As the Fang Clan's rear base, south of the Northern Plains in the basin of central-western Britannia, stood a town founded by a handful of lower-ranking fairies—Manchester.
After the Fang Clan instigated war against the Northern Clans, not only they but also the armies of the Wind Clan, Wing Clan, and Earth Clan—dragged into alliance—had successively stationed themselves in this town.
Even so, Manchester, though serving as the coalition army's rear headquarters, lacked the feel of a military stronghold. Any human or fairy could come and go freely. In fact, the war had brought an unprecedented density of fairies into the city, giving it an unsettling air of prosperity.
"Is there... really a war going on here?"
Supporting Aesc's hand, Shiomi glanced around the streets, weaving between passing fairies as he muttered softly.
"Perhaps." Aesc swept her gaze over the street with little interest. Tightening her grip on Shiomi's hand, she urged in a low voice, "We should move quickly."
Though their attire wasn't eye-catching, the pairing of human and fairy still drew the stares of some fairies. Yet an instinctive sense of danger kept those onlookers from approaching.
"You're the one who looks pale. Should we find a place to rest?" Shiomi frowned.
"No. I'm just in a foul mood." Aesc shook her head. "Let's finish our business quickly and leave."
"Mm." Shiomi agreed softly. "But looking at Manchester, then at the battlefield on the Northern Plains... if the Fang Clan learns that while they're fighting, the other fairies are here idling about as if none of this concerns them—"
Aesc gave him a startled look. "You plan to use that angle, to push the alliance of clans toward collapse?"
"To be honest, I don't think the other three clans are particularly eager to fight." Shiomi's expression turned thoughtful. "Of course, it's not that they're peace-loving. Otherwise, they wouldn't have accepted being dragged in so obediently."
From the very beginning, this alliance had been fragile. The war with the Northern Fairies had already dragged on for over a month. The Fang Clan clearly didn't see it as a hard-fought struggle—the Northern Fairies were simply proving a tough opponent.
For those warlike fairies, a battle that ended too quickly would only feel dull.
"What does Tenkei plan to do?"
Compared to the fairies bustling about Manchester, Aesc was more interested in Shiomi's intentions.
"The first question is this: if they don't want to fight, why don't they rise up against the Fang Clan and pull out of the war?" Shiomi countered.
"Because they don't trust one another." Aesc thought for a moment before answering.
"Exactly. None of them know if, once they rise up, the other two clans will take the chance to strike them down." Shiomi spoke with a smile that carried a dangerous undertone. "It's what you could call a prisoner's dilemma in reverse."
"A prisoner's dilemma?" Aesc blinked. "Explain it."
"It's simple. The original idea is about two suspects jailed for a crime. They can't communicate. If neither betrays the other, both serve time. But if one informs on the other, the informant is released, while the silent one suffers a harsher punishment for not cooperating." Shiomi explained.
Aesc nodded thoughtfully. "And if they both inform?"
"Then both receive lighter sentences." Shiomi's eyes turned toward the Wind Clan's encampment coming into view. "Doesn't it perfectly describe this alliance built on shallow unity?"
"You want to turn that around—make them realize that if they unite against it, they can withdraw from this meaningless war." Aesc guessed.
"No. I just want them to believe that stepping back benefits them more," Shiomi corrected. "And that even if they act alone, the other two clans won't move against them."
"So that's why we came here?" Aesc slowly pieced it together. "And why you chose the Wind Clan as the first stop?"
"Among the three, the Wind Clan is easier to approach and less passive," Shiomi said. "But that's only in comparison. We'll see how they actually respond."
Though he didn't show his emotions as openly as Aesc, Shiomi didn't harbor the slightest trust toward these fairies.
Or rather, the trust that had once been painstakingly built had vanished completely with the Rain Clan's downfall, washed away along with that night's rain.
"What if words don't work? What if the Wind Clan sees us as a threat and decides to eliminate us while they can?" Aesc asked cautiously.
Nearly four hundred years had passed since then, and by now she understood Shiomi's ways well—he never acted without careful planning.
"Then we'll just have to fight our way out," Shiomi said, raising a finger. "Remember the celestial magecraft I mentioned before? If these clans refuse to behave, we'll simply let them taste what it feels like to be struck by a meteor."
"You really don't hold back."
Aesc understood immediately, giving a helpless smile. By nature, she wanted to pity the fairies, yet reason never allowed her to.
"All of it is necessary. Your safety will always come first," Shiomi said softly.
When he first set out on this journey, he had kept count of time—one year, two years, ten, twenty. But once the numbers stretched into centuries, he stopped caring.
Now, having lived for over three hundred years, Shiomi had grown used to ignoring the flow of time.
Long ago, his master Scáthach had spoken to him with grave seriousness about what it meant to live too long.
"When life becomes too long, memories inevitably erode, even turning dull. Every day feels the same. A life that stretches endlessly, with no end in sight, is a completely different thing from a life where the end is clear."
Or rather, the trust that had once been painstakingly built had vanished completely with the Rain Clan's downfall, washed away along with that night's rain.
"What if words don't work? What if the Wind Clan sees us as a threat and decides to eliminate us while they can?" Aesc asked cautiously.
Nearly four hundred years had passed since then, and by now she understood Shiomi's ways well—he never acted without careful planning.
"Then we'll just have to fight our way out," Shiomi said, raising a finger. "Remember the celestial magecraft I mentioned before? If these clans refuse to behave, we'll simply let them taste what it feels like to be struck by a meteor."
"You really don't hold back."
Aesc understood immediately, giving a helpless smile. By nature, she wanted to pity the fairies, yet reason never allowed her to.
"All of it is necessary. Your safety will always come first," Shiomi said softly.
When he first set out on this journey, he had kept count of time—one year, two years, ten, twenty. But once the numbers stretched into centuries, he stopped caring.
Now, having lived for over three hundred years, Shiomi had grown used to ignoring the flow of time.
Long ago, his master Scáthach had spoken to him with grave seriousness about what it meant to live too long.
"When life becomes too long, memories inevitably erode, even turning dull. Every day feels the same. A life that stretches endlessly, with no end in sight, is a completely different thing from a life where the end is clear."
And in this Lostbelt's distant past, the three hundred years he and Aesc had lived together had indeed been just like that.
Shiomi was beginning to grasp the true weight of those words.
Endless travels, suppressing disasters, quelling conflicts—and when he tired of it all, retreating to the forest for fifty years of seclusion.
Yet even after reemerging, he still never found anything new or refreshing. In the end, the only one who truly remained in his eyes was Aesc.
—And for Aesc, it was the same. Britannia, fairies—all of it was nothing more than fleeting illusions, repeating over and over.
"—Talking and walking, and here we are."
They had reached the gate of the Wind Clan's camp. After presenting their identities to the guards, one immediately hurried inside to report.