To investigate Musha’s claims—that the Ednail royal family is fake—Diar and I began questioning locals in the city of Edna.
Since Edna is vast, we narrowed our search. While staying here, we’ve studied the characteristics of different areas, so we have a rough grasp of its geography. This time, we focused on a middle-class district, home to people with average-to-above-average household incomes.
The structure of the buildings is mostly the same across social classes: brick houses. As income rises, the homes get nicer paint and more decorative elements.
“We’re mainly asking elderly folks who might know about the past, but many have hazy memories. The younger generation barely knows Ednail’s history… So, what should we do?”
“It’s probably because the younger people haven’t been taught much history, right? They know the famous kings’ names, but not what they did.”
Well, if there’s no need to learn history to live day-to-day, it’s easily forgotten. It’s sad but true.
“If I’d come to Ednail about ten years earlier, maybe I could have gotten some clearer stories. Still, we did get some information. Among Ednail’s past kings, there’s one who stood out, likely because opinions on him changed over time. That was King Ordan the Conqueror, who invaded and conquered neighboring lands, raising Ednail’s power to near-empire status. Despite such incredible feats, he’s barely remembered.”
“The locals say it’s because his image as an invader makes him unpopular, but that doesn’t quite sit right. Usually, historical figures are well-known and respected, even if they were ruthless, as long as their accomplishments were significant.”
“On the other hand, two generations after Ordan, there was the Golden King, Adalgar, who is incredibly popular and well-remembered. His achievements were developing trade routes and bringing prosperity to Ednail. His reign was peaceful, and he earned the title of Wise King because of the reduced mortality from illness. Politically inclined, he might also have been skilled in controlling public sentiment.”
“So, do you think Adalgar’s era was when something changed in Ednail and the royal family?”
“No, I suspect neither Ordan nor Adalgar. It’s the generation in between—the Frugal King Udars. While Ordan is strangely obscure, Udars is almost entirely unknown. All I heard was that he was stingy and unpopular or that his queen was beautiful.”
“What? Udars is the one you find suspicious? Why?”
“Well, the era definitively shifted during Adalgar’s reign, right? But, Diar, remember what that elderly man complained to Musha about in the diner? He said it had been centuries since there was a priestess.”
“Right, and when we asked other elderly people, they all agreed. If I summarize our findings, most said the priestess disappeared around 300 years ago.”
“If that disappearance happened roughly 300 years ago, give or take, then Adalgar doesn’t fit the timeline. He ruled about 270 years ago, eight generations before the current King Madalgar. That means the king who reigned roughly 300 years ago was Adalgar’s father—Udars, the Frugal King.”
Our interviews with the elders yielded vague answers, but we managed to narrow down the timeline a bit. Even if they weren’t precise on the years, many referred to the previous ruler as “the king before Adalgar.”
“I see… But the era shifted in Adalgar’s time, right? Why base it on the priestess?”
“Diar, do you understand what it means for a dynasty to change? For example, in a patriarchal line, a king’s male heir would inherit the throne. If a female heir brought in an outsider as king, that would mark the end of the dynasty. In Ednail, where inheritance is patrilineal, if the royal family is a fake, it means the male lineage was broken.”
“The male line broken? But hasn’t Ednail’s royal family continued this whole time…?”
“Exactly. So, it would be a case of the dynasty ending without anyone realizing it. If the queen had an affair, and her child by another man became king, then the dynasty would have ended right there. It’s not unheard of; it happens often enough.”
“What?! An affair? So… are you saying Queen Ferite could have had a child with someone other than King Udars and passed him off as Udars’ son to keep the throne?”
Yes, infidelity and scandal have often sparked wars. There are cases where a king, simply obsessed with a beautiful woman, attacks an entire country.
People with great power may try to fulfill their desires, believing they’re entitled to do so. Such actions create enemies, and in time, revolutions are born.
“It’s all speculation for now, but if Adalgar were the child of an affair involving Queen Ferite, it’s likely that his real father also influenced Ednail during Udars’ reign. The people who could get close to the queen were limited—likely her guards, the chancellor, or ministers. But if Adalgar was as politically gifted as he was, his father might have been deeply involved in politics, too, ruling alongside him. Or maybe Adalgar was simply a political genius, regardless of who his father was.”
“If his father were a chancellor or minister, and Adalgar shared his views, politics would run smoothly. Things Udars opposed might have gone through easily.”
“Well, it’s all just speculation. Even if the dynasty did change, it’s no issue if the current governance is effective. But… in Ednail, this could be problematic.”
“Oh, right, Musha said something about that. She mentioned that the king offers fish to the god Leira, and Leira blesses Ednail through a covenant with the king. If the royal bloodline were lost and the rituals not performed properly, Ednail might be abandoned by Leira and lose that divine favor…”
“––Halt! You are Jandalum Alpheus, correct? You and your party are coming with us.”
Huh? What’s going on? Suddenly, we’re surrounded. Are these Ednail’s soldiers?
“What? Uh, yes. I’m Jandalum Alpheus, but… why are we being detained?”
I look to Diar. She’s calm, as if soldiers are no big deal. Judging by her expression, she probably noticed them surrounding us earlier.
“Big Brother, what should we do?”
Diar clenches her fists, and a crackling white light surrounds her arm. Upon closer inspection, it looks like sand particles are igniting in response to the energy she’s generating.
Wait… Is Diar planning to fight? That crackling… it seems deadly. Depending on my answer, the soldiers might meet a fate similar to that sand.
“C-calm down, Diar. Save that for emergencies. We can still act after they take us in.”
“Well, if that’s what you say, Big Brother. But if you’re in danger, I won’t hold back, even if you try to stop me.”
The crackling around Diar fades. She and I allowed ourselves to be led away by the soldiers. As we were escorted, I could glimpse their faces through their helmets. None of them were looking at me; all eyes were on Diar, with sweat on their brows and shallow breaths.
It must have been terrifying, seeing that crackling power of hers. Understandable.
