Jean, the Darkness

第21話 The plan

Around noon that day, Jean finally woke up. Some servants bathed him and changed him into the clothes that Sabadda had brought. Then, as instructed by Zaid, he had lunch with Sabadda and Sahim. Sahim thought the look on Jean's face as he stuffed his mouth with the delicious grapes was impressive.

He's just an ordinary 4-year-old.

Sahim thought that no one would have believed that the four-year-old had killed the bandit.

In the afternoon, Zaid walks through the village with Jean. Sabadda tried to lift Jean because he was too young, but Sahim moved first took Jean into his arms, and walked next to Zaid.

"Can you see well?"

"Yes, I can."

Jean answered and Sahim laughed. Jean thought the view from Sahim's arms was unlike what he saw. Walking around the village, Zaid bought clothes and shoes for his children and stopped at a weapon shop for Sahim to buy a weapon. He also bought ten new throwing knives for Jean. He also purchased some throwing knives for Sabadda and a sharpening stone for maintenance.

“Thank you, Father!”

Jean looked at the new knife with sparkling eyes and thanked Zaid. Zaid just smiled when he saw this. After enjoying shopping, Zaid went to a skewered restaurant near the market and bought some meals. When Jean saw the freshly grilled meat, he took a large skewer and stuffed his mouth with a surprised expression.

"Who taught you the techniques of cavalry combat?"

Sahim suddenly asked Jean a question while Jean was eating skewers. Zaid silently listens to the conversation.

"Hmm, what is cavalry combat?"

"It’s about fighting while riding a horse."

When Jean asked, Sahim explained carefully.

"Well, Mother and Grandfather taught me."

"Mother?"

"Yes, they are."

Sahim asked, and Jean nodded.

"I remember riding horses with my mother ever since I was little. At first, it was slow, but gradually it got faster and was a lot of fun."

"Hmm."

Zaid and the others listened with interest to Jean's words.

"The first time I carried a weapon and rode a horse was when I went to the nearby forest with my Mother, Grandfather, and Grandpa. But at that time, I rode with a chamberlain. I saw Mother shoot a wild bird with a gun."

"Did she get it right?"

"Yes, she hit it with one shot."

"Wonderful"

Zaid smiled while saying that. He had never heard of a woman who could ride a horse and use a gun. Zaid thought that since she was a woman who had given birth to seven children, she must be a strong woman.

If she's nearby, he might woo her. Zaid thought that since it had been five years since his wife died, it would be okay for him to remarry. However, when he thought about the distance from Urda to Archia, Zaid blocked his thoughts.

"So, where did you learn to jump from one horse to another?"

"Ah, that was a game for the servants, and I learned how to do it while playing together."

"Playing?! (cough, cough)"

Sahim coughed in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Ah, ah, sorry."

Jean looked at Sahim with a worried look, and Sahim hurriedly took his glass and drank it.

"Meat in my throat..."

Sahim joked, and Zaid just smiled.

"Are you okay now?"

"Yeah."

Jean asked and Sahim nodded.

"So, how did you play with the servants on horseback?"

Zaid asked.

"We hit each other with banana stems. We tie bananas above our heads with a string and hit each other. If the banana falls or gets crushed, we lose."

"Hahaha."

"It's a team game, and teams of three protect each other's bananas. But sometimes it's a melee and we hit each other. The last one standing wins."

"Aren't the servants going to hold back and cut corners on you?"

"They won't. If they do something like that, Grandfather will scold them severely. If he caught them doing any cheat, they'll be fired."

"I see."

"The most difficult part was the jumping competition. It was difficult to jump without letting the banana fall from the head."

"Hahaha, I can imagine it. You fly at your opponent's horse, and the banana on your head falls off due to the recoil. That's a well-played game."

Zaid laughed and nodded. Even so, the servants of the Prava family are exceptionally talented. Zaid thought that since they were preparing for war, their servants would also be a force to be reckoned with.

"Anyway, a gun, huh?"

After a while, Zaid muttered, and Sahim also thought about it.

"I heard that guns are good for long-range attacks."

"Yes. I heard that rumor, too. Put a ball in the gun, light it, aim it at your opponent, and boom!"

"It's a long-range weapon. If it hits, it will be a great weapon. But until it hits, it's difficult to use."

"Yeah."

"It makes a lot of noise, so it might not be suitable for assassination."

"I think it depends on the location. If you do it in a noisy place, it might not be that bad."

When Sahim said this, Zaid thought about it.

"Jean, can you use a gun?"

"I'm not good at it. I first held a gun when I went hunting with my mother, but it was hard because it was so big. I tried shooting it once, but I never hit anything."

"I see. Well, eat."

While saying that, Zaid thought about it and drank some warm tea.

"Sahim."

"Yes, Dad."

"Go get me some guns."

"(cough, cough)!"

"For now, I think 100 is enough. If the merchant has more, I don't mind buying them all. Talk to Zaad about the money."

"··Understood."

Sahim nodded. When Sahim thought about it, he wondered if his father was that dangerous.

"However, I would like to gather information for a while. It may take some time."

"You should move by next month."

"..."

"You can do it, right?"

"I'll do my best."

Sahim said and Zaid smiled and looked at Jean again. Sabadda placed his skewer on Jean's plate and began drinking his tea. Listening to the conversation between his father and brother made him feel sick to his stomach, Sabadda thought.

He was not alone in feeling this way. Sahim also had a headache. Sahim wondered where he could buy a gun in Urda. He only heard stories from sailors, but no one brought him anything. Sahim thought if it wasn't available in Urda's port, he should search in another country's port.

Maybe it is available in the port of the Kingdom of Tux. He's gotten over it, but it's not easy.

At last, Jean was the only one who enjoyed the walk and dinner with Zaid. Jean seemed happy when Zaid bought him a toy shaped like a horse. On the way home, Sahim taught Jean the Urda song, and Jean sang it all the way home. When he arrived home, Jean got tired, probably because he had been singing too much, and went to sleep.

"It's probably the first time he's acted this much like a child."

When Zaid said this, Sahim and Sabadda looked at the sleeping Jean silently.

"Why do you think so?"

Sahim asked and Zaid smiled.

"He even hugged the toy horse."

Zaid gently stroked Jean's head and smiled.

"And Jean would never have understood the love of family. Children at that age normally miss their mother, but Jean didn't, because from the moment he was weaned, he was separated from his mother and was raised elsewhere."

Sahim said it was probably a preparation for surviving alone in Urda, and Zaid nodded.

"That's right."

Zaid said.

"...so be kind to him. This kid is working hard and making an effort. What we can do is give him a family."

"But Jean has to go back in two years."

"The time is the time."

When Sabadda says this, Zaid looks at Jean without changing his complexion.

"In the underworld, it's only a matter of time before his name becomes known."

"..."

"And he will continue to use the Tareq name, more than his own family because the Tareq family is the only place he feels comfortable. I would like to believe that."

Zaid nodded to the attendant who opened the door and entered the house.

"You all should rest now."

"Yes. Now, please excuse us."

Sahim and Sabadda bowed to Zaid, then parted ways with Zaid and went to Sabadda's room. He entered Sabadda's room and laid Jean on his bed. The attendants carefully changed Jean into nightgowns and then went outside.

"Will he return in two years?"

"Yes, he will."

Sahim asked and Sabadda nodded.

"What will he do in Archia when you get back?"

"War."

"War?"

"Yeah."

Sabadda sat on the carpet and brewed tea. He drank his tea after offering it to Sahim.

"Two years from now, Jean will still be 6 years old?!"

"Yes, he will."

"Are you going to let him go to the battlefield at six?"

"That's the plan."

Sabadda said with mixed feelings.

"Did Jean's grandfather and Mr. Jenal plan it?"

"Well, just like that."

When Sabadda said this, Sahim felt a pain in his stomach.

That's why Jenal didn't give Jean his family name. Sahim understood that the reason was in two years, Jean would be gone from Urda.

"Poor child."

Sahim said, and Sabadda nodded and quietly drank his tea.

"Brother, do you know why Archia lost to Ircandia?"

"No, I don't know. Difference in military strength?"

"In terms of military strength, it seems that Archia had more troops."

Sabadda said as he finished his tea.

"Guns. The Archia army lost to the Ircandia army, which had guns."

"..."

"In the future, guns will be deeply involved in winning and losing. That's why we need to be prepared with guns, too. I think Jean's grandfather casually entrusted this to him. I think you have heard somewhere that even though it said he was here to learn assassination techniques, Jean was pretty much good at it, better than Saman."

"So he's here to protect us?"

"Maybe. It's up to us whether we want to do it or not. But the old man said he would take Jean home in two years. Judging by his age, that might be the last time for him. I'm sure he'll never step foot in here again. So, the last thing that old man wants to do is help the country he loves."

"Hmm, the last chance..."

Sahim mused. Surprisingly, Sahim changed his mind and thought that his father might have realized this and let Jean into his house.

He therefore ordered him to buy guns, ..as many as possible.

"Will the Ircandian army ever come here?"

"We can't deny that possibility. Even if Ircandia doesn't come, there's a possibility that other countries will come with guns to attack Urda, brother."

"Hmm."

Sahim mused. The two drank tea in silence for a while.

"I'm heading out now. When Jean wakes up, tell him I'm sorry. I promised to teach him Tux, but I don't think I'll be able to do it."

"Okay."

"Later, don’t tell Jean about 'Escavelles Anuto Zafia'.''

"Isn't that meant 'Die, you son of a bitch'?"

"I taught Jean, 'Long live the Goddess'."

"Hahaha."

When Sabadda laughed, Sahim put his finger near his lips and signaled him to be quiet.

"Thank you for the tea."

"My pleasure."

When Sahim went outside, Sabadda took the empty cup and stared at the ceiling, thinking for a while.