Chapter Seventy-Three: Bitter Truths

    It didn’t take long for the city to return to its usual ebb and flow.

    After a few weeks, the broadsheets stopped reporting on the event, and photographs of Amelia’s embodiment of Suijin were no longer sprawled across the front pages. Instead, with the capital of the Republic, Meppen, fallen, the war retook its usual spot in the headlines. Every night, celebrations could be heard lasting until the early hours of the morning.

    Serena heard it talked about everywhere, from the students to the instructors to the shopworkers and their customers; the war was ending.

    After a month, the fire was a distant memory to the citizens of Asamaywa.

    The construction effort was moving along well. The work of the earth mages was finished, and the bulk of the remaining tasks were contracted to various companies under the umbrella of the Asamaywa guilds. Steam-driven cranes littered the lowlands, each one replacing the work of an aura user, and hundreds of civilian workers buzzed around the site, fulfilling their roles diligently.

    Amelia had stopped coming down, but only at the behest of Serena, the academy, and Greatlord Oshiro himself. Over the last month, the face and name of Lady Thornheart of the Lowlands had become so well known that Amelia began needing a protection squad when travelling. Not because she was in danger but because the citizenry would constantly approach her, delaying her schedule again and again. Most citizens were polite, simply wanting to pay their respects, but many tried to persuade Amelia to heal them or their loved ones with a story of sorrow and pain.

    It had been hard, but Serena had convinced Amelia not to heal everyone who approached her with an ailment. Serena emphasised that if she did, she would never be able to walk freely; she would be mobbed whether she went. Sure, Amelia could disguise herself with Kanaxai spellwork, but then her freedom would always come at the cost of never being able to truly be herself.

    While Amelia agreed, she explained very clearly that she wouldn’t refuse to heal anyone on that principle; she just couldn’t bear to see the suffering she’d seen in the lowland slums. If, in her words, the Greatlords of the East didn’t want her causing political problems, then they should fulfil their duties in ensuring the bottom rung of society could at least survive.

    Amelia’s tone had been angry saying that. Even so, Serena couldn’t find it in her heart to correct her.

    The slums had been far worse than she could ever have imagined.

    Lord Kanamori had been quietly removed from his position as Lord of Asamaywa Station and its surroundings. He hadn’t had his lordship revoked but was encouraged to relocate to his new territory, a minor mining village somewhere in the mountains.

    Essentially, he was exiled.

    And, if the rumours were true, his wealth had been seized to contribute to the reconstruction under the guise of a donation. It was a tactful amount of political manoeuvring that left a sour taste in Serena''s mouth. If an officer under her had demonstrated even a fraction of Lord Kanamori’s corruption, she would have them hanged.

    Since it was understood that if Amelia was restricted too heavily, she would likely just do another chaotic healing event anyway, an agreement was made so that she would repeat another mass healing event before they left Asamaywa.

    To minimise intra-Empire political fallout, Cascadian Lords from all corners were invited to the event. Greatlord Oshiro explained that the Overlord was being careful and had weighted the invitations proportionally across the Empire. Serena understood it as a delicate balancing act; the East wanted to maximise Amelia for themselves but couldn’t be seen as trying to hoard her.

    According to an aethergram her Father received from Nina, more than a hundred Centralis-registered ships had requested travel visas for the Three Sisters, and hundreds more were waiting for paperwork. With all the public docks in the Three Sisters booked until the event, people resorted to getting travel routes approved for the nearby Nai and even Nachon, where they would get a train or shuttle to Asamaywa.

    The prices of accommodation and private docking space had increased by more than a magnitude. This wasn’t just due to people desperate to receive Amelia’s healing; many wanted to witness the event for bragging rights.

    Amelia didn’t like the sound of people being charged up to their horns for just a chance to see her. Still, her complaints stopped when Greatlord Oshiro pointed out that the increased revenue - from what Serena was calling Amelia tourism - was paying for the lowland to be rebuilt.

    “The topic has caused more than a few heated arguments in the House of Commons,” Greatlord Oshiro explained one day at his estate. He had been summoning both Serena and Amelia frequently over the weeks. They stood in an ornate reception room with paintings of landscapes and flowers decorating the walls. It was a room made for the occupants to feel relaxed. “The delegations have nearly come to blows on more than one occasion,” Greatlord Oshiro continued.

    “How does the rest of the Empire view Amelia?” Serena asked.

    “Centralis is... welcoming. The North isn’t. Sentiments built up over the war will take time to cool. They don’t like a human taking such a prominent position in the Empire.” Greatlord Oshiro glanced at Amelia standing nearby, who just shrugged in response. “The South believe Amelia was behind the Suijin embodiment and aren’t happy the East has a claim to such a large part of their heritage through a human.”

    “They... know?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

    “An intelligence document was leaked to the North. It was presented in parliament.”

    She frowned. “They just let that happen?”

    “You’ve never attended parliament, have you, Lord Halen?”

    “No.” As a Cascadian Lord, Serena had a right to attend the House of Lords and make her voice heard. Typically, it wouldn’t be done without the permission of their Lord Superior, but occasionally, a Lord might bypass the normal etiquette as a form of protest if they think their Lord Superior wasn’t listening to them.

    “Both Houses have the same rules in that they cannot prevent a member from sharing information. The Northern delegation got part of the early report that named Lord-Prospect Thornheart as Suijin’s Speaker.”

    “Is it possible Intelligence leaked it intentionally?” Amelia asked, blinking innocently.

    “Perhaps,” Greatlord Oshiro answered. “But the papers won’t report on it. They know they need permission to reveal a Speaker’s name. Someone may want this information to filter back to the human continent. I can see it cooling the temperament of the human nations. For a while, at least.” He was silent for a moment, then continued, “Still, our official position is to deny the allegation, so I expect you both to do the same.”

    “O-okay!” Amelia chirped.

    “Yes, Greatlord,” Serena intoned with a bow.

    “There is something else,” Greatlord Oshiro said, producing two letters. “There will be an award ceremony for those who risked their lives or otherwise contributed greatly to putting out the fire. I’m sure it shouldn’t be surprising for either of you to find out you’ll be awarded. Here.” He passed the letters over, and after seeing his affirmative nod, Serena opened hers and read it.

    “A... Gold-” Serena swallowed and tried again. “A Golden Horn?”

    “Yes,” Greatlord Oshiro stated. “One hundred and thirty Bronze Horns, Forty Silver Horns and eight Golden. Two of which are going to you two.” He frowned. “It’ll be a long ceremony. You’ll be going last.”

    “What’s a Golden Horn?” Amelia asked.

    “It’s the highest civilian award in the East,” Greatlord Oshiro explained. “It entitles you to a modest yearly sum for ten years and to own land in Asamaywa Proper. As a Lord-Prospect, you already have that right, of course. If such a reward feels insufficient...”

    Amelia began shaking her head.

    “...then know this Golden Horn will only be for your miraculous healing that saved the lives of so many. We can’t reveal your role in Speaking Suijin, but we can reward you for it. So,” the greatlord cleared his throat. “Lord-Prospect Thornheart, for saving Asamaywa Station by extinguishing that terrible inferno... you’ll be awarded a modest estate in the city.” Greatlord Oshiro politely coughed. “It comes fully furnished, so you’ll be able to move in the moment the paperwork is signed.”

    “Y-you’re giving me a house!?” Amelia’s eyes grew as wide as a peeka spotting a mouse. “Thank you!” She bowed deeply. “Thank you!” She turned to Serena. “Did you hear that? A house! All for me!”

    Serena couldn’t help but smile at Amelia’s enthusiasm, but something Greatlord Oshiro said made her suspicious. After all, fully furnished estates don’t spring up out of nowhere. This award was either planned in advance or it was...

    “Greatlord Oshiro, this estate,” Serena began tentatively. “It wouldn’t happen to be...?”

    A question needed to be asked.

    A question she didn’t really want the answer to, but she had to know.

    “Greatlord...” she began tentatively. “The lowland fire. Was it truly... due to a baker''s oven?”

    “Hmm...” He tapped the couch’s armrest. Once... twice... thrice. “The report we produced stated the origin of the fire was a baker’s oven, so...” His expression darkened. “The origin was a baker’s oven. I suggest not questioning the official report any more, Lord Halen.”

    “Of course, Greatlord,” Serena said.

    “I’m merely doing my duty and raising a point of concern regarding her powers that may have an accidental detrimental effect on your ability to carry out your duties.” Greatlord Oshiro explained. “Make sure you take adequate measures to prevent any future complications, Lord Halen.”

    “Yes, Greatlord.”

    She must never know, Serena thought. I must never tell her.

    Greatlord Oshiro took another sip of the earth-tea and Serena copied him. Still unpleasant. “How is life in the academy?” He asked, his expression softening as if the previous topic had never been discussed. “Have you found any promising talent? Surely that Melanie Mori girl meets your standard?”

    “Yes, Greatlord, along with some others.” Serena swallowed. “I do have some concerns. Given the seriousness of my future duties, I can’t help but question the rationale behind forming a new group of softhorns. Even if they are talented in their abilities, they lack the wisdom of age and experience of real combat. I find myself wondering if it wouldn’t be better to bring in some veterans instead?”

    It had been a question troubling her for a while. The original justification provided by Chesterfield was that they wanted an elite team that could work with Amelia with no existing bias against humans. Only... Serena had seen demons like Highlord Driss and Flakken Holm, both from the North, be capable of putting their biases aside.

    “Good deduction,” Greatlord Oshiro intoned. “The lack of existing biases is more of a happy coincidence. Why, then, do you think it was so important for us to get her in an academy and help scout a team of demons more or less her age?” He raised an eyebrow, signalling he wanted her to arrive at the answer herself.

    “Because...” Serena began, her mind racing to connect the dots. Why had they put Amelia in an environment around budding trainee officers and not integrated her into an experienced elite squad? Why did they want her to take an active part in forming a new team?

    Why had he emphasised the words ‘her age’?

    “Friends...” she answered. “No, not just friends. Connections.” She felt her eyes widen at the realisation. “Connections,” she repeated. “You want to bind her to the Empire.”

    “That’s right,” Greatlord Oshiro’s eyes glinted dangerously. “She’s a human in a world of demons. It’s natural for her not to fit in. The last thing we want is for her to leave our clutches. She must be bound to the Empire. Not by chains of force, but with things more powerful. Just as a great ironwood tree burrows its roots into the earth, we want Amelia to do the same. We want her roots of friendship to run deep, her sense of loyalty and duty to her squadmates to trap her, and her relationships to make her never consider leaving. In that sense... you’ve done well, Lord Halen.”

    Ah, that was right. Greatlord Oshiro would have read all the intelligence reports detailing just how close Serena and Amelia were. However, it seemed that any moral concerns he might have over the matter were irrelevant when it came to the much more important goal of binding Amelia.

    “I’m not sure how to respond...” Serena mumbled. She didn’t like thinking of Amelia as a thing to be bound. Still, her mind, trained by years of rational and practical education, further developed by her battlefield experience, couldn’t deny the cold logic before her.

    Even if, like the tea, it left a sour taste in her mouth.

    “Ruthless, isn’t it?” Greatlord Oshiro replied. “Don’t view it from the point of view of Serena Halen, but from the point of view of Lord Halen, servant of our Overlord and the Divine One. It’s not like anyone wishes the girl any harm. Quite the opposite, we are all immensely invested in keeping her happy. In a matter of a few months, she’s become one of the Empire’s most important strategic assets, and our actions must reflect that. The Western Overlord has recommended Vikram to fully sanction her lordship.”

    What!?

    “What!?” Serena burst out before quickly correcting her tone of voice. “Sorry, Greatlord.” She readjusted her position on the couch, resisting the urge to stand up and pace. “If I may ask, why?”

    “It came out in parliament a few weeks back. An official request.” The greatlord shrugged. “The justification is her actions during the fire. It’s not without precedent, but it''s certainly unusual for the West to put their horns out like this. She also has an official invitation to visit the Western Terra Firma, so you’ll have no trouble getting a travel visa should your duties take you in that direction.”

    “I see...” Serena trailed off, absorbing the information. A part of her wanted to ask what the Greatlord knew about the ever-mysterious Western Overlord but figured she’d pushed her luck far enough.

    However, there was one question left.

    “The necklace you gave her for the ceremony, what’s the meaning behind that?”

    “Oh, that?” Greatlord Oshiro stood up, walking to the window where he stood with his back to her. “That’s for the visiting cardinal. They''re going to canonise her as a saint, and if she can be seen as honouring the demon church, it’ll erase the last bit of resistance.”

    Serena’s hands started reaching for her horns but, by a mighty effort, she was able to stop from embarrassing herself. Instead, she stood up, and after forcing herself to take a few breaths, asked, “You’re not jesting? They truly mean to make her... Saint Amelia?”

    “The lowlanders already call her by that name, so it won’t change much,” came the answer from the window. “Friends. Relationship. Homestead. Titles. Duty. Loyalty...” The greatlord coughed. “And now religion. Each one an attempt to integrate Amelia Thornheart into the institutions of our Empire.”

    “I’m not sure she would agree to it,” Serena pointed out. “It’s not the kind of thing she would want. The extra responsibilities might be too much for her.”

    “There won’t be any extra responsibilities. She only needs to take the title officially. With that, she’ll become a famous symbol of the Empire, and that’s what’s important; that she’s of the Empire.” Greatlord Oshiro turned to face Serena. “It’s a lot, but you’ll be leaving soon to a new Terra Firma. It’ll be a well-deserved change of pace for both you and our city.”

    “I.. see. What about her lordship?”

    “We have to wait at least a year, regardless of the opinion of another Overlord. There are plenty of Lord-Prospects in the East who have been waiting for five years or more. It’s too risky to inflame them, especially with how delicate the situation in the Far East is already.”

    “I see,” Serena said softly. In all honesty, her brain was overheating from so many repeated revelations. She should be delighted for Amelia, happy that she was going to move up so quickly in the ranks of the Empire. But she wasn’t. Not because of jealousy or envy but because she was worried too much too fast would put undue stress on her girlfriend.

    There she was again, instinctively putting Amelia ahead of the Empire.

    Why didn’t it feel wrong?

    She felt like she needed a holiday. Somewhere far away, somewhere where she and Amelia could just...

    Hmm?

    “You mentioned a new Terra Firma,” Serena pointed out. “Do you know where our next destination is?”

    “Yes, but it’s not for me to say,” came the reply. “Although... I’ll give you a hint...” The Greatlord’s voice took on an amused tone.

    “Prepare for somewhere warm.”