ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Truth of ''That Day''

Apology.

Recently, I have been stuck in setting up and creating a plot for a side story that I have been working on, and combined with my real-life business, I have been more behind in posting the main story than I had anticipated. I apologize for this.

- Bokutotsu Zen'u

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Foreign Affairs Building Reception Room, York-Arden, Shorteria-San Empire

The brother and sister were reunited, and the two involved embraced each other for a while and shed tears. A short while later, Theopha fell asleep with a peaceful expression on her face, as if something rusty in her heart had been removed, whether from relief or from the fatigue of the long journey. Perhaps it was because of the environment in which she was brought up, but Dr. Godo, watching her, had the impression that she was unusually innocent and pure compared to other girls of the same age in Japan.

After confirming that Theopha had been moved to another room with a bed, the meeting between the Crown Prince and Princess of Crossnellyard and Higashisuzu, the representative of the Japanese envoy, finally began. Facing each other across the table in the parlor, the two discussed, first of all, how they had escaped from the rebellion of the emperor's brother.

"Body double...!?"

Higashisuzu's eyes widened as he listened to the words coming out of Jettis' mouth.

"Yes... that night, Levicca and I were replaced by body doubles," Jettis replied.

"........."

Sitting next to him, Crown Princess Levicca Hoelzerer Anglem nodded at her husband's words, maintaining silence.

"The... you have foreseen the rebellion...!?"

"Wrong... it was a coincidence. We weren't there because..."

He denied Higashisuzu's speculation, shaking his head from side to side. After that, Jettis begins to explain the reason why his life was saved by chance.

"Not only that night, but from time to time we have asked a certain servant and maid in the service of the imperial court to take our place. It was the same that day, by chance... I am sorry for the two people who were actually killed, but thanks to them, we survived."

Hearing Jettis' words, Higashisuzu and the other two Foreign Ministry officials looked surprised.

"Why... did you have to leave your residence in the middle of the night?"

Jettis answered the natural question posed by Higashisuzu with some embarrassment.

"To read an imported book..."

"!?"

Higashisuzu and the others widened their eyes at the unexpected statement called out from the mouth of the Crown Prince. He then continued with a detailed explanation.

"The books exported from Shorteria, a country where the search for principles is thriving, and from your country, which has been remarkably active in recent years, are very interesting items. However, the books purchased by the imperial court are all censored by church members and officials, which is boring. Therefore, I often slipped out of the Imperial Palace with my wife's involvement and visited the import wholesalers with one guard as my escort. Many people may have an image of the Imperial Family living a luxurious on taxes collected from the people, but in reality, I am a miserable person... I am so poor that I cannot even read my favorite book..."

With a self-deprecating smile, Jettis explained why he had left the palace on the day of the incident. Then he continued.

"As I said, our country, too, was a faithful guardian of the Papal State until the previous generation's emperor... my grandfather. I am told that the Central Assembly, the legislative branch of government, once served as a forum for impeaching scholars who were deemed heretics against the scriptures. However, after witnessing such attacks on individuals in the assembly, my father, as a crown prince, began to worry about the nature of religion. After his accession to the throne, he strongly advocated these values to his sons and daughters, including myself. We grew up with his values. I don't know how I can say this, but I may have considered the Irulan religion as nothing more than a 'spiritual stronghold'... Therefore, the most important book for us, the followers of the Irulan religion, was the scriptures, but our father, the emperor, always ordered us to 'broaden our horizons' and recommended that we read foreign books. My uncle and other members of the imperial family and nobility did not like it..."