I followed behind everyone, I am a gentle girl after all. Or because I was just slow to preserve more energy, but oh well. The two guests were already made aware of my situation — where I tire so easily so I had to take it slow and had to rest frequently during our travels.

Miyako turned to me. "Could it be that you're here to fix your health?"

I mean, seeing my condition, and how eager I was to walk on this fucked up land, that was one sensible assumption one could make. Which was not wrong, actually. "You guessed it." I chuckled with an awkward smile.

"But does our archipelago even have something like that? Shouldn't your homelands have more of everything?"

"... My homeland does not have the solution to my problem."

"I see… What is the root cause of your problem, anyway?"

"... It's hard to explain."

"Uh-huh… I understand." She seemed to understand I didn't want to talk about it. Therefore she shifted the subject. "Must be hard to be so far away from home."

I looked down, reflecting. I recalled the image of my home in my mind. So colorful and peaceful. "I miss the simpler times. I miss the environment, the people…"

My family.

Miyako smiled warmly. She seemed so kind and sweet. All the princess types I have met were like this. "... Being so far from home is a very scary thought. Even though my island was right next to this one, I was quite nervous about going away. I'm excited to go back already, but I still have a job to do."

"... As do we all. Most want to return home when they are away." Leaving home behind is often the hardest. Even more so if you were forced to.

"Do you have friends?"

"... Yes."

"Oh? Can you tell me about them?"

"Well…" I glanced up at the sky. "I guess I am friends with a few noble ladies… And also I'm friends with my… servants." Rogan and Mera were my friends. I didn't really initiate that. But it was fine.

"Being friends with servants is not frowned upon in your culture, I see."

"... No."

Miyako chuckled. "That's nice. Even Satomi is my dear friend! Isn't that right, Satomi?"

Satomi stiffly smiled. "Of course. But I do sometimes hope milady does not act all too familiar with me when there are other officials."

"Oh come now, it's not that big of a deal."

Satomi could say nothing in response but sigh. Understandable, it was not really a good image sometimes when you're being too friendly with a servant, especially with other rough and stiff government officials. For me, I just kept it moderate, just mostly being the kind princess. Although in ours, it was a kinda tolerable as our maids were nobles themselves.

"You must be pretty close with your servants, Estelia. Can you tell me about them?"

"... Well, there is Rogan, my knight. He, uh, he's a nice man." I took a subtle breath, thinking about him. "I didn't think he would actually be my actual friend."

"Really? Do you not immediately make friends with your servants?"

"... A servant is a servant. It's not common to make friends with them."

Miyako looked a bit surprised when I said that. "Is that so…? But still, you became friends."

I smiled slightly. "He started it." I felt… pleased when I said that. "He is… often an annoying guy, but he's reliable." I snuck a hand into my pocket and pulled out a small hair clip. It had platinum and gold, and a beautifully shaped flower on it. "He gave me this on my birthday."

Miyako leaned in to look closely at it. "It's beautiful."

"Indeed."

While I was dressing up for the battle at the siege of the palace, I kept this one on my person. It was valuable. If I had left this back in my room, it might have been obliterated with it. I wouldn't like that.

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"You must be precious to him for him to give you something this beautiful."

Staring at the hair clip, I remembered the moment I received this from him. And recalling that, I felt a strange warmth in my heart. I slowly placed a hand on my chest. It was a pleasant kind of feeling.

"... Is that so…? Hm. I am quite looking forward to reuniting with him." Would be nice to have my knight back. When that happens, I would have two of them.

"I'm sure you do. You seem to value him dearly."

I looked at her and she was smiling widely for some reason, a faint red on her cheeks. Where did she get from that? What was she assuming? I didn't know what exactly, but I had an idea. But it was just ridiculous that I didn't bother expanding on it.

It's… it's not deep… It's just, I don't usually receive heartfelt gifts…

"My other servant friend is Mera, my personal maid," I said as I returned the hair clip to my pocket. "She is quite a sweet girl. You remind me of her, you have the same shade of hair."

Miyako touched her hair. "Really? I suppose my hair isn't that unique," she giggled.

"She may be my most loyal servant. The person I requested to be my personal maid." I pulled out a red bracelet from my pocket. "She gave me this."

"Hm? It's pretty cute, and looks homemade."

"She knitted it herself."

"She is pretty sweet. And quite skillful, from the looks of it."

"Indeed." Mera was a diligent girl. It wouldn't be a surprise she learned how to knit. I liked Mera so much. Although, she could be a bit concerning sometimes, but that was kinda my fault. So I had to just accept and take it. 'Whaaat? Estelia taking responsibility?' Oh, shut up.

"You sound like you're all so close… That is good. My father always says that it isn't good for a leader to be isolated. For them to be so alone, it ruins one's mind. So it's nice to hear you have friends."

Every ruler tends to be alone, lonely. They shone so brightly and at the top that others didn't feel they should step close. And that is why we have a family. However, if a ruler distances themselves from even their family, now that is just miserable. I was fortunate my family was nice.

"And you sound like you have plenty of friends," I said.

"I always try to make friends. Because why not? Things would get better if everyone just got along."

Miyako seemed and sounded like the kind of person that would want to reunite the archipelago. For everything to get better, to have peace. Well, if she gets to do it, good for her. But I doubted it. That would be easier said than done. You might have to clean off the old generation or something like that.

You know, sometimes the problem is just the previous generation.

It would be a different discussion if the new generation was the same. Then we're stuck in a cycle of insanity.

"For everyone to get along, huh? Indeed, it would be nice if that is the case."

"So you understand?" She lit up.

"Yes. Everything would be peaceful if it is." Indeed. But reality was not so easy. Every single person had their own thoughts, ambitions, and wills. It could take a miracle for everyone to 'get along'. "But such a thing is nigh impossible." But not completely impossible.

"That's quite a pessimistic view, Estelia… I didn't expect it from you."

I turned to her. "Not everyone you can be friends with. Absolutely not everyone."

She paused for a moment as she stared into my eyes. "... Did something bad happen to you?"

"... Never mind."

"You won't talk to me about it?"

"No." I continued onward.

"I see. True, it may not be possible, but there is always hope, you know."

"There is only hope if you're willing to go to lengths you could never imagine committing."

"What…?"

I paused and turned towards her. "Do you wish for change, Miyako?"

"Change?"

"A change of everything."

"... I…" She lowered her head. Thinking. She clenched her fists. "I kind of…want Shinoroa to change."

"Why?"

"... It's." She then shifted her eyes to look at Satomi. "It's always fighting. Everyone. How many endless years shall we be hostile toward each other? Nothing ever changes. Our people in the past were united as one. Now, it is just tragic."

"If you want change, then become the beginning of that change."

"That… I… I don't think I can. There's no way I can…" She closed her eyes. "Even if I do, not every island would be willing to cooperate."

"... Then start with a clean slate."

"What…?"

"Your conflict roots from your old ways. If you want change, make it anew."

"Anew…? You're saying to erase our tradition, our culture?"

"Not completely erase. Change. You don't seem to realize that is the cause of all the chaos. Each lord wants to become the shogun, and thus is trapped in a never-ending cycle of conflict."

"You know?"

"I've been here a while, so I know." Mostly thanks to Taneva, though.

"We can't just do that."

"Can't, but you must. Basically, start from zero. Get rid of those who don't want to change, bring in the new generation, and destroy the old."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying…?"

"I told you, hope is only available if you do whatever it takes. There's no point to convince the old timers if they don't want all things to change. Stuck in their old ways, in their ambitions."

There is creation in chaos. If none of them wants to change, wants for things to get better, then burn them all, burn everything. And rebuild from the ashes. The cost might be too great, but if it's for the future, wouldn't it be worth fighting for?

"So, wipe the slate clean, and write a new beginning"

She was speechless, as she stared into my eyes… She took a deep breath. "That is too extreme, Estelia. It's… chaotic."

I stepped back. "I have expressed my thoughts. This is your homeland, and you're in a position to grant change. The choice ultimately falls to you."

"I'm in a position to grant change…?"

Upon hearing that, she seemed to fall into a deep thought. Of course she was. No commoner could have that capability. Only those with the influence and authority could do it, could start something like it.

The most worth it of change is the one brought by the people living in it. If they are not even willing to change it themselves, then they shall suffer, brought by their own.

And bringing change to this misbegotten archipelago would be nice. If she could do it, then bravo! I might not need to destroy it! Well, not like I would actually do that though… I think. Maybe?

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