Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death
chapter-568

Whirling Tide : Mia descends

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for being given this opportunity. I am Ka Roufa, the Elder of the Fire Clan. And this girl called Aima is the younger sister of the Fire Clan Chief.” Roufa slowly stood up and spoke. With keen discerning eyes, she stared at all the Chiefs and then calmly bowed her head.

Her intensity was enough to interest everyone, but it was Aima, who was introduced as the Chief’s sister, who drew everyone’s attention.

After all, she was the girl who had entered the castle on that magnificent horse.

She had the fierce look of a seasoned warrior who had faced many battles, and everyone gasped in admiration at her dignified demeanour.

She seemed to be an extraordinarily talented opponent against whom they could not let down their guard. The tension was evident on their faces.

One aspect of the Equestrian Kingdom’s pathology had reared its head: the standard criteria by which everyone was evaluated—the horse they owned.

When all the self-introductions were completed, Rafina spoke in a calm and serene voice.

“I am Rafina Orca Belluga, daughter of the Duke of the Principality of Belluga. I believe I may have met some of the Clan Chiefs before.”

Rafina then tilted her head slightly and gave a cool smile.

Then, she quietly closed her eyes and recited a passage from the Holy Scriptures.

“When God descended upon the earth, the shepherds greeted Him with courage and spirit.”

“It brings me unexpected joy to participate in a meeting of the descendants of those shepherds who were the first to welcome our God and receive His great blessings. May God’s blessings and great guidance be upon this meeting alike.”

The solemn prayer breathed purity into the hearts of those present.

And so, the Meeting of Chiefs began quietly.

It was Kouma, the person in charge, who spoke first.

“Well, this meeting was convened by the Chief of the Forest Clan, Lord Mayun. First and foremost, I would like for you to explain the objective of this meeting. What were the circumstances that called for all of us to be gathered here in this place? I would like for you to explain what exactly it is that you expect, Lord Mayun.”

“Hahaha, it’s a little embarrassing to be referred to as ‘Lord’ by Elder Kouma.”

Mayun made an attempt at humour and smiled jovially before taking his time to stand up. After adjusting his sleeves noisily, he proceeded to look at everyone with a calm and serene gaze.

“Now, dear Clan Chiefs, I am grateful to all of you for responding to my call. I cannot hold back my joy at this wonderful time when we are together again.”

He addressed everyone in a beautiful, melodic, resonating voice, as if he were a stage actor.

“Oh, it is a wonderful time, is it?” Kouma asked.

Mayun nodded deeply in response.

“That’s right. We have found the siblings that we had lost. This moment, when we are together with our blood relatives from whom we were estranged due to past circumstances, is so wonderful that I am sure even our ancestors would be overjoyed.”

Some Clan Chiefs nodded, genuinely touched by Mayun’s appeal. There were even some who were moved to tears. The people of the Equestrian Kingdom were essentially good-natured and honest.

“I see. Basically, Lord Mayun wished to share those feelings of joy and excitement. And so you called us out to gather here, is that right?”

“Of course, it’s not just that. I heard that the Fire Clan is facing poverty due to a poor harvest. Due to that, it seems that some of them have even resorted to becoming bandits. If we ignore this, it would lead to embarrassment for our country. We would not be fit to show our faces to our ancestor Ka Seima, right?”

“Oh, so you basically wish for us to support the Fire Clan that has fallen into poverty. You wish to provide them with aid, is that right?”

Kouma clapped his hands and smiled.

“If that’s the case, then the matter can be resolved quickly. If our blood relatives are in trouble, let’s support them with food and more. Also, we need to negotiate with other countries. We should send an emissary to the countries that fell victim to the looting and ensure suitable compensation.”

All the Clan Chiefs nodded at Kouma’s words.

“No matter what happened in the past, it is natural to help our brethren. It’s not necessary to even bring it up for discussion. That is just the wisdom of the Equestrian Kingdom.”

Basically, they were good and honest people.

However, at this point, Mayun dared to take a step farther.

“No, Elder Kouma. The matter doesn’t end there. I asked everyone to gather here to discuss the future of the Equestrian Kingdom.”

Upon hearing those words, Kouma narrowed his eyes slightly. Regardless, Mayun continued.

“It is unfortunate that the Fire Clan has fallen into poverty. However, it seems like a divine revelation to me. I would definitely like each Clan Chief to consider this. To once again welcome the Fire Clan, our lost siblings, back into our midst.”

The entire place became tense at those words.

“Does that mean that you want to welcome the Fire Clan into the Forest Clan? Or do you wish to assimilate the Fire Clan into the other Twelve Clans?”

“That is not what I wish for. If it is Elder Kouma, then I am sure that you can understand…”

Mayun then looked around at the faces of the Chiefs and said,

“This is what I think. Now is the time for the Twelve Clans to reunite as the Thirteen Clans once again. If the other Chiefs were in my position, they would surely feel the same way. If you had been the first to encounter the Fire Clan like me…”

“I wonder about that. If you are not actually in that position you cannot understand. Lord Mayun, it seems that you are willing to compromise a little too much when it comes to the Fire Clan. You were supposed to be an expert when it came to our historical songs. Have you forgotten the circumstances of our separation?”

This point was made by the Clan Chief, who was the second most senior after Kouma. The other Chiefs also looked at Mayun with somewhat bewildered expressions.

“It is natural to send aid. However, to reintegrate the estranged Clan, that is a big change and we do not know what it would bring. It would surely cause worry to a lot of people.”

It was then that Elder Roufa swiftly raised her hand and spoke up.

“No, excuse me, Lord Mayun, but actually the Forest Clan is not the first. We have already interacted with a certain Clan Chief. The Mountain Clan Chief, Lord Fuuma, has assisted us before.”

Fuuma’s shoulders trembled in shock at the abrupt shift in conversation.

“Oh my, is that so?”

Mayun said, looking a little surprised, and then he shook his head regretfully.

“Is that right? Lord Fuuma, I wish you had told me that.”

After glancing at Fuuma, who appeared to be a little blue in the face, Mayun asked Roufa.

“So, the Fire Clan had some association with the Mountain Clan…?”

“Um, no, actually…”

As Fuuma tried to say something, Roufa interrupted.

“Yes. When we were in poverty, we received an offer from Lord Fuuma to buy our livestock. First, we sold sheep, then goats, and eventually horses…”

That was when the first shift in tides occurred.

“What is the meaning of this? Lord Fuuma…?”

A Chief with a strikingly large build asked in a deep voice.

By the way, he was the man who had been greatly moved by Mayun’s earlier speech, and his pupils had dilated with emotion. He was known to be a simple, passionate, and deeply empathetic man.

“N-no, that’s not it…”

Fuuma stammered and mumbled as the other Chiefs looked at him with disdain.

The long estranged Fire Clan did not know of it, however, there was a kind of common law amongst the Twelve Clans to help their blood relatives without any compensation in case they fell into a dire state, since ancient times.

Such actions were not to be pursued for the sake of one’s own interests or profit. They were not meant to be transactions, nor business deals.

The actions were supposed to be pure philanthropy, to aid the other party get back on their feet.

Despite knowing this, Fuuma bought the livestock of the Fire Clan, who were in need.

In the Equestrian Kingdom, livestock were considered assets. More specifically, they were considered indispensable for existence. If someone lost those assets, even if they temporarily gained money, it was inevitable that they would eventually fall into poverty and hardship.

In spite of knowing that, if someone purchased livestock, then it would be an unforgivable violation of the common law.

The atmosphere of the place suddenly changed from blaming Fuuma to sympathising with the Fire Clan.

It was exactly as Mayun had calculated.

Granting unidirectional kindness and expecting servitude was not the form of welcome that Mayun wished for the Fire Clan. It was a measure to strike a balance.

However, the heavy words that followed served to disrupt the flow of the tide that had been created.

“But… What about the wolves?”

The owner of the voice, Kouma, first glanced at Roufa and then at Aima, who was sitting next to her, with calm, discerning eyes.

“If you say that you will abandon the wolves, I can understand. That was the reason we separated in the first place. If you agree to abandon the wolves, we will gladly welcome the Fire Clan. However…”

After taking a pause, as if contemplating the matter, Kouma continued.

“If you wish to integrate into the Forest Clan, you need to follow the laws of the Forest Clan. Similarly, the Wind Clan has its own laws, and so does the Mountain Clan. Naturally, you will have to abandon wolves. However, if we were to accept the Fire Clan as it is, then we must also accept the rules of the Fire Clan, including their custom of using wolves. Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s exactly right. As expected of Elder Kouma. I also thought that the Fire Clan wouldn’t be recognized as our brethren, so I bought the sheep…?”

Fuuma said something along those lines, but no one was listening to his words.

Kouma and Mayun glared at each other, resulting in a standoff. The Clan Chiefs watched the situation, waiting with bated breath, convinced that one of them would eventually break the stalemate.

However, the next tidal wave was about to be born in a completely different place—an extremely powerful, all consuming whirlpool-like current. It was about to emerge from a gentle voice.

Now, Mia, who had been listening intently to the Chiefs’ conversation, felt a momentary sense of relief.

‘Hmm, as expected from blood relatives. It looks like the matter will be resolved properly.’

From Mia’s perspective, they seemed to be arguing about ways to save the Fire Clan. It would be best if they could return to the Equestrian Kingdom as Mayun appealed, but at the very least it seemed that they could get food support.

It was indeed a good thing that not a single person suggested abandoning them.

‘Common ground for compromise could be found only by the people who were actually involved. If things progress like this, there may be no need for me to even open my mouth. Good…’

With that, Mia folded her arms and quietly closed her eyes.

‘I won’t kill time by counting something today. It would be a waste of time.’

Mia was in serious mode today.

She was seriously trying to face her own fat.

‘After this meeting is done, it will be time for a showdown with sister-in-law Valentina. I have less time than I expected. What would be most effective? I need to think about this seriously…’

The problem was to figure out the most effective form of exercise.

Mia knew that she was definitely not the kind who hated exercise. However, exercising enough to burn the amount she ate would be difficult.

‘I need to think of a way that would be sustainable long term. In that case…’

Mia nodded to herself and slowly opened her eyes.

“That’s right. Perhaps it would be a good idea to ride a horse…”

After all, this was the Equestrian Kingdom. So it would only be natural to ride a horse.

‘If I ride vigorously every day, it would be good exercise, and it will be fun if I ride with Abel. Since it is sustainable, even if I overeat a little, shouldn’t it be fine?’

As Mia pondered over various things and grinned at her own idea, she suddenly noticed all the Chiefs’ piercing gazes were directed at her.

“What do you mean? Your Highness, Princess Mia.”

Even Kouma had lost his usual easygoing demeanour and questioned Mia in a slightly trembling voice.

“…Huh?”

Although Mia was nervous, she was acutely aware that the tide was changing again.

She also realised that she had changed the flow.

However, there was something that even Mia was unaware of. The tide that she had set in motion was, in fact, a colossal whirlpool that would engulf all of the Clan Chiefs.