elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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He looked over our way as he said that. I, for one, had indeed figured such was the case.
Then Lady Philine is alive? she asked.
That she is. She should be poring over her studies as we speak.
Adelina buried her face with her hands and wept, saying, Thank goodness thank goodness, over and over.
Wow. Philine, you got a real die-hard fan.
Do you understand now? he continued. You have no reason to start a coup. It ll only cause trouble for
No, she stated clearly. Wiping away her tears, she continued, My convictions are only stronger now that I know she is alive. We will carry out the coup and install Philine as the new empress.

***

Were you not listening, Adelina? Lady Philine is alive. A hint of alarm crossed Josef s face as things took an unexpected turn.
That is all the more reason to go through with the coup. We must succeed so she can return. In contrast to Josef, Adelina appeared as though she had cast away all her worries.
Personally, I thought she sounded insane.
Please reconsider, he pleaded. Surely you know Her Majesty s strength? Your little insurrection will amount to nothing.
Then so be it. My comrades fear not death but rather an empire without a future.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! This isn t going anywhere near according to plan!
That was when Claire interjected. Excuse me, but what in the world are you thinking? Was the coup not planned because you believed Lady Philine had died? What meaning is there in carrying it out now?
Silence, dog of Bauer. You wouldn t understand.
Pardon? Claire s countenance changed completely.
Oh, she s pissed. I mean, I do love her angry face, but now isn t the time for it I interrupted, Please calm down, Miss Claire. And Adelina, I believe you ve said a little too much.
Humph!
Humph!
The two of them both turned away with a huff.
Yikes I shook my head. Why are you so insistent on going through with the coup?
I m not repeating myself again. Adelina shot me right down.
Jeez. I see. By the way, are you aware that treason is a crime?
Of course.
Right, of course. You re a soldier, after all. But were you also aware that all men within three degrees of kinship to you will be executed, and that all women and children over six will be sentenced to work at mining camps for life?
I ve known. I ve sent my parents a letter telling them to leave the country that should arrive around the time of the coup.
It appeared she d put some thought into this. But
Where will they go? I asked.
That s M-my family will figure it out; I believe in them.
Would the family of your collaborators be as safe though? I asked. There s also the fact that escaping the empire would mean forgoing its protection. I m sure you re aware how other countries view the empire. You wouldn t be planning a coup, otherwise. What kind of welcome do you think they d give those who ran from it?
A look of shock crossed Adelina s face. It seemed she hadn t thought that far.
What are you trying to say?! she demanded, still stubborn.
I m saying your actions will have consequences for people other than you.
I genuinely believed she d come around if she thought this through clearly. So I continued, speaking calmly so as not to agitate her. Let s assume your families don t escape the country. Even if they avoid being sentenced by amnesty or pardon, they ll still never be able to return to their old lives. Their friends will stop associating with them. Their workplaces will fire them. Stores might even refuse to sell them food. That s what happens to the families of traitors.
Th-that s
Betraying your country carried lasting consequences. That wasn t to say I believed one should never rise up against oppressive dictatorships which Adelina believed was now the time to do but one needed to be aware of all the risks inherent in doing so.
I continued. Above all else, the family you leave behind might come to resent you.
I wouldn t mind that. For the greater good, I
It hurts, you know. Being hated by your own family.
I thought back to Misaki, my friend from my past life. The only ones who mourned him after he committed suicide were his friends the ones who understood his plight. That included Kosaki, Shiko, and me, of course. Misaki s family had ended up resenting him.
or blame for those around them. People can t help but question why such a thing could have been allowed to happen. Misaki s family never accepted him being gay nor acknowledged him as a man, so when they wound up being blamed for his death, any love they d ever had for him died an all too easy death. From their perspective, he d said some nonsense and then died, leaving their family to bear the disgrace.
My heart hurt every time I remembered it.
Otto s worried about you, you know, I said.
He is?
Yes. He might not be all that forthright about it, but he s worried about what you re trying to do. Are you really willing to trample his feelings?
Adelina went silent. Not all families got along, but from what I could tell, the Reiner family was tight-knit. Could she really ignore her brother s concerns?
I also don t believe Lady Philine would want a coup to take place, I went on.
What do you know about her? You re the reason she was exiled in the first place.
That way of thinking is disrespectful to Lady Philine. She isn t the type to be so easily deceived. She took action because she wanted to change this country herself.
I couldn t deny that Claire and I had our own ulterior motives, but Philine had acted in pursuit of her own beliefs. We d only ever given her the opportunity and support she needed.
Going back a bit, I said, remember how Philine s hair was sent as proof of her death? Why do you think she would send her hair?
What do you mean why? It s not like she could cut off bits of her ear or nose, now could she?
I think her hair was a message to Her Majesty.
Huh? Adelina looked puzzled.
The Philine you know is dead, or something along those lines. Like a Dear John letter although I suppose that might not be a thing in this world. Erm a declaration, perhaps.
A look of understanding rose to Adelina s face.
I don t think Lady Philine s given up. She still has things she needs to do, I said. Of course, I was possibly wildly off the mark, but hey. That being the case, would it not be better to wait for her and find out what she truly wants instead of digging your own grave now? She will need people like you when she returns.
And if she doesn t return?
If she doesn t return, then somebody will need to carry on her will. And who better to do that than you guys, as her followers? For now, I recommend you rise up the ranks within the army. You re going to need influence if you re to achieve anything.
The Nur Empire was a military state. Gaining rank in the army could give Adelina the chance to influence the country the way she wanted.
And personally, I don t want to see one of the few precious things Lady Philine managed to earn for herself be so meaninglessly lost, I said.
You mean ?
Yes. You all.
Back when we d first started strategizing together, the only people Philine had on her side, other than Claire and me, had been Adelina and the other soldiers. They were the only allies she had gained through her efforts alone. I couldn t bear to see them lost for no reason.
Adelina pondered pensively for a time. Her inner turmoil was surely intense. The decision to attempt a coup d tat couldn t have been a whim, but the result of much thought and deliberation. No matter how much logic I used to refute her, the decision to back down at this point was not an easy one.
Just what about this is so difficult for you to understand? Claire said impatiently. If you go through with the coup, you are all but sure to fail. Your households will be left in ruins. What more is there to consider?
You re not from the empire. You wouldn t understand, Adelina said.
It s precisely because I m not from the empire that there are some things I can understand.
And what would those be?
I understand you and your people care about the future of this country.
Adelina s eyes opened wide.
But for that future s sake, you must wait, Claire went on. Now is not the time.
Adelina said nothing, listening.
Your people have an unwavering will, and you do not fear Her Majesty. That fact won t change, will it?
Of course not, Adelina replied.
Then you must endure the wait for now. You mustn t do anything rash. At least not until Lady Philine makes her intentions known.
At Claire s words, Adelina seemed to come to some realization. She remained silent, as if turning those words over in her head.
I implore you as well, Adelina. Please reconsider. Josef lowered his head.
After some further deliberation, she reluctantly said, All right. I ll try talking to my comrades.

***

Several days had passed since we managed to talk down Adelina, and now the four-nation summit was upon us.
The summit was held in one of the Nur Empire s finest hotels, a lavish, elegant building that sharply contrasted with the cold practicality the empire was known for. The sculpted reliefs adorning the entrance were just one of many fine examples of craftsmanship that could have put Bauer s Royal Palace to shame.
With so many high-profile people present, the security was understandably through the roof. A number of soldiers were posted at the entrance, carefully performing body searches on anyone passing through. I underwent a body search as well, although I felt they took a particularly long time to check me. Thankfully, they made sure the people performing the pat downs were of the same gender as the ones being searched.
Why was I attending the summit, you might ask? Well, I d been hired to help out with security. Claire and I were some of Bauer s most distinguished magic users, so the security team had headhunted us. Dole and Thane protested to the bitter end, of course.
Claire and I were searched, then received our wands from an attendant, since obviously, we needed our wands to do our jobs. We could use magic without wands, but nowhere near as proficiently. Naturally, our wands were also blessed, as we d had a number of run-ins with demons since coming to the empire.
The Bauer dignitaries were searched after us, among them Thane, Dole, and Mr. Torrid. A few people were accompanying them for secretarial purposes, but those three formed the main contingent, while Claire and I served as their escorts.
After the Bauer dignitaries were searched, the dignitaries from Sousse and the Alpes followed. Among the Sousse dignitaries was Manaria, and among the Alpes dignitaries were William and Lene. Manaria s presence was a given, but it was a surprise to see Lene formerly an exiled vagabond without a country to call her own attending an international conference as an advisor of sorts. It felt like destiny had brought us back together again, but I knew it was her hard work that had made this possible.
The empire s staff led the three groups to the venue. Flowers and paintings lined the corridor, meant to engage guests throughout the walk. Few of us felt inclined to appreciate them, however, with somber looks on our faces as our thoughts fixed on the conference ahead.
We have arrived. The attendant pushed open the door. My eyes fought to adjust to the blinding light for a moment. Once they did, a large round table came into view.
You ve come. I am Dorothea Nur. Let this conference be productive.
The attendees from the empire were already seated, and Dorothea greeted us as their representative. As with the conference with the pope, she kept her words short and succinct.
Please be seated, the attendant instructed us. The three groups obeyed.
In all with the entrance situated to the south we sat at the table with Bauer to the east, Sousse to the west, Nur to the south, and the Alpes to the north. In Japan, we had something called kamiza, or the seat of honor, where the distinguished guest sat furthest from the entrance, but it appeared that wasn t a custom in this world. Perhaps that was why they used a round table, so nobody would argue about who got what seat.
I would like to get straight to the point, as I m not one for wasting time. Any objections? Dorothea said, scanning the table. No one objected.
And so, the summit finally began.

He looked over our way as he said that. I, for one, had indeed figured such was the case.

Then Lady Philine is alive? she asked.

That she is. She should be poring over her studies as we speak.

Adelina buried her face with her hands and wept, saying, Thank goodness thank goodness, over and over.

Wow. Philine, you got a real die-hard fan.

Do you understand now? he continued. You have no reason to start a coup. It ll only cause trouble for

No, she stated clearly. Wiping away her tears, she continued, My convictions are only stronger now that I know she is alive. We will carry out the coup and install Philine as the new empress.

***

Were you not listening, Adelina? Lady Philine is alive. A hint of alarm crossed Josef s face as things took an unexpected turn.

That is all the more reason to go through with the coup. We must succeed so she can return. In contrast to Josef, Adelina appeared as though she had cast away all her worries.

Personally, I thought she sounded insane.

Please reconsider, he pleaded. Surely you know Her Majesty s strength? Your little insurrection will amount to nothing.

Then so be it. My comrades fear not death but rather an empire without a future.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! This isn t going anywhere near according to plan!

That was when Claire interjected. Excuse me, but what in the world are you thinking? Was the coup not planned because you believed Lady Philine had died? What meaning is there in carrying it out now?

Silence, dog of Bauer. You wouldn t understand.

Pardon? Claire s countenance changed completely.

Oh, she s pissed. I mean, I do love her angry face, but now isn t the time for it I interrupted, Please calm down, Miss Claire. And Adelina, I believe you ve said a little too much.

Humph!

The two of them both turned away with a huff.

Yikes I shook my head. Why are you so insistent on going through with the coup?

I m not repeating myself again. Adelina shot me right down.

Jeez. I see. By the way, are you aware that treason is a crime?

Of course.

Right, of course. You re a soldier, after all. But were you also aware that all men within three degrees of kinship to you will be executed, and that all women and children over six will be sentenced to work at mining camps for life?

I ve known. I ve sent my parents a letter telling them to leave the country that should arrive around the time of the coup.

It appeared she d put some thought into this. But

Where will they go? I asked.

That s M-my family will figure it out; I believe in them.

Would the family of your collaborators be as safe though? I asked. There s also the fact that escaping the empire would mean forgoing its protection. I m sure you re aware how other countries view the empire. You wouldn t be planning a coup, otherwise. What kind of welcome do you think they d give those who ran from it?

A look of shock crossed Adelina s face. It seemed she hadn t thought that far.

What are you trying to say?! she demanded, still stubborn.

I m saying your actions will have consequences for people other than you.

I genuinely believed she d come around if she thought this through clearly. So I continued, speaking calmly so as not to agitate her. Let s assume your families don t escape the country. Even if they avoid being sentenced by amnesty or pardon, they ll still never be able to return to their old lives. Their friends will stop associating with them. Their workplaces will fire them. Stores might even refuse to sell them food. That s what happens to the families of traitors.

Th-that s

Betraying your country carried lasting consequences. That wasn t to say I believed one should never rise up against oppressive dictatorships which Adelina believed was now the time to do but one needed to be aware of all the risks inherent in doing so.

I continued. Above all else, the family you leave behind might come to resent you.

I wouldn t mind that. For the greater good, I

It hurts, you know. Being hated by your own family.

I thought back to Misaki, my friend from my past life. The only ones who mourned him after he committed suicide were his friends the ones who understood his plight. That included Kosaki, Shiko, and me, of course. Misaki s family had ended up resenting him.

or blame for those around them. People can t help but question why such a thing could have been allowed to happen. Misaki s family never accepted him being gay nor acknowledged him as a man, so when they wound up being blamed for his death, any love they d ever had for him died an all too easy death. From their perspective, he d said some nonsense and then died, leaving their family to bear the disgrace.

My heart hurt every time I remembered it.

Otto s worried about you, you know, I said.

He is?

Yes. He might not be all that forthright about it, but he s worried about what you re trying to do. Are you really willing to trample his feelings?

Adelina went silent. Not all families got along, but from what I could tell, the Reiner family was tight-knit. Could she really ignore her brother s concerns?

I also don t believe Lady Philine would want a coup to take place, I went on.

What do you know about her? You re the reason she was exiled in the first place.

That way of thinking is disrespectful to Lady Philine. She isn t the type to be so easily deceived. She took action because she wanted to change this country herself.

I couldn t deny that Claire and I had our own ulterior motives, but Philine had acted in pursuit of her own beliefs. We d only ever given her the opportunity and support she needed.

Going back a bit, I said, remember how Philine s hair was sent as proof of her death? Why do you think she would send her hair?

What do you mean why? It s not like she could cut off bits of her ear or nose, now could she?

I think her hair was a message to Her Majesty.

Huh? Adelina looked puzzled.

The Philine you know is dead, or something along those lines. Like a Dear John letter although I suppose that might not be a thing in this world. Erm a declaration, perhaps.

A look of understanding rose to Adelina s face.

I don t think Lady Philine s given up. She still has things she needs to do, I said. Of course, I was possibly wildly off the mark, but hey. That being the case, would it not be better to wait for her and find out what she truly wants instead of digging your own grave now? She will need people like you when she returns.

And if she doesn t return?

If she doesn t return, then somebody will need to carry on her will. And who better to do that than you guys, as her followers? For now, I recommend you rise up the ranks within the army. You re going to need influence if you re to achieve anything.

The Nur Empire was a military state. Gaining rank in the army could give Adelina the chance to influence the country the way she wanted.

And personally, I don t want to see one of the few precious things Lady Philine managed to earn for herself be so meaninglessly lost, I said.

You mean ?

Yes. You all.

Back when we d first started strategizing together, the only people Philine had on her side, other than Claire and me, had been Adelina and the other soldiers. They were the only allies she had gained through her efforts alone. I couldn t bear to see them lost for no reason.

Adelina pondered pensively for a time. Her inner turmoil was surely intense. The decision to attempt a coup d tat couldn t have been a whim, but the result of much thought and deliberation. No matter how much logic I used to refute her, the decision to back down at this point was not an easy one.

Just what about this is so difficult for you to understand? Claire said impatiently. If you go through with the coup, you are all but sure to fail. Your households will be left in ruins. What more is there to consider?

You re not from the empire. You wouldn t understand, Adelina said.

It s precisely because I m not from the empire that there are some things I can understand.

And what would those be?

I understand you and your people care about the future of this country.

Adelina s eyes opened wide.

But for that future s sake, you must wait, Claire went on. Now is not the time.

Adelina said nothing, listening.

Your people have an unwavering will, and you do not fear Her Majesty. That fact won t change, will it?

Of course not, Adelina replied.

Then you must endure the wait for now. You mustn t do anything rash. At least not until Lady Philine makes her intentions known.

At Claire s words, Adelina seemed to come to some realization. She remained silent, as if turning those words over in her head.

I implore you as well, Adelina. Please reconsider. Josef lowered his head.

After some further deliberation, she reluctantly said, All right. I ll try talking to my comrades.

***

Several days had passed since we managed to talk down Adelina, and now the four-nation summit was upon us.

The summit was held in one of the Nur Empire s finest hotels, a lavish, elegant building that sharply contrasted with the cold practicality the empire was known for. The sculpted reliefs adorning the entrance were just one of many fine examples of craftsmanship that could have put Bauer s Royal Palace to shame.

With so many high-profile people present, the security was understandably through the roof. A number of soldiers were posted at the entrance, carefully performing body searches on anyone passing through. I underwent a body search as well, although I felt they took a particularly long time to check me. Thankfully, they made sure the people performing the pat downs were of the same gender as the ones being searched.

Why was I attending the summit, you might ask? Well, I d been hired to help out with security. Claire and I were some of Bauer s most distinguished magic users, so the security team had headhunted us. Dole and Thane protested to the bitter end, of course.

Claire and I were searched, then received our wands from an attendant, since obviously, we needed our wands to do our jobs. We could use magic without wands, but nowhere near as proficiently. Naturally, our wands were also blessed, as we d had a number of run-ins with demons since coming to the empire.

The Bauer dignitaries were searched after us, among them Thane, Dole, and Mr. Torrid. A few people were accompanying them for secretarial purposes, but those three formed the main contingent, while Claire and I served as their escorts.

After the Bauer dignitaries were searched, the dignitaries from Sousse and the Alpes followed. Among the Sousse dignitaries was Manaria, and among the Alpes dignitaries were William and Lene. Manaria s presence was a given, but it was a surprise to see Lene formerly an exiled vagabond without a country to call her own attending an international conference as an advisor of sorts. It felt like destiny had brought us back together again, but I knew it was her hard work that had made this possible.

The empire s staff led the three groups to the venue. Flowers and paintings lined the corridor, meant to engage guests throughout the walk. Few of us felt inclined to appreciate them, however, with somber looks on our faces as our thoughts fixed on the conference ahead.

We have arrived. The attendant pushed open the door. My eyes fought to adjust to the blinding light for a moment. Once they did, a large round table came into view.

You ve come. I am Dorothea Nur. Let this conference be productive.

The attendees from the empire were already seated, and Dorothea greeted us as their representative. As with the conference with the pope, she kept her words short and succinct.

Please be seated, the attendant instructed us. The three groups obeyed.

In all with the entrance situated to the south we sat at the table with Bauer to the east, Sousse to the west, Nur to the south, and the Alpes to the north. In Japan, we had something called kamiza, or the seat of honor, where the distinguished guest sat furthest from the entrance, but it appeared that wasn t a custom in this world. Perhaps that was why they used a round table, so nobody would argue about who got what seat.

I would like to get straight to the point, as I m not one for wasting time. Any objections? Dorothea said, scanning the table. No one objected.

And so, the summit finally began.