༺ S1. The Prince, The Flower, And The Resistance – 5 ༻
If he had not been an Imperial Prince…
If he had not been born with the most noble blood that could flow through a body, carrying the mission to lead all the people of the Empire….
Second Prince Irid had once briefly entertained such what-ifs.
While inspecting the imperial capital, he heard the cheerful laughter of a family in a house. They barely had any possessions and the only strength or power they had was to chop wood or wring the necks of chickens, but…
How were they able to laugh so joyfully? What was happening beyond the walls he could not see? Wasn’t family just another name for competitors?
He quickly dismissed these thoughts as pointless, but the small curiosity that had bloomed then was firmly embedded in his mind like a wedge.
And now, he knew the answer.
The people beyond the wall were feeling love.
===============================================================
You were really enjoying a happy time. How could you have possibly anticipated it? To think that you would spend such heartwarming days in a future that was a hundred years away.
In order for 『Beer and Song』 to succeed, you and Centra gradually progressed with the project. You modified the lyrics of the songs to be able to be spread by the bards and hid fireworks here and there in Crownhall to lift the atmosphere.
“Putting one on the church spire seems like a good idea.”
“You’re saying since it’s right in the center of the city, the view is good, right?”
“Can I go with you this time too?”
“Of course. Outings with Irid are fun! But you know, you now hold me without reserve, huh?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
You also enjoyed a romantic date, involving a grappling hook gun.
The term ‘date’ was no exaggeration. Though unspoken, there was a strange atmosphere every time you made eye contact with Centra. At one point, you even locked eyes for as long as 10 seconds, as if enchanted.
“…….I won the staring contest!”
Centra tried to pass it off as a joke, but her ears were so red that even an idiot could tell.
Despite this, the two of you did not cross the line. You held each other under the pretext of using the grappling hook gun, as the clear resonance of each other’s heartbeats could be felt echoing in your very soul.
The clock stigma engraved on your wrist was hastening your return. The predetermined farewell was fast approaching.
You both maintained distance, knowing that the higher you fly, the more painful the fall. So, at the very least……you wanted to see Centra’s bright smile once more by succeeding in 『Beer and Song』. That was what you thought.
You gathered manpower and spread rumors to subtly raise expectations among the citizens, telling them something interesting would happen during the Founding Festival.
This work would open the hearts of the citizens. They would think of it as a clever prank and sing along to the song of peace with delicious, refreshing beer.
The more people you spread the news to, the higher the slim chances of success. If anything changed even a little after the song ended………it would be perfect. There would be nothing more to ask for.
Time passed as quickly as you were happy.
===============================================================
Key executives of the Resistance gathered in the inn for 『Beer and Song』.
There were mercenaries never seen before, members of the garrison, and even beggars. So many still reminisced about the old empire.
However, their ways of reminiscing were different.
Half of the Resistance harbored a sense of mission or goodwill in their eyes, like a warm sunset. They looked at Centra with hope for the future.
On the other hand, there were those who harbored a dark red color in their eyes, exuding a vicious smell of blood that made one crinkle their nose.
“Colkis, you dumbass. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you!”
“I thought you had killed your temper a bit since you’ve been calm recently, but you’re still the same, Ronya! Uhahaha! But are you really going to go through with this moronic plan? Ehh?”
“Of course I am. After all, Centra is the leader.”
“Uhaha! That’s right, we must follow the boss’s orders!”
Their gaze was not on Centra, but on their own group.
The hardliners of the Resistance. The avengers who wanted to take revenge on the Kingdom Alliance through force. Those who had lost their families in the world. Their movements were unusual.
You, who had reviewed documents, knew. As you had noticed before, not only supplies but items that could be used as weapons were being gathered. Those people would shed blood at any time they could.
You had informed Centra of this fact.
“Even so, they attended the strategy meeting. It’s obvious what they’re plotting. If 『Beer and Song』 ends poorly, they’ll argue that nothing can be changed through peace. They want to take the leadership of the Resistance away from you.”
“Will that be a problem for the plan?”
“I never expected active help from the beginning. Just their passive presence is enough for the plan. Not only can a little interference be managed……But also, this Resistance is heavily influenced by your father. If they wish to take over the Resistance completely, they won’t show you too much hostility.”
“That’s fine then. There’s not enough time to persuade them, and……Irid promised to protect, right?”
“Promised to protect the plan, you mean.”
“Yes, the plan.”
You explained the strategy to the key personnel and distributed roles. You prepared the materials and boosted morale. If the goddess of fate was the one to roll the dice, it was your efforts that added to the numbers on it.
The finale was approaching.
===============================================================
30 minutes left until 『Beer and Song』.
The time remaining until your return was also……soon.
The time indicated by the tattooed watch on your wrist wasn’t marked with clear numbers. If your calculations were correct, there was a bit of leeway, but it was uncertain when this time would end.
You hoped to remain until the end of the operation, but if you couldn’t….This might really be your last moments with her.
So, you……gathered a bit more courage.
“Centra.”
“……Yes, Irid?”
“Would you……have a cup of tea with me?”
“……Pfft!”
That’s right, you gathered a very, very minuscule amount of courage. Instead of a last kiss or farewell hug, you chose tea time. Still, it seemed to please Centra.
After all, didn’t a bright smile bloom on her face?
“Heh, heheh, ah, I shouldn’t laugh……”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“I-I’m not making fun of you. It’s just that, uh………you’re too cute. Is it rude to feel this way?”
“It is.”
“I’m sorry, um……I’ll invite you to my room, so can you forgive my rudeness?”
You forgave her quickly. When you were with Centra, you found yourself ten times more lenient than usual.
Just like the moment of your first meeting…
Centra took your hand and led you. Once again, you were drawn to her warmth.
Her room was modest; a small room, with a bed taking up one corner, a small desk, and squared manuscript paper. There were books like ‘How to Become a Leader’, ‘The Leader Speaks : Eleven Ways to Persuade Subordinates’. A small vase was decorated with a single sprig of rosemary.
Her scent lingered heavily in each and every one of these objects.
“I’ll go brew it quickly!”
Thump-thump. Your heart trembled as if your whole body was vibrating. You kept fidgeting and shaking your legs until Centra came back with two cups of black tea. You should have already gotten rid of this habit of shaking your legs at the age of seven when you were spanked and scolded by the strict head maid.
With no space to spread a table, the two of you sat side by side on the bed, so close that your shoulders touched each other momentarily every time one of you moved.
Then, Centra leaned her head on your shoulder. A pleasant weight could be felt. It was amazing that you could feel so happy with such simple actions.
Silence followed.
It wasn’t an unpleasant silence. After all, it was still a conversation between each other, just made by exchanging body heat, weight, atmosphere, scent, and the soul. There was no need for words.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The sound of the clock’s hands moving rang in your ears. Your heart sank. You instinctively knew. You…had to return.
Just as you were about to say your final farewell…
Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Yes, I’m coming!”
Centra got up from the bed. She walked five steps to the door, slowly reaching for the doorknob with her index finger first. The whole scene seemed to be in slow motion to you.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
When Centra opened the door, there was no one there. She peeked out and looked left and right in the corridor.
You shivered with an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Something….You were missing something.
“I’m against it.”
“Hey, you’re being suspected right now, you know? Who would trust documents to a suspicious g…….”
=> Doubts cast upon a stranger. Although it seemed obvious, Ronya’s attitude seemed to wish for ‘no one to be around Centra’.
“After the Founding Festival, it’ll be hard to see Centra. We’re moving into a new era, you see.”
=> Ronya didn’t know you were a time traveler. Then, why did she say it would be hard to see Centra?
“I thought you had killed your temper a bit since you’ve been calm recently, but you’re still the same, Ronya! Uhahaha! But are you really going to go through with this moronic plan? Ehh?”
“Of course I am. After all, Centra is the leader.”
=> She clearly had a negative opinion about 『Beer and Song』. It seemed she saw a low chance of success. Then how could she talk about moving to a ‘new era’?
“Obviously, the era of beer and bellows. Go and come back.”
=> If it was not a mix-up of operation names, then what in the world did 『Beer and Bellows』 signify?
Resistance. A young leader who inherited her father’s authority. To kill her and usurp the leadership would turn half of the Resistance against them.
However, what if she……were to die at the hands of the ‘Kingdom Alliance’?
If the young leader, who championed peace and love, were to be tragically killed by the ‘Kingdom Alliance’, then even those in the Resistance who sympathized with Centra’s peace would draw their swords.
And that…….was precisely the scenario the radical faction of the Resistance yearned for.
You mustn’t go out.
Your lips parted too slowly. You screamed dozens, hundreds of times, but the plea to not go out only echoed hollowly in your mind.
Centra turned to the left. There was a window at the end of the left corridor. She seemed to notice something and walked towards the left. Step. Step. She disappeared from sight.
Please, let this be an overreaction. A delusion. The ramblings of a patient with paranoia.
You desperately begged in this frozen time.
Tick-tock.
And then…
BOOOOOM-!!
An explosion. Debris scattered, black smoke billowing in the aftermath. Your eyes chased the lingering scent of rosemary through the smoke, even though nothing at all could be seen.
And then…
Flash.
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“You’ve awakened, Prince. Did you enjoy……..”
Second Prince Irid grabbed the wizard by the collar and pushed him against the wall. Unrefined mana rippled through the Second Prince’s body and his eyes wept with blood due to the sudden use of mana.
Simultaneously, the Purple Magic Tower Master and the boy knight moved.
The boy knight unsheathed his sword. The mere aftermath tore the walls of the Magic Tower, revealing a gloomy sky with falling rain.
The Purple Magic Tower Master created droplets of water at her fingertips. The resonating droplets deceived the world, twisting and distorting space as it lost its meaning.
However, Second Prince Irid did not pay even an ounce of attention to it. That was not what was important. Unconcerned with the world melting away into an illusion while shattering into fragments under the sword strike, Irid desperately screamed at the Dimensional Wizard.
“SEND ME BACK TO THAT WORLD, NOW──!!”
