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Fifth of the Seven Mysteries (5): Sibling War

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“It might be the key to ending this pointless ‘sibling war’.” (Heinz)

We responded to Heinz’s words with silence. It was too big of a topic to grasp suddenly.

As if it wasn’t enough to learn that Heinz was the nephew of the princess from the neighboring country, even after hearing it yesterday, I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“What exactly… is this about?” (Maria)

Maria, who was relatively the least shaken among us, asked.

As expected of the daughter of a great noble household.

“I can’t tell you that…” (Heinz)

“Huh? But Heinz, you just said you were going to be honest with us!” (Frank)

Frank’s tone didn’t change, regardless of whether he was speaking to a noble or the nephew of a princess. His words slightly lightened the heavy atmosphere created by the series of events we had just learned about.

“By the way, does everyone know when this Sibling War started? Even you, Hana?” (Heinz)

“Of course, I know that much. It started during the era of the Princess Bakken, three generations before the current princess, degozaru” (Hana)

Heinz nodded with satisfaction before continuing.

“That’s right. So, what’s the reason for the war?” (Heinz)

“The reason… now that you mention it, did we learn that in our lessons, degozaru?” (Hana)

Everyone tried to recall, but it was true that none of us remembered learning about the cause of the war.

“Was it just a simple land dispute or something?” (Sonia)

“No, that’s not it. And it’s no surprise you don’t know. It was never taught. This seems to be the case in your enemy country, the Principality of Solar, as well. Despite the war going on for so long, no one knows the reason. It’s absurd, isn’t it?” (Heinz)

“From the way you say that, Heinz, does that mean you know the reason?” (Rick)

“Yes, I know. In fact, I think I’m the only one here who does. Lev, Lite, do you know?” (Heinz)

“I was reflecting on my lessons at the Lemnos military school earlier, but no, I don’t recall learning about it.” (Lev)

“Same here. I was one of the more diligent students when it came to lessons, but still…” (Lite)

“Lite, diligent? That’s a joke, right?” (Frank)

“Why you…” (Lite)

Lite twitched his cheek while forcing a smile, but realizing this wasn’t the time for banter, he changed his expression. After confirming that, Heinz continued.

“It’s not that they don’t teach it. It’s that they can’t. The reason is just too ridiculous.” (Heinz)

“Too ridiculous?” (Lux)

“Yes. The war started over a literal ‘sibling quarrel’ between Princess Bakken of Rosan and Princess Meiri of Solar at the time.” (Heinz)

 

—

 

The quarrel between the two princesses. The specifics couldn’t be shared. It was an embarrassment to both households. However, a small conflict arose between the two countries when they couldn’t back down. But neither princess was serious about it. In fact, the fighting stopped after just seven days.

There were no fatalities, only a few minor injuries, according to records. This period was known as the ‘Seven Days of Beginnings’. Under normal circumstances, the conflict should have ended there. Both princesses were looking for a way to protect their pride and reach a compromise. But the era didn’t allow it.

“The era?” (Sonia)

Heinz briefly glanced at Sonia before continuing.

At the time, about two years before the ‘Seven Days of Beginnings’, the three nations experienced a devastating famine due to an unprecedented long rainy season. The following year, they were hit by the same weather conditions, resulting in back-to-back crop failures and a severe economic depression.

Unemployment was rampant in every domain, and the towns were filled with voices of discontent. Many of these were directed at the nobles who ruled the lands, and cases of rebellion against the nobles’ incompetence began to appear. Amidst this, a small war broke out.

The lords who participated in the ‘Seven Days of Beginnings’ realized something.

If they sent out soldiers, they’d receive payment from the princess, and it would earn them favor. They could also hire the unemployed citizens as soldiers. Furthermore, they could redirect the anger previously aimed at the lords toward the ‘enemy nation’.

“No way!” (Maria)

Maria’s near-scream came out, a response only natural for a fellow noble.

But I understood Maria’s feelings, and yet, you couldn’t entirely blame the nobles of that time. Not all of them were completely incompetent. Some even sacrificed themselves to help their people. However, the nobles were so cornered that they had no choice but to cling to what would normally be dismissed as a diabolical logic.

The pro-war sentiment from the nobles of both countries grew into an unstoppable force, leading to the resumption of the conflict. Since then, there had never been a true ceasefire, with the two countries engaging in endless small skirmishes.

 

—

 

When Heinz finished his story, there was a long silence.

Frank was the one to break it.

“But if that’s the case, couldn’t the princess stop the war with just a word?” (Frank)

“That’s both true and not true. Both countries aren’t escalating to a total war because they’re tired of fighting. But they haven’t found a way to stop either.” (Heinz)

“So, the thing that could bring about the end of the war is hidden somewhere in this academy?” (Frank)

“Wait, Lite, you didn’t know what we were searching for?” (Lux)

“Yeah, Heinz just asked me to help find the hidden room of Duke Lengrad.” (Lite)

When I looked at Heinz, he gave a wry smile and said,

“It’s not that I didn’t trust Lite and the others. Even now, I’m not completely sure if such a thing really exists.” (Heinz)

“May I ask a question, degozaru?” (Hana)

Heinz gestured for her to go ahead.

“Even if you’re the nephew of the princess, how do you know about all this? And why are you the only one here, degozaru?” (Hana)

“First, the reason I know is because the three countries were originally one, divided between siblings. In a way, we’re all relatives. Among them, Duke Lengrad was particularly fond of my father when he was young, treating him almost like a grandchild. The last time Duke Lengrad visited Remnos, he told this story to my father.” (Heinz)

“Then, why didn’t your father take on this responsibility directly?” (Hana)

“He wanted to, but the situation didn’t allow it. The years leading up to this academy’s transformation into a military school were the most intense period of conflict. During that time, Duke Lengrad passed away, and his mansion here disappeared. There was no longer any reason for my father to come here.” (Heinz)

“So, the second reason?” (Rick)

“Yes. I could naturally infiltrate the academy as a foreign exchange student. Luckily, my claim to the throne is low, so it was easy to arrange for me to ‘study abroad in secret’. My father half-believed that Duke Lengrad’s hidden room might not exist anymore, so part of his reason was to give me experience.” (Heinz)

Heinz’s story was overwhelming, and to be honest, I was struggling to digest it all.

But one thing was clear. Today, we, as students of this academy, were probably the first to learn the reason for this war.

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