That 365th One Who Rides the Donkey

Afterward, we were forced to watch—endlessly—the entire sequence of events leading up to our reconciliation.

Now, beyond the peak of furious anger, a mysterious emotion welled up within Mr. Kudryavka, causing him to shed tears one after another.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, senior... I love you. I can't live without you. I really love you... So please don't hate me, okay?"

The man on the other side (in the end, his proper name remained unknown) stayed frozen in a kneeling posture, not moving a muscle.

Kudryavka, her voice trembling with excitement, whispered to him,

"Hey, lick it? My left ring finger, will you lick it? The spot you like the most?"

"(Nodding rapidly)"

"Good. Go ahead. Lick it as much as you want?"

"(Nodding rapidly)"

So, you understand, right? Preparing for the visit... that's fine, right?

Then Taro, nodding slowly like a baby, slowly rose to his feet.

Midlife—was that too young a term to use? The man, in his early thirties, lowered his gaze to the floor and slowly made his way toward the separate room.

As he waited, Nya-kkyi quietly muttered,

Today's wrestling play was more energetic than usual.

And I let out my thoughts.

If this looks like pro wrestling to you, you’d probably better see an eye doctor.

▼

After that, I was led alone into a separate room, which contained a tower-type personal computer connected to a home theater system.

The room displayed on the screen before me was undoubtedly a "princess’s room," the kind you'd expect to see in a fairy tale—exactly what I imagined to be the private quarters of Shizukawa Reika.

She lived in a VIP room inside the "Avienia Castle," didn't she?

I can't help but be fascinated by the room, accessible only to industry insiders—yet what truly demands attention right now is the long-haired woman sitting on a plush office chair, her back turned to me.

"Um..."

I speak into the microphone in front of the computer,

"Have you heard of 'The Story of the Father and Son Selling a Donkey'?"

"Huh?"

Without even acknowledging my response, she continues speaking, her back still turned.

They're probably reading from a script somewhere out of sight, this.

Once upon a time, a mother and child came to sell a donkey.

A passerby sees a parent and child walking while leading a donkey and says this.

It'd be a waste not to ride on the donkey's back, given that you're leading it.

And.

Upon hearing this, the parents decided to have their child ride on the donkey while walking.

Then, someone who sees it will say this.

It's disgraceful for a young person to take it easy.

And.

Upon hearing this, the parent and child decided that the father would ride the donkey while walking.

Then, someone who saw it said:

— How cruel of a parent to make the child walk.

And.

Upon hearing this, the parent and child decided to ride the donkey together.

Then, someone who saw it said:

— How pitiful for the donkey to carry both of them.

And.

Reluctantly, the parent and child decided to carry the donkey instead.

"But the donkey, disliking the unnatural posture, struggled violently and trampled the parent and child to death."

Having finished speaking, she turned toward us her usual smile, the one she always wore when greeting people.

"So? Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Eh?"

I tilted my head.

"Is it that the donkey, being an animal, just can't read the mood?"

"No—what I'm trying to convey is that a nation's governance cannot succeed if swayed by the opinions of the masses."

...Hmm.

I remember when we were at Sasaki Hill, Mr. Sasaki complaining about it.

"Balance one side, and the other side falls."

"To decide the direction of the majority, you sometimes have to abandon what you might gain on another path. This 'unreal kingdom' is my country. Therefore, it's up to me to choose which path is best—the one that 'rides the donkey.'"

"Huh."

"Entry between 'Avienia' and 'Grandelinia' is not permitted. — If you disagree with my judgment, leave immediately."

Well, that's quite a greeting for someone I've just met.

...I thought for a moment, but her tone clearly suggests this is a continuation of a previous argument.

"Um, Reika-san..."

"What?"

"Are you perhaps mistaking me for someone else?"

"Eh?"

Then she leaned slightly forward,

"……Wait a minute. Aren’t you one of those 'voice-of-justice girls'?"

"I came here with the intention of speaking my mind, but I’m not actually part of that club."

"Oh my, my apologies. I must’ve mistaken you for someone else."

Then she gave a small, slightly embarrassed cough.

"I’ve been spending so much time lately just talking to those girls from that club……"

And she turned a warm, friendly smile toward me.

"Nice to meet you? I'm Rika Shizukawa, the top authority of the 'Unreal Kingdom.'—And you? Who are you exactly?"

Of course, I wasn't going to fall for that smile.

Not after everything.

—Like the story from university days, when I tortured and killed my club members.

I remembered Ran-chan's words clearly.

"Rika, the Death Row inmate."

I began my conversation with her.