Genjitsushugisha no Oukokukaizouki - Volume 19 - Chapter 8.1

Chapter 8: The Great Man Leaves the Stage

—Roughly One Year After the Decisive Battle Between the Maritime Alliance and the Great Tiger Empire.

What has Fuuga Haan done in the past year...? Nothing of note. Well, that was an exaggeration.

He approved the documents prepared by Lumiere, gave orders to Shuukin and the other generals to maintain peace, and spent his evenings with his beloved wife, Mutsumi, doting on their newborn son, Suiga. It was a very ordinary life—he simply didn’t engage in anything befitting a great leader.

He didn’t fight foreign wars, confront powerful enemies, or attempt any unprecedented feats. Instead, he lived a quiet life, as if the flames of ambition had burned out within him. He’d fought to a painful draw with the Maritime Alliance (or so they loudly claimed within the Great Tiger Empire), and people whispered that this outcome might have dampened his motivation.

The veterans, like Lumiere, who sought to use this moment to strengthen the administrative foundations of the Empire, and Shuukin, who aimed to regain what had been lost through reckless actions, viewed this as a positive development.

If Fuuga were to rekindle his ambitions, they would support him wholeheartedly. However, if he did not, they would focus on stabilizing the nation and protecting its peace. Yet, the Great Tiger Empire was too vast for its people to unite behind this idea, and they held markedly different values.

Many within the Great Tiger Empire could no longer tolerate the stagnation of Fuuga’s ambitions. Some had hoped to change their lives through Fuuga’s vision, while others had lost their homelands for his dream. Many had even prepared to risk their lives in support of his cause. Their discontent was growing. They had believed Fuuga would unify the continent and had entrusted their own aspirations to him, setting aside their grievances over losing their homelands. They had been ready to give their lives for the cause.

Now, they viewed Fuuga’s stagnant progress as a betrayal of their trust. As a result, revolts had erupted throughout the Great Tiger Empire since the decisive battle with the Maritime Alliance. Instead of addressing the rebellions himself, Fuuga left that task to his subordinates, like Shuukin.

Previously, Fuuga would have rushed into any fight, no matter how small, and found enjoyment in it. However, as people observed him prioritizing administrative duties over battles, they began to realize that he had “seen his dream through to the end.” This realization led to their growing uncertainty:

“Has Fuuga’s era come to an end?”

“Who will guide us through the next era?”

The people became confused, and their words reached Fuuga Haan.

“Ha ha ha! Everyone just says whatever they want,” he said, relaxing in Mutsumi’s room as if it had nothing to do with him.

Mutsumi was holding their sleeping son, Suiga, against her chest, smiling serenely.

“You’re like the sun to them, darling. Of course they would panic if you suddenly withdrew from view.”

“This is what happens when I don’t show myself in public, huh? I’m just living the same way he does, though.”

The “he” Fuuga referred to was Souma. Though frustrated by losing his previous ambitions, Fuuga had also gained a son. He didn’t know how he should live now, and until he figured it out, he thought he’d try to imitate Souma. He had spent the last year living an incredibly ordinary life—just doing his job, delegating tasks to his retainers, and cherishing time spent with his family.

“So, how is it? Living like Sir Souma?” Mutsumi asked him with a smile.

He scratched his head. “It’s not half bad; I’ll give it that.”

“Oh, I didn’t expect that. I thought you’d be bored.”

“I haven’t had time to get bored. I’m not used to paperwork, and playing with the kid is harder than I thought. It took a while for Suiga to stop crying at the sight of my face, y’know?”

“Hee hee, that’s right, it did,” Mutsumi replied, chuckling at the memory.

Fuuga had once declared war on the world, yet he had struggled to soothe a single baby. Suiga would cry whenever he saw his father’s face, and Fuuga’s attempts to calm him had often ended in failure. When he had Mutsumi help him stop Suiga’s crying, there were many times she noticed, despite his efforts to hide it, how dejected he felt about the situation.

Regardless, he kept trying with Suiga, and after much trial and error, he managed to reach a point at which he didn’t make the boy cry anymore.

“I think you put in a lot of effort. You’re a real ‘father’ now.”

“Ha ha ha! That’s good to hear.”

“Hee hee... But I feel like you’ll eventually return to being the great man you once were,” Mutsumi said, her expression still serene. “You’re relaxed now, but you can’t change the personality you were born with. This is just a momentary rest; eventually, you’ll take off running again. But I can’t be sure whether it will be to conquer the continent or to venture into the world of the north.”

She spoke as if she could see right through him, and Fuuga’s expression shifted slightly.

“Mutsumi... Is that how you’ve always viewed me?” he asked.

“Yes. You act like Souma, as if you’ve settled down, but someday your dreams will sprout wings and fly again. I hope to join you when that time comes.”

“What about Suiga?”

“He carries our blood. I’m sure he will want to join us as well.”

Fuuga fell silent, feeling a thrill of excitement as he listened to her. Though it lay dormant for now, the impulse within him would awaken soon enough, and when it did, he had a sense that he might shock the world once more.

He had no intention of going against Souma, but the world still extended to the north. Wouldn’t it be a grand adventure to lead an expedition there? Once Suiga grew larger, the tiger within him would awaken again. That was their prediction. And yet, that day would never come.

Yahhhhhhhhh!!!

“Huh? What was that?”

Suddenly, an uproar erupted inside the castle. Cheers and shouts echoed in the distance. Then came a series of loud noises: Boooooom! Crash! The sounds of explosions filled the air, accompanied by the smell of something burning. Smoke was visible outside the window. It was clear that something was happening.

Fuuga rose and reached for his Zanganto, which leaned against the wall. Mutsumi held the crying Suiga as she changed into clothes that would allow her to move more easily.

Once she had changed, she grabbed her sword and asked Fuuga, “Is it an enemy attack?”

“Dunno. But I’m pretty sure only the forces of the Kingdom of Friedonia could push in this deeply.”

“I can’t believe Sir Souma would do something like this. Which leaves...”

“A rebellion, huh? Who’s the ringleader?”

“I wouldn’t put it past my brother...”

“Yeah. If anyone were going to stab me in the back, I always figured it would be him... But this is too hasty.”

Currently, Fuuga’s forces were spread across the country, working to suppress various revolts. As a result, the defense of Haan Great Tiger Castle had been significantly weakened. His right-hand man, Shuukin, was leading the main force in the west against the rebels, while Lumiere was responsible for maintaining stability in areas that had already been suppressed. In the north and east, Krahe and the duo of Lombard and Yomi were operating, respectively. Meanwhile, Moumei continued to govern the former Mercenary State of Zem. The only officers remaining at Haan Great Tiger Castle were Fuuga’s advisor, Hashim, along with defenders Kasen, Gaten, and Gaifuku, all under Fuuga’s direct command.

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door, and Kasen rushed into the room.

“Lord Fuuga! There’s a rebellion!” he shouted.

“Who is the enemy?” Fuuga asked.

“It’s General Krahe!” answered Kasen. “His air force is attacking the castle!”

“Krahe?!” Fuuga exclaimed, surprised.

Krahe, who had been sent to suppress the very rebels who were attacking, was now leading a rebellion of his own. It seemed he had rallied those like Nata, who were dissatisfied with the lack of conflict, as well as individuals whose homelands had been devastated by Fuuga. They had been waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Taking advantage of being ordered to lead a full army to quell a revolt, Krahe and his sympathizers had risen up and were now assaulting the castle with the troops he had previously commanded.

Kasen had more information to share. “For now, Sir Hashim, Sir Gaten, and Sir Gaifuku are holding them off, but they are vastly outnumbered, and we were caught off guard! The castle won’t hold much longer! Sir Hashim advises you to flee quickly!”

“So, Hashim never betrayed me...?”

Fuuga picked an unusual moment to feel emotional. He had always thought Hashim would be the one to betray him, but this hasty rebellion gave him doubts. The era was progressing towards stability, and the people’s attention was focused to the north. Merely striking Fuuga down wouldn’t be enough to convince the people to follow his killer. It was a rebellion without a vision for the future. But if it was an impulsive act by Krahe, that would explain things.

“Kasen, how is Durga doing?” Fuuga asked.

“Since Durga is your mount, it has become a target for Krahe. I suspect they launched a concentrated attack on it...”

“Urgh! Not even Durga could handle all this on its own...”

Durga the flying tiger had gone claw to claw with dragons, but it would be unreasonable to expect the tiger to take on Krahe’s griffon cavalry alone. The beast had always performed best with the great Fuuga on its back.

Suddenly, Kasen shouted, “Ah! Lord Fuuga!”

He shot two arrows towards the window. They pierced through the glass door leading out to the balcony, striking a couple of soldiers who were about to force their way into the room. It seemed the griffons had dropped off assassins.

“The enemy has come this far already...” Mutsumi murmured.

Fuuga let out a weary sigh. “This is what I get the moment I stop moving, huh? It seems the heavens don’t want me to live a normal life.”

◇ ◇ ◇

—Same Time, Near the Stables of Great Tiger Castle

“Surround them! Don’t let the enemy escape!”

“Don’t get too close! Fire your arrows from a distance!”

“Grawrrrrrrr!!!”

At the stables of Great Tiger Castle, where battle mounts were raised, an intense struggle had erupted around Fuuga’s partner, Durga the flying tiger. Krahe’s primary concern during his rebellion was to prevent Fuuga and Durga from uniting. Together, they formed a formidable duo. Once Fuuga mounted Durga, their combined destructive power and mobility surpassed that of even the dragon knights of Nothung, let alone Krahe’s griffon cavalry.

In fact, the pair had previously killed multiple dragon knights on their own. No encirclement could contain them. That’s why the rebel forces targeted Durga first. They began by stealthily eliminating the handlers responsible for its care, then attempted to poison it. However, Durga either sensed the danger or grew suspicious of the new feeder, refusing to eat and growling to intimidate them. After their poisoning attempt failed, the rebels resorted to brute force, sending an army to kill Durga.

“Shoot! Shoot! Keep shooting!”

“Grrrrrawwwwr!”

As the enemy fired arrows from a distance, Durga continued to fight fiercely, despite numerous arrows sticking out of him, tearing apart and trampling anyone who dared approach for the killing blow.

“Grrarrrrawwwwr!”

“Eeek?!”

“Urgh... You monster!”

Many soldiers’ legs buckled under the tiger’s fierce glare.

“How’s it taking you so long to deal with one animal?” one ill-mannered, irritated voice complained. It was Nata, the Battle Ax of the Tiger, with his large ax resting on his shoulder. He had allied with the rebels despite being Fuuga’s subordinate.

“I joined Krahe’s cause thinking I’d get to fight some tough guys, but here I am, hunting an animal. I want to get this over with so I can go get a piece of Fuuga.”

The battle-hungry Nata could not accept a world moving towards peace, and his dissatisfaction had grown daily. When Krahe extended an invitation, he joined the rebel cause.

“Grrrrr...” Durga’s gaze locked onto Nata.

“Hey there, Tiger. You wanna fight me?”

“Grraaarrrrrr.”

“I was getting bored. I’ll give you the fight you’re looking for.”

Nata assumed a fighting stance with his ax, and as he did, Durga pounced towards him.

“Grarrrrrr!!!”

“Hyahhh!!!”

Durga lunged forward, claws outstretched, aiming to shred Nata. In response, Nata swung his ax sideways, attempting to slice through the tiger.

Clang! The sound of two hard substances striking echoed through the air.

Nata’s cheek was torn open, blood dripping down, while Durga suffered a horizontal slash across its paw, also bleeding.

“Pretty good for a dumb animal,” Nata remarked, wiping the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand.

Durga slowly turned to face Nata again. It appeared ready to pounce once more, but then...

“Grrrgarrr...”

Suddenly, Durga stumbled, its breathing becoming labored.

“Tch... You monster. Looks like the poison’s finally set in,” Nata spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

The rebel army had been using poisoned arrows. Rebels or not, they had fought under Fuuga, and they understood Durga’s formidable strength. At full power, even Nata would have struggled to subdue it. That’s why the plan was always to weaken the tiger with poison. This way, even if it got past them, it couldn’t serve as Fuuga’s mount.

“Now! Surround it and finish it off!”

Seeing their opportunity, the soldiers rushed towards Durga.

“Grrarrr!”

“Gwagh!!!”

With a single swipe of its tail, Durga sent the soldiers flying. Even weakened by poison, it still possessed enough strength to scatter them.

“You bastard...”

Nata readied his ax. In response, Durga met his gaze for a moment before turning to flee. Despite its unsteady paws, it scattered the soldiers in its way and continued to run.

The soldiers moved to pursue, but...

“Stop,” Nata commanded, raising his hand. “It doesn’t have the strength to reach Fuuga. With the poison in its system, it’ll die on its own. If we waste our time on that small fry, we’ll let the big fish slip away, y’know?”

The primary target of the rebel forces was Fuuga himself. The soldiers nodded in remembrance and headed back towards the castle to continue the battle.

◇ ◇ ◇

—Same Time, Near the Main Gates of Great Tiger Castle

At the main gates of Great Tiger Castle, Hashim, known as the Wisdom of the Tiger, and Gaten, the Battle Flag of the Tiger, were valiantly holding off the rebel forces with a small contingent of elite troops.

Gaten’s favored weapon, his iron whips, pierced through the oncoming foes one after another, while Hashim’s blade cleaved through them with precision. The rebel forces struggled to breach the gate, defended by these two powerful warriors and the loyal members of the Royal Guard.

“Ha ha ha! If there was going to be a traitor, I always thought it would be you, Sir Hashim!” Gaten exclaimed with amusement as he cut down foes.

Unfazed by the blood splattering around him and the bodies piling up, Gaten fought on as though he were joking around at a banquet.

Hashim responded with a cold smile. “As long as Lord Fuuga is alive, there is nothing to gain by betraying him. Even if I were fortunate enough to kill Lord Fuuga, all I would face is an endless quagmire of succession wars against Sir Shuukin and the other loyal retainers. It’s simply not worth the trouble in the slightest.”

“Y-Yeah?”

“If I had intended to seize power, I would have done so when my nephew, Suiga, ascended the throne. Lord Fuuga wished to go north, and if I had offered to look after Suiga and the country, he would likely have granted me considerable authority. Mutsumi would want to accompany Lord Fuuga, after all. If that had happened, I could have maintained legitimacy while controlling the country as I wished. It would have been far easier than turning against him now.”

Hashim dispassionately outlined his potential path to power as he sliced through enemies.

“Yikes!” Gaten exclaimed, recoiling. “I could actually see you doing that.” He turned to face the still numerous opponents and continued, “Anyway, it seems we’re in for a lot of enemies. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather switch sides, Sir Hashim? You’re not the type to martyr yourself, right?”

“I have no interest in whatever regime that fanatic may establish...” Hashim said with a derisive snort, referring to the absent Krahe. “Even if he seeks to maintain chaos, the people’s attention has already shifted north—just like Lord Fuuga’s. Governing a nation of this size while pursuing world hegemony requires charisma like Lord Fuuga’s. Since Lord Fuuga has lost interest, there is nothing he can do to sustain the chaos. If he fails to recognize that—or chooses to ignore it, clinging to the remnants of a dream—then that is simply pitiful.”

“Ha ha ha! You’re rather harsh.”

“Besides, dying here for my liege’s sake isn’t so bad.”

A sly smile curled Hashim’s lips, reminiscent of someone who had just concocted a devious plan. It was the kind of smile that made everyone who saw it shudder.

“People only care about results,” he continued. “This is especially true for future generations. No matter how terrible my actions might have been during my life, if I demonstrate loyalty to my liege at the end, it will be hard for people to deny that I was a ‘loyal retainer.’”

“Wha... That’s gonna be your legacy?”

Knowing Hashim as he did, Gaten found it hard to accept. The loyal retainers of the Great Tiger Empire were Shuukin and Gaifuku, not Hashim, who had just been calmly explaining how he would have usurped power moments ago.

Seeing the unconvinced look on Gaten’s face only amused Hashim further. “That’s how future generations are. They can only understand our era through the records we leave behind. So if I take command in a war that divides the continent and then die for my liege, the name Hashim Chima—the name of the House of Chima—will be etched into the annals of a great man. That is the wish I inherited from my father, Mathew.”

“Wouldn’t he want the house to live on?”

“Ichiha, or one of the others, can carry on the family name.”

“Good grief... I don’t think you can criticize Krahe. You have some rather odd values yourself.”

Despite his exasperation, Gaten continued to fend off swarms of enemies.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, as the other subordinates were putting up a good fight elsewhere, Kasen was in Mutsumi’s room, advising Fuuga to escape.

“There’s no choice but to flee at this point! Sir Gaifuku has gathered the remaining cavalry at the rear gate and is preparing for our escape! If we can somehow get out of this crisis and meet up with Sir Shuukin and Sir Lombard in the west, we may still turn things around!”

“Yeah, but I’m sure Krahe knows that too. He’ll have men lying in wait to the west, and the pursuit will be intense.”

Fuuga listened to Kasen with his arms crossed, looking down at Suiga in Mutsumi’s arms. Noticing his gaze, Mutsumi sensed what he was thinking. She hugged Suiga, who had already cried himself to sleep, and then rose to her feet with determination.

“Sir Kasen,” she said.

“Y-Yes?”

“Please look after Suiga. Take him to Yuriga in the Kingdom of Friedonia.”

With those words, she handed the baby to Kasen. His eyes widened at this sudden turn of events.

“Huh? You want me to take him to the Kingdom of Friedonia, not to Sir Shuukin?”

“Yes. We cannot bring Suiga on the road to the west, especially with an intense pursuit anticipated. Sir Kasen, I am asking you to escape south and seek shelter in the Kingdom of Friedonia. I believe Yuriga and Ichiha will protect Suiga.”

“I was about to suggest that you escape to Friedonia as well,” Fuuga muttered after hearing Mutsumi’s words.

Mutsumi shook her head, a peaceful expression on her face. “I’ve decided to stay by your side until the very end. Whether we live or die, we will do it together.”

“You might never see Suiga again, y’know?” he responded.

“That may make me a failure as a mother. However, if I were to send you off alone, I could never live with myself.”

“All right, then...” Sensing Mutsumi’s resolve, Fuuga made up his mind.

He took a feather pen from the table and began writing something. When he finished, he folded the paper and handed it to Kasen.

“Kasen, give this to Souma along with Suiga.”

“Um, but Lord Fuuga...” Kasen hesitated, unsure how to respond to being entrusted with his liege’s child.

Fuuga fixed him with a sharp look and said, “This is an order. You’ve got to get out of here and deliver Suiga to Yuriga, no matter what it takes.”

“Ah! Yes, sir!”

Kasen stood up straight at the word “order.” He quickly excused himself and dashed off like a bullet, holding Suiga in his arms.

After watching him leave, Fuuga turned to Mutsumi.

“You’re sure that was okay...?” he asked.

“Yes. I had enough time to savor being a family this past year. From now on, my path will follow yours, whether it leads north or to hell.”

“Ha ha ha... Given those options, I prefer heading north,” Fuuga said with a small smile. “If we make it out of this alive, how about we become adventurers up there?”

“I like that idea. We could even sneak back down to meet Suiga.”

“Well, as long as we stay out of sight, I’m sure Souma and Yuriga will look after him. It wouldn’t be so bad to live freely, without being tossed around by the whims of the era.”

Fuuga laughed as he spoke, then turned his back to Mutsumi. She wondered why, until he pointed to his remaining wing with his thumb.

“Mutsumi, cut off my other wing for me.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll stand out too much with only one. That’ll be a liability when we’re escaping.” Fuuga hadn’t given up on living yet.

Sensing his determination, Mutsumi silently drew her sword and, in one swift motion, severed his wing. It fell to the ground with a thud. Though his back was bleeding, Fuuga endured without a grunt or grimace. After she stopped the bleeding with minimal fuss, he extended his hand to Mutsumi.

“Okay... Let’s go, Mutsumi.”

“Yes!”