After-Story Chapter 4: The 'Gorilla' Opens for Business (Part 2)

“First, regarding the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom… We are considering adding the border between our country and the Kingdom of Lastania to the air route. Isn’t that right, Lady Tia, Julius?”

When I directed the question to Tia and Julius, they both nodded.

“Yes. That is what we have been informed.”

“When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke,” Julius said, contrasting Tia’s straightforward nod with a slightly exasperated look. “A national border is fundamentally a place separated by natural features like mountains or rivers, or if not, it’s a strategically important location where security troops are stationed. It’s also a place where accidental combat can occur. If Nothung Dragon Knights fly over it and something happens, the relationship between our two countries could instantly sour over the issue of accountability. I didn’t think it was realistic.”

“But I, conversely, thought it could serve as a deterrent,” I said, following up on Julius’s words. “It would be a problem if we created an air route along the border using our country’s Wyverns or the Kingdom of Lastania’s, but the Dragon Knights belong to a different nation. If relations between our country and the Kingdom of Lastania become strained, they wouldn’t want to fly the Dragon Knights along that border. The air service for that route would be suspended.”

“You mean that maintaining the air service is absolutely essential for both countries to remain on friendly terms?” Julius asked.

I nodded. “Yes. While things are fine while we are here, we don’t know what will happen to the next generation, or the generation after that. I expect that if a system is in place that effectively says, ‘Stay friendly if you want to keep using the air service,’ it will make it harder to start a war. Well, if it doesn’t work out, the Dragon Knight Kingdom simply closes one route, so there’s nothing to lose by trying.”

“…You have a point. That is why our country has agreed to accept it,” Julius conceded.

I then looked toward Chabon. “How about extending that route to connect with the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom? Of course, as I just mentioned, from the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom’s perspective, this air route will be easily unusable unless you maintain friendship with us and the Kingdom of Lastania. Does that still work for you?”

“Yes. We, too, wish to maintain friendly relations with both countries. Sharan is marrying into the Kingdom of Friedonia, and many of the port cities our country owns on the continent border the Kingdom of Lastania. Our relationship will only deepen from here.” Chabon asserted confidently.

From the sea, the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago is situated between our country, the Kingdom of Lastania, and the Kingdom of Euphoria (and the Spirit Kingdom, too). If they are to export products utilizing their high technology and develop as a maritime hub, a peaceful world is desirable. I nodded.

“Understood. Then, let’s adjust the plan to include the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom.”

“Fufu. Thank you.”

Just as we reached an agreement, Lumière, who had been observing, turned to Jeanne.

“Jeanne. Since such an air route is being created on the eastern side of the continent, how about establishing an air route along the border between our country and yours? I believe that extending it to the Spirit Kingdom would facilitate lively exchange among the three nations.”

Jeanne blinked her eyes in surprise at the question. “I think that sounds good, but… you and the Great Tiger Kingdom have clashed several times, haven’t we? The bad blood runs deep. Can you convince the people below you, let alone yourself, Lumi?”

“I can only bow my head deeply to acknowledge the resentment, but if you accept, I will take responsibility for persuading the Great Tiger Kingdom’s side. As the nations of the world strengthen their ties, isolating ourselves out of unnecessary pride will only leave us behind. I will not allow this country, which I hold in trust from Lady Yuriga to eventually hand over to Lord Suiga, to become poor.”

“Lumi…”

Jeanne was momentarily unable to find the words to respond to Lumière, who had burdened herself with such heavy responsibility. However, Lumière smiled, as if to say such worry was unnecessary.

“Besides, Jeanne, consider this. Suppose an air route is established in the east that passes between the Kingdom of Friedonia and the Kingdom of Lastania and extends to the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom. And suppose an air route is established in the west that passes between our country and the Kingdom of Euphoria and extends to the Spirit Kingdom. When the air route connecting the Spirit Kingdom and the Nine-Headed Dragon Kingdom is finally completed…”

“Ah! Then we would have an air route that circles the world!”

“Right? Doesn’t that sound interesting?”

“Yes. …Ah, um… What do you think?”

Jeanne, having nearly gotten too excited, suddenly turned to Hakuya, checking his reaction. Jeanne seems to confirm things with her rational and dependable husband, Hakuya, because she is aware that she is not a ruler who can intuitively hit upon the correct answer, like her older sister Maria. Hakuya smiled gently at Jeanne.

“I think that would be excellent.”

“In that case! Then, Lumi, let’s proceed in that direction.” Jeanne said happily.

…Hakuya never wore such a gentle expression when he was serving me. Well, I suppose that’s natural when he’s talking to his wife.

Listening to this exchange, Princess Elulu clapped her hands.

“You did it, Father! Now air service will reach our country too!”

“I know, so calm down, Elulu.”

“Fufufu, this means I can visit Lord Shuukin whenever I want!”

“Ah, ahaha…” Shuukin and Garula both managed wry smiles at the energetic Princess Elulu.

Then, Kou, who had been quiet until now, complained with a dissatisfied look, “Hey, am I the only one left out?”

“I want Dragon Knights to come to our country too.”

“But the dragons can’t fly all the way to the Republic because of the cold and the air currents, can they?”

“They just need to come as far as the Zem region. We’ll set up the roads from there.”

“…Then, should we expand the air route that circles the Star Dragon Mountain Range to the south, making the route pass through what was once the border between your country and the Lunarian Orthodox Papacy, and thus pass through your border with Zem? It would also need to pass through the borders between our country and the Kingdom of Euphoria, and between our country and the Kingdom of Lastania.”

“Oh! That’s fine by me, Big Bro.”

With that, the air routes for the Dragon Knight Kingdom were decided. Soon, an air route that circles the continent, centered on the Star Dragon Mountain Range, will be established, and eventually, an air route that makes a large circuit around the Southern Hemisphere will be created. Eventually, I would like to make other borders into air routes as well. Well, connecting with Halbert, the gateway to the Northern Hemisphere, will take time due to quarantine issues. We need to prevent unknown diseases like the demon-bug illness from being brought in from the North, or vice versa.

But, well, let’s all think about that later.

“…Speaking of which, ‘Air Service by the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom’s Dragon Knights’ is too long and too literal, isn’t it? Have you thought of a name?” I asked Lady Sill.

She put her arms together and murmured, “Hmm.”

“Although it became a little distorted, it’s an air route that circles the world, in a circle. …How about ‘Dragon Ring Airline’?”

“‘Dragon Ring Airline’… that might be good.”

The abbreviation would be DRA, maybe? It could be read as Dora (dragon) and sounds fitting for a dragon… or so I thought, but…

“Isn’t that still a little long? Something shorter might be easier to say,” Liscia commented.

Lady Sill pondered, “Hmm.”

“Then, taking the initial letters, ‘Driela’…?”

“That sounds like a drill,” Kou said, then clapped his hands. “How about taking the ‘gon’ from ‘Dragon’ instead of the ‘dra’? Then shorten it to three syllables. In other words…”

…Wait? I have a bad feeling about this. And that feeling proved right.

“Gorilla! How about ‘Gorilla Airline’?”

Hey! I knew it! A ridiculous name like that can’t be good, I thought, but Lady Sill was contemplating it with a serious expression.

“Gorilla… Gorilla, you say…”

“No, well, that’s a bit…”

“Hmm. It has quite a nice sound to it, ‘Gorilla.'”

“Wait, you actually like it?!”

Ah, that’s right. Gorillas didn’t exist in this world, did they? Even at the demonology symposium, when I tried to describe an ‘ogre that looked like a gorilla,’ I had to rephrase it as ‘like an orangutan…’ That means people in this world won’t conjure up the image of that primate when they hear “Gorilla.” So, no one will find the name strange for an airline. Except for me.

So there’s no problem. No problem… I should think… but, ugh.

“…Why are you writhing around, Souma?”

Everyone was giving Lady Sill warm applause, saying they thought it was a good name, and Liscia gave me a look of cold contempt for holding my head in my hands alone. …Well, if it has come to this, I can’t help it. I can’t put a damper on a world that’s trying to globalize over something like this. I’ll just quietly keep the image of that primate—which will likely continue to surface in my mind every time I use the Dragon Knight air service—tucked away in my heart.