After-Story Chapter 30: Souma Goes to Yumuen (Part 1)
—Some time after the continental reorganization and the world stabilized.
On this day, I had summoned a certain individual to the state office in Parnam Castle. As Liscia and I waited, the door to the office opened after a knock.
“Excuse me. Did you call for me, Your Majesty?”
“Ah, I was waiting for you. Thank you for coming, Colbert.”
“Good work, Lord Colbert.”
The person Liscia and I greeted was the Minister of Finance, Gatsby C. Colbert Carmine. Colbert then looked around the room with curiosity. What was it?
“? Is something wrong?”
“I was wondering if Lady Roroa was present.”
“Roroa? Why?”
“Ah, no. Whenever Your Majesty summons me to the state office, it’s usually for a ridiculous request initiated by Lady Roroa. Something like, ‘I suddenly came up with an event, so I need a budget,’ or ‘Please manage the Songstress Lorelei’s schedule.’ I thought today might be the same?”
“…”
Left speechless by his sincere statement, I glanced at Liscia.
“…Souma?”
Liscia had a formidable smile on her face. Ah, this smile… definitely means a lecture of over thirty minutes later. I need to make sure Roroa (who I think is the main culprit here) doesn’t escape. It’s unfair if I’m the only one who gets lectured.
Thinking this, I cleared my throat to change the subject.
“Ahem… Ah, the reason I called you today isn’t for a request like that. I plan to visit the Carmine territory soon, and I wanted you to inform Mio about it. It would be rude to show up unannounced.”
Colbert is married to Mio Carmine, the current head of the Carmine family. So, I thought I would use Colbert to give Mio, who should be in Randel now, advance notice.
Colbert looked perplexed when he heard this. “To our territory? …Um, is this an inspection?”
Colbert asked with a slightly worried face. He seemed anxious that they might have unknowingly incurred the Royal Family’s displeasure, prompting me to personally inspect the territory. …Of course, that worry was completely unfounded.
“No, that’s not it. I said I want to visit the Carmine territory, but to be precise, I want to go to a ‘land within the Carmine territory that the Carmine family does not govern.'”
“That would be… Ah, Yumuen, then.”
Colbert seemed to grasp my intention then. Yumuen. That is the former capital of the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy and the city where the main church, the headquarters of the Lunarian Orthodox Church, is located. With the dismantling of the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy, it is now the only city owned by the Lunarian Orthodox Church and, including the small surrounding land, is designated as the ‘Lunarian Orthodox Papacy Territory.’
Incidentally, the eastern half of the territory that was dismantled by Soji and incorporated into the Kingdom of Friedonia now forms the restored Carmine family’s domain. Mio had achieved military success during the war with the Great Tiger Empire, repelling the invading Lunarian Orthodox Papacy forces, and then transferring to participate in the final battle on the plains near the Royal Capital Parnam.
Furthermore, because Mio’s husband, Colbert, is an excellent civil administrator, the Carmine family was perfectly suited to keep watch over the newly acquired Lunarian region and assimilate the people into the Kingdom of Friedonia. This resulted in the Carmine family maintaining its main city of Randel while significantly expanding its territory to the north.
And within this new Carmine territory, the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy Territory also existed.
“To go to Yumuen, we have to pass through the Carmine territory, don’t we?”
“Well, the surrounding area is our domain.” Colbert nodded at my words.
Much like the Vatican City State within Italy, the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy Territory is an independent city within the Kingdom of Friedonia. Although most of the residents are church officials and their families, a city of that size cannot be self-sufficient. Therefore, Soji allows free passage for people, excluding church facilities in the Papacy Territory, and invites merchants and pilgrims.
Additionally, the public security of Yumuen is handled by soldiers of the Friedonia Defense Force. Considering that the Vatican employs Swiss mercenaries, one might expect mercenaries from the Kingdom of Zem or Dragon Knights from the neutral Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom to be suitable, but Zem no longer exists, and the Nothung Dragon Knights’ mother dragon faith is incompatible with the Lunarian Orthodox Church. Therefore, our country sends guards to maintain public order.
Thus, even though it is nominally an independent city, the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy Territory has strong ties to the Kingdom of Friedonia, and for many people, Yumuen is merely perceived as one of the cities within the Carmine territory. I, too, am giving advance notice to Colbert of the Carmine family to visit Yumuen.
Colbert nodded, understanding the situation. “I see. Will you be traveling by land? If so, we would need to arrange an escort along the way…”
“No, I plan to fly directly to Yumuen from the air via a Wyvern gondola. I just need you to understand that we will be passing over the Carmine territory that day.”
“Will you not stop by Randel?”
“Randel and Yumuen are at opposite ends of the territory, aren’t they? Besides, Mio is on maternity leave now, right? I don’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.”
Mio is currently pregnant with her child with Colbert and is on maternity leave at the Randel estate. The pregnancy was discovered right after receiving the Lunarian region, and those connected to the former Army General Georg Carmine rejoiced at the double felicitations. Colbert had been working even harder than before, dedicating himself to state affairs and managing the new territory for the sake of his coming child. …Although Roroa and I have been discussing giving him a prolonged paid vacation soon.
Colbert bowed. “Thank you for your consideration.”
“By the way, Your Majesty, may I ask the reason for your visit to Yumuen?”
Colbert asked, gauging my expression. He seemed cautious, wondering if there was some secret mission he wasn’t aware of. Even in times of peace, a misstep in state intervention in religious matters could become a flashpoint. His concern was understandable. I nodded with a wry smile.
“The main objective is to hold a meeting with Soji and Mary. I want to hear about the atmosphere within the Orthodox Church since it became the Papacy Territory and discuss future matters. Also, I’m concerned about how Anne, who was Fuuga’s Saintess, is doing.”
“I see. But in that case, wouldn’t it be easier to simply invite Lord Soji and the others here?”
“Well, that’s true, but… there’s a reason I need to go in person.”
Colbert’s point was valid. If I only wanted to hear about the situation within the Orthodox Church, summoning Soji and the others would suffice. There was little reason for me to go all the way to Yumuen. …But an unavoidable reason had emerged.
I sighed softly, saying with a bitter feeling, “…Soji says that the ‘Lunar Inscription’ (Lunaris) was discovered beneath the main church.”
“‘Lunar Inscription’? Are you referring to the inscription in the Lunarian Orthodox Church through which ‘Lunaria, the Moon Goddess,’ gives her divine oracle? What, did it really exist?”
Colbert’s eyes widened. Liscia and I already knew it existed from the testimony of Merula, who had eavesdropped on the oracle, and Mary, the former Saintess, but it seemed to Colbert the story had been dubious. He looked like someone who had just been told that Santa Claus was real. Well, since this world has many relics of super-science, it was perhaps more plausible than Santa Claus.
“The existence of the ‘Lunar Inscription’ seems to be true. And I hear that the oracle contained information about me and Fuuga. Apparently, after it fell into Fuuga’s hands, he sealed it deep underground… but it was found recently.”
I sighed heavily again.
“If another divine oracle is delivered, and those who see it are inspired, the world that has just settled down could be plunged into chaos again. To prevent being manipulated by the oracle in the future, I must first see the ‘Lunar Inscription’ with my own eyes and make a judgment. To decide whether to preserve it… or to destroy it.”
“…” “…”
That was why I had to go to Yumuen.
