The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

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“”What!? Lala’s was in the carriage…!?””

“Shh! Keep it down!”

“”Ngh… apologies. Still, would it not be odd not to be surprised, Sir Asley?””

The scene unfolded after Asley returned home and sat down for tea with Tzar.

Asley was one of the few individuals privy to the circumstances of Lala’s secret birth, having learned it from Tzar. Thus, he felt compelled to keep this talk as private as possible, sharing the information with Tzar, Lala’s surrogate parent and Familiar.

“”Yes, We remember now… On the day of Vaas’ ascension, We found Lala…””

“After I cast a new mind-control spell on Leon, I headed to T’oued. Considering Radeata as a good landmark on the journey from Regalia to T’oued, I planned to pass through there when I stumbled upon a carriage carrying a baby Lala. It seemed chased by monsters. After the monsters snatched Lala from Mister Diarmuid, he tearfully shielded his wife and fled.”

“”So it was you, Sir Asley, who defeated those monsters and rescued the infant?””

He then provided additional information:

“As I took care of the monsters and looked at the baby, there was indeed a resemblance to Lala… but since the only definitive information was that Mister Diarmuid was there, I remained skeptical. But then–“

“”–Ah, that was where We came in.”

Asley nodded again.

“The spot where I found her was in the southern region of Radeata. I sensed a Kagachi approaching, grumbling to himself about Sagan — well, there’s no one else who fits that description, is there?”

Asley said with a wry smile, eliciting a chuckle from Tzar.

“”Heh, We indeed had a mountain of complaints about Sagan’s behavior at the time. And so… what We actually saw was you, leaving Lala behind and fleeing the scene upon Our approach… How ironic.””

“Yes, I couldn’t afford to change the course of history, you see. The incident may haunt Mister Diarmuid to this day, but bringing Lala back to Radeata was… not an option.”

Asley said with a greatly frustrated expression, but Tzar did not blame him at all.

“”You still saved a life, Sir Asley. The fact that you were there made it so that Lala is still alive… Would you not agree?””

“Is that really the case, though…?”

Asley’s pained expression remained unchanged.

“”Look how happily she’s smiling. That should be the best proof of all,”” Tzar said, watching Lala play with Natsu in the courtyard.

At least a hint of that emotion transferred to Asley’s eyes as he observed Lala’s bright smile.

Tzar reacted to Asley’s subtle expression with an equally subtle smile, discreetly but firmly bowing his heads.

Then, to distract Asley for a moment, Tzar steered the conversation elsewhere.

“”So, Sir Asley, there was talk about using an area farther south of Faltown for the proposed new nation, wasn’t there?””

“Hmm? Ah, yes. Warren and Bright seem to be leaning that way. Something about using Faltown’s outer wall as the gateway to the nation?”

“”Have you already figured out the immigration procedures?””

“I don’t think we’ve discussed that yet, actually… But you and Lala would be one of us from the start, right?”

“”That’s not it. The idea is that, if we are to build a new nation, the people of Radeata should move in to help with the establishment efforts.””

As Asley tilted his head at the convoluted discussion, Tzar continued,

“”Lala will have to be registered with her new family, too.””

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Asley spoke up,

“W-wait, so… she’s going to be adopted by Mister Diarmuid!?”

“”We did already agree to handle this matter after the war was over, did we not? I had a Telepathic Call with Mister Diarmuid last night, before the party. Figured she would make a fine manager of the restaurant, you see.””

“Hahaha, I see you’re always quick to act, Tzar.”

As laughter, finally tinged with joy, spilled from Asley, Tzar could not help but join in.

[[Sagan… We are still alive. And We will keep going on… alongside this man, your friend…!]]

The smile of the man who saved both his Masters filled Tzar with renewed determination and excitement.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Ah, that’s wonderful news.”

Asley had come to the magic classroom to inform Warren about Tzar and Lala’s situation.

Warren listened to the report with a smile.

“Yes, so as long as things settle on their end, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”

“Still, it’s not necessarily something that can be rushed…”

However, Warren’s response suggested that he did not fully accept everything.

There were aspects he could not rejoice in, which prompted Asley to inquire,

“Why not?”

“We’re not just decorated heroes of this war; we’re the ones establishing a new nation with you to prevent the world’s collapse. Because we reside in T’oued, we’re permitted to leave the country under the blessings of Lady Kaoru and Lady Jun’ko.”

“Right.”

“However, Mister Diarmuid, as far as I know, is a citizen of the War Demon Nation. Taking him along without permission might cause friction before the establishment of the new nation… That’s my take on it.”

“I see… It’s a problem unique to the post-war situation, huh?”

“That’s right.”

Warren welcomed Asley’s understanding with a smile.

Asley proceeded to scrutinize Warren and said,

“From the look on your face, I assume you have a solution.”

“Oh? How did you figure that out?”

“If you were just laughing during this discussion without any plan in mind, it would be too cold-hearted.”

“Hehehe… I suppose I should take that as a compliment.”

With a chuckle, Warren continued, pointing his index finger at Asley and saying,

“Shall we get to work on a solution, Asley?”

“Huh? THAT’s your solution?”

“Well, we won’t know until we try, but I believe there’s hope.”

“Right. This is for Lala’s sake.”

With those words, Asley followed Warren’s lead.

But he also noted Warren’s unusual behavior, which stirred unease within him.

“We’ve been walking a lot, went through a few Teleportation spells, and then we walked some more… Where in the world are we going?”

In an eerie cavern, Asley walked behind Warren, asking with a wary tone.

“Just a precaution. We can’t afford to let this place be discovered.”

“Discovered… by whom?”

“Not only the former Devil King’s forces, but also the people of T’oued…”

Asley tensed up in reaction to this abnormal level of vigilance.

“W-wait, you haven’t been keeping a Devil in confinement here, have you…?”

“Hahaha… you’d be better off not thinking about it, but let’s just say there is a politically sensitive subject involved.”

“…Politics, huh…”

Warren opened the final heavy iron door, revealing Irene and Gaston waiting for Asley inside.

“…You’re finally here,” Gaston said, while Irene simply directed her line of sight at Asley.

Upon seeing the pair, Asley reacted first,

“Wait, since both of you are here, does that mean…”

Asley’s gaze shifted to a corner of the room, where a figure sat in a wheelchair, his eyes vacant.

“Ah. War Demon Emperor Vaas…”

“We couldn’t risk the people of T’oued knowing about this place. No matter how noble Lady Kaoru and Lady Jun’ko may be, there are always those with malicious intent.”

Asley did not fully grasp the meaning of Warren’s words, but he understood enough to feel unsettled.

This, Asley realized, was just a glimpse into the political intricacies he would need to navigate.

“Political adversaries, then?”

“Just a precaution. We can’t be too careful.”

Warren’s words trailed off, and Irene took over.

“The War Demon Nation and T’oued aren’t friendly or allied nations. That’s why Master Vaas’ presence must be kept hidden.”

Gaston added his conclusion,

“Of course, while the information has been conveyed to both Shamanesses, we’ve kept it from the Shogun.”

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Asley approached Vaas quietly.

“Warren, what you said earlier, ‘we won’t know until we try’… You mean you want me to heal Master Vaas?”

Asley asked, and Warren nodded silently.

“Today was the only day that worked for Miss Irene and Sir Gaston’s schedules, so it seemed opportune. Your visit to the magic classroom was a stroke of luck.”

“You planned on calling me from the start?”

“With your current aptitude for the arcane arts, I deemed you capable of healing him. As did Miss Irene and Sir Gaston, of course.”

Warren glanced at the pair.

Then, Irene spoke up,

“You invoked the effect of the Eternal Fool and raised Gaston’s level with Darklight Eikon… I understand how that works, but something doesn’t add up — how did you manage to conceal such potent arcane energy? Once invoked, the whole world, especially Lucifer, should have become aware of your presence. So, I simply asked this old guy, ‘How did you do it?'”

With Irene saying that, Gaston exaggeratedly tilted his head.

“Huh? Wasn’t it more like, ‘TELL ME, YOU OLD COOT’?”

“Ugh, shut up! It doesn’t matter how I worded that!”

As Asley chuckled at their banter, he remarked,

“Hahaha, that’s why I needed Sir Gaston with me, actually.”

“Minerva is now busy with her own thing now, after all.”

Gaston grumbled and crossed his arms.

“Can’t blame her — anyone would be busy, seeing that it’s right after the war… Well then, Sir Gaston. Let’s show them.”

“Mm-hm. Rise, Storeroom.”

At the very same moment, Warren realized what the method was.

“Ah, I see. You were training in the storeroom. Within there is an isolated dimension, completely cut off from our own. And for Sir Gaston’s training session, another mage to retrieve you two from the outside world was necessary… Hence, Miss Minerva.”

“Well, I’ll go in by myself this time.”

“Young man, I’ll open it up again in ten minutes. You good with that?”

Asley nodded to Gaston’s words and proceeded to slowly push Vaas’ wheelchair.

As Irene saw him off with worry, Asley winked at her before disappearing into the Storeroom.

By the time the flush of embarrassment faded from Irene’s face, Gaston reopened the Storeroom. The two emerging from the void wore contented expressions.

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