Volume 2 - CH 2.11

Part 11

The meeting concluded smoothly, and the contract was scheduled to be signed at the next appointment the following week.

Tricen and Ashe stood nearby, completely baffled by how Seiya was able to remain completely calm throughout the meeting.

Thankfully for Seiya, who had been abused by his parents and was forced to audition in countless talent shows, this meeting was nothing.

And thanks to that, they even convinced their nemesis, Amagi Development, to approve of the transaction, in exchange for imposing a stricter condition. They now had to attract an even bigger number of guests per fiscal year, but Seiya had no choice but to accept such conditions.

At dusk, right before the park’s closing hours, Seiya went to pay a visit to the sky garden. It was nearing the golden week in spring, and the flowers in the garden waltzed to the gentle evening breeze.

“Over here, Seiya-sama.”

Latifa, who had been setting the garden table, beckoned Seiya over. “You must be tired. I’ve prepared some tea I’d like you to try. Please let me know how it is.”

“…Thanks.”

Things had gotten stiff and awkward between the two, given that Latifa had lost whatever memories she had the previous year. Of course, he wasn’t thinking it on purpose, but he couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t the Latifa he knew. For one, she had long forgotten about their promise, about Seiya’s acrophobia, and even perhaps why he was managing this park in her stead in the first place.

“I can smell our park’s soil,” Latifa commented. “Were you helping out with construction or perhaps renovation today? The sun was shining very brightly today. It must have been hot.”

“Uh, kind of. Though I’d say I did some pretty ‘cold’ work too…”

Latifa giggled at Seiya’s joke, and cast an empty gaze at his chest.

“W-What’s up?”

“I can smell Isuzu’s favorite shampoo too…”

“Huh? W-Wait, that can’t possibly…”

Latifa had hit the bullseye. This was due to the event that happened in the elevator while the two were rushing to change for the meeting. Isuzu’s bangs and hair had made contact on Seiya’s shirt as she helped fix his tie, causing much unease for him.

“Oh, that. You’re getting the wrong idea. Isuzu was just being a busybody and helped me out a little, causing her hair to brush past briefly…”

“Fufu… Don’t worry, it was just a joke. Isuzu is your secretary, after all. This kind of thing is bound to happen.”

“A-Ah…” Seiya loosened his necktie as he tensed up.

Those are some sharp senses she has there. It was just a brief contact, yet she was able to detect it with ease. I’d better be careful…

“Even then, I can’t help but envy her being able to always work together with you.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes.”

It was difficult to tell if Latifa was joking or telling the truth. Was Seiya supposed to take this as a little tease, or a hint of some sort?I don’t even know anymore…

Seiya was able to flawlessly negotiate with a group of highly-valued grownups, yet he was completely shaken by the acts of a girl.

Latifa gracefully turned and put some distance between them, probably sensing Seiya’s unease. “So how did the negotiations go?”

“Huh?”

“I recall you had an important meeting concerning the 2nd park today.”

Seiya had received permission from Latifa to sell the 2nd park awhile back. She seemed rather reluctant about it, but she decided to allow it if it would improve the wellbeing of her cast members. Besides, there was no way she could have brought herself to decline after hearing Seiya’s explanation.

“Oh, that. Things went according to plan—they gave us the green light to sell the park.”

“Surely there must have been conditions imposed?”

“Indeed…they’ll increase the minimum yearly visitor count. Our hot seat’s just gotten hotter.”

“But we won’t have to worry about our funds, right?”

“At the moment, yes. More importantly, I need to talk to you about something regarding my checks on the 2nd park today.”

“Please continue.”

“We discovered something…interesting, to say the least. But it creates a brand new problem…how should I put this…”

Seiya was referring to the diggeries and the attraction they had found earlier that day. About a decade ago, the manager of the park provided a shelter for the diggeries, putting it under a guise of an ‘attraction’. The manager was none other than Latifa herself. Seiya was having a difficult time phrasing his words to minimize its impact.

“What is it? Is this something I shouldn’t be hearing about?”

“Well…imagine yourself owning an apartment that accommodates refugees from different countries. And now imagine that maybe, due to some circumstances, you’re forced to chase those people out. And then…”

“Sorry, but…I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Okay fine. I’ll cut straight to the chase.” And so Seiya gave up illustrating his hypothetical example and explained everything in detail. Latifa paid attention to Seiya’s words all the way to the very last sentence.

“So my former self had given the diggeries a place of refuge?”

“Yes.”

“And so earlier today, you decided that they could not stay there any longer?”

“You’re right.”

The “refugees” Seiya used in his hypothetical example referred to the diggeries. He wasn’t very sure about the politics in the magical realms, but the fact that they had lost their home was certain. The fact that the 2nd park’s sale had been confirmed didn’t help.

Despite that, Latifa didn’t appear to be blaming Seiya for this.

“It must have been a tough decision to make…I apologize for taking such rash actions.”

“W-Wait, please don’t blame yourself for this! That was done by the former you, anyway.”

“No, losing my memories doesn’t change the fact that I was the one who made that decision back then. I no longer remember their circumstances, but I must have sympathized with them and helped them on a whim. How should I apologize for such irresponsible actions…”

Seiya remained silent and watched Latifa put on a firm stance, though that alone could not completely conceal her wavering emotions. Unable to bear the silence, she inhaled a calming breath and muttered,

“I’m sure this is just a yearly thing, but I’m feeling as though I’m losing my own sense of identity here—playing the role as the royalty of Maple Land while being haunted by the sins made in the past that I don’t even remember. Surely I must have done some terrible things to you, too.”

“You’re simply overreacting. You didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t worry.”

“I see. Even then, I can’t seem to get the insecurity out of my mind…I’m scared…”

Seiya could never imagine the psychological burden of the void in Latifa’s memories. To be fair, people like Moffle experienced it all the time after getting drunk, but those were just memories of the night before. The decades of memories lost by Latifa were nothing short of terrifying.

“I couldn’t help but feel annoyed after hearing how I handled the problem of the diggeries. That’s just not like me. I’m sure the present me would have done a better job at settling the matter. At the very least, that’s what I’d like to believe. I can’t forgive my own actions…”

Seiya was speechless. Latifa had always been the adorable and cheerful girl in his eyes. It never occurred to him that even Latifa had her own internal conflicts.

Perhaps it was time that Seiya replaced his profile of the Latifa he met a month ago?

If he were to do that, the only reliable information he would have was that she was suffering inside.

The two of them sat in silence. Before they knew it, their tea had turned cold.

“At any rate, I’m going to have to take responsibility for the actions I made. How I do so, however, is something I need to think about…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seiya said, “I’ll think of something. I’m sure we have some space at the warehouses they can use, if need be.”

“But they were being hunted down, weren’t they? They wouldn’t be able to hide very well like this.”

“You’re right…”

The diggeries sought refuge to prevent themselves from being captured by another magical realm. If they were to demand that the park hand the diggeries over, how would they respond? They might even send troops over and invade the park. The possibilities were endless. Seiya had experienced first-hand how little a role logic played in magical realms like Maple Land.

“There’s no need to worry, fumo.”

Moffle, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on the attraction, called out from the bottom of the terrace.

“S-Since when were you here!?”

“Ever since silence began between the two of you, fumo. What are you guys talking about, anyway?”

“Okay, whatever. What happened to the diggeries?”

“I was bored, so I brought them here. Come on in.”

At those words, some of the diggeries entered the sky garden, and began examining the area and the condition of the stone floor.

“Hmm, the designer has good taste, mogu.”

“The one who did this stonework knows his thing, mogu…”

“The mortar on the walls were pretty well done, mogu!”

Seiya turned pale. “Hey! Don’t just bring them in here! Their presence must be kept a secret from the other cast members!”

“Really? Too late, fumo.”

“Tch, why did I even worry about these people… Hey, what’s that flapping sound… Holy—!?”

The loud noise came from the flapping of Rubrum’s wings as he slowly descended through the night sky.

“Are you mad? Did you just fly across the road on the way here? What if the other humans saw you!?”

“That’s not the point!!”

“It’s okay, Kanie-sama. We were going to have to summon them sooner or later, anyway.”

“That’s true, but still—”

Hearing Latifa’s voice, the diggeries turned around and widened their eyes, raising their arms in surprise.

“It’s our savior!”

“Latifa-sama, I’ve always wanted to meet you again!”

“You’re as beautiful as ever, mogu!”

They got on their knees and wept, doing all sorts of gestures as a form of respect and gratitude. While Latifa could not see what they were doing, their dramatic actions were easily heard. She was stunned by the reception. After all, she had just met the diggeries for the ‘first time’.

“Um, thank you for coming.”

“Whatever, man. Do what you want. …Huh?”

Seiya spotted Isuzu holding a flag that read “End of Line” behind the last diggeries clan member. Seiya thought he told her to stay behind at the administration building earlier.

“Sento, what’s up with this? Weren’t they supposed to standby in the cave?”

“Moffle has an explanation regarding that,” Isuzu replied while waving the flag.

“Fine, talk.”

Moffle cleared his throat and began. “After you left, I spoke with Taramo, fumo. It seems like they were being chased by the kingdom of Politia.”

“I know that much.”

After getting the diggeries to build the escape routes, they attempted to exterminate them to keep its construction a secret. This was a tactic frequently used by people of the past as well.

“Here’s the thing. Politia used to be a kingdom, but it’s now a republic, fumo.”

“I don’t get it.”

“My, doesn’t that mean…” Latifa placed a finger over her lips, as if she’d figured something out.

“About four years ago, the people of Politia revolted and overthrew the king, establishing a peaceful and democratic republic of beasts, fumo.”

“Really?”

“I believe the prevalence of social media like Facebook catalyzed revolt, fumo. The imperial army could not contain the violence that erupted, and thus the remnants of the former royalty of Politia can now only be found in museums.”

“Wait a sec. Doesn’t that mean the diggeries have nothing to fear?”

“Logically speaking, yes. What do you think, Taramo?”

“Indeed, mogu. There might still be other nations that are targeting our race, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That’s a relief.”

It appeared that the Diggeries had staved off their trouble.

“We’ve been hiding in the shadows for so long, and weren’t aware of this, mogu. I can’t believe we just wasted 4 years… I don’t even know if I should be relieved or disappointed by this.”

“Dornel only surfed the web used by people of the land, so there’s no way he would have known about this either, fumo. I guess there’s no point crying over spilt milk.”

Moffle folded his arms and nodded in deep thought. Likewise, Seiya put the unfortunate event aside and swallowed his emotions.

“That’s great.” Latifa spoke in relief. “This means you guys can finally live in peace, doesn’t it?”

“I guess you’re right…”

What are we supposed to do with them now? We can’t possibly just tell them to get lost and find themselves a new home, can we?Seiya had been harboring that dilemma even before leaving the labyrinth.

The labyrinth, as an attraction by itself, was sturdily built. Furthermore, if his sources of information were accurate, they had not taken very long to construct it. Perhaps they could—

“Your Highness!” Taramo kneeled with both hands on the floor and spoke. “We are forever indebted to your benevolence! If possible, please let us contribute to our attraction!”

Taramo’s plea was followed by Rubrum’s.

Thank goodness they made their move before I did. Now we can save the negotiations and lower their wages. How about they get the same hourly rate of 850 yen like mine? Or perhaps even the probationary 600 yen?

“Kanie-sama, what do you think? They seem eager to work for our park.”

“Right…hmm…” Seiya scratched his head and took a step forward. “I can’t do that.”

“B-But, why?”

“We’re selling the 2nd park.”

A cloud of dust flew from the ground as Moffle came dashing at Seiya in fury. “HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!? I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!”

*

After an intense tussle with Moffle was stopped by Isuzu, and getting lectured by Latifa, they finally managed to get Moffle to calm down and listen to Seiya’s explanation.

The trade-off was reasonable, and Moffle ended up having no choice but to agree to it.

In the meantime, they allowed the diggeries to stay in the warehouses and dine in the staff canteen while they built a new home. Seiya instructed Rubrum to standby at the car park, and warned him not to get spotted by other people.

Dornel, who had gone missing for more than a decade, returned as a cast member of Amaburi. However, Tiramie had already taken the role of the ‘Mascot of Flowers’, so his new task was to entertain the guests in the plaza. It appeared that Dornel would need some rehabilitation to kick off the hikikomori lifestyle.

Moffle seemed to have some choice words to say about the sale of the 2nd park, but seeing that Latifa had already agreed to it, he obediently returned.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” Just before leaving the sky garden, Taramo took out a piece of paper and handed it to Latifa.

“You gave me this slip of paper right before we went into hiding, mogu.”

“Hmm? Oh, right. Thank you.”

“As requested, I’ll return this to you. Well then, we’ll be going!”

After the diggeries left, peace and tranquility returned to the sky garden.

“It looks like our staff count just shot up by about 50.”

Seiya let out a sigh of unease as he tidied up the area together with Isuzu. He took a quick glance at Latifa, only to find her firmly holding on to the note.

“Need us to read it for you?”

“S-Sorry?”

“It’s a letter to you, isn’t it? If you don’t mind, Isuzu or myself can help you read it.”

“Um…”

Latifa thought for a moment before finding the courage to hand the letter over. “Please read it for me, Kanie-sama.”

The slightly yellowed letter had a red seal on it. Seiya carefully broke the seal and opened it.

“Here goes…wait…” He glanced through the contents and tilted his head in confusion.

“What language is this? I can’t read it…”

“My apologies. It must be one from Maple Land. Isuzu-san, can you do me a favor, then?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Isuzu took the letter from Seiya and took a look.

“If possible, I’d like Seiya to listen to the contents too.”

“Are you sure, Your Highness?”

“Yes, please. I’ve appointed him as the park’s acting manager, so I don’t want to keep any secrets from him.”

“Understood. Then, I shall begin.” Isuzu began an ad-libbed translation on the contents of the letter:

Hello there. If you are reading this letter, this must mean the curse has yet to take effect. Either that, or a miracle occurred and you managed to remain as the park’s manager despite having lost your memories (which is a good thing, albeit unlikely. Nonetheless, I shall continue with the assumption that the curse remains in effect.)

Firstly, I must apologize for causing so much trouble for accepting the diggeries into the park.

Abandoning people in need is something I simply cannot bear to do. As such, I’ve worked with my assistant to hide the clan in the 2nd park. I’ve kept this a secret from Uncle, in fears that he might strongly oppose my actions.

Taramo, the head of the clan, is a kind and caring fellow. If possible, I hope you can treat him nicely.

March has finally come.

I’ve had so much fun throughout the whole of the past year. I vividly remember beginning my year feigning confidence in front of those ‘strangers’ amidst the suffering I faced. However, as time passed, I learned to make friends with everyone in the park.

I believe the time has come for me to bid farewell with them. Nonetheless, we will not lose. I am confident you will be able to earn back the friendships that are lost in the beginning of every April. That’s because you’re just like me, who has adored the world and everyone around you. Am I wrong?

I apologize for saying such things, but do your best! I know you can do it, because you’re me.

Isuzu finished reading the last sentence. Only the sound of plants swaying in the wind, broke the ensuing silence in the sky garden.

“Are you okay…?” Seiya asked out of concern. Latifa managed a soft mutter.

“…This is so unfair.”

“…”

“She’s me, yet she’s so much stronger than I am…” Latifa turned away from Seiya and Isuzu. Her hands that extended to the railings for support shivered.

“Do you really think I can become like her? Someone able to console the future me in the midst of this darkness…”

Isuzu was speechless. All she could was watch over Latifa with sorrowful eyes.

“Hey, Latifa…” Seiya took a step forward. “Would you like me to say this gently or harshly?”

“Harshly…never mind, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can muster the courage for that. Please say it gently.”

“Okay. Basically, I believe you can do it. It’s obvious.” Seiya ended his speech abruptly.

Latifa tilted her head. “That’s all?”

“Yeah.”

“…Then what would the harsh version sound like?”

“Of course you can, baaaka.”

“…That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Hearing that, Latifa giggled. “You’re an interesting one, Kanie-sama.”

“You think so?”

“But please don’t say that to your girlfriend. You might upset her.”

“Hah. Roger.”

Unfortunately, I’m still single. Wait a minute, if that’s the case, could what she just said have a much deeper meaning than I thought?

Isuzu stared at Seiya with a mixed expression. Not knowing how to react to it, Seiya shrugged.

“Thank you, Kanie-sama. I feel a lot better now.”

This time, Latifa’s voice sounded a lot livelier.