast his eyes down slightly, as if digesting Liam’s words.
“Yeah, I’ll work as hard as I can. Thanks,” said Cezar. He paused for a moment, then asked Liam, “How about you? Are you going to live in Sorcié from now on?”
His face seemed to suggest that Cezar thought he already knew the answer to his question. He definitely seemed to think that Liam would answer “Yes.” But, having spoken to Liam before, I knew otherwise.
“Nope, once I’m old enough and I’ve saved some money, I plan to go back to Ethenell,” Liam said firmly.
It was Cezar’s turn to look surprised.
“Why would you go back? Isn’t Sorcié a richer place, and easier to live in?”
“Yeah... Well, I think that’s true, but since running away from my village when it was burned to the ground, I’ve never been back to the place I grew up. So I’d like to go back and see it for myself,” said Liam while scratching the tip of his nose. Cezar listened intently as Liam continued. “Besides, I’ve heard that the new King of Ethenell is working hard to make the country a better place. So I’m sure that by the time I get there, it will already be better than before. I’d like to use the things I’ve learned here in Sorcié and do my own part to make Ethenell better. That’s my dream at the moment,” said Liam, before chuckling shyly.