Chapter 6: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Princess
Hello again oh readers, mine, allow me to welcome you to another chapter of "Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls." I hope everyone is ready for this chapter about your favorite princess and mine, Sonia Nevermind.
Before we get started I would like to thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter, you were all great. I would also like to thank everyone who messages me regarding this story, your suggestions help immensely. Even what I don't use makes me think of things differently and helps me move forward with the story. You are all great!
I would also like to take a moment to congratulate Shadow-DJ and Ark19 for their new fanfics. "Danganronpa Ultimate Academy" from Shadow-DJ and "Ultimate Secret Friends" from Ark19, if you haven't check them out, I would certainly recommend doing so.
Present Day
The Princess of Novoselic soon closed the gap between her and the average young man from Japan. Naegi, whose face was red from being referred to as "darling," was mesmerized by not just her movements but the regal aura she exuded. However, Naegi knew he had to compose himself for what he knew Sonia wanted to discuss.
"Naegi-kun we must discuss travel arrangements at some point. My parents are 'hella stoked' that I have met the legendary hero. I just know that they and the people of Novoselic will absolutely adore you," Sonia said with stars in her eyes.
"I'd be honored to go to Novoselic to meet your family and your people Senpai, but…" Naegi started before he got cut off.
"No buts, Naegi-kun," Sonia said with authority.
No matter how many times she does that it's always impressive, sweet and calm to regal in less than a second, Naegi thought. Sonia's authoritative manner couldn't stop Naegi from completing his thoughts though, I was going to say you may not want to introduce me as your country's legendary hero. I've never really done anything all that special. I just afraid that I'll embarrass Sonia-senpai by not being what she expects me to be.
"Naegi-kun, you need not worry. You may not believe in your greatness, but I do," Sonia said with a sweet smile. I simply cannot understand why my destined one refuses to acknowledge how amazing he really is, but that humility is part of his charm, she thought, remembering how she discovered Naegi's true identity as her "destined one."
Sonia's words brought a soft smile to Naegi's face, but it didn't ease his concerns. If clumsiness, bad luck, and being in the right place at the right time makes one a legendary hero then shouldn't there be more? There's not much I can do about it though, Sonia-senpai won't hear a word against me, not even from me, Naegi thought as he remembered how this all started.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girl's Dorm
Sixth Week of Classes-Sunday
It was the first time in a week that Mioda had joined the others for breakfast and everyone was in high spirits. One of the girls in particular wanted to express her happiness.
"Mioda-san, I am glad to see that you are back to your old self," Sonia said.
"Thanks Sonia-chan, Ibuki is sorry she made you worry," Mioda responded.
"Oh no, I am the one who should be sorry. I apologize that I couldn't help you more," Sonia said. Sonia had taken a few turns keeping Mioda company, but she had been unable to think of ways to help her out of her depression.
"It's no biggie, Makoto-chan took care of it," Mioda said happily, a blush adorning her cheeks at the mention of Naegi.
"I was happy to help Mioda-senpai, we're friends after all," Naegi said as he entered with a plate of what appeared to be french toast. This was a regular sight by now, but there was something different about Naegi this morning.
"No hoodie or jacket today Naegi-kun?" Maizono asked when she saw Naegi in a plain white shirt.
"Huh? Oh, I got my jacket and hoodie wet this morning, so I took them off to dry," Naegi explained as he started loading plates with food.
Ordinarily that would have been the end of the matter, but Sonia had a question for Naegi. "Do you always wear a white shirt, Naegi-kun?" she asked.
Naegi thought it was an odd question, but he answered anyway, "I do actually. It's kind of a weird quirk of mine, but it feels weird if I wear anything other than a white shirt under my hoodie."
A white shirt, a plain, if not rather cute, face, and an antenna. Although I believe the others refer to it as an ahoge. I wonder if Naegi-kun could be…, those thoughts were interrupted as soon as Sonia took a bite of breakfast. Surprised, she asked, "Naegi-kun is this…?"
"While not as noticeable as Mioda-senpai, it did seem like you weren't quite your usual self either Sonia-senpai. I figured maybe the taste of Novoselic might make you feel better," Naegi explained.
"So, this isn't french toast?" Celes asked. Not that she or any of the other girls actually minded, whatever it was called, it was good.
"It is, but there are a few extra ingredients and it requires more prep time. I guess it's kind of like how you like your Royal Milk Tea. I've read that this was how the people of Novoselic enjoy french toast," Naegi explained.
"I do not believe I ever mentioned Novoselic," Sonia said, slightly shocked, not just that Naegi knew where she was from, but that he had ever heard of Novoselic to begin with.
"You haven't but when you gave your name and title on the first day I put two and two together, House Nevermind has ruled Novoselic for many generations," Naegi said.
"You seem rather knowledgeable about Novoselic. Even cartographers often overlook my homeland," Sonia stated, it made her happy that someone had heard of her country when most of the world had not.
"Well, I wouldn't say knowledgeable. I did a report on Novoselic in my second year of junior high and I thought it sounded like a fascinating country," Naegi clarified. Remembering what he had said that had started this conversation he asked, "Sonia-senpai, I know I already said this, but you seem like you've had something on your mind, is anything the matter?"
"It is nothing much, it is just that I have been informed that Novoselic will be opening an embassy in Japan very soon," Sonia said.
"I think I heard about that on the news, rather than in the capital they decided on a location close to…," Naegi trailed of as he realized what was bothering Sonia.
"Close to Hope's Peak Academy, correct," Sonia finished for him. Continuing Sonia said, "I believe that this may have less to do with foreign relations and more to do with monitoring me."
"Well, I guess I can understand. You are the only daughter of the royal family," Naegi said. Naegi may not know much about royalty, but if his parents were anything to go by then he knew how much parents worried when their child left home.
"I realize that, it is just that when I came here I wished to be treated like a normal Japanese high school girl and I don't know if that will be possible now," Sonia said sadly.
"Well, it could just be a coincidence. Embassies are usually placed in a nation's capital city, but there have been cases where they've been placed elsewhere," Naegi said, trying to cheer her up. He doubted that would convince her, but he wouldn't be Naegi Makoto if he didn't try to look on the bright side.
"Perhaps, but it is unlikely," Sonia responded.
"Don't let it get to you Sonia-senpai, I'm sure everything will be alright," Naegi said with a reassuring smile.
"Maybe you are right Naegi-kun," Sonia said, feeling better. She had not interacted much with Naegi before this morning, but for some reason she felt like she could believe him. She wasn't sure why she would feel that way, but she decided that she would like to know more about the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78.
Hope's Peak Academy-Cafeteria
Sixth Week of Classes-Monday
Sonia's first opportunity to learn about Naegi came at lunch time the very next day. As Class 78 and Class 77-B were gathering in the cafeteria, Sonia spotted Naegi sitting at a table with Ikusaba, Maizono, and Mioda. After she had gotten her own lunch she made her way towards that Naegi's table, ignoring one of her classmate's attempts to get her attention.
"Sonia-san! Over here! It's a private table for you and me!" Souda yelled, while waving one arm frantically in the vain attempt to catch Sonia's attention. He stopped when Sonia stopped in front of Naegi's table and then curled up in a fetal position as tears streamed down his face.
Naegi, who had a perfect view of Souda, asked, "Is Souda-senpai going to be okay?"
"Kazuichi-chan always gets like that when Sonia-chan ignores him," Mioda explained.
It may be better if I just let that go, Naegi thought to himself. Turning his attention to Sonia, he asked, "Would you care to join us Sonia-senpai?"
"I would be delighted," Sonia answered before taking a seat at the table. While the others were focused on lunch, Sonia was trying to think of a way to phrase the question she wanted to ask Naegi.
It seemed that Naegi had questions of his own as he asked, "Sonia-senpai, is it alright if I ask you about Novoselic?"
"Yes, you are more than welcome to," Sonia answered, always happy to sing the praises of her homeland.
"As I said this morning, I did a report on Novoselic in junior high, but there was not much information," Naegi said.
"Yes, that is understandable, I believe I mentioned that even cartographers overlook Novoselic," Sonia said. Though she did her best to hide it, Naegi thought she sounded disappointed by that fact.
"How about I start by telling you what I learned and maybe you could give me more details?" Naegi suggested, hoping to improve Sonia's mood.
"Oh yes, that idea sounds 'totally sweet,'" Sonia said.
I guess she really is trying to be a normal girl. She's overdoing it, but it's actually kind of cute, Naegi thought. Pushing that thought aside, Naegi said, "I had read that Novoselic Kingdom is an extremely small country that is governed by an absolute monarchy. Though it possesses a small population, it enjoys a thriving economy. I had also read that for generations, the royal family has protected the kingdom and its people from neighboring countries and it is thanks to that, the people still have a complete trust towards the royal family."
"Yes, that is all correct," Sonia confirmed with a nod.
"Oh, and I also read that Novoselic's specialties are wine and chocolate," Naegi quickly added.
"Yes, all who have tried our wine, or our chocolate swear it is the greatest in the world," Sonia said with pride.
"It sounds like a fairy tale come to life. Now I really want to visit someday," Naegi said as he scratched the back of his head.
"You would be more than welcome, Naegi-kun," Sonia said with a smile. Figuring now would be a good time to ask her question, Sonia asked, "Naegi-kun is it all right if I ask you something as well?"
"I'd be more than happy to answer your questions, Sonia-senpai. Provided I can answer, I mean," Naegi said, before he took a bite of his lunch.
Taking a deep breath, Sonia asked, "Who did you have your heart set on initially, and who do you intend to switch to later?"
Shocked by that question, Naegi started choking. Fortunately for him the other girls had been paying attention to the conversation between the two. All three reached for their respective drinks, but Maizono was the quickest. After Naegi gulped down what Maizono had passed him, and completely missed the smug look Maizono directed at her rivals, he asked, "What?!"
"Did I do something wrong?" Sonia asked, confused. "After watching 'The Story of Seven Men and Women' I thought it was a standard tactic to start wavering and swapping partners," Sonia explained.
The other girls were trying their hardest not to laugh. They were not laughing at Sonia, even Ikusaba and Maizono had interacted with the young princess enough to know Sonia was naïve about many things. No, they were trying not to laugh at how uncomfortable Naegi looked as he attempted to string words together.
"Um, well, uh…girls a little help," Naegi pleaded.
"Oh, no, no, no. I'm sure we all want to hear this," Ikusaba said, teasingly. The other girls nodded in agreement.
Naegi sighed, he probably would have found this funny if Sonia had asked anyone else that question. Before he attempted to explain he figured he needed to get clarification, so Naegi asked, "Sonia-senpai, you're talking about that Trendy drama from the late 1980s, right?"
"Yes! It is amazing! It starts off really upbeat, but then it gets really serious, I never expected that to happen... It was all like, 'Seriously, what is going to happen?' I just could not take my eyes off the screen! Momoko's feelings at the time were... My goodness! So intense!" Sonia raved with sparkles in her eyes.
She's a total J-Drama fangirl, Naegi thought, before saying, "I'm sorry to tell you this Senpai, but that was just a TV show, I wouldn't count on anything like that happening."
"Oh," Sonia said, sounding slightly disappointed. It seems I still have much to learn about Japan, Sonia thought.
"I have to admit Sonia-senpai, you scared me with that question in the beginning," Naegi said.
"I assure you that was not my intention," Sonia said, her tone heavy with guilt.
"No, no, I understand. It's just that "The Story of Seven Men and Women" involved the main cast having one-night stands with each other. It's not behavior I would engage in normally anyway but given my current situation it could cause a lot of problems. Not just for me, but the school and possibly you and the other girls. At first, I thought you were accusing me of something," Naegi explained.
"I asked you without even considering that," Sonia said surprised at herself. A princess should never cause trouble for others like this, Sonia thought.
"No harm done, but like I said, that was just a TV show. Real life is different. Although, I suppose that there is a certain irony in me saying that, since my current living situation is like something out of an anime," Naegi said.
When Sonia didn't respond, Naegi said, "I'm sorry Senpai, I didn't mean to upset you. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it."
"Since it seems that I still have much to learn about Japan, could I come to you if I have questions?" Sonia asked.
"Of course, Sonia-senpai. You can come to me for anything," Naegi said with a kind and sincere smile.
That put a smile back on Sonia's face. "Have you always been such a kind, caring person Naegi-kun?" Sonia asked.
"It's the only way I know how to live my life, Senpai," Naegi answered.
Sonia could tell Naegi was completely serious when he said that. For the second time in as many days, she found herself impressed by the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girl's Dorm Common Area
Sixth Week of Classes-Wednesday
Classes had officially ended for the day but for Sonia Nevermind, there were still lessons to attend. True to his word, Naegi had been more than happy to answer any and all questions she had about Japanese culture. Of course, she wasn't the only one learning. Naegi had the occasional question about Novoselic too, and Sonia had been more than happy to answer.
They had discussed many things: cultural norms and mores; landmarks and the history behind them; attractions like amusement parks (in Novoselic's case, the lack thereof); and the current subject of education.
"…and that is why children as young as six learn to operate a tank in Novoselic," Sonia finished.
I kind of understand, but I still can't say I approve, Naegi thought. The two had been discussing education in Japan and Novoselic. When Sonia mentioned grade school children driving tanks, of course Naegi requested an explanation. Still, he voiced his appreciation by saying, "Thank you Senpai, I appreciate you telling me about Novoselic."
"No thanks are necessary Naegi-kun, you have been doing the same for me with Japan," Sonia responded happily. And why shouldn't she be happy, not only did she get to learn about Japan, but she was given the opportunity to teach someone about the country she would one day rule, something that even her own classmates had shown little interest in.
"By the way Sonia-senpai, this is a bit more of a personal question, but the other day I noticed how passionate you are about Japanese dramas. Do you have a favorite?" Naegi asked.
Sonia's eyes lit up before she exclaimed, "Yes! I do not know how many times I have seen 'I Will Arrest Your Eyes!'! In fact, when I arrived in Japan, the first thing I did was run across the Spain-zaka!"
I know that show took place in Shibuya. And Shibuya is a tourist hotspot to be sure, but I don't see much point in running across the "Spanish Hill." Well, if it makes Sonia-senpai happy then maybe the "why" doesn't matter, Naegi thought.
"Hmm, in my opinion, I believe the best Japanese dramas were... The ones aimed at women between the ages of 20 to 34, just before Japan's economic bubble burst! The trendiness, energy, and quality... Entertainment was truly at its zenith during this period," Sonia continued.
Naegi nodded. He wasn't big on dramas, but there were a fair share of anime and manga from that time that he had a great fondness for. He was also impressed that Sonia even knew about the Japanese asset price bubble. She's really done her homework, Naegi thought.
"Like all entertainment, Japanese dramas heavily reference their native culture and because of this, slang expressions were often used, so there are some things foreigners may not understand..." Sonia said, trailing off.
Naegi, realizing what Sonia was getting at, said, "If there is anything you don't understand, I'd be happy to explain."
"Thank you very much! Um, so for example: When lovers go on a ski trip, they always end up trapped by a blizzard, right? In that situation, what do you call the ritual where they warm themselves under a blanket while naked?" Sonia asked innocently.
I agree with you that one can learn a lot about other cultures through their entertainment Senpai, but I think you may be learning the wrong things, Naegi thought uncomfortably as he struggled to find a way to explain. When he finally did find the words, he said, "W-Well...that's not really a ritual, it's...um, how should I put it? It's more like a cliché, maybe even a trope at this point."
"Oh, is that so? I certainly thought it was something known in my country as 'Makango,'" Sonia said. Naegi thought she seemed disappointed, whether it was because of his explanation or that she had misunderstood, he did not know.
"Makango? Oh, I recognize that word. I had read that Novoselic has traditions that involve the local wildlife, but I couldn't really find anything specific about the makango," Naegi said, wracking his brain to try and recall anything else.
"Y-yes, that is true. According to tradition, lovers cannot become one until they show each other the mankangos they have grown," Sonia started as she turned red.
Wait…grown? I thought that they were animals, Naegi thought as he tilted his head in confusion.
Sonia must have mistaken it for a gesture urging her to continue because she soon said, "I-It is too embarrassing, so please do not make me say it."
"Embarrassing?" Naegi asked more confused than ever.
"You will get a nosebleed!" Sonia exclaimed.
Nosebleed? Wait… "become one," does she mean…? Oh crap! Naegi thought as realization dawned on him. He quickly said, "Okay, I'll drop it." The last thing I need to do in my situation is talk about sex. Especially not with a foreign student, and especially not with a princess, Naegi thought, hoping no one had heard their conversation. He was right, although the girls were beginning to understand that Naegi was harmless, he didn't want to risk someone thinking he was trying to take advantage of Sonia's naiveté.
Sonia sighed in relief and with a smile said, "Good. I do apologize Naegi-kun but…"
"No, I understand. I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable Senpai," Naegi said. He was, more than what that conversation could mean for him, he hated that he made his new friend uncomfortable.
"It is fine Naegi-kun, you did not know," Sonia said with a kind understanding smile.
Remembering the other day, Naegi started chuckling and asked, "I guess that makes us even for Monday, huh Senpai?"
It took Sonia a moment to recall what Naegi meant, but when she did she started giggling before saying, "I suppose it does, Naegi-kun."
"And you were worried," Naegi said, done laughing but with a smile still on his face.
"What do you mean, Naegi-kun?" Sonia asked, confused. I do not believe that I have mentioned being worried, she thought.
"You were worried you wouldn't be able to be a normal high school girl. Laughing with friends about things like this, I think that's pretty normal," Naegi explained.
Sonia started to laugh and said, "I do believe that you are right, Naegi-kun". She was touched that Naegi had bothered to remember that. Her classmates mostly treated her like a normal student, and she was grateful for that, but right now she felt more like a normal Japanese high school girl than she ever had. It feels good to feel this way, Sonia thought happily. For the rest of the evening the other girls would see the Ultimate Princess wearing the biggest smile they had ever seen from her.
Hope's Peak Academy-Behind the Old School Building
Seventh Week of Classes-Tuesday
Classes had ended for the day, and most of the students went about their business. Naegi would have been one of them, but for a note he had received last evening. It read:
Naegi-kun,
Please meet me behind the Old School Building at 3:30 tomorrow. There is something I wish to discuss with you. Tell no one and make sure you are not followed.
Yours,
Sonia Nevermind
Receiving a note from a pretty girl that asked to meet in secret would have made Naegi nervous regardless, but the fact that it was from an actual princess made it that much more nerve-wracking. Being alone with his thoughts wasn't exactly helping either, What could this be about? It couldn't be… No, "tell no one and make sure you are not followed" makes it sound too urgent. But then why wait at all?
"Naegi-kun, you're exactly thirteen minutes early. Excellent!" an excited voice exclaimed. Naegi turned and saw that Sonia had arrived.
"Senpai, is everything alri-," Naegi started.
"Shush! Lower your voice! We do not know who might be listening in!" Sonia warned.
If Naegi hadn't thought something was wrong before, Sonia's words and serious expression would have convinced him.
Sonia must have sensed Naegi's anxiety, for in a calm, soothing voice she soon said, "Now then, come closer. ...No need to worry."
That managed to calm Naegi down, who soon did as he was asked. Still, Naegi couldn't help but wonder what it was that Sonia needed to discuss that required this secrecy.
He wouldn't have long to wait, because as soon as Sonia deemed him close enough she asked, "Naegi-kun, do you happen to know a lot about the occult?"
That had not been what Naegi was expecting, but he still answered, "Uh, I know a few things about ghosts and fortune-telling if that helps."
"Ah!" Sonia exclaimed happily.
Deciding he needed to clarify, Naegi continued, "My sister, Komaru, believes she can see ghosts, although the first 'ghost' she claimed to see belonged to someone who was still alive. That said, she still seems to be able to see things no one else can, so I believe her. It was because of that that I tried to read up on ghosts when I was younger."
"And fortune-telling?" Sonia asked, making a mental note to get the full story from Naegi one day.
"When I learned I was going to be classmates with the Ultimate Clairvoyant I tried to learn about the different methods of fortune-telling. I did it so that way Hagakure-kun and I had something to talk about, but it turns out he'd rather talk about aliens and OOPart," Naegi explained. Mentally, he added, I also learned that he doesn't believe in the occult, but unless Sonia-senpai or anyone else wants to get a reading from him, I think I can keep that to myself.
Sonia didn't ask for more details. Instead, she asked, "Do you know much what about cults?"
"Not very much, I'm afraid," Naegi admitted, not really sure what it was Sonia was getting at.
"Hmm, well I suppose that will do for now. Let us disperse," Sonia said.
"Wait, Senpai, what were all these questions and all the secrecy about?" Naegi asked.
Sonia seemed to weigh the decision of whether or not to answer Naegi's question before she said, "I can see no harm in telling you. Though I understand it is a forbidden interest for a princess, I am quite interested in Freemasonry!"
Naegi gave confused look, that really didn't answer his question.
"Of course, my interest is purely academic. I have no intention of conspiring to overthrow the government," Sonia elaborated.
I can see how that could be awkward, Naegi thought.
"But when I think about Freemasonry, my chest begins to hurt," Sonia added.
She's passionate, but I think she might have the wrong idea, Naegi thought.
"However, it seems not many people understand this feeling of mine. And because of that, I feel quite lonely. Sometimes I feel like I could just cry," Sonia said sadly.
Naegi put his hand on Sonia's shoulder and gave a kind smile, both to comfort her and to urge her to continue.
It worked because she soon gave a resolute smile and said, "However, expanding my knowledge like this is the duty every member of the royal family. And that is why I am interested in the occult, cults, and popular dramas!"
That's an admirable attitude, but those sound like the interests of high school girl, not the research of a future head of state, Naegi thought.
"I have always believed that dismissing a different set of values due to ignorance is foolish. I asked you here because I believed that you would understand, and I am pleased to see that I was right," Sonia said happily.
Yeah, I guess I do, Naegi thought. That he had bothered to learn about ghosts and fortune-telling was proof of that.
"I do not know how many foolish wars have be fought on the basis of that ignorance. Of course, my country is no exception. We still have many unique traditions that other cultures would not truly understand," Sonia finished.
"Like the makango and… I believe they're called skong?" Naegi asked.
"Yes, in Novoselic you are not acknowledged as an adult until you consume a skong," Sonia confirmed.
I've never seen a picture of either of these animals, but for some reason that sounds unappetizing, Naegi thought.
"However, I think my generation should be objecting to these traditions," Sonia said. She continued, "Although it is nice to retain makangos and skongs as a symbol of high status, auctioning them to the highest bidder goes against the spirit of animal conservation. I am not suggesting that we end this tradition completely, I shall simply find new uses for makangos and skongs."
"Like what?" Naegi asked, he thought maybe he could find out more about these animals if Sonia explained her plans.
"They grow when they're scared and shrink when angered. I plan to harness the energy they release in this state. By using the knowledge of the past, we shall develop a new energy source from our old traditions!" Sonia's voice was full of conviction as she exclaimed this.
That really just raises more questions. I wasn't aware animals like that actually existed, Naegi thought.
Sonia continued, "I understand that it may be a difficult path. However, I shall accomplish it by any means! After all, guiding my people along the right path is the duty of a ruler!"
"You're really amazing Senpai. Your people are really lucky to have you," Naegi said.
"Thank you Naegi-kun, but to me, I am simply doing my duty as a princess," Sonia said, humbly.
"Maybe, but I still think it's amazing that you would want to embark on such a task when you know it's difficult. Change is hard, and those who have benefitted from those traditions aren't going to be so willing to embrace it. I know there probably isn't much I can do to help you, but I will be hoping for you to succeed," Naegi said.
Sonia felt her cheeks grow warm for some reason and said, "Thank you Naegi-kun." Sonia didn't know why, but that difficult path of hers felt less difficult now.
"I don't think I did anything worth your thanks Senpai, but you're welcome," Naegi said. As the two made their way back to the dorm, Naegi turned to Sonia and asked, "Sonia-senpai, after last time I won't ask you about makangos, but could you tell me skongs?"
Sonia nodded before saying, "Well, skongs look a great deal like…"
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Eighth Week of Classes-Sunday
It was after lunch when Naegi found himself in front of the door to Sonia's room. He had been invited here after a brief conversation earlier in the day. He and Sonia had been talking and he had asked what he thought was an innocent enough question: "Why had Novoselic been overlooked for so long?" He had been expecting a history lesson, but what he got was a serious look from Sonia before she told him to come to her room later so she could explain.
I've never seen Sonia-senpai look so serious, Naegi thought before knocking on the door. He was glad most of the dorm's other occupants knew where he would be and why, it would save him awkward explanations. Although, perhaps explanations were no longer necessary, as it seemed that even Koizumi and Saionji no longer believed that Naegi would try something if he and girl were alone in his or her room together. He wasn't sure what had changed, but he was grateful for it. He was so distracted by this line of thought that he almost missed Sonia saying, "Come in."
Naegi did as he was told, and when he had entered he saw Sonia sitting on her bed with the same expression she had worn when she had told him to come to her room.
"Ah Naegi-kun, please have a seat," Sonia said as she motioned towards the chair at her desk. After Naegi had done so, Sonia took a deep breath and Naegi decided to speak.
"Sonia-senpai, if you don't want to discuss this we don't have to," Naegi told her.
"No, no, it is not that. It is…Well, once I have finished I am sure you will understand," Sonia said. She soon stood up and started pacing before she stopped and asked, "Before we begin, are you familiar with the phrase, 'damnatio memoriae?"
"'Damnatio memoriae' is a Latin phrase literally meaning 'condemnation of memory', it means that a person must not be remembered. It was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate on traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman State. The intent was to erase all memory of the malefactor," Naegi answered.
"Correct. Do you know which two countries border Novoselic?" Sonia asked.
"There is the Republic of Borginia that almost completely surrounds Novoselic to the south and in the sea to the north there is the island nation of Fortuna," Naegi answered.
Sonia had one more question, "Have you ever heard of the 'Divine Right of Kings?'"
"That's the political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy that asserted that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of God." Naegi wasn't sure of the point of any of these questions, but he was sure Sonia would explain.
"Good, this will save us some time. I need you to understand all of these before I tell you Novoselic's history," Sonia began. Sonia sat back down on her bed before continuing, "As you know, my family has ruled Novoselic for the longest time, and the story of how that came to be is part of the reason why Novoselic has been overlooked for so long. Though, overlooked is not the word I would use."
For the first time since he had known her, Naegi thought he had heard bitterness in Sonia's voice as she said that last part.
"Before House Nevermind ruled Novoselic there was only one other royal family, that of House Dosinmatter. My family simply served under them until sometime in the Early Middle Ages when King Eric Dosenmatter ascended to the throne. The reign of Eric the Depraved and what happened next would shape the course of Novoselic's history for centuries," Sonia began. She saw that Naegi sat and listened with rapt attention and she continued.
"Whether it was madness or cruelty, no one can say, but Eric Dosinmatter more than earned his moniker, the Depraved. When farmers had a poor growing season a member of their family would be executed; he would demand tribute from random citizens and if he found it lacking he would leave them to rot in the dungeons, where it is believed that he would personally torture them; any of his men that would take pity on the citizens would be executed for the 'crime of weakness.' There are other examples that I will not go into as I believe you understand."
"As I said before, my family served House Dosinmatter since the beginning, and at first this was no different. When my ancestor Viktor Nevermind became Eric's advisor, he attempted to reign him in, but to no avail. Eric would not stop, and I imagine he saw no reason to. This was before the Social Contract Theory, kings were, as you stated, 'subject to no earthly authority.' However, as time wore on and Eric's depravity grew, Viktor and others who could not stomach his evil began to see no other way. They would commit regicide to save Novoselic, not matter what happened to them. It was rather one-sided, Eric had not done much to endear himself to his subjects, and few rallied to his side. You had said that those who benefit from traditions are likely to oppose change, well those who had benefitted from Eric's rule, and there were a few ministers who had, were all who would oppose my ancestor and his men. In a matter of days Eric was dead and his loyalists and his wife were placed on a ship and would be left on an island to the north, present day Fortuna, which at the time was where Novoselic exiled repeat offenders that were undeterred by the stocks."
"With Eric gone a new king would be needed and as he was the one who had taken Eric's life, my ancestor Viktor was made king. For the people of Novoselic, this made sense: an unjust ruler would be replaced by a just one. I believe that in China and East Asia such a thing is called the 'Mandate of Heaven.'"
Naegi interrupted, "Yes, while the divine right of kings granted unconditional legitimacy, the Mandate of Heaven was dependent on the behavior of the ruler, the Son of Heaven. Heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler, but it could be displeased with a despotic ruler and thus withdraw its mandate, transferring it to a more suitable and righteous person. This withdrawal of mandate also afforded the possibility of revolution as a means to remove the errant ruler."
"Correct, but sadly, revolt was never legitimate under the European framework of divine right, in fact such a notion was sacrilegious," Sonia said. Then, picking up where she left off she said, "When word of this had spread to other kingdoms, it was believed that it was only a matter of time before divine punishment would be visited upon Novoselic. As you can plainly see, that did not happen. In fact, Novoselic seemed to enjoy even greater prosperity than before the reign of Eric. As such, accusations of witchcraft and deals with the devil began to circulate among the neighboring kingdoms to the point where even associating with someone from Novoselic was severely punished. It was through this that a name and a moniker were born: Fortuna was given its name for it was fortunate that those loyal to Eric would not share Novoselic's fate. This name was conceived by those loyal to Eric who had been banished to the island. They also came up with a moniker for the newly crowned King Viktor. He who had gone against Heaven would be known as Viktor the Forsaken. That was fine for Fortuna, but the rest of Europe had a different idea. Perhaps you wondered why I asked if you were familiar with damnatio memoriae? I realize that it must seem odd since the Fall of Rome had already happened, but Rome's influence is still very much a part of Europe today. Think of how much more noticeable it was in the time of Viktor. It was decided in order to protect their kingdoms and the rest of Europe, the knowledge and memory of Novoselic must be erased, a different type of damnatio memoriae."
"Of course, as with the actual damnatio memoriae, it was difficult, to implement the practice completely. Just look at Rome. The Roman Senate had wanted to condemn the memory of Caligula, but Claudius prevented this. Nero was declared an enemy of the state by the Senate, but then given an enormous funeral honoring him after his death by Vitellius. And so, it was for Novoselic, as other Europeans would unknowingly associate with its people," Sonia said.
"They would, of course, not refer to themselves as people of Novoselic, as anyone from Novoselic and those associating with them would be executed. For their safety, people of Novoselic that did business with those from other lands would say that they were from a kingdom called Borginia. I doubt that they could imagine that many centuries later this lie would become the truth."
Sonia stopped, reached for a glass of water she had on bedside table, and took a sip. She then continued, "My apologies, where was I? Oh yes, Borginia. Novoselic was once much larger than it is today: Both the Republic of Borginia and Fortuna had both once been a part of it. You have heard how Fortuna had come to be and you have heard the origin of the name Borginia. Between present day Novoselic and Borginia, there is a large mountain range that surrounds Novoselic on three sides. For centuries, the only way through was a narrow pass. While Novoselic has the natural resources to be self-sufficient, on the other side of those mountains, the land that would become Borginia had to trade with neighbors to survive. However, that is not what caused Borginia to split off from Novoselic, that is merely how and why the use of the name Borginia began. For though Eric's cruelty did not reach them as often as it did those inside that mountain range, it still managed to reach them. They agreed that Novoselic was better off without Eric, but like I said, they still needed trade to survive. With this in mind, the position of Earl of Borginia was deemed necessary, and so in one of his last official acts as king, Viktor appointed one. House Cudhaben was known for its prudence, wisdom, and generosity, they were seen as excellent for their role as Earls and Countesses. For a time, things proceeded smoothly, until the Black Death swept through Europe."
"By this time many generations had passed and Novoselic was ruled by King Abram. While the Black Death was decimating the people of Europe, those with limited trade managed to avoid the worst of it. It was perhaps because the rest of the continent had blacklisted Novoselic that it passed the northern part of Novoselic completely. Those in Borginia were not so fortunate, not even House Cudhaben, which had been completely wiped out."
"With no heir to take over, Abram called his two sons Alexander and Albert. Alexander, the older of the two was charismatic and it was well known that he knew how to fight, but his leadership skills had been untested. Albert was more a thinker than a fighter, and although less charismatic than his brother, his kind and generous nature made him popular among the people. With no one to succeed the Earl of Borginia, King Abram appointed Alexander as the Duke of Borginia."
"Instead of seeing this for what it was, a way to test him for his future as king and an act of trust, Alexander saw this as a plot to make Albert the king. Once he had made the journey into Borginia, he declared the new 'Duchy of Borginia' a sovereign nation and gathered an army to take what was his. It was easy enough to gather an army, with his aforementioned charisma he told the people he was sent to govern that Novoselic had escaped the effects of the Black Death because they had the cure and were withholding it. A simple lie and perhaps even back then it may have been considered transparent, but to those still reeling from loss and looking for someone to blame, it became a rallying cry."
"I cannot imagine the pain of Abram and Albert at the thought of fighting their son and brother, but they understood their responsibility to their people, so fight they did. Both made repeated attempts to reason with Alexander and the opposing army but to no avail. Although Alexander could fight, it turned out he could not lead, and his already small force was repelled back to the other side of the mountains. As a final act of malice against the family he believed had wronged him, he had a gate erected between the mountain pass of Borginia and Novoselic and encouraged the people of Borginia to tell of a land of desolation and evil within the mountains to all who would listen. Who would correct them? Europe had almost completely forgotten about Novoselic by this point, the only evidence that it existed was the worn and well-traveled mountain pass."
"As you have noted, my family has protected Novoselic from neighboring countries for generations. It is the people of Borginia and Fortuna that we have been protecting them from. These old grudges lingered for the longest time and those claiming to be descended from Eric from Fortuna and those descended from Alexander from Borginia would come and try to take what they believed was rightfully theirs."
"Thankfully, that is not so much a problem today, or rather we do not have to fear invading armies. During the Enlightenment, specifically the spread of the idea of the Social Contract Theory, both those claiming to be descendants of Eric and the descendants of Alexander had been deposed by their own people. For the most part, Fortuna no longer bears Novoselic a grudge and when the true cause of the Black Death and how to avoid it had been discovered, Borginia finally made peace with Novoselic. There are still groups that claim they are loyal to the true royalty of Novoselic that are supposedly led by the descendants of Eric and Alexander and have conducted acts of terror to achieve their goals."
"It was not until the late nineteenth century that all of Europe once again acknowledged the existence of Novoselic, the rest of the world had at least heard of us by the early twentieth, but somehow we are still often overlooked. I believe that our location combined with our ability to remain self-sufficient has led to isolationist tendencies, considering what Novoselic has gone through I cannot say I blame those who wished to remain isolated from the world. Though after the Cold War this sentiment has changed as we have realized that Novoselic must keep up with the rest of the world or we will not survive," Sonia said.
It seemed that Sonia had finished, so Naegi asked, "Thank you for explaining all of this, but why the secrecy, shouldn't everyone hear this?"
"You are right Naegi-kun, there is no need to keep this information secret. I do it so that the others will not see me so…so…" Sonia said as she struggled to find the right word.
"Bitter?" Naegi suggested.
"Yes, I am bitter. I know that all of this is in the past and that it is time to move forward. I want to move forward, but when I think about what happened I cannot help it. Whether or not other kingdoms believed that what Viktor did was justified why force the people of Novoselic to suffer for it? Because they rebelled with him against an unjust ruler? What would they have had them do? Suffer until Eric wiped them all out? Alexander was no better. He wanted to rule but suspicion and jealousy cost him his chance and he made two nations suffer for it. Would it not have been better to talk to his father and brother? Was it so hard to try to understand? Albert tried again and again to get him to return. Why would he not listen?" Sonia vented with tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Seeing that Naegi was looking at her and not missing his sympathetic gaze, Sonia broke down and between sobs managed to say, "I'm sorry, Naegi-kun, but now you understand why I speak of foolish wars and ignorance. This is why I believe that understanding is so important. Perhaps it is foolish of me to speak of such things while I hold these feelings when I think of the past. Do I even have a right to talk about the future when I hold these feelings?" She probably would have kept going but Naegi had come over and pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay Senpai, this is just proof of how much you love Novoselic and its people," Naegi said as he rubbed her back soothingly. Sonia continued sobbing for a few more minutes before she finally calmed down.
"I am sorry you had to see me like that, Naegi-kun," she apologized.
"It's alright, Senpai. Honestly, seeing how much you love your country and its people make me think of how lucky they are to have a princess like you," Naegi said.
"I appreciate that Naegi-kun, but what would my people say if they saw me like this?" Sonia asked.
"If they saw just how deep your love for them, their history, and Novoselic is, it could only make them love you more," Naegi responded.
Sonia blushed and said, "Th-thank you, Naegi-kun." My heart is beating so fast, she thought.
"You're welcome, Senpai. Don't worry, I won't tell the others about this if you really don't want me to, but I know none of them would fault you for feeling the way you do," Naegi said.
"Do you really think so?" Sonia asked.
"Of course, normal high school students have strong feelings and get emotional all the time, it's okay to let your friends help you when you feel this way. If something happened or there is something bothering you, I'll help. In fact, you have a lot of amazing people willing to help you. But I understand why you're worried," Naegi said.
"You do?" Sonia asked.
"It's because you're a princess, right?" Naegi asked back.
"Yes, it seems me being a normal Japanese high school girl is just a fantasy," Sonia said sadly.
"Well, I can't make you Japanese," Naegi said as he scratched the back of his head before continuing, "but I don't think you have to give up on being a normal high school girl. I understand that you are a princess. You have a weight on your shoulders that I couldn't possibly understand, and that for your people's sake you must be perfect. Maybe you think that if you are seen as fallible that they will lose their faith in the royal family. I can't say for sure if that is true, but I don't know why you can't be both a princess and a normal high school girl. It's okay to feel, it's okay to not be perfect, as long as it doesn't interfere with your duties I think everyone would understand."
Sonia just stood there with a contemplative look on her face.
Naegi, thinking he had crossed some line said, "I'm sorry, Senpai. I know I can't really understand since I'm not royalty."
"You have done nothing wrong Naegi-kun, but you have given me something to think about," Sonia said with a bright smile.
Relieved, Naegi said, "I'm glad to hear that Senpai. Thank you for the history lesson." When he had put his hand on the doorknob, he stopped, turned, smiled and said, "For what it's worth, even when you're the Queen of Novoselic, you'll still be Sonia-senpai to me."
The red came back to Sonia's cheeks and she swore her heart beat even faster than before. All she said in response was, "It's worth more than you can imagine. Thank you, Naegi-kun."
Present Day
BOOOOMMM!
The two were brought back to the present by a loud explosion close by. The force so great that it knocked the two off balance with Naegi colliding with Sonia knocking them both to the ground.
"Sonia-senpai! I'm sorry, I-," Naegi was soon cut off by a loud thud. A large piece of metal had fallen out of the sky. From her position, Sonia was able to see that had she and Naegi not fallen when they had, she would have been struck by it. It was incidents like this that convinced the young princess that she was correct in her assumptions, that Naegi was indeed the legendary hero.
"Darling, you saved me again! See, you really do possess the ability to sense danger!" Sonia practically cheered.
Naegi laughed nervously, he knew no matter what he said to the contrary Sonia would not believe it. Soon though, after getting to his feet and helping Sonia to hers, he asked, "What was that?"
Pointing in the direction the metal had come from Sonia said, "I believe it came from that direction."
"I hope no one was hurt," Naegi said as he started off in the direction Sonia had pointed.
"Yes, we must ensure that there were no casualties," Sonia said as she followed.
As the two got closer to the site of the explosion they heard another loud noise. This time it was two people yelling.
"Look at this! Look at this! I don't know how, I don't know when, but I know it was your stupid rats that did this!"
"Lies! The Twelve Zodiac Generals have not left my presence! The nature of our dark pact is such that-"
"Then what else could have done it!"
Both Naegi and Sonia recognized those voices as belonging to Souda Kazuichi and Tanaka Gundham. Souda looked furious. He was covered in oil and dust and was holding out what looked like wires. Tanaka looked better but seemed just as angry. The Generals, Tanaka's hamsters, were on his shoulders and head and were cowering, Naegi couldn't tell if it was because of the noise from the explosion or their master's and Souda's tones. Deciding that it was best to defuse the situation Naegi drew their attention.
"Tanaka-senpai! Souda-senpai!" he called.
"Ah, the Light-Born, how fare you?" Tanaka asked in greeting.
"Sonia-san!" Souda called out, his anger completely forgotten.
"What has happened here?" Sonia asked.
His anger returning, Souda said, "This asshole's rats chewed on these wires and caused my machine to blow up!"
"They did not!" Tanaka yelled.
"Souda-senpai, may I see those wires?" Naegi asked.
Souda grumbled but complied. Naegi had to admit that he was right, it did in fact look like something had chewed on the wires. Without the coating the current must have jumped. So Souda-senpai was most likely right about that causing the explosion, Naegi thought. Still, something was bothering him. Turning to Tanaka, or rather his hamsters, Naegi gently asked, "Could all of you show me your teeth?"
The Twelve Zodiac Generals did as they were asked. Early on, the Generals had become quite fond of Naegi and listened to him almost as well as they listened to their real master, it certainly came in handy at times like this.
"Hmm, yeah I thought so, but I had to be sure. Souda-senpai, it's clear that something chewed on your wires, but these teeth marks are too small to have been caused by the Generals," Naegi said.
"What else could have done it?" Souda asked. He still wasn't convinced.
"I wish I could tell you Senpai. I think that we would probably notice if Hope's Peak had a problem with mice or rats," Naegi said, trying to think of an answer.
"Excuse me, but could you help me?" a new voice asked.
"Kimura-senpai, whatever is the matter?" Sonia asked the newcomer. Kimura Seiko was a short woman with purple eyes and a sickly complexion. She had a pale grey hair and a respirator mask covering her mouth.
"I'm sorry to bother you but some of my test animals have escaped. It seems that I forgot to lock their cages last night," Kimura explained.
"Impossible!" Tanaka exclaimed.
"Why is it impossible, Tanaka-senpai?" Naegi asked.
"Earlier this year a dark bargain was struck. Your familiars should be forever bound to your realm," Tanaka said to Kimura.
"Yes, earlier this year I requested Tanaka-kun's help in training my research animals so that they wouldn't run away, but…" Kimura began.
"If Tanaka-kun trained them to not leave your lab then they should not have left your lab," Sonia stated. She was right, animals trained by Tanaka Gundham always behaved the way they were trained, everyone knew that.
"The ones he trained are still there, but a month ago some of my hamsters gave birth. I thought I could hold off on requesting Tanaka-kun's help until they were older, but that seems to have been a mistake," Kimura said sadly. She didn't want to bother Tanaka again. She hated to be a bother at all, but it seems things were going to turn out that way no matter what.
"Souda-senpai, I believe we now know what chewed your wires," Naegi said.
Souda just growled.
"What's this about wires?" Kimura asked.
Naegi showed her the wires and said, "We aren't sure when this happened. Souda-senpai thought Tanaka-senpai's hamsters chewed them but now I think it might have been your baby research hamsters."
Kimura looked at the wires and sighed, "Yes, I've seen them chew enough things to recognize their teeth marks. I'm sorry for the trouble, Souda-kun."
"It's fine," Souda said, although he still seemed angry. Part of him had wanted Tanaka's hamsters to be what had chewed his machine's wires.
"Would you like us to help you look for your hamsters?" Naegi offered
"No, if this happened a while ago then they are probably long gone," Kimura said in resignation.
"If you're sure, Kimura-senpai, but I'll keep an eye out anyway," Naegi said.
"As will I," Sonia added.
"I as well," Tanaka said.
"Thank you, I'm going to look a little longer then head back," Kimura said as she left.
When Kimura was out of earshot, Souda yelled, "It's a conspiracy, you Lucky Students have it out for me!"
"Souda-senpai, it was all just coincidence," Naegi said in an attempt to defend himself. Naegi had often heard that Komaeda's bad luck always seemed to draw Souda in, but to Naegi's knowledge, his luck had never affected Souda one way or the other. Naegi supposed that this had more to do with the amount of time he and Sonia spent together than any perceived problems his luck had caused Souda.
"Do not yell at Naegi-kun!" Sonia ordered. The regal aura she gave off let everyone know she would not tolerate any arguments.
"I-er, yes Sonia-san," Souda said, dejected.
"It's fine, Sonia-senpai," Naegi said, trying to calm the princess down.
"It is most certainly not, you have done nothing wrong. I believe that Tanaka-kun is owed an apology as well," Sonia said, still irritated by Souda's behavior.
"Sorry," Souda said as quickly as he could. Apologizing to Tanaka was not something Souda really wanted to do, but if Sonia wanted it, he would do it. It would be the bare minimum, but he would do it.
"I suppose that is the best we can expect," Sonia said as she finally calmed down, disappointment clear in her voice. It is not just that poor apology. I would have thought that after all that Naegi-kun has done for us, that Souda-kun would show him at least some respect, she thought.
This did not go unnoticed by Souda, who hung his head. I liked it better when it was just the hamster-humping chuuni I had to deal with, Souda thought.
"As long as the Generals have been proven innocent then I will not visit my wrath upon anyone," Tanaka said. It seems that I, the Overlord of Ice, am once again indebted to the Light-Born, he thought.
"That's very gracious of you Tanaka-senpai," Naegi said, not that he had expected anything else. He had gotten to know Tanaka and Souda pretty well in his time at Hope's Peak. Now that I think about it, these two are part of the reason Sonia-senpai thinks I'm some kind of hero, Naegi thought.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girl's Dorm
Eighth Week of Classes-Monday
Breakfast time at the dorm seemed unusually quiet today. It was the morning after Sonia had told Naegi of Novoselic's history and she seemed distracted. This did not go unnoticed by the other girls or by Naegi as they all sat at the table. The first to speak up, however, was Mioda.
"Is Sonia-chan alright?" she asked.
That question brought Sonia back to reality as she said, "What? Oh, Mioda-san, yes, I am fine. I am just preoccupied."
"With what?" this time it was Yukizome who asked, concern for her student was clear in her voice.
"I received word last night that the Novoselic Embassy will officially open in two weeks. I am to attend the ceremony as the Princess of Novoselic," Sonia explained.
"That's great…I think," Nanami said.
"It is good news, it is simply that I have never attended such an event without another member of the royal family present," Sonia said.
"Is that bad?" Asahina asked.
"Not bad. However, in my entire time attending Hope's Peak Academy, that is all I have done, attend Hope's Peak Academy as a student. I have not met with the representatives of another nation in some time, I simply fear I am out of practice. I must push that feeling aside though, I will never be fit to be queen if I cannot even do this," Sonia said, sounding determined at the end.
"You'll be fine Senpai," Naegi said.
Sonia's cheeks turned red as she nodded.
Enoshima didn't miss this and decided to speak up, "It sounds like you don't want to go by yourself though. Why not take Naegi-kun? Aren't you two BFFs now? Plus, isn't he a nerd for Novoselic?"
Three glares were directed at Enoshima in response to her words. Ikusaba, Maizono, and Mioda were not happy. Ikusaba didn't know what her sister was planning, but the thought of Naegi spending too much time with another girl irritated her. It irritated Maizono and Mioda too, they may not have known Enoshima's true nature, but they were pretty sure she was having fun at their expense.
This was confirmed for them when Enoshima just folded her hands and made herself look as innocent as possible. It wasn't what she wanted, but it would do for now. After all, jealousy was just another path to despair.
"That is an excellent suggestion, Enoshima-san!" Sonia exclaimed. The others could swear they saw her eyes sparkling. The young princess turned to Naegi and asked, "Naegi-kun, will you join me at the ceremony?"
"If it will make you feel better Senpai, then of course," Naegi said with a smile.
"Excellent, afterwards we can tour the building. I will tell you all you want to know about Novoselic. It will be 'totes awesome!'" Sonia exclaimed, eyes still bright and sparkling.
Everyone else had had gone back to eating, but there were three people who did not think it was "totes awesome."
Later
The mood in Class 77-B was rather subdued and the cause was not what anyone had expected. Mioda Ibuki, the ordinarily happy, peppy, Ultimate Musician, had come to class with a dark cloud over her head.
"Do Sensei and Naegi-kun need to put on another concert?" the Imposter asked, his voice heavy with concern.
Yukizome had heard the question and responded by saying, "No, this is… this is something else. She should be alright in a little while."
"Are you sure about that Sensei?" Nidai asked. No one could blame him for having doubts, even Mioda's horns were sagging. Her head was resting on her desk and she was tracing circles with her index finger while mumbling.
"Fuck it, I give up. what's wrong?" Kuzuryuu asked.
"Sonia-san needs to be at the opening of the Novoselic Embassy in two weeks and she asked Naegi-kun to go with her," Pekoyama answered.
"WHAT!" Souda shrieked.
"I told the girls and my 'biff' that I was worried about being the sole representative of Novoselic. Although Naegi-kun cannot join me for official business, simply knowing he will be there is reassuring," Sonia explained with a smile. She felt bad for Mioda, but she couldn't understand what Mioda was getting upset over. Naegi would be present as her friend, that was all. For the first time ever, the word "friend" left her with a bit of an empty feeling and she was not sure why.
"What's a 'biff?' Is that Novoselic for 'boyfriend?'" Souda asked in a whine, with tears streaming down his face.
"She means BFF, stupid virgin grease monkey," Saionji answered.
Yet another dark cloud had made its way into Class 77-B's homeroom as Souda hunched over in a corner. The knowledge that Sonia would be spending time with a boy who was not him and Saionji's insult had greatly upset him. The others occasionally heard things like, "Some guys have all the luck" and "The Lucky Students are against me, they have to be."
Yukizome, who had decided that it would probably just be better for them to get it out of their systems proceeded with the lesson. She was half right. Mioda perked up as the day went on, but Souda had not.
When the class was dismissed for lunch, Sonia stood up and said, "I cannot believe I forgot. I must check to see if Naegi-kun knows proper etiquette. Please excuse me everyone." With that she left the room in a hurry to look for Naegi.
That depressed Souda even more. Komaeda, who had been observing both Souda and Mioda, said, "Don't worry, Souda-kun. When you bounce back from this your hope will shine even brighter just like Mioda-san's."
That didn't cheer Souda up. In fact, it seemed as though he completely ignored Komaeda as he asked, "How do we know Sonia-san is safe with that kid? What if he tries something?"
"Impossible. He is Light-Born, there is nothing to fear," Tanaka said. A chorus of squeaks from the Zodiac Generals let the class know that they agreed with Tanaka's assessment of Naegi. Though their interactions had been limited, both Tanaka and the Zodiac Generals had taken an immediate liking to Naegi, Jum-P in particular seemed especially fond of him.
"Did your rats tell you that?" Souda asked with pure snark.
"How dare you!" Tanaka shouted back as his hamsters tried their best to look threatening and growl at their master's classmate.
"If you don't believe him then believe me. I'm from a yakuza clan, I've learned to read people over the years and I'm pretty damn good at it. That Naegi kid, he's good people. I've never met anyone that I believed to be less capable of dishonesty or ulterior motives in my life," Kuzuryuu said.
That was not what Souda wanted to hear, but he realized that he was not going to win this argument. He simply got up and stomped out of the room, grumbling about "Lucky little bastards."
Hope's Peak Academy-Main Building Hallway
Eighth Week of Classes-Tuesday
It was a good thing Sonia had checked if Naegi knew proper etiquette for state functions. While not completely clueless he still needed a bit of polishing before he would be ready. Naegi was actually grateful that Sonia had brought it up so that he, as he put it, "wouldn't embarrass her or make a complete fool of himself". Sonia assured him that he would be fine, that he was a fast learner. She did appreciate that he was taking this seriously.
They had agreed to meet up for lunch so that Sonia could instruct him further. Had she not been so focused on making her way to the cafeteria, she might have looked out the window and see a glint on a building in the distance.
There was someone who noticed though, Enoshima Junko was ahead of Sonia and she clearly saw light reflecting off of something in the distance. Her analytical abilities brought her to one conclusion: a sniper. Even if she hadn't been the Ultimate Analyst, she could have figured out their target: Princess Sonia Nevermind. Deciding the death of a senpai was just the type of despairful pick me up she would need, she decided to make the would-be assassin's job easier.
"Sonia-senpai, do you have a minute?" Enoshima asked after she turned around to face the young princess.
"Of course, Enoshima-san. How may I help you?" Sonia asked, suspecting nothing.
Each step Sonia took towards her only served to elate Enoshima further as she could practically feel the mysterious sniper get ready to make their shot.
Just when everything had seemed to be going Enoshima's way, it all came crashing down. Naegi had just appeared at the top of a set of stairs to make his way down for lunch and called out to the two girls, "Sonia-senpai! Enoshima-sa- Ahh!" Naegi had somehow managed to trip on thin air and fell down the stairs. Somehow one of his shoes had even managed to fall off.
Turning abruptly, Sonia called out to her friend, "Naegi-kun!" before proceeding to help him. This was fortunate for her, as the sniper had been anticipating and timing her movements and had taken the shot that had been aimed at where Sonia would have been standing had she not abruptly turned. The window had shattered and there was not a bullet embedded in the wall, but Sonia was still alive, much to Enoshima's displeasure. Failure, while a new and refreshing type of despair for her the first time, now only left her annoyed and disappointed. What had made it worse was that it was someone like Naegi who was causing it. Hope could not be permitted to overcome her despair. That could wait for now though, as she still had to keep up her act. To that end Enoshima let out a loud scream of terror at the scene before her.
Sonia and Naegi had also witnessed the window shatter. Naegi was shaken up but seemed unable to make any noise. Sonia, however, just had a serious look on her face. I suppose it was only a matter of time, she thought as faculty and students began to arrive to see what all the commotion was about.
Later
As the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, Kirigiri Jin had believed he had seen it all. Given the talents and personalities of some of his students, he could be forgiven for thinking that. Class 77-B alone had caused more than their fair share of incidents: from food spiked with aphrodisiac; to all manner of wild animals wandering the school, trained or not; to the regular destruction of school grounds by only two students; and one could not simply forget about the wonder of nature that was Komaeda Nagito's luck. Even though he knew he probably should have been prepared for it when Sonia Nevermind came to the school, he never expected matters that could impact the future of international relations to be discussed in his office. That is what was happening though, as Sonia was speaking with members of the Novoselic Diplomatic Mission. Though there was time before the official opening of the Embassy they still had to move in to what would serve as their residence for the foreseeable future. They had been contacted as soon as the Jin had learned of what had occurred and were now discussing with Sonia what would be done in response to the attempt on her life.
"Princess Sonia, we only have your well-being in mind," a tall, red-haired man said to Sonia.
"I realize that, but I believe that the Embassy must open as scheduled with me present," Sonia responded.
"I think the Japanese government will more than understand if there is a delay because of this. But we can talk about that later what about-," another man, a blonde, blue-eyed man of average height and build began.
"Do not suggest that I withdraw from Hope's Peak Academy. Novoselic will not be intimidated by such actions and neither will I," Sonia said with authority.
The third man, a black-haired, bearded man that somewhat resembled a bear, sighed and said, "If Princess Sonia feels that strongly about it then it can't be helped. We will move forward as planned. Charles, Stanley as soon as we get back we should inform the security team of the changes that need to be made."
The redhead, Charles, and the blonde, Stanley, had no choice but to relent and said, "Yes Sir, Ambassador."
"Headmaster Kirigiri, can we leave the safety of Princess Sonia to Hope's Peak Academy?" The Ambassador asked.
"You can, Ambassador Wudagest," Jin said. His tone let everyone know he understood the gravity of the situation.
"Excellent. By the way, I've been wondering for a while now, but who is this boy?" Ambassador Wudagest asked as he pointed to Naegi, who up to that point had remained still and silent off to the side of the room.
"My name is Naegi Makoto, Sir. It is a pleasure to meet such distinguished individuals," Naegi said as he bowed. Naegi's tone made it clear that the shock of what had occurred earlier coupled with the severity of the situation and meeting members of the Novoselic Diplomatic Mission had him scared and nervous.
"Naegi-kun is the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78. He is my friend and it is thanks to him that I am still alive. I have asked him to attend the opening ceremony as my guest," Sonia told the men.
"Is that so? Well then, on behalf of the people of Novoselic, I thank you Naegi Makoto," Wudagest said as he bowed.
"It was really just dumb luck that everything worked out," Naegi said as he waved his hands in front of him. Clearly, being thanked for being clumsy and having bad luck was a foreign concept to Naegi.
"Well, whatever it was, Princess Sonia is still alive, and she tells us we have you to thank for it," Wudagest said. Turning back to Jin, he said, "We'll be taking our leave Headmaster, we need to discuss finding this assailant with local law enforcement and with your government."
"Of course," was all Jin said.
"Alright, once we take care of that, it's back to the chancery to finish moving in," Wudagest said to the other two as he motioned for them to follow him out.
Once they were gone, Jin turned to Sonia and said, "Princess Sonia as the Headmaster, I realize I should not encourage my students to skip class, even if school policy permits it. However, because I am Headmaster, I must also do what is necessary to keep my students safe. I plan to speak to Yukizome-sensei and-,"
"That will not be necessary Headmaster, I intend to attend class as usual," Sonia said, cutting him off.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Jin asked.
"I am," Sonia said.
"Very well. You two should get back to your dorm. Be careful on the way back," Jin warned.
"Yes Sir," Naegi said.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Sonia said.
Once the two had left Jin's office and were on their way back to the dorm, Naegi asked, "How are you feeling, Sonia-senpai?"
"I feel fine, Naegi-kun. Why wouldn't I?" Sonia asked back.
"I just think everyone is shaken up by what happened. I can't blame them, I am too. I guess I'm just amazed that you're handling it so well," Naegi admitted.
"Do you think I am a cold woman?" Sonia asked, a very serious look on her face.
"No, Senpai, I think you are just far too used to situations like this. What I find amazing is that someone can get used to something like this," Naegi explained.
"You are right, I have gotten used to situations like this. This is not my first brush with death," Sonia said. Seeing Naegi's questioning gaze, she continued, "Though the royal family has governed for many years, coup d'etats and terrorism still occur in our land. I have even been abducted twice by insurgents in the past. Had I shown fear, it would have filled my people with despair. So that is why I waited in silence until rescue arrived."
"Senpai," Naegi said sadly.
"There is no need to feel sad for my sake Naegi-kun. I actually think this situation is easier, since I can honestly feel fear for a change," Sonia explained.
"Princess or not that isn't fair! For someone as kind as you to have these things happen and not be allowed to feel fear is too much! Someone like you doesn't deserve this kind of hardship!" Naegi shouted.
A sad smile made its way to Sonia's face as she said, "I appreciate that Naegi-kun, but I will endure it. I will endure it because I must. One cannot go against one's destiny."
"Destiny?" Naegi questioned.
"Yes, the lives of humans are shaped by destiny. Just because we make an effort to prevent danger, it does not mean we can defy destiny," Sonia explained.
Naegi didn't say anything to that. What could he say to that? Whether or not he believed in destiny, could it really be so cruel?
Sonia just continued, "Besides, my life belongs to my country and its people. If I were to die, it would be for no other reason than the sake of my country and my people. If I die, it would be meaningful to my country and my people. So, I do not fear death. The moment I was born into the royal family, I was destined not to die a meaningless death."
This is so wrong. It's wrong, but Sonia-senpai has just accepted it. No, surrendered to it might be more accurate. But she's able to endure it because it as long as it is for her people, Naegi thought. It was that last thought that made him say, "You...really are a princess."
That sad smile was still there as Sonia said, "Yes. Since the day I was born. When I am in my country, I am a princess before I am a person. And because of that...I was truly looking forward to this visit. I thought when I came to Japan I could be a regular girl, but in the end, no matter where I go, I am nothing but a princess."
Some slight movement caught Naegi's eye as she said that. Sonia's hands were shaking. Of course she's afraid. It would be impossible not to be. It just that she's good at hiding it, Naegi thought. "When you're in your country, you're a princess before a person," Naegi repeated.
"Yes," Sonia confirmed with a nod.
"Then I guess it's a good thing that we aren't in your country," Naegi said.
Sonia tilted her head in confusion but said nothing, so Naegi continued.
"No one else at this school is a citizen of Novoselic. So, when it comes to me and everyone else at Hope's Peak, you're a classmate, a senpai, a kōhai, or a student. Like I said before, you'll always be Sonia-senpai to me. You're a regular girl first, so you don't need to try so hard," Naegi said.
Tears started to pool in the corners of Sonia's eyes, but there was gratitude in her voice as she said, "Naegi-kun…thank you."
Noticing that her hands were still shaking, Naegi reached out and grabbed them. When Sonia gave him a questioning look, he said, "It's a little chilly today, your hands looked cold." Naegi thought it was lame, but he figured it was the best way to support Sonia without stepping on her pride as a princess.
Sonia was confused. What does he mean? The temperature is quite comfortable, she thought. Her confusion cleared up when she saw her hands. Even in Naegi's gentle grip they were shaking. Sonia's cheeks turned red as she thought, He noticed that my hands were shaking, but he is pretending not to know why. He is trying to help while considering my feelings. Sonia then shyly said, "Yes, I had not noticed until now. Thank you for warming them up."
They just stood there for a while until Sonia said, "I think I will be alright now."
Naegi let go and said, "Right, I'm sorry I didn't give you any warning." He scratched the back of his head, a sure sign that he was embarrassed.
"It is quite alright Naegi-kun. I do appreciate it," Sonia said, her cheeks still red. From the very bottom of my heart, I really and truly do, she thought gratefully. Sonia then asked, "Naegi-kun, if I need it, would you warm my hands again?"
"Whenever you need it Sonia-senpai. That's what friends are for," Naegi said.
Yes, Naegi-kun is a friend. One I can confide in, one who understands, one who is very sweet. Sonia's blush came back full force at that last thought. She didn't know why she thought that, even if she did believe it. She didn't know why the word "friend" felt so oppressive either. Do I…? No, now is not the time to think of such things. But, whatever my feelings toward Naegi-kun may be, perhaps it is alright to indulge myself, even if it is just for today, Sonia thought. She shyly held out her hand and asked, "My one hand is still cold, could you warm it up on our way back to the dorm?"
Naegi, oblivious to Sonia's true reasons, just said, "I'd be happy to Sonia-senpai." It's not much, but she's being a little more open with her feelings. I guess this is how Sonia-senpai is and I should respect it. I don't know if I can accept what Sonia-senpai said about destiny though. I can't just accept how cruel and unfair it is to her, but at the same time, I don't know what to do. Maybe even if the only thing I can do is hold her hand when she's scared, that's good enough for right now, Naegi thought as the two made their way back to the dorm.
Downtown-Near Hope's Peak Academy
Eighth Week of Classes-Wednesday
Souda Kazuichi was not having a good week. First, he finds out that Sonia had invited someone, another boy, to the opening of the Novoselic Embassy. That was a date in his eyes no matter what anyone else said. Then she runs off to spend time with that other boy, to "check if he knew proper etiquette." The next day, a sniper tries to shoot "his" Sonia, and just because that other boy tripped down the stairs at a convenient time, Sonia thinks that boy is a hero. And he didn't miss how close they were acting on the way back to their dorm, the little shit actually held Sonia's hand!
His class had noticed his irritation and asked about it. When he told them what he had seen Sonia and that kid, Naegi, doing he thought that they would finally come around. The response he got however ranged from: "He was probably just trying to comfort her, she did almost die," to "Well that was sweet of him, to try to comfort her like that," and finally, "This stalker-like behavior is why you're going to die alone." Even Mioda, who he had expected at least some jealousy from, had said, "Makoto-chan is like that with everybody. He probably just wants Sonia-chan to know he's there if she needs him." Although her eye did twitch when she said that.
It got worse when they had told Sonia what he had told them. She had said, "That is really between Naegi-kun and myself, but yes, that did happen. He was trying to help in his own way."
Souda couldn't understand it, what did some kid have that he didn't? As if Tanaka hadn't been enough of a problem. He'd dreamed of a beautiful blond girlfriend since he was a kid. Okay, so maybe he didn't know the first thing about Novoselic. And maybe he actually didn't like some of her personality traits or interests, the occult thing was creepy after all. That didn't mean that some kid who just happened to know a few things about Sonia's country could come in and try to sweep her off her feet like that. It was an act, it had to be, people like that Naegi kid just didn't exist in real life.
He had come downtown because he thought a run to various part stores would calm him down. It really didn't though, he'd found some things he could use to make something cool he guessed, but it wasn't enough to take his mind off of his problems.
"Excuse me, are you a student of Hope's Peak Academy?" A voice called to him.
"So what if I am?" Souda asked, his bad mood still very apparent.
"Yes, I thought I recognized you. You're one of Princess Sonia's classmates, correct?" The owner of the voice, a tall, official-looking man with brown hair and a bushy beard asked.
"Sure am, Souda Kazuichi, the Ultimate Mechanic!" Souda said, his mood having improved at the mention of Sonia. He had also assumed that this man was from Novoselic Embassy if he was using Sonia's title and thought that if he played his cards right, this man could talk him up to Sonia.
"Yes, I know. The King and Queen had us do background checks on all of Her Highness's classmates. Even as they rule Novoselic, they still find time to be such doting, devoted parents," the man explained. One could almost feel the admiration in his voice when he spoke of King and Queen Nevermind. As soon as he calmed down the man said, "My apologies Souda-kun, but the reason I stopped you is that I have a request."
"For the sake of deepening relations between our two countries, I will gladly help," Souda said. What he was thinking though, was slightly less noble, Two can play at this game kid, I'll help this guy and Sonia-san will see how great I am.
"We seem to be having trouble with the sound system we will be using for the ceremony," the man stated.
"Let's go take a look at it then," Souda said.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, we were going to use it as an opportunity to show off Novoselic technology, but a key part has stopped working. There is simply no way to get word back to Novoselic and get it here on time. We were hoping that someone could recreate it from these blueprints," the man explained as he showed Souda the blueprints.
"Nice, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. Seems simple enough though," Souda said as he examined the blueprints.
"Then you'll do it?" the man asked.
"Sure, it may take some time, but you'll have it before the ceremony. Of course, I won't be able to test it," Souda told him.
"That won't be a problem, just bring on the day of the ceremony and we shall test it as we do a sound check. That way you can make adjustments, if necessary," the man said.
"Sounds good, I'll see you then," Souda said. Sonia-san is going to see just how great I am after I save the ceremony. I wonder how she'll thank me, Souda thought happily.
"Yes, and Souda-kun if you could keep this a secret, we would really appreciate it," the man said as he handed Souda a card with the address and time that they would meet written on it.
"I guess I could do that," Souda said. That sounded a bit weird.
His concern was put to rest when the man said, "Like I said, we want to take the opportunity to show off a bit with this new sound system. It was designed and built in Novoselic, and we don't want anyone to know that we're having problems. It's simply a matter of national pride."
"Okay, that makes sense. I won't tell anyone," Souda said as he nodded in understanding. He grabbed the blueprints and his bags and then hurried off in the direction of Hope's Peak Academy. This is my big chance, I can't mess this up, he thought.
Hope's Peak Academy-Boys' Dorm
Tenth Week of Classes-Sunday
It was still early in the day, but Tanaka Gundham was just coming back to his dorm after ensuring that his "dark army" of animals were fed and properly groomed. Just because he was the "Overlord of Ice" didn't mean he had a heart of ice.
As he headed for his room, he saw Souda leave with something in hand. That wasn't unusual, it was Sunday, and everyone usually did their own thing today. Though for some reason, the Twelve Zodiac Generals seemed to want to follow him.
Tanaka would be lying if he had said that he wasn't curious about what Souda had been up to in the past week and a half. He and his classmates had honestly expected Souda to be either depressed or angry until the day after the Novoselic Embassy officially opened. That wouldn't necessarily guarantee that Sonia would be spending less time with Naegi, he was living at the Girls' Dorm after all, but the class figured, or rather hoped, Souda wouldn't dwell on that. Much to their surprise, on the Thursday after the attempt on Sonia's life, Souda had come to class looking rather pleased. When asked what had happened, all he had said was, "Just a job someone asked me to do." That made sense to the class, Souda enjoyed working with all things mechanical. They did think it was a little strange that he was being so secretive about it. After classes had ended, he would immediately head back to his room to work on whatever this "job" was, but other students had been approached with work and been bound by non-disclosure agreements before, so they didn't dwell on it too much.
Tanaka was more than willing to just ignore this but for some reason, the Twelve Zodiac Generals wanted him to follow Souda. That got Tanaka's attention. The Generals did not like Souda, a feeling the mechanic reciprocated. So them wanting to follow Souda was definitely out of the ordinary, and certainly worth looking into. Never one to disappoint his most loyal familiars, Tanaka complied.
It wasn't long before Souda got to his destination. The Novoselic Embassy was indeed rather close to Hope's Peak, even if it was in a rather secluded area. He hadn't noticed Tanaka following him, he was too focused on his objective. Going around back, as per the agreement, he soon came to the gate and saw the man he had met a week-and-a-half ago waiting for him.
"Ah Souda-kun, welcome! Just a moment, I'll let you in," the man said as he unlocked a smaller gate near the main entrance. "You'll have to forgive the lack of security personnel right now, any and all available personnel are preparing for the ceremony," the man apologized.
Souda may not have thought that was odd, but Tanaka did. And if the shaking from the Generals was anything to go by, this man was not a good person, possibly more dangerous that his demeanor was letting on.
Despite Tanaka Gundham's attempts to portray himself as a "Demon Lord" "Tanaka the Forbidden One" and "The Overlord of Ice", his kind nature always found a way to shine through, that was why animals loved him so much. Despite his personal feelings towards Souda, usually annoyance, he would never allow anything to happen to him. It was because of this, that he called out, "Comrade, that man is not what he appears to be! He-." Tanaka didn't get much farther than that after another shorter, bald, but rather intimidating looking man had come from behind and knocked him out.
Seeing that, Souda started to panic. He tried to yell, but his fear only allowed him to ask in a timid voice, "Tanaka? What the hell's going on?"
"So sorry Souda-kun. We do appreciate what you've done for us, but I'm afraid now you're a loose end, so for now, I need you to go to sleep" the man, the same one who had requested his services, said before knocking Souda unconscious as well.
"What now?" the bald man asked.
"Well, this lovesick fool managed to do what we needed. If only he hadn't been followed," said the other.
"You got in touch with him because he'd be easy to manipulate, there were bound to be some complications."
"Well, we have to take them with us now. Perhaps we can use them as leverage later," the bearded man said as he went to pick up Souda.
As the other man reached for Tanaka, he saw the Zodiac Generals attempt to protect their master and friend. "Oh, so this one brought guards," he mocked as he pulled out a handgun.
The Generals were not willing to abandon Tanaka to his fate, but they knew there was little they could do. So they scurried away hoping that they could find someone who would understand their plight.
"You aren't getting away," the bald man said as he took aim.
"Leave them," the other man said. "If you fire that you may draw attention to us. Plus, there's no point in wasting ammo on a bunch of hamsters, it's not like they can do anything."
Later
It was a little bit before 2:30 in the afternoon as Naegi made his way to the Novoselic Embassy. Sonia had gone earlier to make sure that everything was going well and had sent transportation for him. He was grateful for that, as he didn't think he would feel comfortable walking there in formal clothes, even if it was close by. I guess it is a good thing Kaa-san made me take these clothes to Hope's Peak too, he thought. Naegi was wearing a light grey suit with black dress shoes and a tie that was a similar green to his favorite hoodie. He hoped he wasn't underdressed, Sonia had approved of this outfit when he had asked, but when he saw what Sonia would be wearing it was hard not to feel underdressed. Maybe it was because she would be acting as Novoselic's Princess today and not his senpai.
With time to spare, he arrived at the Novoselic Embassy. I wonder if that rule about being exactly thirteen minutes early applies for this, Naegi wondered. It was fine if it did, it the trip hadn't taken long. The ceremony was scheduled to take place at 3:00, this was so that it could be broadcast to Novoselic where it would be 8:00 in the morning. That seemed early to Naegi, but he thought that with the sniper still at large, maybe the security team wanted this done while no one could hide under the cover of night. Ikusaba-san would know more about this than I would, Naegi thought as he stepped out of the car.
"Naegi-sama, I will be taking both you and Princess Sonia back to Hope's Peak Academy when the ceremony concludes," the driver said.
"Thank you, Sir," Naegi said as he bowed in thanks. Not really comfortable being called Naegi-sama, Naegi thought, embarrassed. It was a good thing that he was outside the gate: reporters and camera crews had already gathered and were attempting to interview dignitaries from both Japan and Novoselic. Sonia was already standing in front of the Embassy entrance, and Naegi had to admit, she looked stunning in her golden dress and white crown. She spotted him and nodded with a smile, the most she could do considering the circumstances. He in return waved, his way of saying "I'm here if you need me!"
Naegi soon found out that Sonia wasn't the only one who noticed him as he felt something tugging on his pant leg. Twelve somethings in fact, as he looked down and saw Tanaka Gundham's hamsters. The poor things had been looking for help but had been unable to get close to Sonia. They had almost given up until they saw Naegi. Of course, Naegi had no way of knowing this, animals may have liked him, but he didn't have Tanaka's gift with them. He knew something was wrong though, Tanaka was nowhere in sight, and that set off alarm bells in his head. He knelt down and keeping his voice low so as not to draw more attention to himself asked, "What are all of you doing here? Is Tanaka-senpai in some kind of trouble?"
They all nodded, an action Naegi would have called cute if he hadn't been concerned. They then frantically pointed towards the Embassy.
"You want to go inside?" Naegi asked. He had no idea why or how Tanaka would be inside the Novoselic Embassy, but he trusted the Twelve Zodiac Generals. He knew how weird that would have sounded if he had said it out loud, but the fact remained that these hamsters were highly intelligent. He lowered his hands and said, "Alright, but you need to stay in my pockets or something until we can ask Sonia-senpai for a tour. I don't think pets of any kind are allowed here."
They all complied, the youngest eight going into his pants pockets and the eldest four: San-D, Jum-P, Maga-Z, and Cham-P, hid around his shirt collar. It was snug, mostly thanks to Cham-P, but there was no danger them choking him or of being spotted.
Over on Sonia's side of the crowd, she saw Naegi crouch down but didn't think much of it. Ambassador Wudagest soon came and stood beside her with two men she didn't recognize. One was tall with brown hair and a bushy beard, one was shorter and bald. "Where are Charles and Stanley?" she asked quietly.
"So sorry, Your Highness. Something came up that required their attention," Wudagest said.
Sonia nodded in understanding.
Back with Naegi, there was a bit of a problem. As soon as the two men with Ambassador Wudagest appeared the Zodiac Generals started to freak out. It didn't take Naegi long to figure out what this meant. "Those two took Tanaka-senpai." It was a statement, not a question, but the Generals confirmed it. As soon as they had, Naegi tried to get to Sonia. If they took Tanaka-senpai, then Sonia-senpai is in danger too, he thought. He had no plan for when he got to her, but he knew that if Sonia saw the Generals she would know something was wrong. Thankfully, there was no shortage of security personnel if things turned violent, although Naegi being Naegi hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Sonia saw Naegi trying to approach and had a guard bring him closer. When he was in front of her, she asked, "Naegi-kun, whatever is the matter?"
"Sonia-senpai, those men with Ambassador Wudagest, they did something to Tanaka-senpai," Naegi said, trying to keep his voice down.
Unfortunately, the men had heard him. The bald man sighed and asked, "Now why would you say that young man?" The bearded man pulled out what looked like a remote of some kind and pushed a button.
A high-pitched whine filled the air, it was coming from the earpieces of the security personnel but was loud enough for everyone present to hear it. The Generals covered their ears and the guards dropped to their knees in pain.
The two men pulled out handguns. The bald man fired a shot and screamed at the crowd, "Put your hands behind your heads and get down on the ground!" Shots came from two windows to ensure that no one would doubt the severity of the situation. While the other said, "Hands behind your heads and get inside," as he ushered Naegi, Sonia, and the Ambassador inside at gun point. Once the bald man joined them inside, sturdy looking metal shutters lowered over the doors and windows. The Novoselic Embassy had become a fortress for terrorists.
As the three captives were led through the hallways, Sonia asked a question. "May I ask who you are affiliated with?"
One of the men, the bald one, said in a mocking tone, "You're the Princess, why not order us to tell you?"
The bearded man said, "Please forgive Niels, he's not quite right in the head. I'm Vadim from Borginia, my associate is from Fortuna."
"Why would terrorists from Fortuna and Borginia work together? Even if what you are planning worked, you could not possibly install both of your leaders as rulers of Novoselic." Sonia said, confused.
The bald man, Niels, started laughing and asked, "Who wants to tell her?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple Princess," Vadim said.
When Sonia didn't say anything, Niels said, "Stupid girl, not everyone from our countries who comes after you is loyal to some dead royals."
"We and our associates aren't affiliated with any terrorist groups, we are, we'll say freelancers," Vadim explained.
"I'm sorry, Princess Sonia," Ambassador Wudagest said as they entered what appeared to be a conference room. Sonia opened her mouth to reassure him but stopped when she realized something: he had never put his hands behind his head. Everything clicked when Wudagest said, "I'm sorry, but the question and answer session is over." Once he finished saying that, he turned and had pulled out a handgun of his own.
"Ambassador, you have always been loyal to Novoselic," Sonia said, shocked.
"I am loyal to Novoselic, this is all for its future," Wudagest said. He turned to Niels and said, "Put the boy with the others. I'm sure you two have much to discuss since he ruined your perfect record."
"This little bastard is the reason I missed my shot two weeks ago? Perfect," Niels said as he grabbed a larger gun from the corner of the room.
"You can't kill him Niels, we need him and the others to negotiate passage out of Japan," Vadim said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon you," Niels said as he ushered Naegi down another hallway. Naegi looked back to see Vadim cover Sonia's mouth with duct tape before proceeding to tie her up.
As Niels led him through the hallways, Naegi remained silent. His friend was in danger and he didn't know how to help. Niels must have sensed Naegi's distress because he took the opportunity to gloat.
"I never imagined that I'd actually get to meet you, shame I can't make you pay for tarnishing my perfect kill record just yet," he said.
"What's all this about anyway? Why bring in mercenaries from Borginia and Fortuna?" Naegi asked, finding his voice. Naegi had no experience with these matters, but a group, he assumed, of Novoselic dissidents bringing in foreign mercenaries just seemed to serve to overcomplicate things.
"Well, I suppose it's all a matter of what our employer wants. If Wudagest to reveal himself for what he is, then we are simply highly paid mercenaries. If he feels the time is not right, we're blinds. Think about it, if Novoselic and Japan were to learn that there are Borginians and Fortunians in here, what would they think?" Niels asked.
"That terror groups from those two countries had planned this would most likely be their first guess," Naegi said.
"It's a simple plan, granted some of the agents in Novoselic would need to fall on the sword for that to work. There are files to fake; information to doctor; and of course, someone needs to be blamed for no one noticing any of this. But I tell you kid, nothing could cover our tracks better than the chaos it would cause," Niels said happily. Vadim was right, Niels was not right in the head.
"Still, I wanted to shoot the girl and be done with it. Then we could fake a message from foreign terror groups or our employer could announce their intentions if they believed that they were in the right position. I don't think it's the best way to conduct this type of business, but they pay was excellent so whatever," Niels said. Arriving at a door, he opened it with his free hand and motioned for Naegi to go through.
"Is this the basement?" Naegi asked, seeing stairs leading into total darkness.
"Yeah, hope you aren't afraid of the dark kid. Don't worry if you are though, there are plenty of people down there to keep you company," Niels said as he made to forcefully shove Naegi down the stairs.
Instead, Naegi had taken the first step on his own and had once again managed to trip on thin air. Thinking of the hamsters with him, Naegi had managed to remain collected enough to attempt to grab the railing and stop himself. I knew I'd get it right one of these days, Naegi thought, relieved. He then felt something go over him.
It seems that Niels had put a great deal of strength behind that shove as he fell forward and tripped over Naegi and fell head first down into the basement. He had managed to lose his grip on his gun, which Naegi had picked up before going to turn on the lights. I have no idea how to use this, but he doesn't need to know that, Naegi thought as he made to point the gun at Niels.
He needn't have bothered, Niels lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs with a large gash in his head and bruises on the visible parts of his body. He made his way down the stairs, careful not to take his eyes off of Niels. Out of the corner of his eye though he saw four people as did the Generals. The hamsters made their way over to the four, rejoicing at the fact that one was their master. Four hamsters each untied three people, one of whom came over to Naegi and said, "I believe he is unconscious Naegi-kun."
"Charles-san?" Naegi questioned, not sure who he could trust right now.
"It's fine Naegi-kun, both Charles and I are not with these terrorists," Stanley said as he untied and ungagged Souda, under the disapproving gaze of the Generals.
"What's going on? Are we gonna die?" Souda asked in a panic.
"Souda-senpai, I didn't expect you to be here," Naegi said in surprise.
"Let's restrain this man and then we can get each other caught up," Charles suggested.
After Niels had been relieved of his handgun and restrained, the group huddled in the middle of the basement to compare notes. It didn't take them long to exchange information: Vadim approaching Souda; Tanaka following Souda and their capture; Charles and Stanley discovery of some strange mechanism in the security room; Souda's realization that what he was working on had been part of what was used to cripple security and put Sonia's life in danger; and finally, what Wudagest had said.
"The man is insane! Novoselic has no future without Princess Sonia!" Stanley said.
Naegi didn't disagree but he more than that, to him at least, Sonia-senpai was a friend. Before Naegi did anything else though, he needed to know something. He noticed that someone had been rather silent, and it was rather unsettling. "What's wrong with Tanaka-senpai?" he asked. Tanaka hadn't just been silent, he had not even blinked once since the Generals had untied him.
"They pulled handguns and parts for that gun and others like it out of a bunch of stuffed animals down here and assembled them in front of us," Souda said, who still looked ready to freak out.
Naegi turned and saw a bunch of animals that he had never seen before, makangos and skongs he guessed, in a heap in the corner of the basement. Taxidermy, Naegi thought. That made sense, for someone who loved animals as much as Tanaka Gundham, taxidermy was probably one of, if not the most evil thing in the world to him. Sonia-senpai was right. This time at least, the treatment of makangos and skongs is definitely against the spirit of animal conservation, he thought.
Naegi shook his head, they all had something more important to focus on. "We need to save Sonia-senpai," Naegi said simply as he turned back to face the others.
"Are you nuts! They have guns! And we don't know how many other guys are out there! And I didn't want this! I just wanted to impress Sonia-san! I just wanted a hot, blonde girlfriend!" Souda shouted in a panic before he broke down into a sobbing mess.
"I want to save Princess Sonia too, Naegi-kun, but this boy is right, we are at a disadvantage," Charles said.
"I would feel better about our chances if we could at least acquire another Khvostov," Stanley said as he pointed at the large gun Niels had dropped before his fall.
"Well, this is a reckless and rather cliched idea, but my friends and I may be able to get another," Naegi said, trying to put on a brave face.
Both Charles and Stanley looked at Souda and Tanaka before Charles said, "I don't see how your friends will be much help here, Naegi-kun."
"I meant my other friends, Charles-san," Naegi said as he started to tell the two men what he had planned.
"This is why I hate Fortunians," Vadim said to himself as he made his way towards the basement. Niels had been given more than enough time to do put Naegi with the other Hope's Peak students. They allowed for extra time for him to make threats; scare Naegi with his Khvostov rifle; or whatever else it was he may have wanted to do. So when he didn't come back after all this time, of course, Vadim had to go looking for him.
"Squeak!"
"What the-?" Vadim asked as he looked ahead and saw two very familiar hamsters at the end of the hallway. They squeezed through a crack in a door that had been left ajar and disappeared from sight.
"Is Niels chasing these stupid things? I'm impressed they got in but still…," he started to say. He thought about what this could mean, chastised himself for being paranoid, but still proceeded to check the room. He opened the door and said, "Someone's seen too many movies. Was I supposed to come in and have you knock me out?" He then fired a few shots into the room before turning on the lights. Empty. There was no one in the room, not even a sign of the two hamsters. Then the world went dark for the Borginian mercenary.
"Something like that, yes," Charles said as he lowered the fire extinguisher he had used to strike Vadim over the head with. The two hamsters came out from their hiding place behind the door and climbed onto the hand Naegi had put out for them.
"You two were very brave," Naegi praised. He had not been aware that hamsters could blush until that moment.
Stanley came out of the room that they had been hiding in with some of the ropes that had restrained him and the others earlier and after securing Vadim's weapons, proceeded to tie him up.
"I can't believe that actually worked," Naegi said as he and the others were joined by Souda and a somewhat recovered Tanaka.
"But it did, and we are now in a better position," Charles said.
"Can you two handle these?" Naegi asked as he pointed towards the rifles.
"It's a little late to be asking that question, but of course. Young children in Novoselic take classes on warfare. If our six-year-olds can drive tanks, we can handle these rifles," Stanley said.
"Alright then, I know that we're at a disadvantage but all of you need to get to the security control room. We've been in here long enough, I'm sure that law enforcement has managed to get or will soon get permission to enter the embassy from Novoselic, so you need to make sure that they can get in. If Vadim was the one who came looking for Niels, then maybe something is up with the security cameras. Hopefully, you'll have the element of surprise on your side," Naegi said.
"What about you Naegi-kun?" Charles asked.
"I want to try and get Sonia-senpai away from Wudagest," Naegi said.
"How come we have to go up against the mercenaries while you get to go play hero?" Souda asked.
"Charles-san and Stanley-san are going with you and have those rifles while you two can use the handguns. I'm going to be completely unarmed," Naegi declared.
"Oh. Well, good luck with that," Souda said, realizing just how good he had it by comparison.
"Naegi-kun, be reasonable. At least come with us until we can get you a weapon," Stanley pleaded.
"I appreciate the concern Stanley-san, and that's definitely better than my suicidal plan, but we don't know what Wudagest plans to do. Every second may count," Naegi said.
The two men from Novoselic saw Naegi shaking, but they also saw the resolve in his eyes. Charles sighed and said, "Very well, you haven't steered us wrong so far. Perhaps your Ultimate Luck will keep you safe.
There's a first time for everything I suppose, Naegi thought. He felt tug on his pant leg again and looked down to see San-D, Jum-P, Maga-Z, and Cham-P looking at him expectantly. "Is something wrong?" Naegi asked.
"Light-born, my greatest servants, the Four Dark Devas of Destruction, wish to lend you their aid," Tanaka said, finally back to normal, for him at least.
"I appreciate that but there's a good chance none of us are getting out alive. That said, I think they have a better chance of survival with the rest of you," Naegi said. He was grateful, but he didn't want to put anyone, man or hamster, in any danger.
"They are well aware of the risks, I could not dissuade them. Perhaps your light and their dark power will make a miracle happen," Tanaka said. Naegi almost missed it, but he could hear the worry in Tanaka's voice.
"I'll make sure they stay alive Senpai," Naegi said, trying to put Tanaka at ease.
"All of us will stay alive, such is the will of the Overlord of Ice," Tanaka said.
"If we're going to do this, we need to start," Stanley said, bringing focus back to the situation at hand.
"Right, good luck you guys," Naegi said as he and the Devas headed for the Conference Room.
"You too, Naegi Makoto," Charles said as he and his group headed for their destination.
Back in the Conference Room, Wudagest was waiting for Vadim to return with Niels.
"Where are those two?" he asked. He knew he wouldn't get an answer, the only other person in the room was bound and gagged. All Sonia could do was glare, and it looked wrong on the ordinarily kind princess's face.
"There were those shots earlier, but I assumed that Niels wanted one last bit of fun with that boy you invited. I need them present before negotiations can start," Wudagest said, continuing their one-sided conversation.
Sonia still kept glaring at him.
"Don't look at me like that Princess Sonia. What I do, I do for the good of Novoselic. If it means staining my hands with evil now, then so be it," Wudagest said.
Naegi, who was outside the door, listened and waited for his chance. The security system's controls were on the opposite end of the building. He would wait and listen for gun shots in the distance before he put his plan into action. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long as he heard the sound of gun fire coming from the other end of the building.
"What was that?" Wudagest said as he threw open a door on the opposite side of the room and looked in the direction of the noise. He stepped outside only to have the door close and lock behind him. "What?!" he yelled in confusion before attempting to force the door open.
Naegi couldn't believe his good fortune, he guessed Wudagest had been feeling overconfident. Or maybe he just never expected someone to do something this dumb, Naegi thought. Whatever the reason, he was grateful, for that and sturdy oak doors that locked from the inside.
The Devas had managed to untie Sonia, who then removed the duct tape covering her mouth. "Naegi-kun? What's going on? Why are Tanaka-kun's hamsters with you?" she asked.
"I'll explain later, right now we need to run until help gets here," Naegi said as he picked up the Devas and grabbed Sonia's hand before running out towards the entrance. He was glad that the Conference Room seemed to be in the center of the building, he hoped that Wudagest would at lose time following them as he picked between the he hallway they were in and the hallway Naegi had come from. Just to be safe though, he handed the Devas to Sonia and got behind her so that Wudagest wouldn't have a clear shot at her.
They got to the foyer only to find that they were still trapped, not that Naegi expected any different. "Where to go?" he asked as he, Sonia and even the Devas weighed their options. Did they hide behind the desk or keep running?
Just then, Naegi felt something. He wasn't sure how, perhaps spending time with Ikusaba, someone who was skilled at hiding her presence, had sharpened his senses, but he knew something was wrong. He also knew that he wasn't the one in the most danger. That feeling turned out to be justified because a shot rang out. Naegi pushed Sonia out of the path of the bullet and behind the large desk and out of the line of sight. The bullet still hit something though as Naegi felt searing hot pain shoot through his left shoulder. Better my shoulder than Sonia-senpai's heart though, Naegi thought as he clutched his shoulder in pain before falling to his knees.
"This thing has good range," Wudagest said as he entered the foyer, his eyes on the gun in his hand. Turning his attention to Naegi, he asked, "Tell me boy, where is Princess Sonia?"
"She's not here, she ran down another hallway," Naegi said through gritted teeth. He hoped that the pain he was in would cover for any vocal tells he might have had when he lied.
"I can't tell whether you're brave or stupid, but I have to admit, boy, you've caused me a great deal of trouble. I had hoped to use you and the others to secure passage out of Japan, but it seems all I can do now is kill the girl and be done with it. Shame, I was hoping to see the future Novoselic our leader dreamed of become reality," Wudagest said.
"If you're acting out of concern for Novoselic's future, why do you want to kill Sonia-senpai?" Naegi asked. His only hope now was to keep Wudagest talking. He hoped he could stall long enough.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, boy. While the rest of the world has changed, Novoselic has refused to see a simple truth. A nation with something as corruptible as a monarchy simply can't work," Wudagest said.
"I don't understand, not at all. Sonia-senpai is always thinking of Novoselic's future. She told me of changes she wants to make; of how important she believes it is to understand other points of view-," Naegi began.
He never got to finish as Wudagest began raving, "Do you not realize how much of a danger House Nevermind can be? Sonia Nevermind can say she 'wants to understand,' but that's a bold-faced lie dressed up in pretty words. She and any other member of the royal family can tout that meaningless message all they want, but it won't change how Alexander Nevermind was anything but understanding centuries ago. If someone from House Nevermind wasn't understanding back then, what's to stop his brother Albert's descendants from acting like that in the future? Albert shared Alexander's blood, didn't he? What if there was nothing to stop them from picking up their own dangerous, radical ideals!? What happens then? Who takes the blame for that!? There is no excuse not to know just how hazardous an absolute monarchy is. House Nevermind's authority is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs. Even knowing that, the people of Novoselic follow House Nevermind like sheep. That is why I will carry out our leader's will and put a stop to that threat. It is our mission! Our true calling to protect Novoselic and the world and in doing so ensure true peace for all!"
He's not lying, Sonia thought, shocked, he truly believes that what he is doing is the right thing. Is there a way to stop someone so driven? Do I even have a right to try?
"Ambassador Wudagest, I will admit that there is always that possibility, but that's all it is a possibility. You can't know what will happen in the future and neither can I. Just saying, 'It happened before so it will happen again at some point,' is a fallacy and I think you know it," Naegi countered.
"Don't try to delude me boy. You aren't from Novoselic. You've never lived under an absolute monarchy, so you can't understand," Wudagest said. It was clear he was losing his patience with Naegi.
"If you're being deluded, it's your leader doing it, not me. How can you and your leader claim to do anything out of love for Novoselic when you can't even have faith in its people? The royal family isn't the problem. Your leader just can't believe in anyone but themselves. But Sonia-senpai believes. That's the difference between your leader and Sonia-senpai. Even though she knows the road ahead is hard she'll never give up faith in her people. And after spending so much time with her, I now know that's the greatest pride a ruler can have," Naegi said. A little more, just need to keep Sonia-senpai safe for a little while longer, he kept repeating in his head.
Any doubts Wudagest caused Sonia to have had been swept away completely by Naegi's absolute faith in her. Naegi-kun, thank you, she thought with tears in her eyes.
"You, you. STOP TRYING TO DELUDE ME, BOY!" Wudagest screamed as he took aim at Naegi.
"STOP!" Sonia screamed as she came out of hiding, drawing Wudagest's attention. Her timing couldn't have been better as the metal shutters were raised and a blur rushed in, grabbed Wudagest and held a knife to his throat.
"Hey Ikusaba-san, you saved us," Naegi said as he recognized the blur.
"You're hurt," she said as tightened her grip on Wudagest.
"Get off of me girl, I'm still the Ambassador. An attack against me is an attack against Novoselic," Wudagest said. Naegi's words and his failures must have shaken him more than he realized, because he forgot one important thing about his diplomatic immunity.
"Ambassador Wudagest, as Princess of Novoselic I hereby relieve you of your status as ambassador," Sonia said.
Now knowing he'd been beat but refusing to go quietly, Wudagest took aim at Naegi again before pain shot through him. Enoshima Junko had somehow snuck in and planted one of her high-heeled boots right between Wudagest's legs. She mouthed the words, "Only I get to kill him," before stepping back.
"I appreciate the save, Enoshima-san, but even I feel bad for him now," Naegi said as he saw Wudagest collapse.
"I could shoot you if it would make you feel better," she suggested.
"No thank you, just my shoulder is enough for today," Naegi said as police and members of the Embassy's security team came into the building. An EMT who had also come in, helped Naegi to his feet. Naegi turned to the EMT and said, "The police and security need to find Souda-kun, Tanaka-kun, Charles-san, Stanley-san, and the other Generals. They should in the security control room. They can lead them to the other terrorists."
"We'll take care of it young man, don't worry," a member of the security team who had heard Naegi said.
"This boy and the others took back the Embassy in a few hours that's pretty amazing," Naegi heard an officer say. Naegi looked outside and sure enough the sun was setting. Time sure flies when you're life is in danger, he thought.
"I'm sorry young man, but you named four people and then said something about generals?" another member of security questioned.
"They're eight hamsters that look like these four," Sonia said as she held up the Dark Devas of Destruction.
"We'll check on them too," another police officer said, not really sure what else to say to that.
As Naegi and the girls were led out of the building towards the nearby emergency vehicles they saw their friends waiting for them.
"Makoto-chan! Sonia-chan!" Mioda shouted as she waved to get their attention. She, Yukizome, Class 77-B, and Class 78 had gathered behind a police barricade.
"Hey everyone," Naegi said. "I'd wave but it hurts to move my arm."
"What happened?" Maizono asked. She saw Naegi's shoulder and lost some of the color in her face as did some of the other students.
"The Former Ambassador attempted to shoot me, Naegi-kun knocked me out of the way," Sonia explained.
"The boy is a hero," a familiar voice said. They all turned to see Charles and the others accompanied by police and EMTs. The Novoselic officials appeared to have been grazed in a few places, but they had fared better than Naegi. Tanaka and Souda looked shaken up, but otherwise fine.
"Charles! Stanley!" Sonia exclaimed happily.
"Souda-senpai, Tanaka-senpai, are the Generals alright too?" Naegi asked.
Eight little hamster heads popped up out of Tanaka's scarf in answer to Naegi's question. Sonia handed the Devas off to Tanaka and the Twelve Zodiac Generals were once again complete.
"We were fortunate that our adversaries were distracted by problems with the surveillance cameras," Stanley said.
Naegi saw Fujisaki sigh in relief and asked, "Do we have you to thank for that, Fujisaki-kun?"
"The ceremony was being broadcast live, so Ikusaba-san came to me right after you and Sonia-senpai were taken into the building. She asked me if there was anything I could do to get you out," Fujisaki told him as he pointed towards a laptop he had with him. The smaller boy then looked down and said, "I wish I could have done more, but all I was able to do was stop surveillance before they noticed."
"You did plenty young man, they had three people trying to counter you. It was all they could do to keep the building on lockdown," Charles reassured the small boy.
"Young man, we need to take a look at that shoulder," the EMT who had been escorting Naegi reminded him.
"The rest of you should get checked out too," one of the police officers with the other former hostages said.
"If you can remove the bullet from Naegi-kun's shoulder, I have something that will take care of the rest," a new voice said. The owner of the voice was a girl slightly older than the students present. She had pale grey hair and sickly complexion.
It seemed that many of the medical personnel recognized the girl as many of their faces lit up in recognition and one said, "Kimura-san. You're lucky, young man. We'll still need to take you to the hospital, but the medicines made by the Ultimate Pharmacist will heal that shoulder up in seconds."
"Alright, now we just need to check the rest of you. With any luck, you won't even need to come to the hospital," another EMT said before they and four others checked the former hostages for serious injuries.
Hope's Peak Academy-Girls' Dorm
Later That Evening
It was late evening at the dorm and four girls were still waiting for Naegi to come back. Tsumiki had said she was going to wait for him at the front gate. She trusted Kimura's abilities, but as a nurse she felt it was her duty to check Naegi's shoulder for any problems. So that left Sonia with Ikusaba, Maizono, and Mioda. Sonia told the others what had happened: about Wudagest's betrayal; his motivations; and what Naegi had said in response. For the longest time after that, no one said anything. Sonia seemed to be deep in thought, something that didn't go unnoticed by the others. Mioda, who by this point had had enough of the silence, decided to speak up.
"Sonia-chan are you okay?" she asked.
"I am quite alright, Mioda-san," Sonia said, finally looking up.
"Are you thinking about what happened?" Maizono asked.
"In a way. I have come to a realization," Sonia said.
"And that is?" Ikusaba asked.
"I finally realized just who Naegi-kun is. I had my suspicions, but I am now convinced that Naegi-kun is legendary hero spoken of in my country!" Sonia exclaimed.
"Say what?" Mioda asked, confused.
"The legend goes like this: The hero wears a white shirt and possesses an antenna that can sense danger. With a face lacking distinguishing characteristics, he shall bring light to the tropical land," Sonia explained.
"Are you serious?" Ikusaba asked, incredulous.
"There is no mistake. This legend must be speaking of Naegi-kun! His hair looks like an antenna and he can sense danger. Just think of how often he has saved me! I had my doubts because of his cute face and his hoodie covered his white shirt, but now I am sure," Sonia explained.
"She is serious," Maizono said.
"According to the legend, the hero will stand alongside the princess and freely swing the Golden Makango," Sonia continued. If she heard the other girls, she had stopped paying attention.
"I think Makoto-chan said makangos are animals," Mioda told the others.
"That sounds awful," Maizono said, thinking of the poor makango.
"And then, the legend says they will establish something resembling order and prosperity to the kingdom!" Sonia finished.
"Wait, not actual order and prosperity? Just a resemblance?" Ikusaba asked. She knew from experience that it didn't take a legendary hero to create the appearance of order and prosperity.
"After all this time…Naegi-kun was my destined one. He must come with me to the Novoselic Kingdom! And then, when the time comes, we shall capture the Golden Makango!" Sonia said with stars in her eyes.
"H-hold on, Sonia-chan," Mioda said.
"Then, and only then will he be formally acknowledged as the legendary hero and be able to rule the Novoselic alongside me," Sonia continued, ignoring her classmate.
"Senpai," Maizono growled out, not really enthusiastic about another rival.
"However, he might need to study a bit more before he can become my husband and the King of Novoselic. He will need to know 30 foreign languages, economics, international law, diagnostic medicine…" Sonia said as she listed what Naegi would need to learn.
"Sonia-senpai, maybe you have it wrong," Ikusaba said, trying to dissuade the young princess from pursuing Naegi.
"Yeah, Makoto-chan hasn't brought any light to any tropical lands," Mioda added.
"I understand what you are all trying to say. I am not oblivious to how you all feel about Naegi-kun," Sonia said.
If Sonia had said that to put them at ease, it didn't work. The other three girls were now bracing themselves for what was coming next.
"I believe that it would put my people at ease if the bloodline of the legendary hero were to continue. So, when I am his lawful wife, you three can be his mistresses," Sonia said. If she hadn't looked so serious when she said it, the other three would have thought she was making fun of them. But since Sonia was serious, the three girls gave her an answer that was just as serious.
"NO!" all three of them yelled at the same time.
Meanwhile
Naegi had arrived back at Hope's Peak a little while ago and met up with Tsumiki. The Ultimate Nurse had looked at his shoulder as soon as she saw him. She hadn't noticed anything wrong, but Naegi had told her that it was still sensitive. She said that she would be more than happy to take a look at it if the problem persisted. After he had thanked her, the two of them made their way back to the dorm.
The had just been about to open the door when they heard three voices scream, "NO!"
Naegi who had been frozen in place by that screams just thought, I wonder if I should be worried about that?
Present Day
I never did find out what that screaming was about, Naegi thought. He had been afraid to ask when he had entered. The next day everything had pretty much gone back to normal, the only difference was that Sonia was now tutoring him in foreign languages, economics, international law, diagnostic medicine, and a number of other subjects. He didn't mind too much, he wasn't afraid of self-improvement. He wasn't sure he could handle it, but Sonia had said, "I have absolute faith in the one who has absolute faith in me."
There was one thing that Naegi couldn't help but be curious about though. "Sonia-senpai, did your government find out anything about this 'leader' Wudagest mentioned?" he asked.
"I am afraid not. Whoever they are, they and their people have been quiet since the events at the Embassy," Sonia said.
"Well, they can't hide forever," Naegi said trying to remain positive.
"Yes, with the help of the legendary hero we will find them," Sonia said, the sparkles back in her eyes.
"Hey, we helped too," Souda whined.
"Oh, that reminds me, Tanaka-kun, will you be able to come to Novoselic over break? I have heard that the twelve hamster-sized medals I requested should be done by then," Sonia informed the breeder, while completely ignoring the mechanic.
"The world must know of the greatness of the Twelve Zodiac Generals, no force on earth or demon in Hell could stop us," Tanaka replied.
"Isn't that great you guys? You'll be recognized as heroes," Naegi said to the Generals. In response, the hamsters puffed out their chests in pride.
Souda, upset at being ignored, just pouted off to the side. Naegi was going to try to cheer him up before a loud crash interrupted him.
"What was that?" he asked.
"It came from that direction," Sonia said as she pointed towards the large P.E. building. Some trees and shrubs were obstructing the view, so no one could see what it was that had made the noise.
"I'll go check it out. We'll talk later okay Senpai?" Naegi asked Sonia.
"Do what you believe is best Naegi-kun, that is what a ruler must do," Sonia said.
Naegi thought that bit at the end was odd but just said, "Thanks Senpai, I'll see you later." With that he ran off towards the noise.
"He's trying to make the rest of us look bad, I know he is," Souda said.
Tanaka just gave him a look that said he didn't need help with that.
Okay, now where did that noise come from, Naegi thought as he looked around. He heard something that sounded like a stomping noise and turned towards that. His view was obstructed by bushes though, so he was unable to avoid what happened next.
Something soft and then hard collided with his face and knocked him flat on his back. He had shut his eyes from the impact, but he didn't need to see to know what had hit him.
Hands where she can see them, keep your eyes shut. She may not care, but you will not take advantage of that, he told himself. After a mental sigh, he thought, Owari-senpai and I really need to stop meeting like this.
And done! Whew, that chapter was kind of all over the place in the second half wasn't it?
That brief history of Novoselic is mine as far as I know. Borginia and Fortuna belong to Capcom though. I didn't think I did too badly with it, but what do you guys think. My biggest concern with it was "Am I trying to be too clever?" Even though I think the Danganronpa fandom is one of the smartest out there, that was a very real concern of mine.
Don't give me that look, that offer Sonia made the other girls totally sounds like something a naive princess might suggest. Okay, maybe not but it was too funny not to use. Just like that thing with Junko and Wudagest.
Did you all know hamsters could growl? I didn't until I started doing research for this chapter.
I would like to thank Putain de Plagieur once again for helping me with this chapter. You're the best, Pupla!
I also have to thank Jibster and jean010. Jibster for the idea with Tanaka's hamsters, I got the idea for Jum-P being attached to Naegi from "Royal Touches." And I would like to thank jean010 for how Junko has been portrayed in "Be More Proactive This Time Luckster," specifically, how possessive she is of Naegi. I need to thank Pupla for one more thing. That part where Junko kicks Wudagest, her line was inspired by jean010's portrayal of her, but I was tempted to give her this chapter off until Pupla made me think better of it. So special thanks to all of you.
I hope Souda's fans aren't too upset with me. I didn't mean to make him look too bad, but whether you call it being a Zoidberg or a butt monkey that's pretty much what his character is. He's kind of like Hagakure from the first game in that respect I guess.
Did I make Naegi too knowledgeable? I don't think I did. Given that his classmates would quiz him in their free time events I can only conclude that he: a) Is a must have for team trivia, or b) studied anything related to his classmates' talents prior to attending Hope's Peak. It could be the first, but I feel better about the second. I mean he's smart, but I wonder if I overdid it. I think I might have made him too brave, but then again he did go after Munakata when he was on a murderous rampage.
You guys probably figured it out already but in case you aren't sure:
Dosinmatter-Doesn't matter
Cudhaben-Could have been, Could happen (I still haven't made up my mind on that one)
Wudagest- Would have guessed
I figured I needed surnames that fit with Nevermind, but I think this is a sign that I like Ace Attorney a little too much.
Originally, I wanted to use Russian and Scandinavian names to fit with Sonia but as you can tell I scrapped that idea.
As always read and review and I will catch you next chapter. Next up Akane Owari.
One last thing: If "Oh reader, mine," didn't give it away I play a lot of Destiny, even if I'm holding off on Destiny 2 until Forsaken launches. So to all of my readers, but the guardians specifically: Would any of you consider reading a Danganronpa-Destiny crossover?
I have three ideas regarding that:
1) The six survivors from the first game are the guardians doing Crota's End. One of Crota's titles was "Hope-Eater." Naegi is the swordbearer, that is non-negotiable. I'm not real crazy about this idea.
2) A retelling of the story of The Last Word and Thorn, with Naegi as Shin Malphur and either Junko or Kamakura as Dredgen Yor. If you know the story, this doesn't sound terrible. A good guardian, Ryoko Otonashi or Hajime Hinata turn into the villain, Junko Enoshima or Izuru Kamakura. I got this idea from something Yor said, "Nothing dies like hope. I cherish it."
3) This one I came up with a few days ago and is my favorite: a different type of Naegi time travel fic. The Vex send a Ghost back in time, but it's Naegi's Ghost and it seeks him out. I actually have a title for this one SHSL Guardian. I admit that I am stretching it with this one but going back to Thorn and The Last Word for a moment, Shin Malphur used Jaren Ward's Ghost after Dredgen Yor killed Ward. That and the Vex can't analyze Light. Guardians are those who "wield that which we (the Vex) cannot analyze." Junko can't properly analyze Naegi. What if instead of it being because of his luck, it was because he had Light? Granted an immortal Naegi wielding paracausal powers seems like a tall order, but I think it might be possible to have a lot of fun with this one.
Let me know what you think in the reviews. Should I work on one of these after this story is done or are they bad ideas and I should feel bad for thinking of them? I'm just asking because I couldn't get them out of my head.
Now that that's done, I see you next time.
