Volume 4 - CH 32.1

Tilting the steaming teacup to his lips and taking a sip, Subaru opened his ears to Frederica’s words.

[Frederica: The Demihuman War―― To begin with, would Subaru-sama know what kind of dispute this was?]

[Subaru: Like I said, I don’t know the details. Just…… I can kinda imagine what might’ve happened just from the name and the historical background]

[Frederica: My, that’s interesting. May I ask what you imagined it to be?]

Hearing this reply from Subaru, Frederica covered the corner of her lips and smiled.

Covering her mouthful of fangs while smiling seemed to be a deeply ingrained habit of her’s, and Subaru often saw her this way.

It would seem that although she loved to smile, she didn’t want others to see it.

Closing his eyes and scratching at his cheeks, with [Right], Subaru began,

[Subaru: I don’t know how long ago that war took place, but I can imagine it couldn’t have had nothing to do with the Witch of Envy. I’ve seen how Emilia was treated like a tumor in the Capital, and I know that Half-Elves are despised by all sorts of people]

Recorded even in picture-books, the Witch of Envy is universally known as the unparalleled symbol of absolute evil. Being a silver-haired Half-Elf, for having only this one point in common with the Witch, Emilia was treated with such unjust prejudice. So, in the wake of the Witch of Envy―― Subaru could imagine the kind of conflict that might have arisen from even the most insignificant details.

[Subaru: A Half-Elf, would be a child between a Human and an Elf, right? Carrying on from their hatred of Half-Elves…… it’s not too far-fetched that some would believe that any Half-Blood born between humans and other races is also heresy deserving of persecution]

[Frederica: ……Please, do go on]

[Subaru: I’m just pulling this from imagination, but since the persecution of Half-Elves led to the persecution of Half-Bloods by association, if we take this to the extreme, the very existence of the Demihumans who begot the Half-Bloods is a threat as well…… that’s probably what some of those guys are thinking]

To the extent of Subaru’s knowledge, the humans are by far the most numerous race in this world. He knew of the existence of Elves, and Beastmen like Anastasia’s triplets, but just from his experience over the days he spent at the Capital, the absolute number of Demihumans were indeed far fewer than the humans.

And so, solely owing to their majority, they came to believe that they had justice on their side.

[Subaru: I doubt absolutely everyone would’ve taken up this way of thinking, but the loud and obnoxious types are probably the same anywhere. So, compared to hatred of Demihumans…… it’s probably closer to fear, isn’t it. And when that frustration eventually boils over…]

[Frederica: The tension between Humans and Demihumans erupted. The smoldering kindling caught fire, and with ever-gathering momentum, its flames engulfed the whole of Lugnica]

Spilling this in a melancholic voice, Frederica continued on from Subaru’s words.

Closing one of his eyes, Subaru gazed at her downcast expression. And then, with a single nod, Frederica turned up her face.

[Frederica: There is almost no need to supplement your conjectures, nor are there any grounds for dispute. ……Have you truly never heard any detailed accounts of the war?]

[Subaru: Nah. If that was essentially correct, it’s just thanks to my power of imagination. Or reading experience…… this kind of stuff shows up in light novels a lot, you know, antagonism between races and stuff]

Although, of course, Subaru never actually paid much mind to these problems in reality.

Even in his Original World, so-called racial discrimination existed. But, to Subaru, they might as well have been matters from a world away, not unlike problems existing in some Parallel World.

He was himself, and the others were others, he had held this coldly apathetic outlook. And while this is true in a way, in reality, he was only averting his eyes.

[Subaru: It’s just, even if I can imagine how things got the way they are, I’d still have no idea how to fix it. But since you’re saying this in the past-tense, at least that means the Demihuman war had already run its course, right?]

[Frederica: In a sense, yes. But the scars from the war run deep, and the sprouts of prejudice against the offsprings between Humans and Demihumans remain deeply rooted even now]

Perhaps because she herself was born as a target of such prejudice, Frederica’s words carried a certain heaviness that could not have been understood by someone merely listening from the outside.

Subaru wanted to ask what happened next but hesitated before he could throw these words at her. And, sensing this on his mind, Frederica sighed,

[Frederica: My apologies for making you worried. Let us continue the story]

[Subaru: I kinda wanna say “don’t force yourself”, but these things directly tie into what I need to ask so I can’t really say that. So, do force yourself, please]

[Frederica: My my. You sure are adept at spurring people on, Subaru-sama]

Favorably interpreting Subaru’s selfish remark, Frederica lifted her own cup and took a sip over her tongue,

[Frederica: The Demihuman War began approximately fifty years ago. From there, it went on for nearly ten years…… and it was recorded to have concluded forty years ago]

[Subaru: Ten years…… that’s a long time. Although, back home, I think we’ve got a Hundred Years’ War and a Thirty Years’ War or something in our history as well]

Subaru wasn’t so well read when it comes to historical novels, so his knowledge of these events didn’t go past glancing over their names in textbooks. But, with names like that, he could more or less guess how long those wars lasted at the minimum.

Thirty years, and a hundred years. It’s a frightening thought, how anyone could hate another person enough to carry on a war for so long.

Even Subaru had only spent two months in the Parallel world.

[Subaru: That’s just way too exhausting, who can keep on playing Bokosuka Wars for more than 10 years?]

[Frederica: Regardless, the war first originated from a dispute between the humans and a Demihuman settlement. Originally, it would only have been a local dispute contained within a small area…… but because of the incident that followed, in a single stroke, the heat of war flared up. And the horrific conflict, in which blood upon blood washed over every corner of the land, began]

[Subaru: The incident that followed?]

[Frederica: Not long after conflict first broke out, the King of Lugnica at the time saw the seriousness of the situation and dispatched his close attendant as an envoy for peace. On the Demihuman side, the chiefs of various races gathered to welcome the envoy and to negotiate for a resolution, but……]

Hearing Frederica’s words trail off, Subaru silently tilted his head, prompting her to continue. Seeing his gesture, Frederica closed her eyes,

[Frederica: Those who attended that conference―― the envoys from the Palace and the Demihuman chiefs alike, were all indiscriminately slaughtered on the spot]

[Subaru: Indiscriminately slaughtered……? But by who, and for what?]

[Frederica: The culprit remains unknown even to this day. But, at the time, both the Humans and the Demihumans were convinced that the other was responsible. And consequently, a small ember became a great devouring fire, and would not be put out for all ten years…… as it so happened]

[Subaru: What were they doing? If they just properly talked it through…… but that’s too idealistic, isn’t it]

Given the emotions of the people at the time, this might be too much of a god-like perspective.

The envoy dispatched by Palace was the King’s personal attendant. Considering the prestige of the envoy murdered at the scene of a negotiation, to withdraw the matter without bringing the culprit to justice would have been beneath the dignity of a Kingdom. And from the Demihumans’ perspective, the fact was that their chiefs had been gathered in one place and massacred. Though it’d be demeaning to count lives this way, in purely numerical terms, the Demihuman side lost more.

Adding to that, was the existence of the Witch of Envy that first laid the foundations of the strife between their races,

It would be difficult enough to even begin to mend their relations, and in this standstill, there was no time to deal with the problems that followed―― further and further behind, unable to stem the tide, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine how this invited tragedy.

[Frederica: In the end―― the Demihuman war concluded with the surrender of the Demihumans. Even then, the Demihumans refused to take responsibility for the massacre at the conference, and only acknowledged that it would be senseless to continue the war any further]

[Subaru: Personally, with this kind of a quagmire, the side that steps back first is the smarter one, I think. Also, this was like a civil war, wasn’t it? There’s no benefit to the country at all]

[Frederica: The truth was precisely that. Lugnica’s power was greatly declined over the course of the Demihuman War. It was fortunate that at the time all the neighboring nations were also dealing with turmoil of their own, otherwise, Lugnica may very well have been replaced by some other kingdom]

It must have been fortune in midst of misfortune that the other three nations were also occupied with internal strife, thus narrowing saving Lugnica from a final deathblow.

Yet, a crisis no less perilous than that era was facing this Kingdom even now.

[Subaru: But, well, it’s still pretty amazing that they managed to put an end to a war that lasted so long. It must’ve taken whole a lot of courage, and resistance from the hardliners couldn’t have been easy to overcome]

[Frederica: ……That was because humanity had one overwhelming presence among them who bent the pro-war faction’s will. For it was to the unrivaled swordsmanship of the then-Current Generation Sword Saint, Theresia Van Astrea-sama, that all the Demihumans bowed their heads…… is something the matter?]

[Subaru: No, I was just surprised to hear a name that I knew… It’s a small world]