An Artificial Spark
“Mia, Are you injured?”
“N-No, I’m quite fine.”
Mia replied, subtly squirming. Mia is still unfamiliar with called by Sion without honorifics. Sion was looking at Mia with caring gaze.
“By the way, who is that lady with you?”
Now, Sion’s gaze suddenly turned into cool hostile look at Lynsha.
“Well, I… uh, uh…”
Lynsha stammers as she is intimidated by the pressure from Sion’s gaze. Mia sees it… and feels sympathetic. Well, a little sympathetic.
“Hey Sion, stop that. You’re already scary enough, don’t make it worse by staring like that.”
Mia steps forward to protect Lynsha from Sion’s murderous stare.
“This person is Lynsha. She’s a member of the underground revolutionary organization, but she helped me. I was able to hear a lot of information from her. She told me that the leader of the revolutionary group is her brother and many more interesting stories.”
Not that I know what any of it amounts to.
Mia mentally added.
Mia was just talking about what exactly happened. There were no lies or exaggerations. She just spoke by recalling the events.
However, to Sion, it sounded like this. “In this short time, I got a person with inside information of the revolutionary army to be on my side.”
As usual, the Wisdom of the Empire does it again. Her skills and cleverness really know no bounds.
Sion even started wondering if Mia allowed to be kidnapped on purpose so that she could learn more about them. His better judgement told him that couldn’t be trye, but some part of him felt like it was actually possible. Sion’s trust in Mia now runs so deep that he is starting to have this full on delusions.
At the same time he was thinking…
What if it was me? What would I have done?
Looking at the boy who fainted at his feet, it’s probably not difficult to escape.
However, having the calm presence of mind to talk him into switching sides is something I probably cannot do.
She did not just escape. She turned her kidnapping into an opportunity to learn more about the enemy. The more Sion thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.
I don’t think that trying to get them to defect would even cross my mind in the first place. Only Princess Mia can think of such a thing.
Needless to say, Mia didn’t even think of that. All Mia was doing was showing some sass to the boy on the lookout, which even backfired. So she really accomplished nothing.
That aside…
“Should I assume that you are now our ally then?”
Mia asks Lynsha. Lynsha nodded cautiously,
“If you stop the revolution, I’ll cooperate.”
“Stop the revolution…? But to do that, you’ll have to meet King Remno. Something has to be done with the heavy taxes.”
To the best of Sion’s knowledge, the source of people’s frustration was the heavy increase in tax. It was a simple problem, but solving it won’t be easy.
“No, that’s not the case. In the first place, what the older brother is not the lowering of taxes.”
Lynsha shook her head a little and then continued…
“He is demanding the release of Count Dasayev Donovan, who is jailed by the government.”
“… What do you mean?”
That revelation gave Sion a pause.
“His Majesty seems to have been imprisoned Chancellor Donovan somewhere to seal his mouth from speaking against the tax increase. My brother is fighting for his release.”
“Putting his own vassal in prison for speaking up? Is he stupid?”
This reminded Sion of the conversation he had with Rafina before leaving. Rafina told him that “something happened” that could be a reason enough for revolt.
“The one who has the courage to speak up the mistakes of the lord is a loyal vassal. Besides, the king should have expected this kind of response if he harms the person who speaks for the people. ”
Sion’s face showed a slight anger. During this time, a memory came up in Mia’s mind.
It was in the previous timeline… when Sion met the captive Mia…
“Outcount Rudolvon was the one who fed the people that your royal family abandoned. They are saviours of the common people. Didn’t you think what would happen if you killed such a person?” Sion shrugged in disappointment. “Did you guys ever think of the consequences of your actions?”
At that time, Mia couldn’t say anything back. Outcount Rudolvon was indeed executed, and the revolution was brought about by the hands of the angry people. Sion was right, but just on those parts. Not everything.
But, but…
Mia bit her lower lip, holding back her tide of grievances. In that moment, she wanted to lash out at him. To shout at his presumptuous face that all he said was a total nonsense.
…I don’t think my father did that.
Mia’s father, the emperor does not execute his vassals just because they are popular. He is not interested in those matters. Paradoxically, if all he cared was how people perceived him, then the empire probably wouldn’t have deteriorated that much, but that aside…
Mia has the innate feeling that there was something strange going on here. It struck to her thoughts like slime, shapeless and invisible, but terribly unpleasant. Nevertheless, faced with Sion’s criticism, she stayed silent, taking her doubts with her to the grave. Now she had a second chance to voice those thoughts; to take out all those frustration and indignation that she couldn’t say.
“You know, something just doesn’t add up…”
However, her words were drowned out by a new intruder.
Author’s Note:
Hello, this is Mochizuki. Thank you for your support.
So it was the 117th episode.
By the way, it seems that all the recent “Naro” animated works are given the title of “Ikiri ○○”.
…… Hmm, in other words, is it necessary to add a squid to animate it?
So, I tried to get on the flow … I hope you enjoy it.
I hope to see you again next week.
