“No, Madam Wonder would never stoop to doing something so underhanded…”
“But look at that dark elf’s expression. She’s on guard.”
“Souma’s smiling, but you can tell he’s on edge, too.”
Even though the events were actually unfolding in the castle, the people in Van could pick up on the uneasy air and it frightened them. In that atmosphere, Souma kept on talking with a smile.
“Now, let’s hear her sing. Ms. Margarita Wonder’s song will be… ‘Through the Valley of Goldoa.’”
When they heard the song title, the air flowing around the audience seemed to freeze.
The announced song, “Through the Valley of Goldoa,” was the national anthem of Amidonia. She was going to sing the anthem in occupied Van, right in front of Souma, the occupying power’s king.
The people of Amidonia understood the significance of that in an instant.
Madam Wonder was prepared to face death.
Once Souma and Aisha had gone off-screen, a solemn piece of music in a minor key began to play. Then, at last, Margarita started to sing.
“In the land beyond the mountains, where Ursula will be born tomorrow, ♪ Is the land that birthed our forefathers, the land to which we will return. ♪ Press on, O horses, climbing over the hill of our fallen comrades. ♪ Press on, O brave warriors, to become the earth of the land beyond. ♪”
It was a powerful song sung in a husky voice. The people of the principality naturally stood tall with pride.
Margarita’s singing forcibly reminded the people of the principality that they were citizens of Amidonia, including the ones in Van.
They had been feeling a budding admiration for the “freedom” enjoyed by the people of the kingdom, but her song was like a frost that caused those buds to close.
It’s an intense song…
I was off in a corner, listening to it.
While there had been a slight commotion from the soldiers in the audience when she started to sing, because they had strict orders to “Remain seated no matter what happens, and listen to the music quietly,” no one made a scene over it.
However, it was hard to blame them for being unsettled.
After all, this song was about an invasion of the Elfrieden Kingdom.
The lyrics “In the land beyond the mountains, where Ursula will be born tomorrow,” referred to the lands east of the Ursula Mountains which were once part of Amidonia but were now part of Elfrieden.
It called for their horses and brave warriors to press forward towards there.
In other words, their national anthem was a song about crossing the Goldoa Valley to invade the Elfrieden Kingdom.
I dunno… It felt like, did they really have to take it that far? It showed just how vindictive a militaristic state could be that even their national anthem was trying to incite the people.
While I was thinking about that, Aisha asked me in a hushed voice, “Is this all right? Do you want to let her sing like this?”
“…Well, it’s about what I expected,” I responded in a whisper, with my arms crossed. “Someone who was a general of the opposing army suddenly said she wanted to participate in my music program. About the only reasons I could come up with were ‘to stir up the patriotism of the viewers,’ or ‘to wait for a chance to get close to me and then strike.’ After a cursory investigation into what sort of person she was, I expected it to be the former. That’s why I asked you to protect me, Aisha.”
“You knew this would happen?!” Aisha exclaimed. “In that case, wouldn’t it have been better not to let her sing?”
“…Well, just watch,” I said. “I’m going to turn her plans around on her.”
While I was saying that, Margarita finished her song. As soon as she finished singing, Margarita sat herself down on the spot.
When we walked over to her, she said, “I’ve shown you the pride of the Amidonian people. Now, lop off my head.”
She sat up straight. As I thought, she had come prepared for this. Being cut down here was probably part of her plan. In fact, if I laid a hand on Margarita here, this entire broadcast would be a wasted effort.
That’s why I smiled, and said, “Why? I thought you sang well.”
Perhaps because it wasn’t the expected response, Margarita’s eyes went wide.
I felt bad doing this to her when she’d had such strong resolve, but I wasn’t about to go along with her plans.
“You have a good voice, one that would work well for R&B, maybe,” I said. “I have lots of songs I’d like to hear in your voice. I’m sure the people feel the same way.”
When I said that in an off-handed manner, Margarita glared at me. “…I sang the Amidonian national anthem, you realize. If you let this outrage stand, people will question your authority as the King of Elfrieden.”
“Don’t call it an outrage yourself… and so what?” I asked. “There’s no law in Elfrieden saying you can’t sing another country’s national anthem. This isn’t Amidonia.”
I looked away from Margarita, turning towards the Jewel Voice Broadcast jewel and saying, “What makes for a good country? It’s not a simple question to answer. However, if nothing else, I think a country that lets its people sing freely is a good one. If a country lets you sing happy songs, sad songs, love songs, local songs, foreign songs, military songs, and anti-war songs freely, I think that’s the mark of a good country.”
Then, reaching out towards the jewel with my right hand, I asked, “What do you, the viewers, think?”
There was a tower on the west side of Van Castle.
That moss-covered tower with its bizarre and imposing presence was home to a jail, and it was used to confine criminals of high status (nobility, knights, and higher). While it was a jail for those of high status, it wasn’t a luxury suite by any means. Inside it was a typical dingy jail.
Under Amidonian rule, it had primarily been political prisoners who’d been confined in this tower. Those people who were said to have plotted to overthrow the state, or to oppose the direction of the country.
While they may have been said to have done those things, whether they actually had was another matter. Sometimes these sorts of political crimes were used to take down a political rival.
Underground there was a torture chamber used to extract confessions. It seems that the nobles who were falsely accused would be forced to confess there, then sent to the execution block along with their families. If you approached this tower at night, you could hear the moaning of the prisoners who were being tortured during the day, so at some point it had come to be known as the Moaning Tower.
In one of the jail cells of the Moaning Tower, Liscia and Carla were sitting on the floor looking at one another across a set of iron bars. Carla, who was being kept as a hostage against the Air Force, was currently imprisoned in this tower.
Liscia had brought in a simple Jewel Voice Broadcast receiver, and she was watching Souma’s program with Carla. They had taken it for a simple entertainment program at first, but when that Amidonian general had suddenly appeared, the two of them had realized Souma’s true aim.
“Had he calculated that that female general would use the broadcast to stir up patriotism…” Carla wondered.
“…so he showed off the freedom and magnanimity that would allow him to accept that patriotism?” Liscia finished.
The two of them sighed in admiration.
Liscia traced the edge of the simple receiver with her finger. “Souma taught the people of Amidonia that in Elfrieden people are free to sing whatever songs they want. No, it’s not just songs. Music, literature, paintings, sculptures… He showed that every form of artistic self-expression is allowed.”