by Hyougetsu
“Oi, look at this, Veight. She sent me another letter!”
Garsh, viceroy of Beluza, held out a letter with a grin. It was from Princess Eleora.
“She said ‘if there’s anything you find worrying about the council, you can always come to me.’ Can you believe that?”
Naturally she tried to sound as neutral as possible, but basically she was saying “if you’ve got problems with the Commonwealth, I can help get rid of them, for a price.” Shardier’s viceroy, Aram, smiled ruefully and said, “I received a letter as well. Though it contains nothing more than a greeting.”
“Ah, as did I,” Veira’s viceroy, Forne, raised his hand. It seemed she was trying to sink her claws in wherever she could. But considering everyone’s reactions to her letters, I could afford to wait and see for a while longer.
“I haven’t received one.”
“Me either.”
Melaine and Firnir both looked dissatisfied. As I suspected, Eleora had no idea how to try and negotiate with demons. And though she was pouring all her efforts into winning over the Commonwealth’s human members, they were just laughing her attempts off. That was hardly a surprise, the Senate had been attempting similar strategies when they were around too.
“That northern princess doesn’t seem ta know the first thing about negotiating, eh?”
Petore, viceroy of Lotz, muttered as he skimmed through his letter.
“She seems to know how to use the stick, but if ya don’t dangle enough carrots in front of us, none of us are gonna give ya the time of day, lass.”
The residents of the south, including the viceroys, were all descendants of the adventurous men and women who’d crossed the Sea of Solitude. Stubborn and independent to a fault, they preferred deciding their own course in life. It was because they hated being told what to do that the Senate had such a hard time dealing with them.
Once everyone had a good laugh over Eleora’s letters, Melaine brought up a new topic.
“Incidentally, a great number of Mondstrahl adherents have been streaming in from the north and asking for permission to live in Bernheinen. Should I let them in?”
“Oh yeah, I’ve been getting a bunch of those too. They were saying they were being pressured to convert or something.”
Bernheinen, which Melaine governed, and Thuvan, which Firnir governed, were both cities that bordered the north. Most of Eleora’s new policies had been practical and fair, but for some reason, she was being especially harsh when it came to religion. Her treatment of those not from the Sonnenlicht Order was quite cold. Shatina, viceroy of Zaria, folded her arms and muttered, “Zaria has received an influx of Mondstrahl followers as well. Princess Eleora must clearly be up to something. But she’s being so obvious about it... Maybe she’s not as smart as we think?”
Shatina had really grown recently as a viceroy. But while I agreed with the first half of her conclusion, it seemed to me that the reason she was going for such an obvious ploy wasn’t because she was incompetent, but because something or someone was forcing her hand. Fortunately, that meant we had a number of responses we could take.
“Personally, I think she’s doing this because she has no choice. It’s possible the emperor told her not to accept any citizens who aren’t members of the Sonnenlicht Order.”
“Ah, that makes more sense. I see now.”
Shatina nodded in understanding. Forne smiled playfully and said, “We’ve been getting a lot of famous people coming to us instead of pilgrims. The composer Donaut, the world-renowned artist Musel, and the sculptor Schteiden. They were all in the personal employ of various northern viceroys, but now they all want to come to us. Ah! I’m so happy I could sing. Schteiden’s disciples Bafel and Zeon came with him, too...”
Forne kept going on like that for a few minutes, but the point was that famous artists and musicians were coming to us. Part of the reason I’d been so welcoming of the Mondstrahl Church, which was a minority in Ryunheit, was because so many scientists and art masters were part of it. Their works were what moved the hearts of people, and brought in the wealth of nobles. Of course, they were no substitute for soldiers and fortifications, but they too were an important part of war, and not to be underestimated.
Forne clapped his hands together and said, “Thanks to that, our series of werewolf plays have become even more polished. I highly encourage every one of you to come see them. They are the culmination of all Meraldia’s artistic talent.”
He sounded like a child unwrapping his first birthday present. Apparently, the next installment of the series was about Firnir and Melaine, though, so I was a little interested in seeing it.
Oh, how foolish I had been.
“I must choose. Do we wither away slowly, or fight to the bitter end? Yet this choice is too heavy for me to make.”
“Firnir, if such a choice is beyond you, then let me bear it.”
“I know that voice! Is that you, Lord Veight!? Have you finally returned from the front lines?”
“My mission ended sooner than I expected. I hoped to ease my weariness by gazing upon your beautiful smile, but alas it seems something troubles you.”
The absolute heck is this? Firnir, who was supposed to be the star of this play, was currently torn over whether or not to fight. If she chose to go to war with the humans, much blood would be spilled on both sides. But if she didn’t, her race would be pushed out. As she was agonizing over what to do, the Black Werewolf King Veight showed up. He encouraged Firnir, and showed her a way to win this war while keeping the fighting to a minimum. Then together the two of them went to the front lines to fight the only battle they couldn’t avoid.
“Men, we have finally conquered Thuvan! This marks a new chapter in the history of the kentauros race!”
“YEEEEEEEEEAH!”
“My name is Firnir! Firnir the Swift Gale!”
After a few seconds of cheering, Firnir suddenly looked around.
“Where is he... Where is Lord Veight?”
The Black Werewolf King was nowhere to be seen. For the man who’d brought about this glorious victory had already moved on to other battlefields.
“Once again, I was unable to convey my feelings to him...”
Amidst the cheers of her soldiers, Firnir looked down forlornly.
The curtains closed, marking the end of the second installment of the werewolf series, The Maiden of the Gale. The actors walked up and bowed to the audience. The people who’d played the kentauros were all muscular, handsome men. The play itself had been full of vigor and heart. But for some reason, the actress playing Firnir had been a small, dainty girl. And she’d been played up as some kind of damsel in distress. Also because of how difficult it had been to make the actors look half-horse, they’d just settled for affixing a large amount of tassels to the actors’ waists. I guess they’re supposed to be horse tails or something? Furthermore, all the kentauros actors had worn helmets with horsehair manes on them, and their shields had horse head designs. It was definitely enough to make it obvious they were representing kentauros.
Meanwhile, the actors playing werewolves all wore wolf head helmets and put on thick black fur capes every time they “transformed” into their werewolf forms. They took them back off when they returned to looking human. Keeping the costume designs simple and symbolic rather than trying to make them accurate had been a smart decision in my opinion. Famous plays back on Earth had used props in similar ways. Firnir seemed to have really enjoyed the play, and she gave it a standing ovation once it ended.
“Whoa, I looked so cool! But Vaito looked even cooler! Hey, can you say those lines to me sometime!?”
“Give me a break.”
I wouldn’t be able to sound cool saying them anyway. In an attempt to escape Firnir’s pleading gaze, I turned to Forne, who was grinning proudly.
“I thought I was just supposed to be a side character in this part?”
“And you were.”
“Didn’t I stand out a bit too much for a sid
e character?”
“Well... encouraging Firnir, watching over her growth, and then departing mysteriously are perhaps more the actions of a main character. But they were all things that needed to be done by someone, so what else was I meant to do?”
You totally did this on purpose. I knew arguing wouldn’t get me anywhere though, so I just sighed and applauded the play. This time, instead of being the protagonist, I’d become the side character who did all the important things while the main characters just watched. Come to think of it, one of my friends in my old life had sold me on the awesomeness of prominent side characters. Not only did they get to be cool, they could throw all the truly hard things onto the main characters. In retrospect, that might have been the reason I was so attached to my position as vice-commander too.
Next up was the play starring Melaine, The Queen of the Crescent Moon.
“Up north, the demons are ignoring the Demon Lord’s orders and have begun razing the cities. But a lowly vampire like me cannot hope to stop them...”
“Lady Melaine, what seems to be the problem?”
“Ah, Veight. As a former human myself, I cannot bear to watch fellow demons needlessly spill the blood of other humans.”
In this play, I was aide to Melaine, the vampire queen. Play me respected Melaine like an older sister, and did everything he could to help her, including often putting himself in danger for her.
“Like us werewolves, vampires are denizens of the night. I will not allow you to insult Lady Melaine’s honor any further! Leave this place at once!”
“Hah! Demons only follow the strong! If you want me to bow my head to you, you better chop it off my neck!”
“Then that is what I shall do. Apologize to Lady Melaine in hell!”
Afterwards, I dueled with Dolf, the commander of the demons’ ogres. His underlings tried to use underhanded sneak attacks to kill me, but I beat them all back. Then, after a fierce clash of swords, I defeated Dolf.
With that, we thought peace would finally be brought to the north. Unfortunately, my intervention came too late, and the humans of northern Meraldia began a counteroffensive against the demon army. The demons stationed in the area were caught off-guard, and overwhelmed. Melaine, who’d only come to the north as a messenger, was swept up in the fighting as well. But then I charged into enemy lines all alone to rescue her.
“Where are you, Lady Melaine!? Your fellow disciple Veight has come to save you!”
“Aaah, Veight... You came...”
“Of course I did. Now come, we must escape this battlefield.”
“But all of my vampire subjects were killed in this battle. I lack the forces to escape this encirclement.”
Play me comforted Melaine.
“Fear not, your black werewolf knight is here. So long as I am by your side, not even a thousand men will be able to stop you.”
After some more fierce fighting, I escape the battlefield together with Melaine. At the end of the play, she swears she’ll rebuild the vampire race.
Melaine seemed to have enjoyed the play a lot.
“How wonderful. Back when I was a human I never imagined I would ever have a play chronicling my life. Ah, thank goodness I became a vampire...”
“The way they portrayed you is way too exaggerated, Melaine.”
“Oh, shut up. I’m busy watching play you, so you just sit there and watch.”
Now that’s harsh. Once again, I couldn’t help but take issue with my role in the play.
“Oi, Forne.”
“Yes?”
“Why am I standing out so much in this play too?”
“It’s not such a big deal, is it? As long as the performance is interesting, that’s all that matters. Besides, it is true that you have racked up a number of impressive military accomplishments.”
Yeah, but this isn’t accurate at all. Forne held up two fingers and explained, “What’s important is to use these plays to showcase two things. First, that the demon race only invaded because they were backed into a corner, and second, the demon army was originally split into two factions. This play is a simplified explanation of the events that led to your pacifist faction taking control of the demon army.”
It was an undeniable fact that the previous Demon Lord had only raised the banners of war because the survival of the demon race depended on it. It was also true that neither I nor Melaine had anything to do with the massacre in the north. But would such simple reasoning really convince playgoers? I was still skeptical, but Forne seemed confident.
“Well, just sit back and watch what a city of artists is capable of. Veira is just getting started. These are just preliminary preparations.”
Can I really trust this guy to take care of things?
To my surprise, Forne’s plays diffused through the north at lightning speed. Demons always had a bad reputation with humans. Werewolves and vampires were feared across countries as monsters in disguise, wanting nothing more than to eat people. Kentauros and giants were seen as rivals competing for the same farmlands and pastures. Kentauros of ages past had considered the fields humans had cultivated as the land’s natural blessings, and took it upon themselves to make sure the humans “shared.” In the past, demons had certainly been the indisputable enemies of mankind.
But things were different now. Werewolves in this day and age didn’t eat humans. Even we felt an instinctive distaste for eating creatures that looked like us. Besides, any meat that hadn’t had its blood drained prior tasted terrible. Vampires had also come to realize that if they sucked too much blood, they’d run out of prey to feed on. In recent times they’d kept their bloodsucking to a low enough level that they didn’t convert their victims. The majority of Bernheinen’s citizens didn’t mind getting trace amounts of their blood drawn at regular intervals. Especially since Melaine paid them for their blood. It was the easiest money most of them made.
Kentauros, on the other hand, had learned the basics of agriculture, and now tilled their own fields rather than stealing those of others. Because of these recent shifts in demon societies, Forne’s plays were able to catch on much better than I expected. Their popularity grew at an alarming rate, and soon people came to think of demons not as monsters, but as powerful, rational creatures who possessed the same feelings and emotions humans did. Of course, demons and humans possessed different values and morals, but they could still come to understand each other well enough to live in peace together.
On a side note, bloodsucking creatures such as mosquitoes, leeches, and ticks were known within Meraldia as “Pirs.” And “Vam” was a derogatory term for people. Which was why even in Meraldia they were known as vampires, though the etymology was different than back on Earth. If you were to translate the word vampire literally in the Meraldian tongue, it would mean something like “tick-bastard.” Not a very nice term. Fortunately, Forne’s play helped spread the idea that vampires were actually beautiful, stylish demons. His tactics reminded me of political campaigns back on Earth. But thanks to him, Melaine was a lot happier these days.
“Forne’s plays are wonderful. I really must thank him somehow for improving the image of vampires so.”
She’s been putting a lot more time and effort into her viceroy duties recently. Firnir was the same way. But I knew the truth. Forne was already making a killing with how popular his plays were, he didn’t need any extra thanks.
“What do you think of this armor? I call it the Black Werewolf Plate.”
Forne brought out an embroidered and decorated suit of armor. The sleek black helmet was shaped like a wolf’s head. The cape trailing from the pauldrons was made of luxurious black fur. The armor resembled the werewolf costume used in the plays, and was clearly meant for nobles with too much money.
“Because of the plays’ popularity, I’ve started selling these suits of armor to nobles. I’ve been telling everyone they give you the strength and valor of a werewolf.”
What, like a Power Rangers outfit?
“The kenta
uros and vampire helmets are quite popular as well, but the fan favorite is definitely the werewolf one. We can’t manufacture them fast enough, it’s quite the predicament.”
Predicament my ass. You’re loving this, aren’t you? I’d seen this marketing strategy plenty of times back on Earth. Considering how much money Forne had spent on these plays, it was obvious what he was up to.
“Sir Forne, you crafted all these plays so you could sell your wares, didn’t you?”
“Oh, you noticed? My you’re eerily perceptive, Black Werewolf King.”
“You don’t care if the play’s more expensive to produce than the money it brings in. Even if it’s popular, you spent so much on recruiting talented screenwriters and actors that it’s probably losing you money, isn’t it? I don’t blame you for wanting to make a return on your investment somehow.”
Forne chuckled, then nodded with a serious expression.
“Yes, you’re absolutely right. But I chose this strategy because of your personal character.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“People would much prefer a werewolf who understands them than a human who doesn’t. I’ll put the money you earned me to good use, don’t worry. Ah yes, I’ve received a few orders from northern viceroys as well, so I’ll be going to make some personal deliveries.”
“Got it, thanks.”
It was only after Forne left that I realized.
“I should have asked for a royalty fee for using my face...”
Ah well. He’s doing good work for the Commonwealth, so he can keep his profits.
While Forne’s propaganda was doing its work, I began hearing unsettling rumors coming from the Sonnenlicht pilgrims touring the north. Apparently the Sonnenlicht residents were growing unhappy with Eleora’s rule. Now that’s a surprise. The Rolmund Empire forbade the practice of any religion other than Sonnenlicht. But on the other hand, that meant they were very welcoming to Sonnenlicht followers. However, according to what the pilgrims told me, Rolmund’s brand of Sonnenlicht was different from the one they were used to practicing.