Thief of Time

“Half Moon just flew by…” Dia, who was sitting around in a circle with the others, looked at Beth, who was in the middle of learning the various phases of the Moons…er, Moon. Ever since the three Moons descended, the only thing illuminating the night sky was a white moon, one that didn’t seem to have any will of its own.

There was nothing in contemporary literature that talked about its existence either too; it was probably a placeholder moon that the three Moons set in place to allow continued timekeeping.

“I thought things would not be this peaceful,” Risti added, looking at her once.

“Yeah. The Dark Herald was released peacefully,” Farah replied.

Schwarz patted the baby’s head and ruffled her hair. “I’d half thought that something big would happen…also, how did we end up here for an entire season? Farah, you didn’t delay us just to help out in your county’s administration, did you?”

“Well…not really?”

“Why’s that a question?”

As Schwarz and Farah traded words, Risti glanced at Dia once more, and then made a face. The ‘things’ that Risti referred to had nothing to do with the Moons and the Dark at all; she was talking about the Aberrations and the beings of Limbo. After such a huge stir, Dia had half-expected something to happen here, but…

Nothing had happened all the way to Gibbous Moon.

“Well, it’s peaceful, at least.” Dia opened her hands, and Beth, who was trying to trace the weird shape of the Gibbous Moon, toddled over.

“Dada!”

“She’s almost three, right?” Risti asked. “I think the scions of dukedoms usually begin their education at this timing.”

The baby nearly tripped over herself, and Dia supported her with mana. “Don’t go scaring Beth.”

“Bet!”

“We’ll just have her take some speaking lessons,” Dia added. “You have to speak full sentences now!”

Beth, who was definitely more than capable of doing that, made googly eyes at Dia, before making a funny noise. Smiling at her weird response, Dia settled the baby on her lap and said, “Well, it’s going to make me happier, at least. And you just need to be encouraged to speak full sentences, you know. You can do it, right?”

The baby sucked her thumb and continued to make googly eyes at Dia.

“You’re doing a spectacular job at not convincing her,” Risti quipped. “Beth, your Dada will love you more if you speak in proper sentences, you know!”

“Rweally?”

“Really, really.” Risti extended her hands to Dia’s face and forced her lips up. “See! She’s grinning now!”

“Rweally!” Beth paused. “But da hands…”

Risti fixed a glare onto Dia as she removed her hands, her eyes threatening bloody murder if she didn’t continue that muscle-tearing grin. Dia, who was definitely not intimidated by that implicit threat, found it a good idea to continue that smile, since little Beth seemed brought over by that argument.

It was definitely not because Risti’s eyes looked like the Moons themselves.

Definitely not.

“See?” Risti bobbed her head, pleased. “She’s happy that you can speak more words and reply with longer sentences!”

“…Bet.”

“Alright, you’re not convinced just yet. Never mind. But wouldn’t it be better?” Risti clicked her teeth. “Anyhow, Dia, your grin is shaking, so turn it off before you scare the kid.”

“For someone who really liked the princess, you sure don’t hold back,” Dia muttered.

“Well, I do like Princess Dia. But when I consider that she’s you, it’s a bit hard for me to swallow. So in my head, there’s an abstract Princess Dia, and then there’s you. That’s how I’m dealing with it. Can’t have broken pedestals getting in my way, can I?”

Dia looked at her in disbelief, and then thought for a few seconds. Sure, the words seemed a bit rude, but if “Princess Dia” was an abstract of her (supposedly) divine qualities, did that mean that she would be spying on an abstract level too? This would explain why Risti was more than happy to stop her spying activities, and—

All this has been normalised in my head…

That thought echoing in her mind, Dia said, “Well, it’s good that you’ve separated me from the Dia in your head. You haven’t picked up your spying stuff and everything, right?”

“Uh, I stopped doing that.” Risti paused. “The Princess Dia in my head is a lot better to spy on and to enrich my life with.”

Farah cleared her throat. “Just one question. How are you, uh, spying on that mental image anyway? It’s a construct you made yourself, erected in your mind only. So how does that work?”

“The spying bit is also in my mind?” Risti looked at her. “I thought it was fairly obvious. You’re a bit slow.”

Farah glanced at Dia, a weird expression on her face, and then said, “Well, as long as you don’t go scaring anyone, that’s perfectly and lovingly fine. Anyhow, let’s put this topic aside for now. Schwarz is wondering if we should return back now.”

“You still have things to do, right?”

“Yeah,” Farah replied. “Still, it’s nice that my county has improved under Schwarz’s help. And since we’re hosting two big shots here, the smaller territories are beginning to pay their owed taxes more…stringently.”

“Big shots?” Risti asked.

“Yeah. Specifically, the daughter of Duke Lustre and the daughter of the Folder Association’s President,” Farah replied innocently. “Somehow, word got out that Countess Farah was on very good terms with these two legendary figures and was currently hosting them in her palace. The rumours were patently absurd too; there were things that claimed that the countess was intending to ask them to help…collect taxes.”

Schwarz eyed her. “You call them absurd, but aren’t these rumours created by you yourself?”

“Not by me,” Farah replied gaily. “At any rate, the various subsidiary territories under the Farah County are very obedient now, probably helped by the fact that the two legendary figures in question were spotted, more than once, by various visiting envoys and dignitaries.”

Dia thought about the random tea parties that Farah threw once a week or so. Quite a few people had come up to her for introductions and light speech. Dia, who hadn’t done much actual noble socialising for a long time, simply entertained them for a while before turning to either Risti or Schwarz…

Now that she thought about it, weren’t these fellows just checking that she was the real deal?

Farah snickered as something cleared up in Dia’s head. “Well. I suppose the gig’s up…anyway, it’s been a great help, having you guys here.”

“And the situation is unlikely to deteriorate anytime soon, right?” Schwarz asked. “Which is why you decided to go back with us and all. You’ve settled your issues and affairs here, save for succession.”

“Well, I gotta have a kid first, if I want to handle that.” Farah shrugged. “But that can wait.”

“…Hmm. Well, if you put it that way…” The bartender sighed. “It’s just a bit ominous, you know. We’re all putting our affairs in order, piece by piece.”

“Other than me, because I never had much affairs,” Risti chimed in. “And you, Schwarz. Hmm. You’re probably baggage-free when it comes to issues and traumas, right?”

“Me?” The bartender blinked. “You’re right, I guess. I don’t really have much. The only thing is the little bar. I suppose my late pops would like it if I had a family of my own too, but in these trying, uncertain times, I can’t bring myself to do such a thing.”

“In times of hardship, birth rates usually rise, though,” Dia replied, thinking back to some very old studies and papers. “Especially when the main source of labour is mainly physical, since children become an invaluable helping hand.”

Beth, who was waddling around the circle that the four of them froze, jumped again.

“That’s during bad times,” Dia replied, catching her again. “Don’t be scared. Just enjoy your childhood and everything. You deserve to, after all that…”

She reached out to her and patted her head. “Relax. Us adults will protect you this time. For sure.”

“Yeah. That we will,” Risti replied. “Now, about that return…I believe Nightfall must be quite antsy. We do a lot of free work for him, after all. It would confound me if he wasn’t worried at all.”

“True.” Farah smiled. “I’ve settled my affairs here. Thank you for granting me this small wish of mine.”

“Don’t sound like a soldier marching to her grave,” Schwarz replied. “Although it would have been nice if we could settle things with your parents once and for all. Those twats are the last people that should inherit this place.”

“I…”

“If you want to do it,” Risti added, “then let’s go. Grandia is a nice place too, and we’ve already sat here for an entire season. What’s a small detour to cap things off nicely? Nothing, to me.”

“And I want to visit that place too,” Dia added. “Before the world falls into ruin and all of humanity vanishes.”

Risti glanced at her once. “Yes. The war is going to restart soon. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe on Full Moon. Maybe in New Moon. Whatever the case, we might as well make ourselves happy and satisfied first.”

“…Alright. Thank you.”