TLNTAAM Chapter 24

The Mythology of Iberia

Just like that, I had nothing to do. No choice but to go back to the beginning.

I turned to the first page of 〈Customs of Iberia〉 on the table.

Then the young man said:

"〈Customs of Iberia〉—the first edition is a rare book."

I looked at Sabina's gift. I'd received it without a second thought. Turned out it was precious.

"The first edition is the only printing that includes Iberia's founding myth. There was controversy, so from the second printing onwards that section was removed. Here—this passage."

Beyato tapped the middle of the book and showed me.

This is Iberia's founding myth? I tilted my head. What kind of story is this. I'd rather read Greek mythology where a father swallows his children and vomits them back up.

"What do you think of this myth?"

"I don't like it."

"May I ask why?"

"I don't like it because I understand it."

From the perspective of those in power, sacrificing one to save ninety-nine might seem obvious. Thinking of it as a military treatise, you could accept it. But as a founding myth—the bedrock of a nation—it was thoroughly unpleasant.

"It's too cold-blooded. Could you still say this if you were that one person?"

You can only speak with such certainty because you're not the one dying.

I tilted my head, and Beyato asked:

"Is that so? Then how would you have wanted the king to answer?"

Suddenly a logic test. This feels like a job interview, Beyato.

"I understand that one person must die to save ninety-nine. But—'As king, I will exhaust every means possible to find a way to save that one person as well'—wouldn't that be the better answer?"

I answered earnestly, but Beyato said nothing. He looked quietly at 〈Customs of Iberia〉, then smiled faintly.

"You'd be a good student, Nina."

Why thank you, Professor. I'll have you know my grades in school were excellent.

"There's actually a passage not included in this book."

Beyato leaned close and whispered. Like a detective about to share classified intelligence.

'But Mary can hear everything from here.'

I glanced at her, and Mary, still knitting, said:

"My hearing has been going lately. Small sounds don't quite reach me anymore."

Lying without batting an eye. When Charlotte muttered something under her breath, Mary had snapped at her immediately. She was craftily pretending not to hear.

'Well. She's giving us room, at least.'

I moved closer to Beyato. He whispered quietly near my ear.

"The king returns home after being granted power by the god of arcane. The moment he sees his beloved, who has come out to greet him, he understands. The sacrifice the god named is his own beloved."

For a deity, this one seemed approximately a million light-years removed from mercy and love.

"He doesn't know what curse will fall if he breaks the promise. Fearing disgrace, the king offers his beloved as a burnt offering."

Not simply killed—burned. The king in this myth was getting worse by the line.

"Afterwards, the king who has lost his beloved is tormented by terrible, unceasing pain. This is the beginning of the Iberian king's suffering."

Now I began to understand. That myth was connected to the king's power. The king possessed god-like might, but being human, he suffered agonizing pain.

'Then what is Seraphie?'

But Iberia's current king didn't suffer—thanks to the saint. So what did that mean?

'Does that make Seraphie the beloved?'

But the saint's miracle healed anyone at all. Not just the king—anyone.

'Then past kings could have all solved it by abducting a saint.'

Did being on good terms with the Church mean some kind of saint collaboration arrangement?

My thoughts were getting complicated. More to the point—was Seraphie going to be all right? The Church was quiet now, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

'At this rate there's going to be a serious war between Iberia and the Church. I should think about this.'

The Church would hunt Seraphie relentlessly. Iberia would smugly conceal her.

'Do I need to prepare for war.'

The thought of maybe needing to pack an emergency bundle starting today suddenly made me sad.

'Nina, your older sister just wants to live well, but looking at the founding myth, this country seems fundamentally a little off.'

It seems like a good country. Something's very wrong with it.

How does one prepare for war. Should I convert all my cash to gold immediately? If I became a refugee, public order would collapse—should I start learning to fight today?

I was lost in these thoughts when Beyato spoke.

"What do you think, Nina?"

The essay-format interview was starting again. I sighed and answered.

"He reaped what he sowed."

The professor covered his mouth and laughed, bright and unreserved. I had absolutely no idea what was funny.

"We have quite a few similar interpretations on our side as well."

A scholar, naturally. He wouldn't fail to recognize self-inflicted consequences.

Beyato handed 〈Customs of Iberia〉 back to me. I took it and set it on the table.

"You're an interesting person, Nina."

The young man smiled softly and ruffled my hair.

"I think I understand a little why His Majesty takes notice of you."

Beyato turned his eyes back to his own book. I watched the young man deep in his reading and shook my head.

'He does take notice, but that's just because touching me feels cool.'

I rubbed the back of my neck. The closeness of that moment came back to me without warning.

A low voice whispered near my ear. Beneath lashes lowered just slightly, red eyes glittered.

'I'll spoil you, so stay by my side for a very long time.'

My face felt inexplicably warm. I fanned myself with my hand.

'Good-looking for absolutely no reason whatsoever...'

Being handsome and seductive on top of it should be illegal. Get a grip. Don't fall for the face! It's a trap!

I shook my head and forced the thought away.

A sand-colored curtain swayed in the sunlight. I reached for it and missed. Wind came straight through the wide-open window. I waited for it to stop, but the wind kept blowing.

I couldn't catch the curtain. That was unbearably sad.

Tears fell onto the windowsill. The dark stains soaked in, multiplying.

I couldn't stop crying. So I stayed there as I was.

From behind me, a voice.

"Would it be all right if I came to read here occasionally? The library is rather busy this time of year."

I turned slowly and looked at him. Beyato. He saw Nina and smiled brightly.

"You're crying every time I see you. Are the other maids still giving you trouble?"

That was when I understood. This wasn't my memory.

Nina's memory.

The moment I knew, a sourness flooded my chest. Sharp enough that it felt like something was being carved away.

"I..."

Nina's voice didn't carry clearly. My chest hurt, and as I drew breath—

I opened my eyes.

"Oh!"

Out of the dream. I looked around to check where I was.

The room at the south end of the corridor, in the dead of night. Same as always. Folded maid's uniform and one book on the table. That was everything. I scratched my head and got up from the bed. Still dark—probably still predawn.

Everything exactly as it had been when I'd fallen asleep.

"Nina..."

I picked up the slippers beside the bed, put them on, and went to the window. I pulled the curtain aside and the predawn light came directly into the room.

I crossed my arms and kept looking out. The sky was so beautiful it made something ache, and it stayed there, suspended, for a long time.

The world was beautiful. I sighed anyway. I crouched down by the window and whispered.

"Were you falling for Beyato."

Your older sister didn't know. When did that happen. The original story was centered on Seraphie and the king, so there was very little about you.

"So that's why your chest hurt."

So our Nina was that sad—because she saw someone she'd liked.

I murmured to the window.

"What are we going to do with you, Nina."

Fifteen years was a short life. Full of tears, every corner of it. I stood up again. Castellium at dawn was almost grand, but somehow it didn't reach me.

I remembered what Beyato had said in the dream.

"Would it be all right if I came to read here occasionally? The library is rather busy this time of year."

Completely different from his mating season line. So even he went romantic when he was falling for someone. That was somehow funny. Absurd and somehow endearing.

"What is even happening..."

I genuinely couldn't make sense of it. I shook my head and changed out of my nightclothes. The predawn air was cool and it felt good.

"Let's get through today."

I'll do my best today too, Nina.

I whispered that and reached for my maid's uniform. One corner of my chest ached, but I left it alone. If this was Nina's feeling, I wanted to let it be.

After the morning tasting, Mary told me not to go to the inner chamber today. When I asked why, she said he hadn't slept there last night.

'Right. It wasn't every night.'

When the king wasn't using his power, he wasn't in pain. So there was no reason to go to Seraphie's room.

'But what's the situation between those two, anyway?'

Something felt oddly dry and businesslike about it. The king slept with one arm bound to Seraphie's—and that was all—and the saint simply prayed and paid no attention. She occasionally asked to be let out, but even that had a feeling of resignation.

'A relationship that should be burning like a flame and it's completely lukewarm. Am I imagining things?'

I rubbed my neck. Still firmly attached.

"Is my lifespan actually getting longer?"

I wanted to say yes, from a positive standpoint, but this was a body that had lost consciousness twice since arriving here. And one of those times had been very nearly death.

"No idea."

Getting longer? Getting shorter? I shook my head and opened the laboratory door. In the space still overflowing with stacked books, the red-haired man was mixing herbs.

I sat down in the familiar chair. He didn't spare me a glance.

Just the one word.

"Eat."

The familiar fruit. Going to be a bit itchy today too. I steeled myself and bit into it. The familiar itch climbed from my feet upward.

"Eat this too."

After confirming the rash that had appeared on my face, Diomede handed me powdered medicine and water.

"This isn't going to give me side effects again, is it?"

"Reformulated it."

I wasn't sure I trusted that, but there was no other option. The powdered medicine was very bitter, so I drank the entire cup of water. Just then the door swung open and someone else walked in.

"Ah, there you are."

A knight in armor strode in. Diomede, who hadn't moved until that moment, frowned and said:

"Leo. Do you have business here?"

"Hm? No."

"Then why are you in the laboratory?"

The short-haired knight smiled with his whole face.

"Just thought I'd come chat with the little one and Dio."

Diomede shook his head and sighed. Looking at it, I was somehow reminded of Beyato, who had fled to the waiting room to escape mating season.

'The chaos in the laboratory might be more stressful than I realized.'

I wonder if Professor Beyato would come to the waiting room today. How rowdy was the library that he was fleeing to a place with three women coming and going.