“More people means more places our eyes can’t reach.”
“Yes. A big country has that sort of problem. And the more prosperous it is, the more it will have those issues.”
“I see…”
“And as the population grows… It will be impossible to have a grasp on everything, no matter how hard you try. I believe there will be people you can’t save, as you live as king. But you don’t need to fret over that.”
Says Wea while looking straight at me.
Shouldering that responsibility too much would be pretty bad.
“But doesn’t a king have to deal with that sort of thing?”
“Of course. But being in a position where you have to unify everyone is exactly why you can’t take on too much. Stacy worried too much, and was troubled a lot too. I always thought she shouldn’t mind those things that much.”
“I see…”
“Yes. Stacy was the miko of a big country. I would hate to see you worry like her.”
There was once a miko called Stacy. I know very little about her, only what Wea tells me.
I’m sure that country was really big and prosperous. But that in itself brings worries.
I don’t know about other miko. How they lived, what worries they had… How they died. I don’t know everything.
But as I hear Wea… Even though that sounds obvious, it really makes me feel that other miko had worries like me, and had to continue to make choices for themselves.
Thinking about that makes me feel close to her all of a sudden.
“What did Stacy do when she was worried?”
“Talked to people around her. I’m a spirit, so I honestly was never too concerned with countries of people. I just didn’t like the person who formed a contract with me and people close to her being sad. I always gave her light responses, and Stacy said she felt better hearing that.”
“You two really were close.”
“Yes, very. I was very sad when she passed away. You’re also going to pass away before me… Although I might not be as lonely, because this country will live on, as will the other spirits and elves who can see us.”
Says Wea with a smile.
That gets me thinking. This country has lots of races, and I formed contracts with spirits and monsters.
I should live a long life, because I’m the miko, but… The truth is, I’m going to leave Wea behind.
Wea was trying to make herself disappear because she was alone. But when I talked to her, she decided to live with us.
I feel happy knowing that Wea will go on living even after I’m gone. I would be sad if I reached the end of my life, and she decided to try to disappear again because there would be no reason to live. It’s nice that there are so many races here.
Of course, saying goodbye once I reach the end of my life is sad, but…
“I see… I’m glad you won’t be lonely. If I… Was of a different race, I’d have more time with you…”
“That can’t be helped, you can’t change it. And there will be more ahead after you pass away. I just have to make as many memories with you as possible until then. And this country will grow by your hand, so as someone who formed a contract with you, I have to watch over it after you die.”
She’s referring to how the country where she lived with Stacy ended, and it turned into a place where no one could live.
What Stacy left behind was in a state where Wea couldn’t protect it. If this country is prosperous… I can’t say for sure that the same thing won’t happen again. But we need to forbid dangerous stuff like that.
If a mistake can be fixed, we can do our best to fix it. But we really have to avoid a situation where this country falls because of experiments like Stacy’s did, or something that makes this land uninhabitable.
I’ve been working on the magic energy vortexes, so I don’t want to go back to the start.
And I don’t want something like that to happen, even if it could have a positive influence on this place after I’m gone.
In any case, I want to leave behind a place where Wea can live happily.
—Girl and relations with the Kingdom of Lunid – Part two
(The miko thinks about the water spirit.)
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