The Sacred War

The sea breeze blew gently beneath a clear sky. The Holy Seal Archipelago had enjoyed fair weather for many years.

Until today.

The successive landings of the Goth People and elves had shattered the former peace, but the real upheaval had taken place here. After Kang De entered the Fire Thief Altar, the Black Beasts on the islands had multiplied abnormally, and a rift emanating a strange aura had appeared on North Island.

And the group was waiting near that rift.

Kang De planned to use various things from Earth, together with the wondrous power of fantasy enchantment, to fabricate an "ancient ruin" and lure the elves inside. While they were fighting the nasty things within, he would follow the fine tradition of all tactical conversion experts and make a direct strike on the elven warship.

Now the plan had reached its most critical moment.

"Kang De."

The princess came to his side and asked, "Are we starting?"

Kang De considered it. "There's no rush. Let's wait until it's a little darker, or the fireworks won't be as noticeable... We were going to act as soon as possible, but the seabirds watching the elven warship noticed something strange. They said there was a fairly violent explosion and some heavy shaking aboard. I'm afraid the ship won't be going anywhere for a while."

Tina exclaimed in delight, "Really? That's wonderful!"

Kang De nodded with a smile, though he was muttering to himself. Pigeon had said that Parrot had followed an elf aboard the ship, and he was eighty percent sure that Parrot was behind this great bit of elven excitement...

That fellow was a destructive maniac, immensely curious, and deeply interested in things like mechanical structures. Most of the things Kang De had brought from Earth and left lying around had fallen victim to Parrot, who had taken them all apart to see how they worked.

Considering that Parrot had learned to use screwdrivers, wrenches, and similar tools at remarkable speed, and could put everything he dismantled back together exactly as it had been, Kang De had not paid it much mind.

Of course, there were many, many things whose workings could not be understood simply by taking them apart and examining them with the naked eye. Once, after Parrot pestered him beyond endurance, Kang De had taken apart a phone and a computer for him. Parrot had been utterly dumbstruck afterward, spending two or three days in a daze before spreading his wings and howling at the sky, "Fuck! Why?!"

But Kang De had to admit that the wretched bird really did have a remarkable talent for destruction and dismantling...

He did not mention any of this, however. He continued, "That is good news. It means we have more time to prepare and... wait."

The princess nodded. "Then we're going to capture the ship, aren't we?"

Kang De smiled. "Not we... You can't go. It's too dangerous."

Tina puffed out her cheeks and looked at Kang De in great displeasure.

A beautiful girl's reproachful gaze was hard to resist. Kang De surrendered and raised both hands. "All right, all right, we. Even if Princess Tina can't board the ship and fight alongside us, her wisdom and courage will guide us bravely forward. From that perspective, we'll still be fighting side by side."

...But that still means you won't let me go, doesn't it?

Still, she had to admit that putting the same thing differently made it much nicer to hear.

Tina did not throw a tantrum. After a moment's silence, she said softly, "The Wings of Wayne... I never imagined the Goth navy could confidently launch an attack on an elven capital ship. If we win, it could be called a great victory even in the context of the entire Goth-Moon War..."

She looked at Kang De and said earnestly, "The Penguin couldn't have accomplished this alone. Without you, Kang De, it would have been difficult for us to survive the elves' pursuit. We have you to thank for all of this."

Kang De was taken aback and instinctively offered a modest response. "I was only protecting myself too."

"But you only heard that the elves were cruel and unreasonable from us. We're the elves' irreconcilable enemies, so of course we wouldn't speak well of them. Perhaps the truth isn't as we said. Perhaps the elves are a kind and reasonable race, willing to treat Cathayans well, and only want to kill us Goth People... That possibility exists too."

Tina said, "But you still believed what we told you, Kang De. That trust means a great deal."

I just wasn't willing to take the gamble.

Helping the Goth People was the wisest choice. After all, in the two days he had spent with them, these humans had proved friendly and reasonable, people he could work with, while the elves were an overbearing race.

There was no doubt that racism existed in this other world too. He did not expect elves who had built a vast empire and cowed the human nations to treat a Cathayan with courtesy.

Besides, thanks to his good upbringing, Kang De also had pronounced nationalist leanings. With his mother teaching him by word and example all day, he had little affection for Western countries—or rather, he was wary and suspicious of almost every foreign country, feeling that there were always troublemakers who wanted to harm China.

If he felt that way about other countries on Earth, let alone alien races in another world.

Ultimately, helping the Goth People against the elves was merely the decision he had made after weighing the pros and cons.

The trust Tina spoke of had played only a small part in it.

He smiled. "Why bring this up all of a sudden? Saying things like the elves might be friendly, or you might be lying... Is it really all right to tell me that?"

Tina said solemnly, "Personally, I think it's very necessary. Our friendship with you began with a misunderstanding and continued in goodwill. Perhaps we both have doubts and are therefore holding something back, but at the very least, I don't want to be vague about a crucial matter... I want to answer your trust."

"Even if I can't offer convincing proof right now, I at least want to tell you this."

"I have never lied to you about anything concerning the elves."

"We're at war with the elves. Countless people of Goth have given their lives defending their freedom and their land, while the rest of the human world stands by and watches. We've tried everything, and everyone is fighting for Goth. I was ordered to go to the imperial capital and lobby the empire for more support. We were intercepted along the way, and many people lost their lives protecting me..."

By this point, her voice had begun to choke, but the girl still looked stubbornly at Kang De, unconcerned that she was losing her ladylike composure. She neither bowed her head nor showed weakness, for she was speaking of a nation's soul and will, of those who fought, suffered, and even died for their country.

She said, "History is full of crimes. A country has both light and darkness. Goth has done wrong in the past, and even now there are ugly things about it that deserve contempt. But in this matter alone, our consciences are clear. Every Goth who has fought up to this day can hold their head high and face the judgment of the gods."

Kang De looked at her.

He did not know what to say.

He could not really say he was moved, because he did not share her feelings.

War was too distant from him, after all.

He could only look back through history at the bloody battles fought decades ago to drive out the Japanese invaders and reclaim China. He had shared in the pride and sighed in regret, but that was history now.

The founders of the Republic had established an unprecedented government amid blood and fire, broken the heavy shackles of two thousand years, and rebuilt the country from ruin and decline. With the hearts of the people behind them, they had acted openly and honorably, establishing the first true "people's government" in the land's millennia of history despite opposition from a hostile world and counterattacks by the old powers. They must have been the most forthright and proud people under heaven.

They alone could hold their heads high and roar at all who opposed and criticized them.

"Fools! Our cause is just!"

Sadly, time had passed and those people were gone. Now that prosperity and peace prevailed, ordinary people were too far removed from heroes, and the lofty passions and ambitions of the past were beyond their reach. The new generation could not even imagine how dire and desperate things had been decades ago, because they had been born in a country growing stronger by the day.

Just as Kang De could not now fully understand Tina's sorrow and pride.

He could not share her feelings.

A heroic veteran from that era would probably have felt a connection...

Tina noticed his discomfort.

"I'm sorry... I've said strange things again."

Her earlier bearing of resolute pride vanished without a trace, and she clumsily began wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry. I'm always like this, always saying things that aren't appropriate for the moment without thinking, regardless of whether the other person can understand..."

...It is a little strange.

Kang De scratched his head. "But... how should I put it? I think I understand roughly what you mean, and I can understand it. You're saying that the war between Goth and the elves isn't a struggle for profit, nor was it caused by a conspiracy. It's a war in which brave citizens are defending their country's integrity and their people's freedom of their own free will. Their fearless sacrifices have made this war pure and sacred, a just war against aggression."

"And I don't need to worry about whether my choice was right, much less worry about being deceived. Helping the Goth People won't bring shame on my soul or my dignity... Is that what you mean?"

Tina covered her face.

She was nearly suffocating.

Why did I go and say all those stupid things?

And Mr. Kang De understood them so easily?

This isn't a good thing at all!

She had wanted to ask what Kang De planned to do after dealing with the elves. She had wanted to sound him out about leaving the Holy Seal Archipelago and going to the mainland with them. She had wanted to propose a partnership. Those were the things she had wanted to say, so how had she ended up bringing up the war again?

And she had made the war sound so cruel, even volunteering that Goth was at a disadvantage. How was she supposed to invite Kang De to risk returning to the mainland with them now...?

But she had said it anyway.

Because she had always felt it was far better to be honest about everything from the start than to have the other person discover it later.

But if she was honest from the start, would Kang De be willing to take the risk and join them?

Tina's feelings were very complicated.

There was no having the best of both worlds.

She thought highly of Kang De and greatly hoped to obtain his help.

It was not merely because Kang De had undergone the ritual she had led, nor simply because of the mysterious and boundless Fire Thief Altar... She simply felt instinctively that Kang De possessed a power capable of changing everything.

She was gentle and frail by nature, knew little of warfare, and possessed no great power of her own. Unable to fight for Goth directly, she sought every possible way to bring more strength to her country.

But she did not want to lure Kang De into joining through trickery and deceit.

Although she understood that one could not be overly concerned with trifles when undertaking great things... she felt it was wrong.

She felt that concealment and deception would only create distance and rifts, and that only goodwill and openness could earn sincerity... Of course, shared interests were also very important in maintaining a relationship.

Although examples from history tell me the former is actually more effective, while people who choose the latter are laughed at as fools... Sigh, I really am not suited to being a ruler. It's a good thing I'm the youngest sister...

Tina lamented inwardly.

She had wasted today's excellent opportunity for a conversation. Bringing up the invitation now would be far too deliberate... The thought made the princess feel even more aggrieved.

Kang De was incapable of reading such complicated feelings in a woman's heart.

He had no idea what Tina was thinking.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "One-sided accounts may not be trustworthy, but I believe my own eyes. After spending these past two days together, you've left me with a very good impression... So I'm willing to lend a hand. Helping you is helping myself too. We're friends, after all, aren't we?"

Friends... Ah.

For some reason, hearing that word made Tina feel inexplicably unhappy.

And she always felt that when Kang De spoke with her... he was a little formal and distant.

Just then, Cleveland's voice rang out. "There you two are... What's wrong, Your Highness?"

The princess immediately said, "Nothing, nothing. It's just that I'm a little..."

She was afraid the knight would see her tears and misunderstand.

Before she could finish, however, Kang De said, "Ah, it's like this. Her Highness is terribly sad at the thought of never seeing Miss Fulan again, as though she's lost a good friend forever. If Miss Fulan could appear before her again, Tina would be very happy."

Cleveland had already changed out of that terrifying women's outfit.

Kang De had very kindly suggested, "You can keep the high heels and stockings as part of your men's clothes," but the knight had firmly refused, because he always felt Kang De was up to no good.

Then again, the stockings really had been very comfortable. He had never worn such finely made fabric before. By comparison, the stockings worn by human nobles were worse than coarse hemp cloth.

...But it was still strange.

He was eager to escape the nightmare of dressing as a woman and wished he could erase that memory from his mind entirely. The last thing he wanted to hear was the name "Miss Fulan," and when Kang De brought it up again, he exploded.

"Nonsense!"

He said angrily, "Her Highness would never say such a thing! Kang De, you're playing nasty tricks again!"

Kang De laughed and shot back, "Not at all. Miss Fulan is so beautiful, after all..."

The knight shouted, "Shut up! Forget every bit of it!"

Tina watched Kang De and the knight converse so easily, feeling a little lonely.

There was even a hint of resentment in her eyes.

Why is he so awkward and even nervous when he talks to me, but so fluent when he talks to the knight?

And he can joke so naturally?

Is it because he wore those clothes for you? I... I...

And Knight Cleveland, why are you calling him "Kang De" so directly?

A strange feeling welled up in Tina's heart.

The knight noticed her expression. "Your Highness, are you all right?"

The princess gave a quiet huff. "It's nothing."

Even the knight could not guess what Her Highness was thinking now.

Cleveland was more concerned about the plan that was about to begin than the princess's mood.

Everyone's safety depended on it.

"Then..." He looked at Kang De. "Is it time to start the plan?"

Kang De nodded. "Yes. Once it's a little darker, we'll say hello to the elves."

The knight said, "I'll board the ship with you."

Kang De thought for a moment. "We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Cleveland reached out and patted Kang De on the shoulder. "I have to admit, Kang De, although you occasionally have an unacceptable sense of humor and play nasty tricks, fighting at your side is truly reassuring and invigorating. You must have been someone remarkable in your country... Of course, you still are."

Kang De merely smiled.

The princess turned her head away.

The sun sank and time passed. Kangaroo had returned to the group, while the elves' reconnaissance had yielded nothing. An even fiercer argument broke out at the temporary command post on the beach, and the Master and the marine captain glared at each other.

Suddenly, a brilliant radiance shot into the sky and burst open.

One after another, like pillars of light rising into the air, the fireworks infused with Element were even more splendid than before. Even against the sunset, they were dazzling and breathtaking.

It could practically be called an "abnormal phenomenon."

The elves stared at it all in a daze. This was the Holy Seal Archipelago, where all supernatural power was suppressed.

Yet such brilliant light had burst forth.

The Master slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Answer me now! Do you still want to wait two days?!"

Sir Taize gritted his teeth, glanced at the captain, and said, "Assemble the troops. Prepare to depart!"

PS1: Fuck, never set a flag... Something came up today, so the update was late, and this chapter was also a pain to write. Damn it.

PS2: This update is over 4,600 Chinese characters, so it counts as two chapters in one. Get to sleep soon. Three chapters tomorrow. Good night, everyone.