Chapter 76

Chapter 76
I am trying to help Meursault and Daphne initiate something. Do you know where I ought to begin?
…Haydam.
The Commander set aside the paperwork he was looking over and let out a heavy breath.
You haven’t forgotten that I am still legally wed to Daphne, have you?
I haven’t forgotten at all. That is precisely why I came to speak with you first.
You still have no desire to grant her a divorce, then?
Rather than replying, the Commander crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat. His sole remaining eye quietly focused on the white kitten currently resting in my arms.
Is that the feline Meursault mentioned?
After introducing Luna to Bones and Lucas, I made a point of presenting her to the people close to me, including Meursault. If the Commander caught wind of her through someone else beforehand, he would find her appearance far less unusual when they finally met. Just as I anticipated, he expressed no major shock at seeing the animal. He merely watched Luna with light curiosity, prompting me to bend down and whisper to her.
Go to Father.
Luna flinched for a brief second before leaping softly from my arms onto the Commander’s tabletop. She stared at him for a moment and then stretched out her neck as though asking for affection. The Commander let out a soft chuckle.
Fearless, aren’t you?
Think of her as me and treat her kindly.
He gave me a look implying those words felt completely out of character, yet he gently stroked the top of Luna’s head with casual indifference. Luna let out a purr before sprawling right across the documents he had been reviewing.
Well… I suppose there is a bit of you inside her after all.
After scratching right beneath Luna’s chin for a little while, the Commander turned his single eye back toward me.
You have been visiting my office much more frequently as of late. Is this because of the vow you made to Luna Moon?
Hmm.
Back when I first regained consciousness in the hospital room, I had told him that my promise to Luna Moon meant I would guard his life from then on. He clearly believed my recent visits were just a way to ensure his continued safety.
I cannot exactly tell him that his actual son wants to see him, so I have simply been bringing her along.
Until now, I had only brought Luna in the shape of a ring. Leaving her permanently trapped within the moonstone, forced to watch the Commander only from a distance, never felt right to me, which is why I brought her as a cat this time around. Naturally, Luna had initially flatly refused to reveal herself in front of him.
Is there any real reason you need to hide specifically from the Commander? Unless you happen to be the actual Haydam…
I had left that sentence hanging just enough. Luna immediately insisted that since she was not Haydam, she had every right to appear before the Commander whenever she wished, and so we came together. Even if I was only acting the part of Haydam, there was no reason Luna should be denied the Commander’s warmth.
Regardless.
You keep asking questions, I noted. But you still haven’t given me an answer, Father.
The hand caressing Luna came to a sudden halt.
…Haydam. Even I cannot answer every single question.
My inquiry had been about whether he still held no plans for a divorce. If even he lacked an answer, didn’t that practically mean he was unwilling to pursue a divorce just yet?
Come to think of it, the Commander had always been lukewarm whenever the topic of separation arose. Did he simply not want to let Daphne go? Or were there underlying circumstances preventing him from doing so? Up until now, I assumed he was stalling to sidestep conflict with the pro-Daphne faction. Yet that faction had been reduced to near irrelevance following Anton’s retirement and the disastrous string of events surrounding General Max. If the Commander and Daphne were ever going to split, a more opportune moment would never present itself. He had to realize that just as well as I did.
Is there a complication? Is there some reason a divorce is impossible?
The Commander stared at me for an extended moment before slowly shaking his head.
…Luna Moon never knew how to back down once something piqued her curiosity either. I suppose you take after her. It can be quite frustrating.
This man blames every single flaw on Mom.
Are you at least preparing properly for the upcoming entrance examination? There are very few days left.
It sounded like the typical inquiry of a father addressing a son facing a major test, except I had no intention of taking the academy entrance exam. I intended to run the whole thing. Exactly one week remained until the Military Academy entrance tests. My objective was to extract a definitive answer regarding the divorce from the Commander prior to that deadline.
You don’t need to worry about the entrance exam. My preparations are already complete.
Oh? What kind of test are you planning to establish?
Even for my own father, I cannot leak the test questions.
Meursault seems to be quite familiar with whatever you have prepared.
…Right from the start, the Commander was dodging every question I asked and steering the dialogue elsewhere. Did he simply despise discussing divorce with his son? Yet I needed to fully grasp his mindset if I wanted to map out the next phases of my strategy. I still possessed the final installment of the Three Rewards. If I could secure a divorce for Daphne without exppending that reward, it would be ideal.
Is your hesitation because you do not want Daphne to end up with Meursault?
…So you came here today dead set on getting an answer out of me.
He must have realized that changing the subject was no longer going to dismiss me. A heavy silence stretched out—not a brief one—before he finally spoke.
I do not care much for Meursault… Yes. That might very well be it.
…His lukewarm stance on the divorce stemmed from an actual dislike of Meursault? Fortunately, what he said next provided a rationale I could genuinely comprehend.
Daphne is the woman Luna Moon entrusted to my care. That means I bear the responsibility for her wellbeing. I cannot simply hand her over just because Meursault desires her. She was never my property to begin with.
I realized my own oversight. I was already aware that Daphne’s heart belonged to Meursault, which was why I had been pushing so aggressively for their remarriage. The Commander, however, knew nothing of her true feelings. From his viewpoint, Meursault was the only party unilaterally pushing for the union. After more than ten years of marriage born from Luna Moon’s dying wish, hesitation on his part was only natural.
He must assume that if he grants Daphne a divorce now, I will force her straight into remarrying Meursault.
Just as Daphne had never known that Luna Moon left behind a letter asking the Commander to marry her, the Commander had remained entirely unaware that Daphne had long ago begged Luna Moon to help her stay with Meursault instead of wedding him. If the two of them simply understood each other’s circumstances, both the divorce and the subsequent remarriage would fall neatly into place.
Except…
If I announced right here and now that Daphne reciprocated Meursault’s feelings, he simply wouldn’t believe me. The Commander trusted that I could pull off practically anything, yet he also knew I would employ any means necessary to achieve my goals. That made him deeply skeptical of taking my word when it came to matters of the heart. Daphne’s sentiments had to come directly from Daphne’s own lips. Only then would the Commander accept them as truth.
Wait a minute…
Hadn’t Daphne explicitly stated that she would gather the courage to confess once Meursault returned from the subjugation campaign? She couldn’t possibly have already confessed while I was confined to a hospital bed… could she?

It appears that General Max is slated for a promotion to full general.
Meursault dived right into operational matters the moment I arrived.
That is definitely not the expression of a man who has just received a confession from the love of his life…
If they had already cleared the air about their feelings, he would not be acting precisely the same as always. More importantly, though—General Max was getting promoted to full general?
Was that His Excellency’s personal decree?
Half of it was, yes.
What do you mean, only half?
Every other eligible officer turned down the position of full general.
They deliberately refused a promotion? For what reason?
Why do you suppose?
Meursault fixed me with an unyielding gaze as he posed the question.
…Why are you staring at me like that? What, is this somehow my fault?
What are you talking about? Naturally, it is because of you, Lord Haydam.
How is that supposed to be self-evident?
The other officers are all well aware of what befell Anton and Yosef after they attained the rank of full general. That position is a poisoned chalice now. Not a single person was willing to step forward and drink from it.
Then General Max…
Was forced into the role. Following the recent incidents, it was essentially a direct demand that he take accountability.
I certainly had not anticipated things turning out this way. Even so, if a principled man like General Max was stepping into the role, I had no complaints. Through his ties to Bones, Max would likely look upon me favorably as well.
Then who is stepping into Yosef’s vacant spot?
At that inquiry, Meursault’s expression twisted into a truly miserable grimace.
…It appears the duty will fall to me.
Weren’t you just a major general?
His Excellency’s will is absolute.
So this is what everyday existence under an absolute ruler looks like.
Why the astonishment? Wasn’t this precisely the outcome you were trying to prevent by keeping Yosef alive?
Ah… right.
I could hardly claim I had ever intended to spare the man, so I simply offered an agreeing smile. Meursault smiled back in return.
Still, this whole ordeal assures me that even you are merely human after all. Even your capabilities seem to have limits when facing a natural disaster.
If drawing that conclusion brought him peace of mind, I would let him keep believing it for the time being.
Anyway, have you crossed paths with Lady Daphne lately?
Lady Daphne… you say?
Meursault tilted his head, clearly caught off guard by the abruptness of the query.
It is rather strange for you to ask me that. It is not as though I have any regular excuse to meet Lady Daphne on my own.
So you haven’t seen her at all, then.
No.
Not long ago, Daphne had planted a death flag—or rather, a love flag—proclaiming she would voice her feelings the moment Meursault returned from the campaign. With the whole General Max situation winding down, I figured she would have reached out to him at least once by now, yet she still hadn’t made a move?
Whether it stems from a lack of courage or some personal circumstance, I cannot say…
Either way, I had given her my word that I would orchestrate the divorce. I was going to have to step in and handle it myself.
Meursault.
Yes.
I am going to visit Lady Daphne tomorrow. You are accompanying me.
What?! M-me as well?
Meursault began to rattle like loose armor pieces.
Th-that… wouldn’t that be entirely improper? It really wouldn’t do at all, would it?
You lack the backbone to go see her on your own, yet you somehow hatched the notion of marrying her? Where did that ambition even come from?
Daphne did possess that extraordinary artifact, the Violet Eyes of Fascination. Yet judging by the fact that the Commander continued to adore Luna Moon even while Daphne wore it, the item merely enhanced the wearer’s physical appeal rather than forcibly manipulating anyone’s emotions.
One week remained until the academy entrance examination. Within that window, I needed to get Daphne and Meursault face to face at the very least. Anton still grumbled on occasion, but he had already gravitated to my side. General Max, who was inheriting Anton’s old standing, already held a favorable impression of me due to the Bones situation. If the two of them were going to separate, right now was the ideal moment. And if Meursault—soon to be elevated to full general—subsequently remarried Daphne, it would serve as the finishing touch. The old pro-Commander and pro-Daphne factions would lose all relevance, leaving everyone to simply rally behind Haydam and live in peace.
I will secure permission from Lady Daphne personally, so stop hyperventilating.
Lord Haydam… thank you…! I shall uphold my end of our agreement without fail as well!
…Agreement?
What agreement, all of a sudden?
Did I not swear that I would do everything within my power to assist you in building an ideal family of your own, Lord Haydam?
Ah……
Was I playing the role of the sympathetic friend back then?
You really do not have to bother.
I will track down an exceptional match for you without fail.
No—I am only eleven years old…
If a suitable partner cannot be found within the Zone, I will search every other Zone until I find one. You need only place your trust in me, Lord Haydam.
There is simply no reasoning with this man.
I was still attempting to calm Meursault down when a soldier hesitantly approached us.
What is it?
Meursault instantly dropped his nonsense and addressed the newcomer. The soldier offered him only the briefest of nods before shifting his attention straight to me.
You are requested to report to His Excellency at once, Lord Haydam.
Is His Excellency summoning Lord Haydam?
Meursault asked on behalf of my blank expression. The soldier shook his head.
No, sir. An official delegation has just arrived from the Love Area.
What? The Love Area?
Something originating from the Love Area? A delegation?
I was still doubting my own hearing when the soldier added more detail.
They state they are here to meet Lord Haydam. A girl roughly around his age.
I understood the situation instantly.
The shaman belonging to the Love Area.
The player known as God had arrived.