Magi: A Tale of a New Beginning

Scroll 23: Ren's Plan and Azami's Answer

The ministers of the court were surprised to hear such custom. As quickly as possible, one of Kouen's subordinates ordered the whole palace to stop bowing down. Just as they stood, Kouen let out an amused laughter. He stood from his throne and ordered his men to leave them at once.

"Hey brat, so you didn't bring your magi and Azami huh?" Kouen asked. Alibaba remembered Azami's letter and gave it to him.

"Azami told us to give this to you." He gave it to him. Kouen read it and gained a tick mark at what was written. He looked at Alibaba again and sighed.

"Don't look at me like that. Uncomfortable as it may be, first tell me what answers you seek." They entered a huge room and sat on opposite ends of the table. It was an uncomfortable silence until Kouen said,

"This is getting boring. Say something."

"Are you sure it's fine for you to talk to someone with such humble birth like me? " He asked. Kouen stopped him from asking those type of questions. Alibaba was confused and Kouen told him that he was far from a position of a succeeding prince.

"In the end, things like differences due to lineage don't exist in this world." Kouen ended.

Alibaba snapped and yelled, "Didn't you promise that you would acknowledge Balbadd as an autonomous republic!? I don't see this independent nation anywhere! Why do you do something so unreasonable and invade the country of other people!?" Kouen was silent until he told him that he had heard enough.

"Has it ever occurred to you that in this world, there's something more urgent than sharing thoughts and making sure everyone understands everything?" He asked Alibaba. He took in Alibaba's confused face and decided that he should talk with his little brother. Soon, the said prince entered. It was none other than the Crimson Prince, Ren Koumei.

"Long time no see. My name is Ren Koumei." He said but eventually fell asleep. Kouen had to wake him up with a smack.

"Sorry about that, we had a prolonged war council and I didn't get much sleep." He reasoned out. Kouen told him that he will sleep after he accompanies the former Balbadd prince. Kouen was about to leave when he stopped and gave Koumei, Azami's letter.

"This woman really is something." He left.

Koumei nodded and read it. He paled but cracked a smile in the end. Alibaba stared at him, analyzing what kind of person he was and such.

Koumei closed the letter and said, "By the way, Sir Alibaba? The one who took the autonomy right from Balbadd was me." Alibaba rose from his seat and demanded answers. The Crimson Prince obliged and quenched his curiosity. He explained how all countries under their subjugation were to follow such government system.

"These laws which cropped these countries' governments were created by me." He further explained the details of their plan to unify the world but the former Prince stood his ground and cited his own opinion.

"I think there are a lot of people who desire that but—"

"Just calm down and listen to me, alright? Do you think people are inclined to conflict with each other or do you think that it is more natural that they understand each other and coexist? We have these theories. We think humans are living beings inclined toward conflict and every single one of them is different from another. Therefore, it will always be impossible for humans to understand each other." Koumei's face showed no remorse. He explained Kou's thinking about humans, conflict, war, difference and Balbadd.

"Matal Mogamett once said that 'Magicians and the goi can never understand each other', right? But he was too naive! Even the people who share the same blood or belong to the same tribe, believe in different things and are unable to understand each other! We don't have any other choice than to unify everything."