"Novem was quite angry, wasn't she?"
"Honestly, when someone gets that angry, you just go 'Eep!' and shut down. Besides, Novem's attitude... Hmm, I wonder if it has to do with the previous Novem, or maybe it's from the accumulated memories of all the Novems throughout history? Well, either way, it's beyond me."
The relationship between goddesses and evil gods remained vague, and it was hard to say I truly understood it. Still, it was a fact that Septem and Ceres feared Novem.
When I told Novem that I aimed for peace, she had come undone.
"I see... there are people who hate peace, huh. But I never expected Novem to hate it that much."
I lay on my bed in my room, staring up at the ceiling. The canopy above the bed was adorned with intricate carvings, and I traced its lines with my gaze.
"Merchants of war and the like do hate peace, you know. They need people to expend resources at a steady pace so they'll keep buying products. But Novem isn't a merchant. What's more, that phrase 'slow death' is what really caught my attention."
What Novem had said was that what awaited on the other side of peace was a slow death.
"A slow death... Is that really so bad? Compared to dying in battle or being caught up in some conflict, it's far healthier, isn't it?"
"I agree with that sentiment. I myself grew old and passed away peacefully in a bed. Why on earth does anyone have to die in battle?"
As I was having this serious discussion with the Third Generation, I heard a flurry of footsteps approaching. It sounded like only one person was making all the noise.
"W-Wait, please. I'm—"
The footsteps stopped on the other side of the door, and I used my Skills to identify whoever was there. It seemed three Valkyries had come carrying Clara. The Valkyrie guard standing in front of the door opened the door to my room.
"Now's your chance. I even bribed the guards for this very moment."
"We're counting on you, Clara."
"Just make sure you conceive the little chick, and after that we'll handle everything, so please rest easy."
With those words, the door was closed, and I heard the lock being turned from the outside.
Clara sat on the floor in her nightgown, clutching a large book to her chest. Her glasses had gone crooked, and her hair was a mess.
The Third Generation spoke with a hint of excitement.
"Oh, so even Laiel has finally reached the time when he'll know a woman. And if she's little Clara, then I'm all for it!"
The Third Generation, who had pushed me into building a harem and was only now starting to regret it upon learning that nothing but chaos awaited. It ticked me off, but taking it out on Clara wouldn't solve anything.
I climbed out of bed and approached Clara.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Though I have to ask — is this really how far you'll go? An Automaton who doesn't consider my feelings, my readiness, or anything else at all."
Clara stood up and combed through her dark blue hair with her fingers. She straightened her glasses and let out a sigh.
"...Well, want to sit down? I can make some tea or something."
I reached for the tools kept in the room and moved to prepare the tea, at which point Clara thanked me.
"Thank you."
We sat across from each other at the low table, and Clara opened her book and began reading.
I looked over at her and said:
"Hey... what does peace mean to you, Clara?"
Clara stopped flipping the page, looked up, and met my gaze.
"Peace for me? It's being able to live a life where I'm not interrupted while reading and never have to worry about food."
The Third Generation agreed with her vehemently.
"Exactly! That's it! That's the kind of life I wanted to live too!"
I ignored the Third Generation's voice and asked Clara:
"...Today, Novem got all worked up over the matter of peace. Is peace really such a bad thing?"
Clara returned her eyes to the page and answered my question while turning it.
"I feel very happy when I can gain new knowledge from books. However, I know there are people who don't think the same way. Aria, who hates reading. And Shannon, who wants to read books but can't. As a result, the kind of peace I'm describing would be boring to the two of them I just mentioned. I don't know what Novem means when she says 'peace,' so I'm not sure what to say."
Even a single word like "peace" carries tremendous complexity. If we define a peaceful state as one in which no fighting occurs, then at its worst—that state could mean someone living under another's dominion, or even being kept in slavery. Both would be called "peace," wouldn't they?
Clara turned to me.
"I've heard that the business merchants engage in is almost the same as war. Some people say there's no exchange of lives involved, but... it's also a fact that many people end their lives through money."
What kind of state do we call "peace"?
Should I define it down to the finest detail?
The Third Generation seemed to sense what I was thinking.
"Lyle, are you thinking about defining it in more granular terms? If so, I'd advise against it. The world is always changing. There are things that rigidly defined rules simply cannot address. Besides, peace—just as Novem says—is closer to an illusion than anything else."
Coming from the Third Generation, who had been head of the household during an era of repeated wars, peace must have seemed like an unattainable dream.
Then Clara turned her gaze toward me.
"...I'm not denying your dream, Lyle. I'd be perfectly content living out my days in an ordinary, uneventful routine rather than fighting. If you'd like, why not ask a variety of different people what they think?"
Tilting my head, I looked at Clara. She averted her gaze—she was hiding something from me.
"Clara, are you hiding something?"
"...Well, you see, the thing is. If word got out that I was here alone with you, Lyle, it would upset a rather delicate balance. And if we add to that the fact that Novem, who usually handles these adjustments, is currently nonfunctional... things could get terrifying."
From inside the Jewel, I heard the sound of clapping hands. The Third Generation, sounding delighted.
"Now that's a real powder keg!"
In stark contrast to the gleeful Third Generation, I couldn't manage even the faintest smile.
The next day.
I found Vera and Fidel visiting the Rufence Royal Castle, invited them out for tea, and asked them both about peace.
Fidel spoke while gracefully sipping his tea.
"Hmm. What peace means to me, you say? Let me see. First, Vera and Gina each have children—a boy and a girl, two to three from each. Then, their husbands pass away, and my daughters and grandchildren come to me for support. A wonderful future!"
Wasn't that a roundabout way of telling me to drop dead? Vera slammed her heel down on Fidel's foot, silencing him.
"V-Vera… your father wasn't telling the boy to drop dead."
Vera, looking exasperated, shook her head.
"Might as well have been. And seriously, don't even joke about stuff like that. If you say it again, I'm never letting you meet your grandchildren."
Wearing a sour expression, Fidel glared at me.
"…All of my daughters' husbands could just vanish for all I care."
He hadn't exactly told me to die, but he clearly still wanted me gone. The Third Generation watched Fidel with an amused grin.
"That's nice. Fidel-kun is as refreshing as ever. Well then, while we're at it, let's hear Vera-chan's take on peace too."
Vera took a sip of tea, then looked my way.
"My peace, huh… No pirates showing up, cargo delivered safely, that sort of thing? Honestly, when someone like Lyle starts talking about the whole continent, I just don't get it. Peace from an economic perspective feels like a different thing entirely. Baim was a textbook case, wasn't he?"
I remembered that Baim's peace was built on blood spilled on foreign battlefields. That did seem like something else entirely.
Fidel, who was usually all jokes, looked over at me.
"You're a strange kid, always spouting lofty ideals. There are people out there who can only fight, you know. People who can't do any honest work… Kid, if you'd been born into a lord's house, you'd understand."
The Third Generation chimed in for my benefit.
"There are, aren't there? People who just can't fit into any mold someone else prepares for them. And that's not always a good thing. There were certainly people who killed and took from others and genuinely couldn't understand what was wrong with that."
Vera touched her dark hair with her fingertips, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Well… as long as I have my husband, and the kids, and one slightly annoying old man hanging around, I suppose I'd like these quiet days to continue."
Fidel looked at Vera.
"…Vera, am I really that annoying?"
"Peace? …Honestly, I've already stockpiled enough material for various things, so even if we don't do anything for a few decades, I'll be fine, right?"
In the courtyard within the royal castle, a stage had been prepared. There, the elves were practicing musical performances and plays, and soldiers would sometimes come by to watch them.
In that very place, Eva had her pink-blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, her jacket removed, and was wearing an outfit with a lot of exposure.
It was a sight one could get used to, but because she was sweating slightly, she looked even more alluring than usual.
"Seriously, I get the feeling you're actually hoping for a war."
When I said that, Eva snorted derisively.
"Hmph! We've been traveling as a clan, you know. We've even been attacked by bandits before. Besides, without big battles or some excitement, our earnings go down!"
Quite a practical opinion. For Eva, fighting was her bread and butter, it seemed. Seeing me looking troubled, she scratched her hair.
"To be honest, traveling around like this makes you realize. Old hero ballads are certainly popular. The elderly, or people who enjoy hearing stories from their own time. But the children, the younger generations, they want to hear about the wars happening right now. They think, 'Maybe someday, that could be me.' They're delighted by the birth of a new hero."
I let my shoulders droop.
"Then... is what I'm doing unnecessary?"
"Not really? Isn't it fine? If travel becomes safer and money flows better, it helps us too. But if there's less excitement, the populace gets starved for topics of conversation. You know, executions of criminals are a form of entertainment in a way. It's even in the ancient songs. It says that the old king gave his people food and entertainment, but also made warriors fight to the death every day, and forced them to watch."
The Third Generation also said this to me, too.
"What Eva-chan says is true. The people are starved for entertainment, after all."
When I was making an indescribable expression, Eva smiled gently.
"Well, someday I'd like you to stop needing to travel. You haven't forgotten your promise to build a special theater for me, have you?"
Pressuring me with a smile, Eva waited. I nodded in answer.
"...Peace? Sorry, I can't quite understand that."
"Smart little kids can worry about things like that. Besides, I'm against it anyway."
The ones gnawing on meat still on the bone were May and Marina-san, roasting today's catch whole in the royal castle's inner courtyard. To the two of them, my words seemed incomprehensible.
Marina-san resumed her meal.
Then May tore into the meat with gusto, wiping the grease from around her mouth with her fingertip.
"Besides, life in the wild is basically a fight every single day. It's not like prey wants to be eaten, you know? You chase them, they get away, but if you don't eat, you die. 'Peace' and 'eating your fill' are words for humans who've already got it made."
"O-oh."
The Third Generation was impressed by May's words.
'Makes sense — being close to the wild means no need for pretty words.'
May looked at the meat Marina had eaten.
"That was my meat!"
"You're too slow! Besides, I helped with the hunt, so give it up!"
May the Kirin and Marina the human — both of them looked like nothing but feral children.
"Peace? Heh, how stupid... Obviously it's a world where you can eat all the pudding you want."
Shannon was laughing at me, but right now she was made to sit seiza on the floor of the dining hall. The one making her sit that way was Miranda.
"Shannon, if you'd just think about your current situation, you wouldn't be able to laugh at Laiel."
Miranda, who was eating her meal, flicked the tip of her finger against the one empty plate. Shannon hung her head.
"My legs are numb! I can't take it anymore! I only ate it because I thought there was leftovers! And today too, Monica told me there'd be extra!"
What do you mean "told me"! This little brat went for the pudding again without learning her lesson?
"Some people just never learn. Well, I might as well eat my meal and then have my pudding right in front of your—"
That was when Miranda spoke to me.
"Laiel, this child ate three servings of pudding. There are none left for you or me."
I crouched down in front of Shannon and pinched her cheek.
"Ow, ouch, hey, wha— What do you think you're doing, huh?"
"I won't let you praise me!"
I pulled my hands away from the tear-streaked Shannon and turned my gaze to Miranda. When my eyes met hers, she understood what I wanted to know.
"Peace is a funny thing. If I had to say, it's just like being with Novem—an illusion. Baim was peaceful, but the countries around it were bled dry, turned into battlefields, and suffered terribly, right? Still, Baim was peaceful. If that's what Laiel is aiming for, I won't complain."
Miranda finished her meal and reached for her drink. She then pulled her chair back, crossed her legs, and looked at me.
"Laiel, you know this too, don't you? The number of people who can live on the continent is finite."
I looked at Miranda.
"Well, that's true, I suppose..."
Any territory could only support so many people. Food wasn't infinite, and sometimes, famines were necessary to reduce the population.
"It's not like everyone can eat their fill, like Shannon said. Well, maybe it could be managed with different farming methods and other adjustments. But even so, if the population keeps growing, there will come a time when it needs to be reduced, right? Is Laiel's 'peace' everyone starving equally?"
"That's not it!"
Miranda nodded, understanding.
"Of course, I said it was something that would happen over hundreds or thousands of years. The fine details of that era can be left to the people living then. In fact, you don't need to take responsibility for it."
That was certainly true. It was, but... Then, with a slightly puzzled look, Miranda added:
"But Novem's words do bother me. A slow death waiting beyond peace... that's something for the far future. What was she thinking, to be considering something so distant? Right now, people are talking about how hard things are because the population has decreased."
Already, the number of casualties might have surpassed a million. No, it probably had. In a continent driven mad by Ceres, so much damage had been inflicted in just two years because of her.
It seemed like we wouldn't have to worry about reducing the population anytime soon.
...As I was thinking this, Shannon spoke.
"I've lost feeling in my legs. Sis, please, let me go!"
She was crying as she pleaded for mercy from Miranda.