~.~.~
Title: Maoh, A Day Late
Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.
Notes: Yuri's first case as Demon King is a success.
~.~.~
Part III, Chapter 1
How it ends
~.~.~
Yuri stretched, happy to be in clean, dry clothes again. Cautiously, he poked at the outfit Celi and Fanberlain had forced on him. He had been stuck in it for far too long, since he couldn't exactly get a change of clothes in a dungeon.
He had gotten a coat though, and Yuri picked it up, studying it carefully. Nothing about it seemed very Big Cimaron-like, and he wondered where Conrart had gotten it in the first place. How could someone so apparently kind and thoughtful be a heartless traitor? Not to mention what Murata insisted were his hints to help them escape.
Yuri sighed. This world was so confusing.
As he folded the coat carefully, intent on keeping such an important piece of evidence, something slipped out of its pocket, dropping to the carpeted floor. It bounced and rolled to come to rest against his foot.
Bending down, Yuri scooped it up and regarded it thoughtfully. It was the pendant Conrart had asked him to give to the Demon King. It's clear blue color was like the sea outside his window.
Yuri sighed again. Should he have told Conrart he was the Demon King? Would that have helped to convince him to at least explain his actions? Yuri didn't want Wolfram to have to keep worrying about his brother. The same for Celi, and Gwendal too, for all that he had never shown any emotions at all in Yuri's presence.
For that matter, he didn't want Conrart to be miserable either, which he clearly was while working for Big Cimaron. What could be so important that he would refuse to return home and subject himself and his family to all this heartache?
Someone pounded on the heavy wooden door, startling Yuri out of his thoughts.
"Oi, Shibuya!" Murata yelled from the other side. "Are you done yet? We've got visitors incoming."
Opening the door, Yuri asked, "Really? Who?"
"Looks like Lord Von Voltaire," Murata answered. He had changed clothes as well, now in a surprisingly plain outfit he must have borrowed from one of the servants. "Ulrike must have sent him a message as soon as she felt me reach for her. For what I understand, he was pretty close by, in the Von Voltaire territory next door. So he'll be here in a bit. He'll want an explanation, for a lot of stuff."
"Right, let's go," Yuri agreed, fumbling with the jacket and pendant. Murata's sharp eyes darted to it, narrowing.
"You got that from Weller, right? For the Demon King? Let me have a look," he said, reaching out to take it. Yuri frowned, but relinquished the pendant. Even he caught the implication - it wasn't out of curiosity that Murata wanted to look it over, but rather in search of hidden traps.
"...This has the Von Wincott crest in it," Murata noted, peering into the blue stone.
"What?" Yuri's eyes widened, and he stared at the pendant, his mind spinning. "It couldn't be... no way..."
"Shibuya?" Murata asked, looking at his friend in concern. "What is it?"
"It can't be," Yuri insisted. Ignoring Murata's questions, his eyes darted to the side, seeing something else entirely.
He shook his head sharply. "Never mind. Let's get going, okay?" Yuri tried to smile, though he wasn't entirely successful, and Murata continued to watch him carefully as they headed down to the castle gates.
They were just in time to watch the other delegation arrive, Von Voltaire indeed leading the way, his expression particularly forbidding. Wolfram, who had been nervously pacing the courtyard, shuddered a little under the look directed at him by his older brother.
But Yuri's eyes slid past Gwendal, to the bright orange hair of the man riding a little behind him. Whether he had completed his next job or been pulled from it, Josak had come with Gwendal to the Von Karbelnikoff castle.
Seeing Yuri, Murata and Wolfram waiting for them, the men dismounted, and Gwendal strode toward them purposefully. He stopped just short of them, towering over all three. Seemingly forcing himself to remain composed, he gritted out, "I am happy to see you have returned safely, Your Majesty, Your Eminence, Wolfram." The particular intonation on the final name made Wolfram quiver.
"We're glad to be back!" Yuri replied with equally forced cheer. "How have things been while we were gone?"
A muscle in Gwendal's jaw twitched. "Preparations continue apace. Gunther is managing Covenant Castle in Your Majesty's absence."
'He's really laying on the guilt,' Yuri thought, sweating a little. 'Worse than my mom.'
But, looking at him, Yuri couldn't help but smile. A king, especially a talentless newbie like him, couldn't hope to rule without the support of people like him, and Gwendal had been carrying the weight of running the country in Yuri's stead.
"Thank you for all of your hard work," Yuri declared, bowing low at the waist. "I know that I was gone for a long time and that I haven't been very reliable so far. Please be patient with me. I want to become a Demon King who can truly lead our country."
Gwendal froze, staring at him in surprise, while Wolfram made a choking sound. Around the courtyard the staff and soldiers bowed as well, as if feeling uncomfortable having their heads above the king's.
Murata sighed and shook his head. 'Always making a spectacle, Shibuya,' he thought fondly.
Peering up, Yuri saw Gwendal stiffly bow as well, unwilling to insult the Demon King by not reciprocating his gesture.
'I really put him on the spot,' Yuri realized sheepishly.
Both of them straightened, but before Yuri could say anything more, Gwendal turned sharply toward Wolfram.
"Wolfram," he ground out, making his brother jump, "I will hear your report now. Come."
Wolfram followed his older brother into the castle, looking like he was going to into the hands of an inquisition. While Yuri certainly felt sorry for him, he wasn't eager to follow. Better to let someone else break to Gwendal the news of just how many risks he'd taken and stunts he'd pulled. And...
His eyes sought out Josak, his bright hair unmistakable. Smiling cheerfully, Yuri waved to catch the man's attention.
"Hi Josak," Yuri greeted him as he got close. "How did your job go?"
Josak glared lightheartedly. "Not all that well, Your Majesty," he said, his tone almost teasing. "See, His Excellency had certain questions and a few guesses about just how Your Majesty learned about the Box in Francia... He was quite displeased."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Yuri said.
"It's alright. As your faithful servant, I will gladly bear the consequences of your decisions," Josak declared. His tone didn't change, but even Yuri could feel the meaning behind the words. It stung, more than Gwendal's scowl and glare.
Yuri let the smile slip off his face. "I suppose so," he agreed quietly. "But the reason you told us about the Box was because you were worried about your friend, right?"
"So someone told you that we served together?" Josak mused, his demeanor unchanging, still lighthearted and relaxed. "I wouldn't say worry is the right word. I'm loyal to the Demon Kingdom, no matter what."
"No one told me, but we met him," Yuri said, shifting uneasily. "Wolfram's brother. There's something I wanted to ask you about him... He gave me this." He held out the blue pendant, showing it to Josak.
Even Josak's composure wavered at the sight. He knew what the pendant was and what it symbolized. "Oh, that..." he tried to play it off, looking away from Yuri. "I'm surprised he'd part with something so valuable to him."
"It was given to him, wasn't it?" Yuri prodded. "Murata said it has the Von Wincott crest inside."
"Yeah. It was given to him by Lady Suzanna Julia Von Wincott," Josak admitted, his gaze growing distant. "They were good friends."
"I knew it... he's her friend, the one she was afraid wouldn't come back..." Yuri muttered to himself.
Josak's eyes narrowed as he stared at Yuri in confusion. "Hey, kid," he began, "what are you..."
"Thanks," Yuri said, smiling up at Josak again. "That really cleared some things up. Don't worry. I'm sure he's got his reasons, and it'll all work out in the end. You have to trust in your friend, okay?"
Before Josak could say anything else, Yuri hurried away. Surreptitiously, he slipped the pendant's cord over his head and let it fall under his shirt.
~.~.~
"-And furthermore, just what is the meaning of the note you left behind?" Gwendal continued.
In front of him, the three recalcitrant boys all sank deeper into their misery. Even Murata's composure was wilting under so much concentrated disapproval, while Wolfram had long since checked out, especially given his prior private "discussion" with Gwendal.
Taking the opening to get out of more lectures, Yuri declared quickly, "That was Murata! He wrote it! I just signed it."
"Don't just sign things!" Gwendal barked. "And why exactly is His Eminence writing your notes for you?"
"I can't read or write the language here," Yuri said, shrugging. Seeing Gwendal's already dark expression darkening even further, he hurriedly tried to change the subject. "Did you get the other thing too? The one about the Demon Flute."
Gwendal simply stared at him for a moment, before closing his eyes as if in pain. "Yes," he said slowly, "we received your formal acknowledgement of the retrieval of the Demon Flute and the end of Gegenhuber's mission." He paused, turning away and taking a deep, calming breath. "Your Majesty, do you understand what that entails? Do you know the circumstances behind that man's situation?"
"Wolfram explained it to me," Yuri said. "But I don't think it's important. I talked to Nicola too."
"Be that as it may-" Gwendal began to say, only to be interrupted by an urgent knocking against the door. "Yes, what is it?" he called out, clearly irritated.
"There's an urgent message from a patrol vessel!" the messenger called out, his slightly quivering voice muffled by the thick wood. "A vessel from Hildyard has asked to be allowed to dock in the Demon Kingdom and to speak with you."
"With me personally?" Gwendal repeated, his eyes narrowing as he strode toward the door.
Yuri and Murata exchanged a look. "You don't think...?" Yuri wondered. "I mean, could we really have beaten them here?"
"They did have to cross by land first, then stop over in Hildyard. That's a pretty big detour," Murata reasoned, pushing his glasses up.
Yuri nodded in understanding and called out to Gwendal, "Please let them through! They're delivering something for us."
'Actually, shouldn't Wolfram have already explained this?' Yuri thought, his eyes darting toward the young nobleman. Wolfram glanced up at him and looked away, shrugging.
'He hadn't expected them to actually go through with it and was covering for Shibuya's rash action,' Murata realized with a sigh. 'He didn't want Shibuya to be blamed if Cavalcade kept the Box. They've really come a long way from that first meeting.'
He smiled, following Gwendal out of the meeting room. Shrugging, Yuri headed after them as well. Only Wolfram lingered, preoccupied with his own thoughts and the secrets of his king.
~.~.~
Per Yuri's request, the Hildyard ship was redirected to Von Karbelnikoff's castle, though it was too large to come in all the way to the castle's pier. Instead, a boat was lowered, and as it approached, Yuri could make out two familiar figures at its head, along with a certain square shape as its cargo.
"Hey! Hello, Mr. Heathcrife!" Yuri yelled, waving his hands energetically as the boat drew up to the pier. Ignoring Gwendal's hissed orders and the soldiers' twitches, he ran up to the foreign delegation and helped Heathcrife climb out of the boat.
"Greetings to you as well," Heathcrife smiled back, again tipping off his hat and hair to reveal his shiny bald palate. Putting it back, he peered at Yuri in surprise. "But my boy, don't you look a little different than before?" Behind him, the cloaked and hooded figure that could only be Hube turned to regard him as well, only to suddenly make a choking sound.
"I was in disguise," Yuri explained, beaming. He waved to the other man as well, though he appeared to be frozen in shock.
"As promised, we have delivered the Forbidden Box to you," Heathcrife continued, gesturing to the large object his sailors were unloading from the boat. "I do apologize for taking so long. You even beat us here, though that might have been for the best."
It was Gwendal's turn to make a strange noise, somewhere behind Yuri.
"Thank you so much. Please leave it to us! We'll protect the Boxes and make sure they are never opened again," Yuri said sincerely.
Murata, who had moved past them to study the Box as it was set down on the pier, nodded slowly. Pulling off the canvas it had been wrapped in, he opened the lid and peered inside. "I believe... yes, this is Hell's Fire in Frozen Land," he said.
Yuri panicked a little as he ducked his head inside the Box, but Murata just laughed, his voice echoing oddly. "It's fine, Shibuya. Without a Key, this is just a wooden box," he said straightening again. "We'll need to move it to the Tomb of the Great One. Ulrike will watch over it, same as Ends of the Earth."
"Got it! Then, Hube can take it to the capital," Yuri decided, heedless of the way the words made everyone freeze in shock all over again. "That's where Nicola is, after all."
Gwendal's wide eyes darted to the man hovering uneasily behind Heathcrife. Under the hood, he could see the familiar features of his cousin, now lined with age and sorrow. His teeth clenched, and his fists trembled.
"You dare... to come back?!" he yelled, startling Yuri and Heathcrife. But Hube only ducked his head, having expected such a reaction.
"It's fine, is it?" Yuri asked, stepping in between the two when he saw Gwendal reach for his sword. "We received the Demon Flute, and it's even been formally acknowledged. So it's fine for him to return."
"That was always only a technicality," Gwendal bit out. "This man has no right to return here. Not after what he did..."
Yuri's eyes flickered toward Hube as the man took a step back, then another. 'This isn't right. It shouldn't be like this,' he thought, his lips flattening in anger.
"Then what does he need to give before he can return?" Yuri asked quietly. Turning to face, Gwendal, he looked up at the man steadily, catching and holding his stony glare. "What will it take? He already gave us the Demon Flute and the Box... and twenty years of his life."
No matter how angry or discomfited he felt under Yuri's piercing stare, Gwendal couldn't look away. The boy's entire demeanor had changed, no longer simply earnest and determined. His focused gaze commanded attention, and his even words cut through the sudden silence.
"How much more do you need? Another twenty years? A hundred? Demon Tribesmen live long lives." Yuri's expression softened just a little, appealing to Gwendal. "But I don't think Nicola has that kind of time. Neither does their child. And... I don't think you do either."
Finally, Gwendal dragged his eyes away, scowling furiously. But under all his anger, Yuri could now see the hurt and hesitation. 'He and Wolfram really are alike,' he thought.
"For those crimes, only a life is a sufficient price," Gwendal said quietly, but he couldn't meet Yuri's gaze, and they both knew that he had not been able to pass that judgment twenty years prior.
Yuri nodded. "That sounds about right," he said. "A life as a father, husband and honorable man of the Demon Tribe. That's the price I'd set."
Slowly, the anger seemed to drain out of Gwendal under Yuri's firm but kind gaze. His powerful frame slumped, and he shook his head.
"If that is your will, we can only obey, Your Majesty," he said, but there was no resentment in his voice.
'Gwendal, you really love your family, don't you?' Yuri thought, smiling. However, even he knew better than to just say that to the man's face.
Instead, he turned to face the Cavalcade-Hildyard delegation behind him.
"It's a bit belated," he said, "but as the 27th Demon King, I would like to welcome you to the Great Demon Kingdom, Mr. Heathcrife."
"Oh my," the man muttered quietly, once again slipping his hat and wig off his head. He had perhaps realized that Yuri was someone more important than he first appeared, being a double black with clear authority, but he had not expected the Demon King himself.
"And you, Lord Griesela," Yuri said, turning to Hube, who stood frozen, unable to keep up with the sudden way his world was tilting on its axis, "I would like welcome back. Welcome home, Hube!"
Startled out of his stupor by Yuri's cheerful exclamation, Hube swayed and dropped to his knees. He bowed his head low, shoulders shaking.
"Your Majesty..." he stammered, unable to find the words.
"I guess you'd rather hear that from Nicola," Yuri mused, chuckling. He shifted awkwardly, his royal mien slipping away. Ducking his head, he said, "I know you want to go see her right away, but please take the Box to the Tomb of the Great One. You got it here safely, so I know it'll be okay with you."
"I will guard it with my life," Hube swore, swallowing heavily.
Yuri's mouth twisted. "If you use up your life so quickly, it won't be much of a repayment," he said, frowning. "You better live for hundred years yet. ...Wait, that's not all that much for the Demon Tribe... Five hundred? To a ripe old age!"
His earnestness never wavered, but his words no longer carried the weight of a king's command. All the same, Hube accepted them with the same seriousness.
"Good luck, Hube," Yuri said, smiling as the man straightened. "Say hi to Nicola for me."
Wolfram groaned. "Don't go back to calling him that!" he complained.
"What, Hube? But that's what Nicola calls him," Yuri said, clearly perplexed by Wolfram's need for decorum.
"She's his lover! It's not the same!"
"I don't think he minds," Yuri pointed out, crossing his arms sulkily.
"He wouldn't mind if you called him a purple maneater," Wolfram shot back.
"Is that some kind of special insult here?" Yuri wondered. "You know I'm not up on that cultural stuff."
"That's not the point-!"
Caught watching the pair argue, Hube started in surprise when Heathcrife placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad," the other man said, smiling. "It seems things will work out for you after all."
Hube glanced away. "Yes... I can't believe..." he murmured. "But, about Greta..."
"You heard what she said when we stopped by Missinigh," Heathcrife said, squeezing his shoulder gently. "She wants you to be with your child. She understands how precious parents are and doesn't want any other child to be as she was, without them." He smiled fondly. "She's such a good girl. You should accept her feelings. Don't worry, Beatrice and I will take good care of her."
All Hube could do was nod. It seemed impossible that things could possibly come together so well, that a man like him could be so lucky.
Unbidden, his single eye slid toward his cousin. Looking up, Gwendal met his gaze for a moment, then moved on. It wasn't quite acceptance, but it was more than he had ever dared hope for.
~.~.~
On the next subject for discussion, how does the other world geography work? None of the maps really match up, in particular in relation to how big the continents are and where they end. The only clear map I'm found is in the manga, which shows that Hildyard is on another continent/island to the south-ish east of the Demon Kingdom and Van Da Via is south of that.
However, the third season has a pictorial representation of traveling to Francia (I watched it too late ;_;) that shows the ship traveling up north and even further east from Hildyard. We know Francia shares a land border with Cavalcade. But isn't Cavalcade also close to the Demon Kingdom? Certainly, them agitating and gathering esoteric users was an issue all the way back in the first Morgif arc. The feeling I got was that Cavalcade and also Sonnegard were practically neighbors to the Demon Kingdom. So how does that work out?
What I'm saying is, I want a nice, labeled map.