The Terrifying Truth (of Terror)

After Mia and Abel were done with their public display of affection, the talk went back to being more serious.

By the way, Mia, what did you say about being asked to marry? Does it have anything to do with our friends here? Rafina asked, pointing to Tiona and Liora.

Actually, it does, Mia said, then looked around suspiciously.

Rafina saw what was going on and smiled. Dont worry. The owner of this business is a trustworthy person who doesnt say much. We can say what we want here.

The owner of said business walked in just in time to hear her praise. He laughed awkwardly and put some plates of food on the table.

Thank you so much for your kind words, Lady Rafina. I made sure to reserve the whole place for you ahead of time, so no one else is here today. When Im done serving all the food, Ill go to the back room so you can have complete privacy, he said, showing that he was used to her requests.

Rafina got close to Mia and spoke quietly in her ear.

You know, hes really a spy for the Belluga.

Wait, what?

Mia was almost choked from her own saliva. She thought that the whole point of spies was to hide who they were. Even though they were partners in the fight against the Chaos Serpents, diplomacy and getting information from other countries were on a whole other level. Even though they were friends, that didnt mean it was okay for them to talk about these things with anyone. Mia was about to question whether Rafinas comment was appropriate when she saw the smile on Rafinas face. It was the smile of someone who had just pulled off a good joke.

But his work doesnt involve other nations, she said. He is a special spy because hes part of our intelligence war against the Serpents.

Mia nodded. The Chaos Serpents were, in fact, a group that was hard to find. It made sense for each country to send out agents to spy to find them out.

Oh, I get it. If thats the case

She decided to tell them what was going on. She wasnt sure how to start talking about it at first, but once she did, the words came quickly and easily. Even though it was complicated, it was still about a friendship at its core. Mia, being a girl, loved hearing and telling stories about relationships. At least, she liked them much more than scary stories. She talked like a scholar as she told how Esmeralda and Sunklands second prince were talking about getting married, how Count Lampron had started the talks, and how it all fit into Tearmoons anti-empress group.

It was, of course, 99% repeating what Ludwig had said; she was just repeating what he had said. To her credit, she didnt say anything about Echard trying to kill Sion. That was dangerous information, and she had to be very careful about sharing it.

So, just to make sure I understand you right, youre saying that theres a group in Tearmoon that doesnt like you, and theyre trying to work with the group in Sunkland that doesnt like Sion, Rafina said.

Her recap, which was short and to the point, was a very good job. Mia was a little bit of a parrot, and she had left out a lot of important information. Still, Rafina was able to put all the pieces together and see the big picture.

Yes, yes, youre right, said Mia. Aside from that, Rafina-sama Do you know anything about what kind of person Count Lampron is?

Hmm Let me think Rafina made a pouty face. He reminds me of a normal old-fashioned Sunkland noble, Id say. Im sure you know that Sunklands royal family cares about truth and justice.

Oh, sure. Ive seen it for myself firsthand. To be exact, it was Firstneck. She would always think of the smell of moldy wood and rusty iron when she heard those words.

Sunkland is not the only place with this attitude. The Central Orthodox Church also stands for the same things.

The Church thought that lords were people whom God had given the power to rule. The nobles were led by kings, who kept peace and order in their countries. To help them do this, they were given even more power to rule. All of this was done to make sure that the people they were protecting could live safe, happy lives. Whether they were nobles or royalty, if they had power, they had to use it in a fair and just way to fight evil. In fact, these sayings were in the holy books of the Church, and the elite used them to claim power over their lands and the people who lived in them.

Unfortunately, Rafina said, these values are sometimes misunderstood for the sake of personal gain. There are lords who say that God gave them the power to rule, so they can do whatever they want with it. Some of them even treat their own people badly. Even royalty is no different. There are definitely evil kings who do terrible things. All of these need to be fixed. But theres more. Sometimes the goal is good, but the skills arent there. Rulers who dont have the skills to run their countries well should also be punished accordingly.

Kings, queens, dukes, and duchesses were all the same in the Lords eyes. They were all in charge of keeping peace and order in their countries. As long as their power came from the scriptures, not following its rules would lead to punishments that would be carried out by other sovereignties that were part of the Church.

And in Sunklands case, Rafina said, Theyve always thought that the royal families of all other countries are corrupt, so bringing them under the righteous rule of the King of Sunkland, whether through negotiation or force, is actually doing their people a favor. Its a pretty common way of thinking around here. Ask anyone, and theyll probably say that having a righteous king is the quickest way to have good government.

The White Crows then took this idea to an even more extreme height.

This kind of reasoning has been used to excuse invasions of other countries from time to time, and Count Lampron has used it, but Ive never thought of him as wanting to be the most powerful person in the world. He always seemed like the kind of person who would believe what Sunkland said. I think he really thinks he is working for fairness and the good of society as a whole.

Ah. Thats inconvenient.

You could still talk to an eager hegemonist, because you could still find a middle ground. A believer was different, because then the problem went from being about something interesting to being about something moral, which made it hard, if not impossible, to convince them.

Prince Sion probably lost faith in Sunklands ways after what happened in Remno, Rafina said. That has made him more careful about getting involved in foreign affairs, but I cant see Count Lampron agreeing with that.

So Sion is getting in their way, right? Maybe theres someone else behind Prince Echard, and that person is Count Lampron? Or is Prince Echard driven by his own ambition?

Mia crossed her arms in thought.

Count Lampron doesnt seem like the kind of person who would try to kill a member of the royal family based on what Sion and Miss Rafina have said about him. I wouldnt be shocked if he messed with politics, but I dont think he is capable of murder.

She could tell that the guy wasnt going to give up easily. The kind of stubbornness that often went along with incompetence.

And, I mean, its always possible that the Serpents are using him. Hm

Now is the time to tell a terrifying truth. Mia, believe it or not, had done the most research and knew the most about Sions upcoming assassination at this time.

Mia was the first one! She was ahead of the pack! Give that some time to sink in.

Then, after the initial shock of that statement wears off, youll probably learn that no one but the killers knew an assassination was being planned, and the accomplishment will seem much less impressive. No matter what, it was a time when Mia knew more than all the other actors, and thats something worth noting.

Also, its lucky that Sion or, god forbid, Keithwood would never find out about this dangerous situation. The first group would likely be terrified, while the second group might just pass out.

Authors Note:

Until August 20th (Thursday), Tear Moon Empire Story

The first character vote is being held.

The results will be announced at the end of Volume 5, which will be released on the 10th and 10th.

We are also running a campaign where you can get a postcard of the character that won first place drawn by Gilse, so if you like it, please check it out.

Im excited about who will be from now on.

Oh, by the way, the reason Mias mother is in the ranking is because she appears in the comics extra SS. If you dont mind the comic, please check it out.

TNs Note:

That was three years ago. And I dont think we actually heard alot about Mias mother. Aside from the dress chapter.