“Lord Daiaku Kan. Deceiving farmers into accepting loans, then tormenting them with extortionate interest is unconscionable. You had best prepare yourself! My son-in-law, Souma, will deal with you harshly for this.”
“Ha... Ha ha...”
Now that she’d revealed her mark, any attempt to resist would be treason against the state—a grave crime that would condemn not only the guilty but their families as well. Even the ringleader, wicked as he was, could do nothing in the face of that symbol.
Scowling, the villains bowed their heads. Once the ringleader and his men were taken away, Elisha turned and smiled gently at the farmer and his daughter.
“It’s all right now, little one.”
“Lady Elisha! Thank you! Thank you!”
She placed a comforting hand on their shoulders as they showered her with gratitude. Then, saying, “Kagetora, Kagerou, let’s be on our way,” she stepped into her carriage. Pancho leapt onto the back as it set off, waving cheerfully to the father and daughter as they faded into the distance.
“Where there is light, there is also shadow. And in that shadow, evil writhes, and people who are lost to it. Elisha continues her journey, righting wrongs and drying tears in those places where the king’s authority does not reach. With both reverence and fear, the people call her...the Queen in the Shadows.”
The program closed on that narration, accompanied by a heavy, dramatic score.
“And cut! Good work, everyone!”
The director’s shout snapped Lombard and Yomi back to their senses. They’d been watching intently, and with no small amount of bewilderment. Suppressing the urge to dismiss what they had just seen, they strained to extract some useful insight from it. If they couldn’t, then there had been no point in coming here to study the Kingdom at all.
Ivan, meanwhile, called out to the evil ringleader who’d just returned.
“Hey, old man. I brought some guests for you.”
“Hmm? Ivan? Are those guests the royal couple from the Kingdom of Remus?”
The evil lord Daiaku Kan...better known as Ivan’s father, Moltov, strode forward.
It seemed he was destined to play villains not only in hero shows, but in period dramas as well. Standing before the royal couple, Moltov placed a hand over his chest and bowed politely.
“You must be the royal couple from Remus. I am Ivan’s father, Moltov.”
“Thank you for the kind greeting. I am Lombard Remus.”
Lombard extended a hand, and Moltov clasped it firmly. Just moments ago he had looked every bit the scheming villain, yet now he seemed nothing more than a genial old man.
“Well? Has my fool of a son been showing you around properly?”
“Yes. We’ve seen a great deal, and it’s been quite educational.”
Lombard glanced around at the bustling crew as they packed up the set. Siena, Nanna, and Yomi were chatting cheerfully with the staff, while Ivan and Margarita stood nervously at attention as the former queen addressed them. Because this kingdom drew people from so many walks of life, the workers ranged from commoners to former royalty and spanned every race. Yet the atmosphere was warm and easy, as if they were all simply neighbors.
The sight brought a smile to Lombard’s lips. “Being amorphous... That’s this country’s strength.”
Moltov raised a brow. “Oh? And what do you mean by that?”
“Not insisting that things must take only one form. Not clinging to a single shape. You use whatever can be used, and let anyone contribute if they have the will. Instead of trying to perfect things from the start, you let them take shape—even if warped or crooked—and refine them as you go. It’s the opposite posture from Fuuga’s Great Tiger Empire, or Madam Maria’s Gran Chaos Empire, where everyone strives towards a single ideal. My... It’s delightful to see.”
Moltov stared at Lombard’s easy smile, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Would that my own country could be the same. That’s the feeling it’s left me with.”
✦ ✦ ✦
After returning to their kingdom, Lombard and Yomi refused to be bound by preconceived notions, seeking talent from far and wide. They also took full advantage of their proximity to Mao City and the gate to the northern hemisphere.
In the desert region of northern Remus, foreign aid was used to develop cities that housed training facilities for adventurers heading north and depots where they could stock up on supplies. These settlements became a steady source of foreign income for the kingdom.
With those funds, and drawing on the expertise of Ginger University, they established Remus University—an institution dedicated to studying objects brought back from the northern hemisphere. By embracing new discoveries and adopting technology with flexibility, it soon grew into one of the top five centers of learning in the world.
The policies Lombard and Yomi laid down would be carried forward by their children, guiding the Kingdom of Remus along a path towards becoming a leading nation, standing equal to any other.