They’re Crying
“Please excuse me once again, Lady Roufa. I am Her Highness Princess Mia’s vassal, Ludwig Hewitt. I would like to speak on behalf of my master, Mia-sama.”
Ludwig began to speak quietly.
Mia sighed as she cast a sidelong glance.
‘Ah, this is definitely going to turn into a lecture isn’t it? There is no mistaking it. I let my guard down. If this were right after I was guillotined, I wouldn’t have said something so careless. I wasn’t paying attention. If I don’t take care… Ah, but I do hate being lectured. Hmm, anyway, I wonder what’s for lunch?’
After a brief moment of self-reflection, Mia began her escape from reality, and Ludwig proceeded with his speech.
“Helping the Fire clan is not only about compassion. Your acts of looting in order to make up for the shortage of food will destroy public order in this land. Although difficult, it would be necessary to crack down, and it might even cause a rift between the Equestrian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sunkland. But just based on this, there is no meaning in trying to convince you to stop. Even if you were to stop looting, it would cause a famine here and may even result in a widespread epidemic.”
Ludwig continued to carefully explain each point dispassionately.
“I have no compassion for you, but I believe that it is logical to provide you with food supplies and offer you the means to procure food.”
As Ludwig concluded his speech with those words, Malong took over and began to speak.
“Elder Roufa, isn’t it fine, already? We are linked by our common ancestor Ka Seima. Aren’t we blood relatives? Although we separated due to past circumstances, we cannot deny our bond. Is this not a good opportunity to reunite the two factions that parted ways before?”
Spoken words have enough heat to move frozen time. However, even if that was the case…
“However, what about the matter of the warrior wolves?”
The question was so cold that it froze the air once again.
“That’s…”
The one who hesitated was Malong. Even Ludwig’s face was tinged with bitterness.
It was a problem that could not be easily resolved.
It was the biggest problem they faced in that situation, and no one had a clue as to how it could be resolved.
“That is the reason why we cannot be together with the twelve main clans of the Equestrian Kingdom. Young man of the Forest clan, you disavowed the wolf-handling techniques of our Fire clan. You despised us and cast us out. That hasn’t changed even to this day, has it?”
“That’s right. You were the ones who rejected us first, not us. Because of that, you have no idea how we have suffered. Or are you going to compromise now?”
The female attendant, who was sitting next to Roufa also followed suit. The look on her face was unmistakably one of anger.
There was only one person who remained quiet and that was Aima. She had sunk into silence and had cast her gaze downward.
Malong was unable to answer the question that was hurled at him. Although he was a member of an influential clan, it was just one of the twelve clans and after all he was merely the son of the clan chief.
Lacking authority, Malong could not say anything rash there. The atmosphere inevitably turned tense. Just as a heavy silence was about to descend once again…
“The horses are crying.” Mia mumbled briefly.
It was as if she had flung a huge stone onto the surface of water and the gigantic ripples that spread shook the air around them.
“The horses are crying?”
It was not clear who actually murmured those words. However, it was the Elder Roufa who broke free from the momentary trance and spoke first.
“Basically, what you are trying to say is that the horses are crying because of our discord?”
Mia felt a moment of nervousness in response to the serious question and replied, ‘Yes,’ in a slightly odd voice.
As expected, Mia’s escape from reality persisted even in the midst of the tense conversation. It was a testament to her deep trust in Ludwig.
Mia was convinced that her role was over when Ludwig had decided to take over the discussion.
So, Mia was doing her best to escape reality by thinking about wanting to eat mushrooms for lunch and dinner, as well as wondering about the types of mushrooms that could be found in the forest. However…
‘Ah, this won’t do. I have to listen to the conversation seriously.’
After a moment’s reflection, she reconsidered. Indeed, Princess Mia was known for her ability to reflect on her actions. Wasn’t it just before her last escape from reality that she had realised she was being too careless?
‘That’s right, to switch gears here I think I should count something to get my mind to concentrate. Let’s see…’
In an attempt to shake off her earthly desire for food, Mia tried to start counting. Unfortunately, there was nothing suitable to count. That’s when it happened! Mia found something. No, to be precise she heard something. That was it!
“Ah, the horses are crying.”
It was the sound of horses neighing in the distance.
‘This is perfect. For now, let’s count the horses’ neighs so that I can get my mind to focus.’
‘Isn’t counting the randomly heard neighing sounds of horses perfect for focusing the mind?’ Just as Mia was pondering this, she sensed something.
The gazes of Roufa, her female attendant, Aima, Malong, and everyone else present were fixed on her.
Mia had no idea what that meant.
“Basically, what you are trying to say is that the horses are crying because of our discord?”
In response to that question…
“Huh?”
Mia was about to shake her head in confusion, but somehow she managed to stop herself. It was as if she was at the edge of the precipice but she held on with firm determination.
And then, she added “i” to make the reply “hai” or “yes”.
Adding just one character! This would go down in Mia’s history as one of her best course corrections! Roufa, who had been staring intently at Mia, relaxed her shoulders and said with a wry smile “I see.That may well be true.”
A single word uttered by Mia caused a drastic change in the situation.
Ludwig’s eyes opened wide in shock.
After losing himself for a moment, Ludiwg realised that everyone had been dancing in the palm of Mia’s hand and couldn’t help but groan.
‘Oh my! Mia-sama had seen through the crux of this matter right from the start.’
There was only one thing that could reach the Fire clan. It was obvious the moment they brought out the pride of their clan, the wolf. There was only one thing that could sway their hearts. And what was that?
It was horses. The Fire clan were also part of the Equestrian Kingdom. Even for them, horses were the ultimate treasure bestowed upon them by God and were considered as beloved family members.
Therefore, it was natural to use horses. For that reason, Mia left all the rational explanations to Ludwig. This was because the line “The horses are crying” was something a rationalist could never have said. What would happen if a rationalist uttered such emotionally driven words?
They would probably think that horses were being used just to persuade them. A rationalist would certainly never think that horses could cry, but if it could be used to persuade the opposite party, then they wouldn’t hesitate to use it. However, they would undoubtedly be met with blank stares.
“The horses are crying” was a line that could only be said by someone who was an emotional and sensitive person. It could only be said by a person who genuinely believed that animals could cry.
‘That’s precisely the reason why! Mia-sama had to maintain the position that she was offering a helping hand purely out of friendship. After ensuring that they properly understood our rational benefits, she swiftly broke down the emotional barrier in a single blow. It’s incredible that she was able to make such a precise strike with a single word.’
Ludwig was moved to admiration by Mia’s methods, even though they made him shudder.
‘This turned into a good travel story for them’ thought Ludwig as he pictured the faces of the scheming members of the Empress faction in the Empire. ‘Hehe, perhaps they might even envy us.’
