NOVPUBThe next day, I pointed my foot toward the academy alone.
After passing through the entrance and climbing some stairs, I got to the hallway where Eisa-Sensei’s lesson preparation room was located. Walking down the hallway to the end, I stood in front of the door.
*Knock* *Knock*
I knocked on the door.
“Yes, come on in.” (Eisa)
A clear voice came back.
“Please excuse me.” (Yuri)
When I twisted the knob and opened the door, Eisa-Sensei, who was wearing a spectacle, was sitting in front of a well-organized writing desk. She was still using a wooden chair without cushions.
Eisa-Sensei looked a bit surprised when she looked at me.
“Yuri-san, you came back.” (Eisa)
“Yes. Thanks to you.” (Yuri)
“Aah, you use a cane. Were you hurt?” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei said anxiously.
I wasn’t using a crutch. Instead, I was using a cane for an old man.
“Yes. But it seems to be an injury that will heal soon.” (Yuri)
“Is that so? I’m glad. Aah, please have a seat.” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei stood up and pointed to the chair lightly with her hand. When I walked up to the chair, she reached out.
Actually, there was no need for that, but as I sat down on the chair, I held her hand and put some weight on her.
“Thank you very much.” (Yuri)
“You’re welcome. So, how was it? The trip…” (Eisa)
I sat on the chair and took a breath, Then, Eisa-Sensei asked.
“Well… there were a lot of things that weren’t good.” (Yuri)
“I see… I supposed so.” (Eisa)
She seemed a bit impatient, and she hesitated to continue talking for a moment.
“It’s a war. I heard terrible news. I’m sorry.” (Eisa)
“No, it’s fine.” (Yuri)
“…Fighting won’t leave pleasant memories. Even if we win or lose, there will be some people who don’t feel the same way.” (Eisa)
The voice of Eisa-Sensei sounded like an experienced person.
“Did you have such an experience, Eisa-Sensei?” (Yuri)
I didn’t want to talk too much because talking about it yesterday was severe.
‘I want to hear more about her. Even someone like her, who seems to have nothing to do with the conflict, probably had fought fiercely with others.’
“I have never fought with weapons like the warriors, but I was a well-known controversialist in Vaticanus.” (Eisa)
‘Aah, I see.’
“In order to show the correctness of the argument, I learned rhetoric that was necessary to win, but… even if I defeated them, I was only resented, and it felt empty.” (Eisa)
‘I wonder if she was that kind of person who refuted others quite hard when she was young. Well, that’s what intelligence is when you’re young, and that’s how you develop your own ideas. So, I don’t think it’s strange, but I can’t imagine Eisa-Sensei is such a person. I’ve seen Eisa-Sensei discussing (debating) before, but it’s only a part of a lesson. I’ve never seen her arguing with someone seriously, so it may be natural that I can’t imagine her to be that way.’
“But did some of the audience agree and became comrades?” (Yuri)
‘Eisa-Sensei’s theory is so coherent that I can be convinced when I hear it. It is supported by grounds and research every time, and it’s well thought out. Compared to the theory twisted by idiots, there is a difference between a perfect wall painted by a professional plastered and a board wall filled with gaps made by an amateur.’
“You’re right. They were mostly young priests.” (Eisa)
“Are you saying as they get older, they start to think about practical benefits? Were they thinking about how they would benefit by supporting the theory?” (Yuri)
‘In a democratic country where freedom of speech is guaranteed, it would be a matter that moves people’s minds with correct arguments and that is directly linked to power. Of course, the Papal States’ people aren’t reluctant to crack them down.’
‘Young people have ambitions, but they have no power. Although they are good at speaking out loud about ideals, it’s not possible to create a rational organization that can fight against investigative organizations that don’t suffer from torture or false accusations.’
‘Plus, even if the people are on their side, the theological controversy is a matter above the clouds for the people. It doesn’t motivate people to take up arms. The matter would be different if she were a very talented instigating genius, but no matter how I think about it, Eisa-Sensei isn’t that kind of person.’
“That’s right. I wish I had a piece of that wisdom when I was the same age as you.” (Eisa)
I was praised for some reason.
“What do you mean by that?” (Yuri)
“Well, that’s literally the case. When I think about that time, I realize that I… was a fool at that time. I had a violent temper.” (Eisa)
‘Is she saying she was like that? But even if she was a fool who shouted heresy, she wouldn’t be treated as a heretic with exceptional special treatment. It should be very normal to kill, or banish her if they can’t kill her, and that should be the end. Or, could it be that if someone captures and brings her home, they will be canonized? Canonization isn’t something that people can do even if they pay money, but it seems that even the Pope may not be able to be listed as a saint after death, so she probably did something outrageous after all.’
‘If people don’t deny the existence of the church as a whole, the existence of the church will be denied. That’s not what a fool can do. Without something to move people’s hearts, there wouldn’t be an uproar like a fire burning up.’
“I still have some regrets. If I didn’t rush like that and worked steadily little by little, I think I could have done something important by accumulating small achievements at that time.” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei said so, and after a moment of silence…
“It’s a regret.” (Eisa)
She said so.
There was a sense of deja vu on her face.
‘Aah, it’s Jii-chan. It resembles the face of my Jii-chan that I had seen occasionally. By the way, the personality and the atmosphere are a bit similar. I wonder why I didn’t notice until now.’
“Aah, yes, this is about your trip. Why is it about me now…” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei said in a hurry.
“No, it was interesting. Aah, speaking of the trip, there were many bad things, but there were also interesting things.” (Yuri)
‘This should be turned into a bright topic. The air is somehow getting dark, and Eisa-Sensei doesn’t seem to want to remember much of the old days.’
“Is that so? Well, what happened?” (Eisa)
“I saw a dragon.” (Yuri)
“Eh!?” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei seemed to be surprised. It was rare for her to be surprised.
“A dragon was flying on the battlefield. It was a sight to see.” (Yuri)
“Dragon, is it? Haa… I see… Well, is it a dragon from the Crusader?” (Eisa)
‘She seems to be amazed. Is she wondering about the enormous effort of those who have taken the trouble to bring it?’
“From a church perspective, it should be a good idea to let it accompany the Crusaders, partly because they are still enemies.” (Eisa)
‘That’s right. Speaking of using dragons, the most famous is the Kururuan Dragon Empire, which was an enemy to the Xerxes God-Protected Empire of the past day, creating a distant cause that the country was destroyed. It’s a long time ago, so I don’t know how it is now, but I think there is an image of such an animal weapon used by enemies.’
‘The Kururuan Dragon Empire is a country that still exists and is a thousand years old. However, not one dynasty ruled for millennia all the time since the change and usurpation of dynasties have occurred many times and the interior had been replaced. I don’t know the details, but each dynasty claims to be the successor of the founder, Ananta I, or the heir of the royal power. Therefore, there is a Kanban system called the Kururuan Dragon Empire that has been used for a thousand years without being taken down. Well, no matter how much the inside changes, they probably don’t want to take down the long-established shop.’
“Since it took down eagles, I had to bring it down.” (Yuri)
“Aah, I see. Is that so? However, was it… really flying?” (Eisa)
“Yes, it flew.” (Yuri)
‘It was flying very well. What is that about?’
“To tell the truth, I’ve also seen it several times.” (Eisa)
“Eh? Where did you see it?” (Yuri)
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‘Basically, dragons are animals with a desert climate, so they shouldn’t be in the Papal States.’
“Actually, I went to the Kururuan Dragon Empire for academic research. I saw it many times at that time.” (Eisa)
“Aah, I see.” (Yuri)
Eisa-Sensei also had experiences of going to various places.
“Besides that, in fact, there are also groups around Vaticanus that come to see the show, and you can see them.” (Eisa)
“Heh.” (Yuri)
“As expected, they can’t get into Vaticanus all the time. I think it’s about once every four years. They rented some fields in a nearby village and set up a big tent there to make it a show. Everyone seemed to be somehow interested and many citizens went to see it.” (Eisa)
‘Could it be like a circus? Well, I want to see that. I would definitely go see it if a showman brought a dragon near Sibyaku.’
“Does the keeper keep them all year round?” (Yuri)
“No, it seems that the climate isn’t suitable on the peninsula, and they will die. Rather, from what I heard, it seems that they bought a dragon that was no longer useful due to injuries and so on and brought it. Dragons can’t fly long enough to cross the ocean, so they tie them up with a rope and load them on a ship. By the time they came to Vaticanus, I heard they couldn’t fly because they were out of breath.” (Eisa)
‘I guess it’s a one-way ticket for the dragons. What a waste. I guess they didn’t have the plan to bring back the dragon that I brought down.’
“Well then, they would have carried it considerably unreasonably.” (Yuri)
“I think so. To have lived to such an end of the north, it would have been a stronger dragon than the original. Even so, they would have had to burn a lot of firewood every day.” (Eisa)
As expected, she seemed to know about it.
“Besides, the dragon is an important presence in the Kokolulu region. Originally, it would be very bad for them to treat the dragon as a show, or bring it to the north and treat it like a disposable. The people who were on the show, well, I felt like they were illegal traders.” (Eisa)
“Really?” (Yuri)
‘Then, was the dragon I killed an exceptional dragon? Not all of the eagle riders are 100% Knights, and there are also civilian eagle riders in the form of messengers that merchants urgently request. Well, if you were a decent regular Knight or a soldier, you wouldn’t come to such a place even though it isn’t a war of your own country.’
“A dragon, like an eagle, is an object of pride for the people there. At the same time, they are wild individuals that are also a threat to people. Unlike horses, wild dragons don’t get used to people. Extermination is also a regular thing for people, so it seems that those who killed the dragon are respected as heroes. That area is different from the culture around the eagle here.” (Eisa)
‘This is my first time hearing that the person who killed a dragon is a hero. Even if it’s possible to have a history of feeling somewhat proud in a distant country that I would never go, it seems that there is no benefit. It feels like I’ve found a winning lottery ticket for about 10,000 yen that has expired. On the contrary, I feel a bit lost.’
“Is that so? Well, as I saw it, it looked a bit different from the eagle, so the culture will surely change.” (Yuri)
‘Eagles are smart. They clearly remember people and they have loyalty. It is unavoidable that Eisa-Sensei wants to make comparative cultural observations as a civilization dealing with riding animals flying in the same sky, but I feel that it is more difficult to find similar places.’
“Did you see it nearby?” (Eisa)
‘Aah, did I see it wrongly? Hmm, exceptional, is it? However, it will be known later, and I don’t really have to conceal it.’
“Well, I rammed it with my eagle and fought it.” (Yuri)
“Eh? You did? Aah, the wound on your leg was at that time…” (Eisa)
‘Well, that wasn’t the case at that time, but it won’t make any difference to say it. If I look at the other cause, it was because I crashed down.’
“Aah, well, yes. To tell the truth, that was the beginning of bad luck. But thanks to you, I managed to go through it somehow.” (Yuri)
‘It was thanks to Eisa-Sensei who taught me the Telor language. Shall I connect the story? Aah, if it’s Eisa-Sensei, she may get angry…’
“Yuri-san, if you think about it from your birth, it may not be to blame for being brave… There’s a southern proverb saying ‘it won’t bear fruit if you rush it’.” (Eisa)
“I understand.” (Yuri)
“This is a saying of a tree called the Spreading Yew that sometimes produces fruits early, which are sour and don’t grow seeds. It means that even if you hurry to live a live from a young age, you shouldn’t do a big job…” (Eisa)
There, Eisa-Sensei muttered.
“Hmm…” (Yuri)
I heard a small voice that seemed to come out unexpectedly.
She probably remembers the story she told me when she was young. ‘What’s more, she just talked about it…’
I was able to clearly understand that from her facial expression.
“That’s what it means, but Yuri-san, I, as a teacher… I will work hard.” (Eisa)
It seemed that she managed to put it together somehow.
“Yes. Please do.” (Yuri)
It didn’t sound good, but I felt that Eisa-Sensei was worried about me.
“Uhmm… yes, that’s right. It’s about the job I was asked to do.” (Eisa)
‘Ooh, is it the translation of Eisa-Sensei’s sect scripture? Half of the reason for coming here today is for that.’
“I managed to complete it somehow.” (Eisa)
Then, Eisa-Sensei looked at the book spread out on her desk.
‘I see.’
“Thank you very much. It really helps a lot.” (Yuri)
“I read it over and over again, and rewrote the annotations, which made it a bit unsightly…” (Eisa)
“Did you read it back now?” (Yuri)
“Yes. It’s an important job, so I’ve elaborated on it many times, but I haven’t found any parts to add for the last two weeks. So, for now… I hope you will read it and point out the points that need to be fixed.” (Eisa)
“May I read it for a moment?” (Yuri)
“Yes, of course.” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei lifted the book on her desk and gave it to me. It was quite thick. It seemed that she wrote it in a blank book of parchment.
When I opened the page, there was no foreword, and the story started from the beginning of the Isus scriptures. There was quite a gap between lines. Perhaps, it was in consideration of writing and correction from the beginning. There were many horizontal lines drawn on the text, and the corrected text was written below it.
‘The writing is easy to read, and I feel that it’s easier to see than the books in the Telor language that I have read in addition to the scriptures, but I wonder if rhyming is also taken into account. As for the Telor language, although I can speak it, I’m not proficient and able to manipulate it freely. So, it’s frustrating that I can’t get a good sense of poetry. It’s difficult to judge whether the text is good or bad, but since it’s written by Eisa-Sensei, it must be quite good.’
After reading a few pages, I gave up at the right place and closed the book.
“It must be hard. I’ll talk about the reward later.” (Yuri)
“No, as for the reward…” (Eisa)
“Please accept it. It would be too much if I don’t pay you for doing this much work.” (Yuri)
‘This is an excuse to make her accept the money, but if possible, I would like Eisa-Sensei to have enough money to buy safety.’
“Yes, I’ll accept your gratitude.” (Eisa)
“I’m glad if you can accept it.” (Yuri)
“I would like to hand over the book now, but… it may be better to have someone pick it up later.” (Eisa)
Eisa-Sensei looked at my leg.
‘Surely, with a cane, it could be dangerous to have one arm holding the book. Especially on the stairs…’
“Then, I’ll come back later. I’ll be able to walk in a few days.” (Yuri)
‘Rather, the development of the printing press is probably not yet finished, so even if the book is completed, it can’t be published immediately. I can just make it out of a board, but I’d like to do it in print if possible. The Telor language has far fewer characters than the Shan language. It’s the right time to start since there are only thirty characters.’
“Is that so? Then, I will keep it for now.” (Eisa)
“Yes, please.” (Yuri)
I returned the book to Eisa-Sensei.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.” (Yuri)
I had some errands after this.
“Is that so? It’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped.” (Eisa)
I held the cane I was leaning against and slowly stood up from the chair. I felt a slight numbness in my right leg, which wasn’t injured, due to overuse of one leg, but the wound didn’t hurt.
When I raised my eyes from my feet, I saw the scriptures that were put on the desk again.
‘I wonder what will happen. Maybe, this will change history. In the future, hundreds of millions of copies of the original scriptures will be printed. Well, if it doesn’t go well, it will be buried in history as a dissertation as a heresy.’
‘I can’t help thinking about the future, but if the world is a lake, it would be one of the stones to throw there. I don’t know if the ripples will disappear, or it will gradually become a rough tsunami. However, the stone is here now, before being thrown into the lake, before being questioned by the world. In the past, Eisa-Sensei was talking about that. The act may cause some people to die.’
I walked to the door and twisted the knob to open the door.
“Eisa-Sensei.” (Yuri)
I turned around and said.
“What is it?” (Eisa)
“The fire that you used to ignite may be rekindled by the book. I think it will be fine.” (Yuri)
“…Why do you think so?” (Eisa)
“Fire doesn’t just burn people to death. Fire is necessary…” (Yuri)
Then, I continued my words.
“…if people are frozen.” (Yuri)
