Yuuri was just an average Japanese high school student, as he would always remind his subjects, and therefore was not in-the-know about many of Shinmakoku's oldest traditions. That was why Gunter, his faithful, honorable and caring servant was there to teach and guide his young king through his country's history.
Which took place nearly every day in a large private study reserved for specifically teaching the Maoh.
Yuuri groaned.
He was currently in said study with said teacher learning mentioned learnings.
He was just about to completely nose-dive off into a day-dream concerning certain things teenage boys sometimes day-dream about when something he thought he had heard Gunter said caught his attention.
which was very rare, mind you.
"Wait- Ano, Gunter- can you repeat that, what you just said?"
Gunter blinked, surprised and didn't falter from being interrupted, he instead was delighted to hear his majesty had found something of interest in what they were studying.
"Ah, of course your highness!" he swooned and turned back a page in the thick book he was carrying, "Ahem, it has been customary since the demise of The First King that all kings who follow, when they too meet their demise, shall be buried with a living sacrifice of their closest servant, bodyguard or lover, to aid in guarding their noble soul in the afterlife. Should the Maoh not have anyone like this, a civilian who steps forth shall be chosen and gifted with this important task."
Yuuri's brain was muddled as it tried to wade through what he was hearing. "Uh, thanks.. Gunter- what does that mean exactly, like- what if I die and-"
"Oh, Shinou, no! Your majesty shall not die!" Gunter slammed the book closed dramatically and stood to rush to Yuuri's side, cupping the young king's face in his slender hands, "I, Gunter, your faithful servant will never let harm befall your royal and gracious head! Should you finally succumb to age or illness, I, Gunter will be the one to be your honored sacrifice, though the very thought of your death- I can not stand!" tears welled in the man's eyes as Yuuri's now clammy hands tried to push Gunter away as gently as possible.
"A-ah n-no! It's okay, I wasn't done talking, Gunter you're crush-ing- me!" The man finally let go enough so Yuuri could breathe and settled into the chair next to him, hands still grasping Yuuri's sweating palms.
"Ah.. hah.. but wait- what you said, Gunter, you said that when I die- you'll sacrifice yourself? Is that what the book meant? When I die someone else has to die with me?"
Gunter thought for a moment and then smiled a calm, some-what sad smile at Yuuri. "When your noble soul departs from us, your majesty, it's customary in our country that someone dear and close to you accompanies you to the land of the dead, so that they may stand guard, protect and watch over you even in death for all of time."
Yuuri felt.. even more nervous when Gunter said it in such a gentle way- though it made a fire light in his chest the more he turned it over in his mind.
"YOU MEAN-" he looked Gunter straight in the eye, challenging him the traditional Japanese-way, "IF I DIE THEN, YOU'RE GUNNA DO A HUMAN SACRIFICE FOR ME!?" Gunter shook his head but Yuuri cut him off before he could speak, "I know! I know it's not technically a 'human' sacrifice since we're demons blah-blah but like- you mean you're gunna kill someone when I die, right!? Someone I know so that they can guard me in death?!"
Yuuri's voice was demanding and shrill, as Gunter tried to calm the young king and explain,
"Yes, your majesty- when your soul departs... when you pass away.. Someone close to you will nominate themselves to protect your soul in the next world, that person will then be burned at the stake and their remains buried next to you for all of time.. oh," he covered his mouth gently with one hand as tears welled again, "How I'd love for it to be me, but seeing as you're engaged it would probably be Lord Wolfram or Perhaps Conrart- you see, since he is your personal Guardian he would also be suitable to follow you to the grave, and I'm sure in that situation Conrart would already be.." he sighed sadly.
"So-" Yuuri was sweating now, his body humming with the urge to deal Justice on anyone who would make such a stupid rule as to kill his loved ones when he dies. "If I die- it'll either be Conrad or Wolf who gets burned to death so they can 'protect me' in the afterlife?" his tone was less than light.
"Why.. yes your majesty, I suppose that would be how it would go, unless Lord Weller happens to die before you, or perhaps if you marry Lord Wolfram.." Gunter seemed like he had difficulty pushing out those last few words as Yuuri jumped to his feet and slammed his hands upon the desk which sat between them. "No!" his mind was reeling, he didn't want either of those things to happen! Not to mention he didn't want anyone to die if he happened to get himself killed-!
"I won't accept this!" as he bolted for the door and fled down the hall, 'where's Gwendal!? I need to fix this right now!' he thought to himself as he ran.
Gunter was left in the dust.
There was no way.. Yuuri's heart seized thinking of all the times he had almost been killed in this mystical new land- all those times.. could have cost him not only his own life, but the lives of Wolfram, Conrad, or even Gwendal or Gunter-! He couldn't live with the thought that those close to him were dependant upon his ability to not get himself killed.
Trapped in his thoughts Yuuri turned a corner and ran straight into the back of a brown-clad soldier who was unable to turn quick enough to catch the boy-king this time as Yuuri sent both of them to the floor, including the papers the man had been carrying.
"Itai.." Yuuri groaned, "I'm sorry, I made all your papers fall.." Yuuri looked up and gasped, "Conrad!"
The man smiled easily, though Yuuri could tell it was a tad strained as he carefully helped Yuuri to his feet, "It's quite alright, Your majesty- are you hurt?" he gently patted the teen over, making sure everything was still attached.
Yuuri crossed his arms and huffed a bit before bending down to pick the papers up, Conrad followed suite. "I'm hurt that you still can't get my name right, man-who-named-me." he taunted, it was worth it to hear Conrad's easy chuckle.
"Yuuri," he corrected himself, "Are you sure you're alright?" Yuuri nodded, smiling, "I ran into you, shouldn't I be asking you that?" when suddenly the youth remembered what he'd been running for in the first place, his head snapping up in attention as he stared at Conrad, eyes intense.
"Conrad!" his body guard looked at him with raised brows,
"What.. do I have a spider on me?"
"No, Conrad! I just remembered! I learned about something horrible from Gunter, you have to explain this to me, Gunter said that if I die then someone close to be will be burned at the stake as a sacrifice.. to me! So that they can be buried with me and protect me or something.. ano.. is that really true..?"
Conrad smiled the gentlest smile he could and nodded as he helped Yuuri stand once again, collecting the papers from his king.
"Yes, Yuuri what you've heard is true," before he could even finish Yuuri cut him off,
"That's horrible! I need to find Gwendal right now and fix this! Comon, Conrad!" he turned to run back the way he came when a gentle hand trapped his shoulder and steered Yuuri back around.
"Yuuri, wait.. will you walk with me first? I want to explain some things to you before you run off to Gwendal." Yuuri seemed ancy but he agreed and chose to walk with Conrad who led them down a path to the gardens where Conrad and Yuuri had most of their heart-to-heart talks among the flower beds.
"What you've heard it true," Conrad began as they walked, his hand on Yuuri's shoulder, his papers long forgotten and resting on a bench in the hallway. "When you regrettably pass away someone close to you will be nominated to protect your soul in the afterlife."
"But.. what does that mean.." Yuuri shook his head sadly, "Why is that necessary, I mean? I don't like that law." Conrad chuckled again and patted Yuuri's shoulder, still growing- not yet a man but not a child.
"It's not a law, Yuuri- no one will be forced into sacrificing themselves for you.. it's a cultural thing.. like.. mm.. Christmas? Or saying 'Bless you' when someone sneezes.. No one questions doing it.. they just do it. When a Maoh dies, someone will become your guardian in death. It's an honor to become your guardian so many people will volunteer but only those closest to you or best suited will be chosen by Shinou to be your guardian."
Yuuri didn't understand it at all, it made no sense.. he didn't want people to kill themselves when he died!
"Is there a way I can.. not have people kill themselves for me..?" Yuuri felt sick just by thinking of people burning at the stake for him. It was all so horrific and unnecessary.
Conrad shrugged, "You could try to pass a law banning the practice but it's like.. the American Government on Earth banning Christmas.. ne?"
Yuuri groaned.
"Gunter said you or Wolfram would probably be.. be.." he couldn't finish as he gave Conrad the saddest look, "But I don't want that- for you guys to.. if I-!"
Conrad nodded in understanding, "I know you wouldn't want that but.. should you die, we would want that.. I know it's hard to understand Yuuri." Conrad sat down on a Garden bench with his king as Yuuri watched butterflies flit around the different flowers surrounding them.
"But for us, should you pass on.. think about it- let's say you die of old age.. which is how you should die, with me around.. by that time I'll probably be dead already," Yuuri cringed, he didn't like thinking about their age difference. "And Wolfram will be as old as you, if not older.. you age more slowly when you're here, you see?"
Yuuri didn't fully grasp the time difference and age difference between their worlds either.. something about the maryoku in this world made him age differently.. it wasn't too much of a problem and was actually a good thing- considering he spent months in Shinmakoku which translated into minutes and sometimes days on Earth.
The whole thing made his head hurt but he patiently listened on.
"Wolfram will want to go with you, no doubt you'd be wed by then, and he wouldn't be able to stand living without you." Yuuri wanted to interrupt, and say no- he probably wouldn't be married to Wolfram.. the thought felt wrong.. being old/dying and married to an equally old Wolfram.. Yuuri hadn't ever pictured himself as an old man until recently- and now every time he did it was always with an ever present ever-young Conrad at his side.
"If you should happen to pass before then, as I've said before- we would already meet in a different place should that occur."
Yuuri remembered the first time Conrad had said that, at the time he didn't understand what Conrad had meant but now he did.
Conrad would be dead long before Yuuri- no matter what. At least if the Brunette could help it. He'd already proved this with his stunt in the church which still made Yuuri's heart clench painfully.
"Should fate not be as kind, I wouldn't be able to live without you either, should you pass before me and before your time I'll be right behind you."
Conrad clarified even further, "We would all not be able to bare your death and would want nothing more than to follow you, you see..? That's why it's so important that you protect yourself, for everyone's sake."
Yuuri's fists clenched as they rested on his knees.
"I don't want that." he gritted out, "I don't want you all to die because I die, you know? Conrad please tell me you understand how I feel- what if I make a mistake and I die, I don't want that to be the end of you or Wolfram or anyone!"
Conrad nodded as he rubbed soothing circles on Yuuri's back with his borrowed left arm.
"I know, Yuuri.. but it's not your choice, you see?"
"Promise me you won't die, and you won't let anyone else die or kill themselves or whatever over me if I die, okay!? Conrad- please?"
The knight thought for a moment if he could truthfully keep this promise.. if Yuuri slipped down the stairs tomorrow with no one to catch him and died.. would he be able to continue on and keep Wolfram and those willing from killing themselves so they could follow him to the grave.. could he live without his king?
"I can not promise you this, Yuuri." he said sadly, "I would not be able to keep my promise should you die, because I would be the first to go right after you."
Yuuri wanted to protest- to ORDER Conrad not to be so stupid when it hit him.
If he died, people would kill themselves to follow him to the grave on their own accord because.. well.. because they loved him so much that they couldn't live without him.
It was stupid, and Yuuri didn't agree with it, but he sat up a bit straighter.
Never before had his title of King felt so heavy upon his shoulders.
"I think... I think I get it." Yuuri looked away from his soldier and watched the bed of Conrad Stands Upon the Earth as they glistened in the afternoon sun.
"I just have to be real careful then, don't I?"
Conrad smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling up into fine arches. "Ne, that's right your majesty." he nodded gently as he stood, the sun shining off him painting him glorious and beautiful.
"You have to be careful because if such a gracious king should die, many would follow you- as we all do now- we follow you, so be careful where you lead us."
Yuuri nodded and slowly smiled as he stood and stretched, his hands reaching up towards the sun.
'That's right!' he thought, 'Nothing's changed.. Gwendal was always right, I'm the king, so I have to be careful when I go running off on adventures because I carry a lot of lives in my hands.' the thought warmed him instead of making him nervous.
'I can still be adventurous though, so long as Conrad is with me.' he stole a glance at his knight who was looking up to the sky, a calm smile on his face.
While their lives rested solely in the hands of his Majesty King Yuuri, the 27th Maoh of the Demon Kingdom.. the young king was being led by Lord Conrart Weller, who held the king's heart in his hand.
Where he led, the other would follow. That went for the both of them.
'I won't let them down.' Yuuri thought as they headed back inside, the sun rapidly setting behind them. 'I will be careful to live a long, happy life, so Conrad and the others will, too.'
He couldn't see the man's face, but he could definitely tell Conrad was smiling, as he followed the back of his knight into the castle.