Kanata’s story about Lilith seemed to go on forever.
… Kanata’s story about Lilith had indeed been very long.
She was a sharp-tongued genius girl, born to a father blinded by ambition and a mother who drowned herself in alcohol.
Apparently, she was an obstinate but kind, uncute but adorable, and not straightforward but open with her affection – a mysterious girl.
“I sort of want to meet Lilith, but also sort of don’t want to…”
I feel like I’d be told off severely. Ah! I used that word, “severely,” again.
Did I lose my refinement because of Kanata’s influence?
“He’s tricky, or rather eccentric… it certainly takes a certain type of person to get along with him. Lilith herself is selective about who she associates with.”
“I had heard that Count Lohengrin had grandchildren, but I didn’t realize things had gotten this way…”
“Lilith’s grandfather was said to be a world-renowned mathematician, but have you met him?”
“He was also famous as a world-class eccentric. The Count, who preferred to be left alone, never attended court functions or banquets. Apparently, His Majesty once reprimanded him for it, but the Count apparently scoffed, saying, ‘My life is too short to waste on dealing with fools.'”
“…Is Lilith’s sharp tongue inherited from her grandfather? If the Emperor and the nobles didn’t hate her, a Count’s daughter wouldn’t have been sent to a laboratory.”
“…Is it true that Lilith was subjected to human experimentation?”
I don’t want to believe that the Mechanist Army would commit such inhumane acts.
“It’s true. We rescued her, so there’s no mistake. Many other children were used as guinea pigs.”
I want to believe it’s a lie… But I can’t believe Kanata is lying.
“I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what to say…”
“Rose, it’s not your fault, and the Alliance Army is doing similar things. It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.”
I could sense disgust in Kanata’s voice. It seemed he disliked not only the Mechanist Army but also the higher-ups in the Alliance Army.
“…Does my father know about the experiments? If he doesn’t know…”
“When you return to your country, keep silent. Pretend you don’t know.”
“Why! Using children for experiments is unforgivable!”
“You’re right. But I don’t think Rose can do anything about it. It would only put yourself in danger. I shouldn’t have told you about the human experiments.”
“That’s not true! I’ll do something about it!”
Kanata warned me with a stern expression.
“Rose… Thinking is free. But once you speak out, it carries responsibility. Especially for someone in your position. So, don’t say anything rash. I’ll act as if I didn’t hear what you just said.”
“Why! Listen to me! I…”
“Stop it! You’ll give me false hope! I want to do something too! I want to end tragedies like Lilith’s and the children captured by the laboratory! But what if your father is the mastermind behind the experiments! At the very least, I believe he’s tacitly condoning them.”
Maybe so. Still, I…
“Put your faith in me! Put your faith in Stinrose Ringvolt! I’ll show you! I’ll put an end to this war and these tragedies!”
Kanata gazed at me with earnest eyes.
I didn’t look away. Not giving up is my strong suit, and I won’t give up before I even try!
“…Are you serious? You know it’s an incredibly thorny path, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. I’ve found it. What I should do, the role I’ve been given. But fulfilling it is ‘my will.'”
“This isn’t something that can be resolved through discussion.”
“Then it will be resolved through strength. Engaging in discussion with someone unreasonable is foolish and beyond saving, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. Those who don’t fit the mold must be made to fit, by force if necessary. That’s the rule I set when I decided to live in this twisted world.”
“That’s a good rule. My rule, unable to live without someone’s help, is to grasp the hands extended to me. If they don’t offer, I’ll make them. So tell me, how should I act?”
Kanata is a realist who knows the reality of this world. His advice will surely be a guide for my actions.
“As I said earlier. For the time being, pretend you don’t know. If you want to save a drowning person in a sea teeming with sharks, you first need to get a rescue boat. Rashly jumping into the sea will only make you shark bait.”
“So, first, I need to gain strength?”
“That’s right. Whether in peacetime or in chaotic times, a do-gooder with only words is meaningless. First, increase your trusted allies. Even if it means using underhanded tactics against scoundrels, gain strength. Everything else comes after that.”
“Okay. I… will become strong.”
“…This is all I can advise you on. Even this much is a considerable act of aiding the enemy. I’m trying to create a competent adversary.”
Me… competent?
“There’s no way I’m competent when I’m just relying on you, Kanata.”
“In this forest, perhaps. But Rose has… what shall I call it… charisma. You have charisma. Individually, there are many who surpass you. But as an individual leading a group, you are rare. I believe so. There’s a saying, ‘the general of generals, not the general of soldiers.'”
It felt so good to be praised, it made me tingle.
“But let’s draw a line.”
“A line?”
“Once we leave this forest, Rose and I are strictly enemies. Even a phoenix chick is still a chick, though you may be a phoenix chick. You can’t change things immediately. I show no mercy to those who stand in my way. Even if they are imperial soldiers. So, as we continue to fight, I might kill someone you hold dear.”
…I almost killed someone already, though.
“I also have people I want to protect. Not ‘protect,’ perhaps. ‘Live together.'”
“And that’s why I don’t consider the circumstances of my opponents on the battlefield. I pursue my own desires. So… promise me, Rose, that you won’t show mercy either.”
For Kanata, a soldier fighting on the front lines, decisiveness seems important.
That they must kill each other, he separates it that way to be able to fight.
He’s clever and articulate but, at his core, clumsy, isn’t he, Kanata?
“Understood. Once we leave this forest, we are enemies. If we clash on the battlefield, we will fight with all our might. I promise.”
“I’ve seen a glimpse of the phoenix… With this, there will be no moths left in my heart.”
Leaving no moths in his heart, that’s probably Kanata’s rule too.
But do you notice? Moths have been left in my heart!
I don’t want to fight Kanata! Someday… someday, please notice.
Confirming that the rain had stopped, Kanata suggested we go back into the forest.
“The ground is muddy and dangerous, isn’t it? The sun will be setting soon.”
“It’ll be quick. I found something good when I went out earlier.”
“Alright. Please escort me properly. Unlike you, Kanata, with your military boots, my shoes are just leather ones.”
Kanata made a playful face and extended his hand to me.
…Does he mean we’re going to walk holding hands?
“Isn’t it Rose’s rule to grasp the hands that are offered?”
Y-yes, but… it’s embarrassing. After taking a breath, I resolutely took the offered hand.
It’s a strong hand, but a little warm. It’s similar to a Quester’s hand.
“To be walking hand-in-hand with my cute princess, I must have really climbed the ranks.”
Cute me!? Wh-what! My face is getting red…
“I’d rather you say beautiful than cute?”
I tried to cover my embarrassment by saying something defiant, and Kanata, with a peculiar look in his eyes and a playful tone, said:
“I’ll expect great things in five years.”
…Just you wait, I’ll surprise you by becoming incredibly beautiful!
My favorite part of Kentucky fried chicken is the rib.
