Ryouriban

Circ.u.mstances are people that come and change, moment by moment.

Eh? It’s not a person?

No, It is. A person like a 『Human』.

Maturing while you’re not aware, turning bad, doing good things, heading towards a bad direction.

And I got involved whilst not noticing that.

Bring right in the middle of the height of chaotic battlefield.

I had no idea, being a peaceful idiot who could only stand behind everyone.

And now, right here, my real worth is being tested.

It’s the jail life as always.

h.e.l.lo, it’s Shuri.

I think one week has pa.s.sed since Ekress-san has come.

Recently, neither Gann-san nor Ekress-san has come.

On the contrary, the person who delivers my food has changed, and won’t let me say a word.

The food hasn’t changed either. It’s those simple things.

“As expected, even the seasoning that I secretly brought has run out…”

Without seasoning I can’t even remake the meal.

Today as well, the meal is slightly hard to take.

I don’t think that Gann-san has come in over a week.

Ahh, the smell of freedom sure is nostalgic. I want to get out already.

However, I wonder what Gann-san is doing.

While I drink my soup, I thought about that carelessly.

I wonder if he is doing as Ekress-sama said previously, working on reaching a solution?

It would be nice if that’s the case…

In the end, by being here I know absoo~lutely nothing.

“I wonder if everyone’s alright”

Since there’s a complete lack of information coming in about the outside, I have no idea if everyone is alright or not.

Hmmm….

I can’t do anything even if I worry about it!

“For now, the best thing is that I’m not dead!”

For that sake, I shall finish this terrible meal and sleep!

Eating the food in one go, I lie down and slept once again.

“Shuri, are you awake?”

….This person, comes right when I’m sleeping. This is the second time, you know?

Getting up, Gann-san was standing with a mysterious expression.

“Sorry. Were you just about to sleep?”

“….No, it’s alright”

At this time, be modest, modest. Modestly modest.

This is a j.a.panese person’s sad nature.

“I have something I want to say to you”

“Haa…. Where’s Ekress-san?”

“Master, doesn’t know about this.

Ekress-sama is currently confronting the second prince, Gingus-sama”

….Confronting?

That means, Ekress-san has a little brother?

“Your information. We have confirmed the details of the winegla.s.s.

For some reason Gingus-sama didn’t have a winegla.s.s but, the Feudal Lord’s one still remained.

The who gave him that, Gingus-sama, is facing arrest in order to confirm the truth.”

Ehh?

As expected even I understand. That’s nothing short of reckless.

“Why do such rash thing?

Even if you say they’re both sons of the Feudal Lord, there’s no knowing what the other person might suddenly do, you know”

“For us, there is no time.

Do you remember? The matter that me and Ekress-sama came about, one week ago”

“Well, yea”

The time with the Galette.

“At that time, Teg-dono realised the truth”

“Teg-san, he’s here?!”

WTF, I don’t understand the situation outside.

“The fact that we want to depend on the mercenary corp, as well as the truth of the winegla.s.s and the other side of this scandal as well.

They know all the information they need to know.”

“Is that so”

Teg-san has completed his work perfectly, naa.

“Basically. Even though it was our problem, we arrested you under disrespect and decided to put Ganglabe-dono in house arrest.

I think Ganglabe-dono is definitely angry.

Neither I or Ekress-sama, can escape to the mercenary corp anymore.

Which is why, we must at least reach a conclusion.

Overthrowing Gingus-sama, disposing of him properly, and handing over a large amount of awards and land.

If we don’t do that, naturally the Feudal Lord, but even Ekress-sama will be harmed.

This is the current situation regarding the territory”

I-it’s a more severe matter than I had thought…..

“Are? The one called Gingus-sama is the one who gifted the winegla.s.s was it?”

“That’s right.

I’ll confess but, the Feudal Lord has been worried over the strange disease for a long time.

If he holds metal when he has no strength then, that spot would be red all over, and start itching.

It’s just as your diagnosis says”

“As I thought, it’s a metal allergy”

That’s good. As expected, if he kept using the winegla.s.s like that, it would’ve become a big deal. It’s good I prevented it before something happened.

….Hn?

“Wait a minute please.

He did it on purpose despite being his son and knew about it?”

“That’s right. That’s what is called a political strife”

For the sake of power, the child will cut down the parent.

It’s something that I’ve only seen in stories but….

To think that I’ll actually experience this in real life!

I tremble a little from fear.

“T-then, Gann-san, what are you planning telling that to me?”

“…Who knows”

Eh?

“It’s already been decided that I’m going to die.

Before that, maybe I just wanted to make someone who knew the the current situation and truth.”

“Gann-san, will die?”

Eh? Why has come to that?

“I have something to say to you. I am actually the Feudal Lord’s son. The actual oldest son”

“Ehh?”

“Illegitimate…. I was born from the Feudal Lord and his lover.

My mother was a maid and the Feudal Lord made a move on her.

And then, after I was born, my mother was banished due to a plot from the jealous legal wife.

I don’t recognise the existence of my father…. the Feudal Lord but, without giving me the right to heir, since I’m was existence which couldn’t go public, I was raised as a spy”

“Eh, aren’t you a jailor?”

“I’m actually a spy. Being jailor was a fake post given to me in order to monitor you.

And after that, the one born from a concubine is, Ekress-sama.”

“Th-then, Ekress-san and Gann-san are…”

“We are …. brothers born from different mothers. Also Ekress-sama isn’t a man. She’s a woman.”

Ehhhhhhh!?

W-wait a minute!

“S-so it was actually such a complicated family!”

“Haha, I wonder if it can end with just the words complicated. I’ll continue.

The legal wife, banished the maid in jealousy but, couldn’t do that with the concubine. Because if she was to banish a concubine who became one through the proper procedures, then the legal wife have been charged for that.

Besides, the one that was born was a girl so she was relieved.

However, that also went out the window due to the Feudal Lord’s decision.

Ekress-sama is good at maths. If she was in charge of internal affairs then, she would demonstrate an unrivaled talent.

The Feudal Lord who noticed that, made Ekress-sama become a boy, and decided to raise her as the heir to the territory.

During that time, the one who was born was her younger brother, Gingus-sama”

It’s become even more convoluted!?

“Ekress-sama who was raised magnificently as the heir specialised in internal affairs.

Even though Gingus-sama was born as the legal son, he was learned in military strategies and tactics.

Right now, what’s happening within the territory is the political strife between the two.

And, it can be said that the criminal for this time’s matter is Gingus-sama.

The winegla.s.s, the unjust arrest, putting our saviours that Ganglabe-dono is leading into house arrest.

It’s could not possibly be a forgivable matter.

In addition, it’s something I knew of going over my sources but….

I think you are on friendly terms with Newbyst.

Sorting through the tools I had confiscated, I found a knife which had the emblem of the Newbyst royal family.

Just yesterday we received a letter from Newbyst.

Saying 『To whom it concerns』

If this matter was known, it’ll greatly affect our food importation.

At any rate, the personage who was given the emblem was arrested unfairly.

Considering the other side, it’s because that someone important to them has been shamed.

To shame someone who has actually been given their emblem is no different to actually shaming the royal family.

There’s already no time.

The countdown to our ruin has already started”

Ehhhhhhh~?

Before I realised, the territory has fallen into critical condition!

This conversation progressed to a place that had nothing to do with me, and ended at a place I didn’t know about, is there more to this?

A situation like this, I’ve never heard about this anywhere though?

(TL:　僕のあずかり知らないところで話が進んで、知らないところで話が終わりに向かって話が進んでいってんの？

Even though I’m right in the middle of this whirlpool of a scandal, why am I still left out of this whole conversation!

This is way too lonely!

Ummm….

Doesn’t that mean I can’t do anything?

“Umm, so what should I do?”

“Can’t you do something somehow?”

Gann-san inquires with an exhausted expression but, to be honest I don’t feel like I can.

I mean, the most I can do is just try to cook the best I can.

And even that’s just casual and harmless home cooking.

I think the Roast Piglet was a little different though.

“What are they? The things that I can do”

“Let’s see. Something like becoming our hostage, and becoming a wedge to stop the rampage of Ganglabe’s Mercenary Corp or.

Using your cooking skill to act as a mediator between the two or.

Perhaps, you could marry Ekress-sama, and as a reward, the territory and the right for heir can be yielded to Ganglabe-dono etc.

Things like that”

“If I do that, will things calm down?”

“Around 60%. The other 40% won’t be solved. Or rather, by solving the 60%, the other 40% will definitely not be solved.”

“What’s the 40%?”

“Sorting out the members of the mercenary corp as well as the commanders’ emotions”

(TL:感情の整理, seiri is a tough word :/)

Ahh, that’s true.

On the business front is, the position of the Feudal Lord, the form of the reward, dealing with Newbyst, consideration for the citizens.

However, that’s not the reason there will be a problem.

Emotions will come into play.

If it’s Ganglabe-san and the other’s then, I can imagine them saying “Don’t f.u.c.k with us!” if it were to end just like this.

“However… if it’ll really end 60% of the problems then, the rest might just work out somehow….”

“Is there anyone who would consent to let this scandal end by having their comrade, one of their family, someone who went through joys and sorrows together, becoming the sacrifice?

Furthermore, you are just a victim.

I think that ending this scandal by further victimising the victim is just, putting the cart before the horse”

Ugh, that’s exactly right.

Indeed, even if I was to tolerate this, Ganglabe-san and the other’s wouldn’t agree.

Besides, if I was to tolerate the victimising then the other person will just take advantage of me.

“Or rather, what do you really want to do, telling me those things?”

That’s the problem.

Even if you told me these things, in the end, I can’t do anything right now.

I can’t be a sacrifice.

My cooking skills too, I can’t make use of them here.

What did he want to achieve by letting someone useless like me hear the truth?

“Well…. It’s just like I said earlier, I wanted to have someone know the truth.

I wanted the people who knew about me, to increase even just by one.

Those who know about me, who has been someone behind the scenes ever since I was born, are Ekress-sama, the Feudal Lord, the legal wife and the concubine, only those four.

Is that just too little?

So I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be good if even just one more person knew’”

“Really?”

“……When I die, I want someone to mourn for me.

Most likely, I’ll die accepting all the wrongdoings.

At that time, I want you to mourn for my goodness, not my badness.”

“Like I said, why is it that you’re going to die?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? I am the Feudal Lord’s son. I’m an illegitimate son but I still have the blood of the Feudal Lord in me.

When the time comes, no, the time has already come but, if I present my head as a representative for the Feudal Lord clan, it’s possible that 80% of the problems will be solved”

“Even if I was to agree to that?”

No, I understand that even if I put in my input, it won’t solve anything.

I think even if someone like me was to say this and that here, this person will still take action in a business-like manner.

But, I can’t not say anything.

The Gann-san in front of me is saying he’ll die. I don’t want to agree and send him off without saying anything.

“Don’t look so grim”

Gann-san was, smiling.

“I’m pretty satisfied”

“Why…?”

“Somehow, I never thought that someone would stand up for me.

If I had a friend then, I had thought that it would be like this.

It sure makes me happy, you worrying about me.”

“What are you saying?”

I, had thought this since a long time ago.

“The two of us, are friends”

Eating food together, laughing together, talking together.

Isn’t that what being a friend is.

Gann-san looked as if he was surprised from the bottom of his heart.

“We’re… friends?”

“We’re friends”

“You and me?”

“Me and you”

I think we’re friends.

If not, I don’t think you would be able to speak so unreservedly like this.

“I am someone who came to live in darkness, a person of the underground.

There’s no way I can shine bright like you.

I don’t think there’s any way that sort of person can stand next to you, by your side”

“Darkness, what is it?”

Those are the words Gann-san said looking down in shame.

But, I think they’re wrong.

“This is what I think.

I think that the darkness people have, is an open hole inside the heart.

It came to be called darkness since light doesn’t reach that hole, and it’s pitch black.

However the hole in the heart is different from a wound. Even if a wound is healed, it’ll leave a scar.

A hole can be buried.

Having fun with friends, eating delicious things.

If you can acc.u.mulate happy, fun memories then that hole can be buried.

Gann-san, are you not happy?

If I appear to be bright, that’s only because your eyes are flickering under the light.”

I think that Gann-san no longer has any relation to things like darkness or light.

He is already a person who can talk to a friend like this.

He is person I can stand next to.

I think the things that are blocking his view, are just the iron bars in front of me.

“….I see. So I was already, under the light…”

He mutters lonesomely, with a fading voice.

Gann-san raises his head and looked at me.

Tears flowing, his eyes met mine.

Without even wiping away the large tears he is shedding.

“You know, I envy you.

Your cooking is good, you’re cheerful.

Even in this situation, you won’t despair.

You’re an amazing guy.

Going to a jail to eat food and laugh with that kinda guy.

I’m strange aren’t I”

“I, was envious of you.

Powerful, st.u.r.dy.

Even within a tough reality, you chose to survive.

Being able to eat food, and laugh with that kind of person.

I was happy.”

I was finally able to speak what I really thought.

Both me and Gann-san were envious of the other.

I, wanted strength.

At the mercenary corp, I can only cook; I can only watch the backs of my comrades going to war.

And even then since I can do nothing but cook, I came to be desperate.

Gann-san, wanted a normal life.

Rather than a life reeking of blood, and scheming.

He wanted an easy, foolish everyday, and peaceful days.

But even then, since he could do nothing but fight.

He became desperate, cutting open a road to live, to survive.

We both wanted, what the other had.

“I…”

“Gann-san. In your heart, is the darkness… the hole still open?”

“…..Ahh. That’s true.

Not bad. Now that you mention it, it’s true that it’s no longer there.”

“Do you want to die?”

“….I”

Gann-san. Please speak the truth.

“I want to live”

If that is your wish.

I will do whatever I can do.

Since the power I have by myself is definitely not enough.

With you and me both.

Let’s fight against this cruel fate.

This is, me and Gann-san’s, true beginning.