TS Medic Epilogue 6
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Note: This epilogue came out with the release of volume 7.
"I see."
Sitting in front of me was a strikingly handsome man with a well-defined physique, dressed in a formal suit.
He must have continued training since we last met. His build was noticeably more muscular than I had remembered.
"Then, Sylph chose 'defeat' for the sake of the Sabbath?"
"Yes."
"I understand it now that I've heard the explanation."
We were in the Speaker's Office of the Engei Assembly Hall.
The man before me was Arunoma, Chairman of the World Peace Union.
"I just couldn't believe Sylph would make such a foolish decision."
"That's…"
"Thank you for telling me, Little Platoon Leader."
The World Peace Union was a multinational organization founded to prevent war.
As an Austin government official, I had taken part in establishing the Union.
"Still, I don't think Sylph's decision should be made public."
"I agree. After losing both her life and her honor, the only thing Sylph managed to protect was her homeland, the Sabbath."
Arunoma had approached me on the night the World Peace Union was founded.
He said he wanted to arrange a private meeting.
"Arunoma, what was your relationship with Sylph Nova?"
"Regrettably, we were only friends. Though I did try asking her out once."
"Y-You asked her out?"
This meeting was held in complete secrecy. It was a private gathering between just the two of us, with both of us having dismissed our guards.
"It would have been rude not to pursue a woman as charming as Sylph."
"And then? What happened next?"
"She said, 'There's too much of an age difference. Know your place, you fool.'"
"That's so like her."
Considering Arunoma's position, meeting alone with an Austin citizen like me was undoubtedly risky.
The fact that he had arranged it anyway meant there was something he truly wanted to discuss.
"You set a remarkably wicked trap. I feel sorry for Sylph."
"The one who devised it was Bern Valou."
"You were the one who carried it out. That means you've killed my best friend, and yet another friend."
What had become of Arunoma after we parted ways?
The story of the genius Sylph, one that could no longer be revealed to the public.
"You accepted my invitation rather easily. Didn't you think I might hold a grudge against you?"
"If it's an invitation from you, Arunoma, I'd accept it anytime. The Chairman of the World Peace Union isn't the sort of man who'd harm someone over a personal grudge."
"I see, you really are level-headed. It's just as Sylph said."
Arunoma fixed me with a steady gaze. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, piercing through me as if ready to shoot me on the spot.
"Is there anything you'd like to say about killing the people who meant so much to me?"
"Nothing in particular."
I met those murderous eyes without the slightest hesitation. Did he perhaps think I was going to apologize?
"I won't apologize. The true evil is war."
"Heh… heh heh! Is that so?"
A soldier cannot apologize for killing the enemy. If they hadn't killed them, it would have been their own corpse lying on the battlefield.
"You say the same thing Sylph used to."
"It's something I picked up from her when I was in her unit."
"That's right. What you said is absolutely correct."
Where does the blame lie for the suffering inflicted upon the victims of war? I can only say that it lies in war itself.
"That's why I wanted to create an organization that would prevent another war from ever starting."
"And that's how the World Peace Union came to be?"
"Yes. It's also the last wish that 'she' entrusted to me."
With that, Arunoma poured himself another glass of liquor.
…She? No way.
"When you say 'she'…"
"Yes. Sylph."
Without another word, Arunoma filled my glass with Vok as well. That particular brand was one that Sylph and Mr. Gorski were fond of.
"Wait, then the idea for the World Peace Union…"
"It was Sylph Nova's idea. She told me about the idea before she passed."
As he continued speaking, Arunoma took a small sip of the strong Vok.
I followed suit, wetting my lips with a single drop.
Then, Arunoma began recounting his memories little by little.
***
It happened when the Flamer-Aerys Army successfully recaptured Engei.
At the time, the Austin Army's front had begun to collapse after Bern Valou failed to seize the capital.
Meanwhile, in the battle to recapture Engei, the volunteer forces led by Arunoma achieved significant results.
As a result, Arunoma Diskens rose to fame almost overnight.
"We finally drove the Austin Army out!"
"It's time to reclaim every last inch of Flamel!"
Arunoma was warmly welcomed by the citizens of Engei, who celebrated their victory.
Just a little distance away, Sylph Nova sat alone, quietly drinking Vok.
"What's wrong, Sylph? The hero of this battle is awfully quiet."
"Arunoma?"
"It's only proper to celebrate if you've achieved something great."
Even Arunoma had been swept up in the excitement that day. He had raised a toast with his comrades and sung songs of victory.
"You're right, you should be rejoicing. The outcome of the war has already been decided."
"Then why aren't you celebrating?"
That was precisely why Arunoma was puzzled by how unhappy Sylph looked.
Unable to understand what there was to be dissatisfied with after such a victory, he went over to check on her.
"Just how do you think this war will end, Arunoma?"
"How it'll end?"
Arunoma didn't quite understand the question. Hadn't she just said it herself? The tide of the war had shifted.
"We'll drive the Austin Army out of our country, and peace will return to Flamel."
"That won't happen."
The Allied forces would likely succeed in expelling the Austin Army.
Once that was done, peace would return, and everything would be settled.
"After that, the Allied forces will invade Austin."
"…Why? There'd be no need to do that."
"There is, Arunoma."
Sylph dismissed that hopeful vision outright. As she said, the war was far from over.
"Austin won't accept a peace treaty."
"What…"
"Which means there'll be no choice but to keep fighting. Until the last drop of blood is shed by the people of Austin."
Sylph gulped down the bottle of Vok. Her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
"Why?"
"Because in the past, Austin had its offer of peace rejected by a foolish nation."
Austin failed twice in peace negotiations.
The first time was during the Sylph Offensive, when the Sabbath refused Austin's unconditional surrender.
The second time was during the invasion by Flamel and Aerys, when the ceasefire proposal was rejected, allowing Austin's homeland to be invaded.
"In other words, Austin is paranoid."
"That… can be resolved through diplomatic efforts."
"If it could have, Austin would never have invaded Flamel in the first place."
Having said that much, Sylph quietly set the empty bottle down on the table with a soft clink.
Then, with a stern expression, she asked Arunoma:
"Are you prepared to invade Austin, Arunoma?"
"No. I won't let that happen. Even if they refuse a peace treaty, the war will end as long as the Allied forces don't invade Austin."
"Ah… you really are a woefully naive fool."
Arunoma believed that diplomacy was built upon trust.
If that trust had been lost, then all they had to do was act in a way that would earn it back.
Once Austin had been driven out of Flamel, they would pursue them no further. That, he believed, was how the war could be brought to an end.
However, Sylph dismissed that as mere foolishness.
"If we don't invade Austin, they'll rebuild their strength and invade us again. I'm sure they'll thank us for giving them the time to recover."
"Then we should make every diplomatic effort to prevent that."
"Diplomacy alone isn't the solution. Every nation places its own interests above all else."
"Not being consumed by greed is what honor and reason are for! If every country sincerely sought peace, if they respected one another…"
Arunoma fiercely rejected Sylph's argument. If what she said was true, then the war would never end.
"If those with reason become leaders and work together to create a peaceful world…"
"Hah… How is it that someone as foolish as you became the leader of the Volunteer Army?"
"What do you mean, Sylph?!"
"If you were truly a soldier, you wouldn't hesitate over invading Austin."
As Arunoma argued back, Sylph Nova looked at him with gentle eyes.
"Stay just the way you are, Arunoma Diskens."
"…Sylph?"
"You're just an ordinary citizen. You've already done more than enough. Thanks to you, Flamel will be saved. You don't need to stain your hands any further."
It was the first time Arunoma had ever received such kind words from Sylph.
Taken aback by her attitude, Arunoma fell silent.
"You could have remained a kind-hearted man if you had never organized the Volunteer Army."
"…"
"Even you would have been a performer in some remote countryside if you hadn't been dragged into this war. Everyone is the same."
Perhaps Sylph had become a little drunk. Or perhaps she had become careless with her words, intoxicated by the victory.
"No, Arunoma. You can't trust human reason. Humans are beasts that chase after their desires, and reason is nothing more than a brake to prevent those who stand out from being hammered down.'"
"Then what should we do?"
What Sylph spoke of at that moment would be the very foundation of the World Peace Union that Arunoma Diskens would later establish.
"Create a framework where waging war results in losses."
"How exactly would we do that?"
"Form an alliance among nations across the world, and establish international laws."
The idea was not to rely on reason to prevent war.
It was to create a system where those who pursued their own interests would come to believe that avoiding war was more beneficial.
"If a nation breaks international law, every other country in the world becomes its enemy. Don't you think war would cease if such a framework were created?"
"…!"
Indeed, such a system would be the most rational way to maintain peace.
The words spoken by the young genius Sylph shook Arunoma.
"If it comes to the point where we must invade Austin, step away, Arunoma."
"Sylph…"
"And then become someone popular enough within your own country to influence public opinion."
If a multinational alliance could be realized, wars would no longer occur.
No one would have to suffer in the depths of hell created by conflicts.
"After the war, I intend to create such a framework. Will you help me when that time comes?"
"Ah, of course. I'd be happy to help."
"Thank you. I knew you would say that."
At that moment, Sylph's eyes appeared slightly unfocused.
Her usual sharp, prickly demeanor was gone. Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, and she smiled softly.
"Arunoma, I don't dislike your naive way of thinking. Soldiers fight to protect people like you."
"…"
"The war will be over soon. And then, this time, we will finally be able to build peace."
Sylph Nova was over a decade younger than Arunoma.
And yet, Arunoma found himself captivated by her bewitching presence.
"Your foolishness is not a sin. Rather, it's something that should be cherished."
A single tear rolled down Sylph's cheek as she murmured those words.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed she was clutching a picture in her hand, that of the golden hero Gorski.
"…The true evil is war."
A teardrop traced down her cheek, her long, silken hair reflected in Arunoma's eyes. And because the way that genius named Sylph existed in this world was simply too beautiful—
"Hey, Sylph Nova."
"What is it, Arunoma Diskens?"
Arunoma had taken hold of her hand before he realized it.
"Let me carry that dream with you as well."
"Hmm?"
The sensation of Sylph's pure white hand traveled through his own. Arunoma moved close enough that he could even see the length of her eyelashes.
"I've fallen in love with you. That's why…"
"…Oh."
After hearing Arunoma's confession, Sylph stared blankly for a moment.
Then, she let out a small laugh as if she finally understood what he meant.
"Heh, I suppose the rumors of the Flamel people being flirtatious are true."
"I'm serious. This isn't some cheap attempt at flirting."
"Is that so~ Is that so? It seems I still have some appeal left after all."
After saying that, Sylph, still appearing drunk, lightly tapped Arunoma on the head with the empty bottle of Vok.
"There's too much of an age difference. Know your place, you fool."
***
That was the relationship between Arunoma and Sylph Nova.
Arunoma was one of those who had been captivated by her dazzling brilliance.
"After that, just as she told me, I did not participate in the invasion of Austin."
"…"
"Well, I did get to take all the glory at the very end."
Although I myself could not see it clearly because I was embracing Arunoma at the time, it seems that when Sylph met Arunoma's eyes, she gave him a small wave as a sign.
It was as if she was saying, "I'll leave the rest to you."
"She remained a Sylph Nova to the very end."
"Yes."
"Such a shame. She was truly an extraordinary person."
Surely, she died entrusting her dream to Arunoma.
Thinking of her homeland, she continued walking the difficult path solely for the sake of her country.
And even after falling into the schemes of the devil, she never lost her brilliance until the very end.
"If you'd like, I can also tell you about Sylph from when I served in the military."
"Now that you mention it, Little Platoon Leader was one of Sylph's subordinates, weren't you?"
Before this private meeting had begun, I had many things I wanted to ask Arunoma.
"Her temper was certainly fierce. I was always walking on eggshells, never knowing what might set her off."
"Haha, it was the same for us. We were constantly troubled, trying not to upset Sylph."
What happened after we parted ways? The story of how the Volunteer Army was founded.
But in the end, we didn't have a single moment to talk about that.
"During the Battle of Josegrad, the sled operation was Sylph's idea…"
"Ah, that was exactly the kind of gamble she would make."
As long as time allowed, we continued talking about the genius Sylph Nova until the next morning.