Isekai

The Drakarnori army spills across the border like water flowing from a burst dam. Though they are weakened by the unholy fever, they are undaunted by our attempts to deter them. We fight not soldiers, but every man, woman and child who can carry a stick have been enlisted into their force, and they feel the reality of the vitafelar shortage with every labored breath they take. Unlike our men, they fully understand that this is a battle for survival, and so our soldiers route, intimidated by the enemy’s sheer numbers.

It will not be long before they reach our first farming village. I suggest we evacuate as many as we can towards the capital. If we can keep the vitafelars from the enemy, they may perish before they reach our gates.

So read Lord Thundrakar’s report from the frontlines. We passed the parchment around the table in silence, each digesting its grim contents in our own way. When it was Chika’s turn, she gripped it with trembling hands and refused to let go.

It was one thing to say you would ignore the deaths of millions in the name of a greater good; it was another thing to follow through with it.

“Lumirats don’t reproduce that quickly.” She didn’t look up from the letter as she spoke. “What else did they do?”

“Our spies sent word that they attempted to poison the lumirats, but the poison withered their orchards,” I reported.

“Did it at least take care of the lumirat problem?” Lord Orrandis asked. We all stared at him in disbelief. Even Chika looked up from the parchment. The fate of the lumirats was hardly a pressing concern. “What? I was only wondering if they got their money’s worth.”

“Obviously they didn’t,” the emperor snapped. “Killing every lumirat in the world isn’t worth it if you also destroy your entire vitafelar supply.”

“But they didn’t destroy the entire supply,” Lord Orrandis pointed out. “Otherwise they’d be sending the soldiers as well. Instead, they’re sending their peasants, who are useless to them without productive farmland. Either the peasants will be successful in taking ours, or they’ll perish, and they’ll have fewer mouths to feed. In either case, they’ll wear down our troops’ strength and drain their morale, allowing them to invade at their leisure.”

“How can you be so sure?” the emperor asked.

“Because I would do the same.”

Apprehension in his eyes, the emperor silently looked to me for advice. I turned to face the council. “Open the reserves. We’ll distribute vitafelars to the attacking peasants.”

As expected, Lord Orrandis objected. “The supplies won’t last more than a few weeks.”

“We’ll buy up every single fruit we can get our hands on. It will be expensive, but worry not, Orrandis: I’ll get our money’s worth. We’re not going to give them the fruits. We’re going to buy their cooperation in annexing their lands for the Empire.”

“Land which is barren.”

“For now, but I suspect Chika may have some ideas to make it productive again.”

Finally placing the parchment on the table, Chika looked up at me. “I’d need more information.”

“Do it,” the emperor ordered. “Chika, make preparations to travel to Drakarnor so you can see it for yourself.”

⁂

Chika wasted no time. Within a few hours, she had packed and was leaving the city on horseback. Once I learned how quickly she was moving, I barely had enough time to pack my own things, even with all my servants assisting me. As she was halfway to the city gate, I caught up to her on horseback.

“You can’t bring those,” she said, pointing to the sack of vitafelars hanging from my saddle. “We’ll get robbed.” She was right, but I couldn’t survive without them.

“Perhaps you should wait until things are safer then. It’s a dangerous journey to undertake alone.”

“Every day wasted only makes the situation worse.”

“But you need support… I want to support you.”

“No matter what it takes?”

“Absolutely.”

A gentle smile spread across her face. Reaching into a bag, she handed me a canteen. “Eat one now, give the rest to the guard at the gate, and don’t drink anything unless I give it to you.”

“You have enough for both of us?”

“Figured you’d insist on coming along. Honestly, I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t.”

“I won’t lie. I came partially to make sure you weren’t abandoning us after all that talk about it not being your place to interfere.”

“This is no different from what any other agricultural advisor would do. I have no objection to saving lives. I just don’t want to turn this place into another Earth.”

“Why not? Those artificial stars sound amazing.”

She smirked. “Did I mention that nearly everyone is literate?”

“Also amazing.”

“Despite that, where I come from, most people read stories about escaping Earth and coming to another world. We even have a word for it: isekai. It’s a popular fantasy, because Earth can be a terrible place to live. All of our inventions require an intense education to build and maintain. Imagine every commoner child going through the same kind of schooling as you, but having to learn twice as much in the same amount of time, and when they finish, they’re not guaranteed a position of any prestige. Often, they’re lucky if they can earn enough to cover their expenses.”

“That doesn’t sound worse than a commoner’s life here. Instead of toiling their youth away in the fields, they get an education. Perhaps this isekai is popular because people everywhere enjoy imagining what it would be like to live a different life.”

“If you look at it that way, I could see why you might prefer Earth, but you don’t know what it’s like. There are no more unexplored lands, very little excitement, and no escape from life’s problems.”

“Again, that doesn’t sound any worse. Ever since I was a young boy, I dreamed of leading expeditions to rediscover our ancestral lands, but reality kept me within the empire. Daily life isn’t exciting for anyone, nor can we escape it.”

“I’m not sure how to explain it in a way that doesn’t sound the same as life here, but it is different. Our technology advanced, but our hearts and minds did not, and as a result, we live self-destructive lives. Only a lucky few can live like humans ought to. Isekai is popular because the hero can be just a regular person on Earth, but they travel to a world where they can succeed. Just like me. I was average, but here, I’m a famous witch and an advisor to the emperor. That should make me happy, but when I think of the people who suffer because of me, like Lord Gwendar, I just… I hate it.”

“But you were so eager to cause his downfall.”

“Because I got caught up in living the isekai fantasy. It was easy because he’s so one-dimensionally evil, like the villains in those stories, but this isn’t a fantasy. I’m sure he has his own circumstances, even if I don’t know what they are. All I really wanted was to live a comfortable life, but once again, I’ve hurt another in that pursuit.”

Although I considered telling her that Lord Gwendar had always expected to be brought to justice and sacrificed for political purposes, I decided against it. He had told me such in confidence, and I wouldn’t betray that, even to the woman I loved. Instead, I attempted to cheer her up.

“Everyone hurts others sometimes. It’s just a part of life.”

“I still feel guilty about it. Besides, I’m an outsider, an invader.”

“What? No you’re not. You live here now. This is your home, no different than any other citizen of the Empire.”

“I’m an outsider to this world. I shouldn’t be here, and every time I hurt someone, I’m reminded of that. They wouldn’t be suffering if I had remained on Earth.”

It was then that I realized what Chika had been keeping from me. Not once in her nine years had she felt as though she belonged in this world. Just as a guest shouldn’t interfere in family squabbles, she thought it was improper to involve herself with our affairs, but she was the only person who felt that way. Even the citizens of Aelirynth had considered her one of their own. With no way of returning to Earth, she was dooming herself to a lonely life.

“I’m glad you're here,” I told her in an attempt to break the spell of self-isolation she had cast upon herself. “No, more than that, I want you here. You belong here.”

“No one has ever told me that.” To my great surprise, Chika began crying, and as I had no idea what to say to make her stop, I rode alongside her in silence.