The Expiration Date of That Grudge
So, now… Mia went to see Rafina in her room after she and Citrina talked a lot about mushrooms and grew closer as friends.
“Hello, Miss Rafina. It’s been some time.”
When Mia came to the door, Rafina’s face changed into a bright smile.
“Oh my God, Miss Mia. It’s true, hasn’t it? “Come in, please.”
“…Right. Then, coming in.”
Mia’s face, on the other hand, was as stiff as a rock. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, since she had to tell Rafina that the first emperor of Tearmoon was working with her mortal enemies, the Chaos Serpents, and was part of their plot.
Now, let’s meet Miss Rafina. Surely, she of all people won’t insist that sins from the past can be passed down…
Even so, making the report was not fun. Even worse, that wouldn’t even be the main thing people talked about that day.
I need to know as much as I can about the Holy Eve Festival so that I can get ready. Fate has given me a second death sentence, and I need to find a way out of it…
Rafina must have seen how serious she was because she was silent for a few seconds while she looked at her face.
“Let me go make some tea. I also saved some berry pie for a time like this. I’d be thrilled if you brought some with you.”
“You do? I’d love some!”
Mia’s mood improved in a V-shaped way after that. She smiled as she bit into the deliciously crunchy crust and enjoyed the flavour that tickled her tongue.
“Ah, this crust is just a little bit sweet, and it goes well with how sour the stellaberries are. This is a great match. This pie is a slice of happiness.”
Rafina smiled when she saw her grin from ear to ear.
“Ha ha, I’m glad you feel better. So, how was your summer vacation?”
The question woke Mia up from her epicurean daydream and reminded her why she was there.
“Well, it was…a very interesting summer break. I’ll say at least that much.”
She went on to talk about her summer, the island, and what she did there.
At first, the story seemed to be about an adventure on a tropical island. But when the first emperor showed up, the story took a sharp turn. Even Rafina couldn’t hide her surprise by the end.
“Wow, I get it… Who would have thought that the Tearmoon Empire would have a secret like that?” Rafina thought to herself.
She gave a small sigh.
“Let me make sure I understand. Basically, there was a bad cult that was kicked off the continent a very long time ago. They were the people who would later become the Chaos Serpents. They went into hiding on a small island in the Galilee Sea, where they lived in secret.”
“What they did with that underground shrine was really something.”
How much work must have gone into making that spooky lighting that let them work in the dark? It showed how smart the people who lived there were with technology.
“If you look into that place, you might find out something about where the Serpents came from. Especially that shrine is worth looking at more closely. We can find out a lot, like when it was built by looking at its architectural style.”
Rafina kept going after another period of quiet thought.
“When the tribe of hunters came to the island, it was a turning point for the people who lived there. They were the people who came before the Tearmoon people of today. Under the leadership of the first emperor, they met the Chaos Serpents and found that their feelings and beliefs were similar to their own because they were also forced to leave their home country.”
“I’m not sure if the first emperor was the only one who went Serpent, or if the other nobles were also influenced.”
“Also, there’s the question of how much influence. Did the first emperor really listen to what the Serpents told him? Did he really believe? Or did he just use them to get what he wanted?”
Mia and Rafina were not new to conspiracies, and the fact that they had both been involved in one showed that anyone could be involved, from the White Crows to Jem.
“It’s not hard to imagine that someone smart and powerful enough to build an empire as big as Tearmoon could just use the Serpents to get what he wants, using their doctrine, their logic, and even their followers. On the other hand, he built an entire empire to satisfy his own desires, so you could say he’s so obsessed with his own wants that he’s delusional. This suggests that he might also deeply believe in the Serpents’ ideals.”
Rafina stopped and made a sad face.
“I just thought of something. What about your father? Is this known to the current Emperor of Tearmoon?”
“My Father?”
Mia thought of her dad’s face.
“No, not at all.”
Her response was quick and sure. She never lost faith in her father. She put all of her faith in him.
“All my dad thinks about is how he can make me like him more.”
More specifically, she believed in how annoying he was all the time. A person who would use an imperial order to make his daughter call him “dad” would never be part of a plot that could put her in danger.
“Ha ha, I see we both have it rough. The first emperor’s plans were definitely thrown off by where some of the imperial family’s descendants ended up. We can laugh about this discovery now, of course, because of how strange your father is.”
Rafina smiled, but the look on her face was a little strange. She didn’t say anything else. Her brows furrowed and she fell into a thoughtful silence, as if a new worry had just come to her mind.
“Is there something on your mind?”
“No, it isn’t much bothering… Well, I was just wondering if someone who was smart enough to start a country from scratch would have been blind to the fact that his children and grandchildren might not follow his original plan.”
She took a sip of tea and closed her eyes for a moment to think.
Then she kept going.
“Bliss, Miss Mia, erases grudges. When happiness grows, anger fades. This is just the way things are. When people become emperors, do they really hold on to the anger of their ancestors and satisfy that ancient desire for revenge?”
That was a very good question. For instance, a son might get even with his father if his father was wronged. That makes sense. A grandson might even try to get his grandfather’s death avenged.
What about a great-grandfather, though? Or an even more distant ancestor? How far could it go back? Was it really possible for people to still want revenge for ancestors they had never met?
“If you want to build a country, you have to rule over its people. It means that they have to rise to the highest position of power. The man in question did this and became the first emperor. He made sure that his position as emperor would be passed down to his children, just as it was passed down to your father and you. But if those descendants got to the throne themselves, would they keep to his plan? Would the second and third emperors try to destroy the world with the power of their empire? Their life? When they’re happy with their lives? Would they destroy everything just to make up with their ancestors?”
It was likely that they would say, “To hell with revenge!” at some point and decide to just live their lives. The first emperor’s big plan was always doomed to fail.
“It seems like a pretty big mistake… Maybe a blind spot? Or was that even part of what he had in mind?”
While Rafina thought about how big the first emperor’s schemes were, Mia was busy holding a grudge against him.
No matter what they thought, they’re all a pain! Everyone from the first emperor to the father! Why is everyone in my family so crazy? I’m the only one who makes sense and knows what to do! This is why I never have a break…
She was angry that she was the unappreciated workhorse of her family, and in doing so, she showed the plight of all the smart, skilled, and unappreciated workhorses around her… Keep going, Ludwig and Keithwood.
Anyway…
“Uh, Miss Rafina, could I ask you to send some people from Belluga to check out that island?”
Normally, she would have preferred to send her own team of investigators from Tearmoon to search the area, but now that the first emperor’s plot was known, she couldn’t do that.
“After all, it can’t be a child of the conspirator who takes charge…”
“Yes, that’s true. That island might have important information about where the Chaos Serpents came from. Belluga can’t afford to miss out on this.”
Mia felt a little better when Rafina quickly agreed to do the job.
“Thank you again. I’ll ask Esmeralda to send us some charts for sailing. Oh, and can I ask you something else?”
“Hm?”
Rafina’s brows went up.
“Sure. What’s that?”
Mia said nervously, “About the Holy Eve Festival next winter… Could you, um, tell me ahead of time what I need to do and how to get ready for it?”
Her question made Rafina beam.
“Gosh, all this is going on, and you’re still thinking about your responsibilities as president of the student council?”
“O-Of course! You gave the job to me, after all!”
Mia smiled back, acting like that’s what she’d meant the whole time.
