第３４３堀：とんだ再会 (Part1)
### Chapter 343: A Startling Reunion
**Side: Hina, Chancellor of White Forest**
*"Sister. Why? Why are you leaving? Wouldn't it be better to stay in this country?!"*
Ah, how nostalgic. I wonder how many times I’ve had this dream.
Back then, I hadn't thought of anything. I held onto a fragile dream, believing that if everyone just stayed in this country, everything would work out perfectly. I never considered my sister’s feelings. In fact, I was the one cornering her. I only uttered those words to protect the comfortable environment I was used to, even if just for a little while.
*"That won't work, Hina. I didn't take up the Holy Sword with everyone just to soak in a lukewarm bath that cools the moment you blow on it."*
*"I don't understand!! I don't understand at all!! It’s not a lukewarm bath!! Everyone is living happily, aren't they?! It’s a tragedy about Lady Comet, but nobody hates you or the others!! After all, you did it to protect everyone, didn't you?!"*
After giving me a look of profound sadness, my sister spoke slowly.
*"You’ve heard about the others, haven't you?"*
*"I-I know. That they were captured by the bad people among those they saved and are being bullied... But you can just rescue the other Holy Sword users and bring them here!! That’s it!! That’s the solution!!"*
The words I spun so desperately were a child’s fantasy, completely detached from the world my sister and her companions desired, and utterly ignorant of the country’s political realities.
*"...That’s impossible."*
*"Refest, Claudia, you’ve reached an agreement, then."*
I realized Refest-san and Claudia-san were standing behind us. Claudia-san was dressed for travel, just like my sister.
*"W-why...? Why can't you just hide Dia-nee, my sister, and all the other Holy Sword users here?!"*
*"...Every nation fears the power of the Holy Sword users. There is no way they would ever permit such terrifying power to be concentrated in a single country."*
*"Then do it in secret..."*
*"That is also impossible. They are trying to fulfill the wish of the late Lady Comet. No, precisely because they were the ones who struck Lady Comet down with their own hands, they cannot simply accept the status quo."*
*"H-how could you..."*
Knowing that even Refest-san, the King, wouldn't stop them, my hands, which had been gripping my sister’s clothes, slipped away. I realized then that I couldn't stop them.
*"However, as the head of this nation, I understand that your actions will hinder the stability of the country. I have said it many times: these things should be resolved gradually. Acting in haste changes nothing. It only invites further problems. Therefore, I cannot assist you, and I may even become your enemy. This is the last time I will ask: are you truly going through with this?"*
*"I know, Brother. Even so..."*
*"Even so, we have decided to do this."*
My vision blurred. I remember crying uncontrollably back then, and being carried back to the castle by His Majesty.
*"Honestly. What fools. To leave such a small sister behind... Could they not have waited until this child was grown?"*
Since that day, I studied with all my might. I wanted to build a country where, if I ever found my sister again, she could return and feel at peace...
"…It seems my lower back is doing fine today."
Perhaps because of that dream, I woke up feeling refreshed, and for some reason, the pain from the lower back strain I’d suffered recently had subsided.
"I wish days like this would continue, but that’s impossible."
I gave a bitter smile, accepting this as a one-day stroke of luck. After all, I am the Chancellor. Desk work is my life; sitting in a chair is the norm. The other civil officials are the same, and I will likely be living with this back pain until the day I die. I’ve grown old. When I was a child, I never imagined I’d be groaning over things like this. Even when I spent hours at my desk studying, the only thing that would attack me was sleepiness.
"I wonder what my sister would say if she saw me now?"
I chuckled, suddenly remembering my sister from the dream. Although the dream had been about our falling out, I was happy to see her, even if it was just in my sleep.
"Mother. Are you awake?"
As I was thinking this, my daughter, Tomori, entered the room.
"Yes. I’m awake."
"Judging by your appearance, your back seems to be doing well. But please be careful. The doctor said you should rest for about a week."
"Fufu. Yes, I know."
"Why are you laughing? Was there something strange?"
Thinking my smile was due to some flaw in her appearance, Tomori checked her clothes.
"I’m sorry. It’s not that. It’s just that you look so much like my sister, yet on the inside, you’ve become a stickler just like me. It’s a bit funny."
"My sister? ...Ah, the Holy Sword user aunt?"
"If she heard you, she’d surely be angry. Even I get annoyed when people call me an 'aunt.' You wouldn't like being called an aunt either, would you?"
"That was a slip of the tongue. But why today? Today wasn't the day Kaya-sama left, was it?"
"I had a dream. I saw the day my sister and the others left."
"…I see."
Tomori said this with a troubled, apologetic look. I phrased that poorly.
"Oh, don't worry. It’s not like I’m sad or anything. Even if the content of the dream was what it was, I was happy to clearly remember my sister’s face and expressions. And when I woke up, my back didn't hurt. It might turn out to be a good day."
"Perhaps so. But I will stay by your side today for the sake of your rest."
"…Could you stop treating me like an old woman who can't move?"
"That is impossible. Mother, you are the Chancellor of this White Forest. His Majesty is also deeply concerned about your back strain, and if the Chancellor collapses, it affects the lives of the citizens. Please, just endure it."
"I stand corrected. You’re even more stubborn than I am."
"I am honored by the compliment. Now, after breakfast, we have the meeting with His Majesty, followed by paperwork."
"…The work never ends, does it?"
"If you don't do it, the country will come to a halt. If you dislike the work, you are welcome to hand the position over to me."
"No way. I’m still in my prime. Why would I hand my duties over to my daughter?"
"I’m glad to hear that. If I were entrusted with that work, I’m confident I’d end up just like you, so I’d like you to keep doing it for at least another hundred years."
"…I suddenly want to see the face of the parent who raised you."
"I shall fetch a mirror."
"I’ll smash it."
Honestly, if my sister knew I had such a resilient daughter, what kind of face would she make? Thinking about that, I finished breakfast and went to see Refest-niisan—no, His Majesty—when...
"Oh! Perfect timing!! Look, Hina!! This cushion!! They say it was made by gathering the feathers of a Snowbird, which lives deep in the mountains!! If you use this while you work, your back will feel much better!!"
With a joyful expression, he handed me a cushion that looked expensive just by glancing at it.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness."
"Thank you for my mother’s sake."
"Enough. Drop the formal act. Even if our races are different, you and I are brother and sister. Ever since that day the foolish sisters pushed this country onto us—no, ever since we were saved by Lady Comet—we have been bound by ties thicker than blood. Tomori, you can call me 'Uncle' normally. No one will complain."
That is how His Majesty—no, Refest-niisan—treats me and my daughter. As he said, our relationship is an open secret that everyone knows, so no one says anything about it.
"I understand. But we are currently on official duty. Please, give it up."