Genjitsushugisha no Oukokukaizouki - Volume 19 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Memorial

With the war over and the world gradually returning to calm, my health had improved, and life was finally getting back to normal.

“Is this the place, Julius?” I asked, and he nodded in response.

Julius, known as the White Strategist, was dressed in black today. It wasn’t just him; everyone here wore black. The only one for whom this didn’t feel particularly fresh was me, as I always wore my black military uniform.

“Yeah, this is where Sir Owen and Grandfather Herman met their ends,” he replied solemnly.

“I see... So there’s nothing left now, huh?”

It was evening as we stood before the remains of a mountainside fort north of Parnam. Only a small portion of the walls that once defended this stronghold remained. Owen and Herman had set off a massive blast using gunpowder, taking the forces of the Great Tiger Empire with them. After the battle, only scorched rubble was left behind.

The scattered corpses had been disfigured beyond recognition. The rubble had been cleared away, and the bodies had been buried without regard for which side the fallen had fought with—not that it had been possible to tell. Now, all that remained was an empty plot of land. The burn marks on what was left of the walls were the only evidence of the intense battle that had taken place here.

“I finally made it,” I said, kneeling and placing my hands on the ground. “I want to give you a piece of my mind for ignoring my orders and throwing your lives away. However, it was only because of your sacrifice that our family was able to reunite.”

With me today were my queens and children, along with Herman’s grandson Julius, his wife Tia, and their son Tius. The key retainers of the country—Tomoe and Ichiha, Hal and Kaede, and Excel and Castor—were also present.

A broadcast jewel was positioned at a distance from us, allowing not just those gathered here but the entire country to remember those who gave their lives in this place. I had asked the people of the nation to observe a moment of silence.

“Aisha, bring that here.”

“Understood.”

Aisha approached, carrying a rock about a meter in diameter above her head. She set it down in front of me with an audible thud. It was a memorial. Since Owen and Herman were buried with the others, they did not have graves of their own. This stone monument would serve as their gravestone. It bore a poem praising their sacrifice for the country, and their names were carved alongside those of the men who died with them.

“It’s always like this for those sacrificed. The only beautiful thing about it is the words on the monument.”

I recalled a line from a giant hero show I had seen in reruns in my old world. It had been spoken by a member of the Science Special Search Party after reading the inscription on a memorial for someone who had returned to Earth after becoming a monster, sacrificed in the name of science and progress. I didn’t know how much significance there truly was in the words we carved into memorials, but I understood why those left behind feel compelled to do so.

“Roroa, Julius, Madam Tia...”

Once Aisha stepped back, I called for the three of them. Roroa led Leon by the hand, while Tia did the same for Tius. Herman’s grandchildren, along with their spouses and children, had gathered here.

“Grandfather Herman...”

Roroa held a letter tightly to her chest with her free hand—the one not holding Leon’s. She had been informed of Herman’s death while in Venetinova, but she had received the letter containing his will only upon returning to Parnam. It expressed his fondness for Roroa, who grew to resemble his daughter more each day. He mentioned how pleased he was to have seen his great-grandchildren and included an apology for passing away here.

Roroa and Tia each gave their respective child a single flower.

“Tius, go give the flower to your grandfather.”

“You too, Leon. Say ‘good night’ to your grandpa, okay?”

“To grandpa?”

“Okay!”

Tius tilted his head in confusion, while Leon responded enthusiastically. Neither of them was old enough to understand death yet. They took the flowers, tottered forward, and laid them in front of the monument.

““G’night, Grandpa,”” they said with smiles on their faces.

Yeah... It’s better this way. Because the old men had given their lives to protect those smiles. Roroa and Tia were the only ones who needed to cry here.

I put my hand on Julius’s shoulder as he gazed up at the heavens.

“Hey, Julius?”

“What...?”

“How about we get back at the old men who disobeyed orders by building a grand mausoleum for them? Let’s have them worshipped as gods of war and drinking.”

“Heh, I can just imagine how they’d cringe.” Julius’s expression brightened.

Knowing how serious those two old men had been, they would’ve found it pretty awkward to be treated like gods. I’ll suggest alcohol as the best offering, so you two had better enjoy your punishment for violating orders.

After Roroa and the others finished, I called Naden over.

“Naden, would you do the honors?”

“Roger that.”

Naden transformed into her black ryuu form, and I climbed onto her back. She then picked up two barrels of alcohol that had been prepared for the occasion and carried them up about fifty meters.

I raised my voice and shouted, “Old Man Owen! For winning the bet with me, you get the most expensive alcohol on the continent! I had Maria request this from Queen Jeanne, and I used all the pocket money I’ve been too busy to spend to purchase these luxurious barrels of wine that were untouched in the former imperial capital, Valois! I hope you enjoy them with Grandpa Herman and your men!”

When I finished, Naden began pouring out the contents of the barrels. It rained wine around the monument. Beneath the soil here lay imperial soldiers—not just our own, but... I didn’t want to get cursed, so they’d have to share fairly with everyone.

Once we were back on the ground, I addressed my family and retainers.

“Okay! There’s still more drink to go around! Queen Jeanne and Hakuya cut us a deal and gave us plenty! We can’t hold a big celebration of our victory with the people of the Great Tiger Empire watching, but for this one day, I think it’s fine for just us here to celebrate!”

Poncho and his wives, Serina and Komain, quickly organized the setup, carrying out tables and chairs to create an outdoor banquet area in the empty field.

Meanwhile, Carla and the maids brought out the food. Barrels of wine were placed all around, and my family and retainers gathered eagerly in front of them.

“I want you all to relax and enjoy yourselves, just for today! Let’s remember those we’ve lost and drink together in their honor! Now, let’s break open those barrels!”

At my command, knives and swords were drawn, and their hilts were used to break the thin boards that served as lids for the barrels. Long-handled ladles were then used to serve the wine.

Holding up my glass, I raised my voice once more. “Let’s toast to our fallen comrades and the victory we can’t celebrate too heartily!”

“““Cheers!!!”””

With that, the mood quickly shifted from somber to festive. Surely, Owen and Herman would have felt reassured to see us having a raucous time instead of quietly weeping. Perhaps because I had given the okay to really let loose, things became lively.

The warriors—Hal, Castor, and Mio—showcased their martial prowess, while Liscia, Aisha, and Kaede chatted away. Tomoe, Ichiha, and Yuriga enjoyed their reunion with Velza and Lucy, who they had invited. Meanwhile, Excel, Albert, Elisha, and Kagetora formed a group of adults quietly drinking together. Roroa, Julius, Tia, Colbert, and others from the former Amidonia laughed and smiled as they remembered Herman, while Ludwin, Weist, and Piltory, who had briefly returned to the Kingdom, honored Owen’s memory.

As night fell and we all became inebriated, Carla and Serina took the children away. From that point, things got hectic, with an argument between Naden and Ruby nearly escalating into a monster battle, while Juna and Maria formed an impromptu lorelei unit, singing and dancing. I made the rounds with several groups and ended up drinking too much, losing all memory of how things ended.

I hope you old guys are enjoying watching this from the next world... My eyes spun, and I fell to the ground, lifting my glass to the sky. I didn’t know if this was a proper memorial, but it felt like we were moving forward towards the tomorrow those old men led us to.

Then, roughly a year later, we received a report stating that Fuuga had died.