Lord Shadow

Chapter 1186: One beautiful night iv

These two people when they were warlords is still a high school senior. Probably just a day before the Fall, they were playing around with friend, worrying about the next exam, thinking where to go when school ends, what they should with their future

They might even be thinking of what certificates and what kind of skills that they need to have to enter the working world

Who could have thought that these two young kid would then be a warlord that in the end split the island nation into two in an agreement signed in Kyoto.

One of them would be in charge of the Kanto area. The other one would be in charge of the Kansai area. 

As for the other island around the nation it is free game for anyone. That is the origin story of Oreki and Hikigaya, the Twin Sages of Japan.

But who remembers that? The people of Japan only remembers the powerful appearance of these two people that protect the people of Japan from the encroachment of the world power.

When they spoke of Hikigaya, the first image that comes to their mind is a wisely sage inside a cave surrounded by mist.

Everyone knows that the Illusionist Archmage usually meditates in caves to further his illusion powers. And when one thinks of Oreki, they would think of thunder and lightning and the Raijin Army.

They would not think that these godlike beings that some of the people of Japan worshipped had normal feelings, normal concern and regardless of how they portrayed themselves to the world, Katarina knows that there are some parts of Hikigaya and Oreki that is still childish.

They have feelings and sentimentality that they would not shows other but only to their loved ones.

Then there is Jean, the son of the alley, living in the dark side of France. The child of the street, the son of a prostitute.

At least that is what some people said about his mother. Katarina herself did not know whether this is true or not since Jean is not exactly forthcoming about the details of his past

Azief is also someone whose past is not known to many people. Some people only knew that he came from the ruined nation of Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia.

Other than that, nobody knows who is his old friends, his parents and before his conflict with the World Government, nobody really knows who he is. 

It is the same for Jena. Most of what known of his apt is hearsay and rumors, some is true and some are exaggerated.

Most of the people he conquered did not like him and it is not unreasonable for them to make up rumors about the sordid background of Jean the Time Monarch. 

But one thing is true. It is that Jean was the children of the street. This is something he acknowledged.

He nearly became the Emperor of Europe, nearly unifying all of Europe under his rule. But unlike others influential people in the world, during his rule, there were a sense of terror and his expansion ideas runs counter with the World Government

The reason why he was reviled so much is because most of his general is very racist. 

Such problems had abated after the Weronian Occupation but during the rise of Jean in France, humanity still see each other as different.

France is color blind when it is about race. But reality isn’t. There is a difference, a dissonance between its universal ideals and its day to day life.

Katarina did not know much about France 

In fact, she did not know much about the world before the Fall since she is usually at home.

There was no internet at her home because her father believes that the corporations is spying on them and honestly, her father is not exactly wrong.

What she knows about France is what she found out from Jean and the people that lives there and they all have different perspective on what France is like

And Jean is a boy in the street, making money dealing drugs. Though jean had never admitted it publicly, his silence against the assertion is enough

France ideals were noble but it run up against the complexities of lived reality

France before the Fall is one of the most multiethnic societies in the West and just because it doesn’t formally recognize race doesn’t naturally mean that race or racism doesn’t exist.

France, unlike other nations does not formally keep statistic about race or religion, recognizing only two categories of people, citizens and immigrants

But racism exits and it is instituted by Jean general. And it is not the normal white racist men oppressing the black man narrative. 

Jean had many generals. 

Some of them are Algerian and some of them are Arabs. 

But they are French. 

There is also a few Chinese French, the Roman, the Berbers and he had diverse people becoming his general. 

Europe is not a small continent. And Jean could not be everywhere at the same time….at least not during that period of time.

Some of his generals are very racist. When one of his general went to Algeria, this general which is very racist against people of religion had massacred the entire city

And this is only one of the few atrocities committed by his generals

And so on and so forth and it is because of this Jean had to bear with a tainted reputation since then.

Even now, he had enemies wanting his head. 

People had a certain idea about him, about his life and about his intention.

People would not know that Jean at that time was just a boy who wanted to survive. That boy almost did something which Napoleon and Hitler couldn’t do.

Take over Europe.

In the end, he relinquishes his control over the Empire, letting the Empire to be broken up ruled by the Senator approved by the Republic. 

Whether fortunate or not, the Weronian Occupation happens and racism between humans drops a lot

It helps when you have a common enemy that one could band against. 

Katarina had met with Jean. After all, that he had achieved he only wanted to live peacefully with his lover, Paulette. A simple life for a complicated man. 

And what about her? 

A girl that do not know the world. A girl that only knows that dark room. And she is now the strongest woman in the world

People only saw who they are now and they forget under that surface appearance, under the light of glory, there is still that core of them.

But for Azief…. that core of his being, the topic that could make him excited, he only shares it with only a few people. 

And Katarina is one of those people

This is the kind of understanding between them. Katarina thought went to many places as she tasted Azief coffee.

Azief is looking the distance, and she is looking at his side profile thinking of how handsome he looks and blushing after thinking about it.

It is good that the area is not so brightly lit or her red face would surely be seen by Azief. And knowing him, he would obviously tease her. 

Azief make an effort to love the thing she love and she makes an effort to love the things that he loves.

This compromises, this effortless effort is almost natural to them, like an imperfect soul that met each other and complete each other

This kind of effortless love, in the best sense of the word, a love that requires no effort because it was so easy, as easy and as important as breathing, makes them feel comfortable and safe with each other

Azief then began telling her about the story of the Barista in Australia. She only smiles.

Azief always had a talent of storytelling. Or maybe it is because it is him that telling the stories that Katarina does not mind listening to it

Many people do not know this but Australia has quite the coffee culture’ Azief began and Katarina nodded

The more she response, the more he become enthusiastic. To her, Azief look like a little child right now.

There is this joy that comes from him when he could talk to someone about the things he likes. 

To others it might seem unnatural that one of the most fearsome men in the world would look so happy talking about coffee.

But this is the side that Katarina loves. Azief had his manly side. And he has his gentle side. And his cute side. 

And she loves all of it.

Of course Azief himself tell her that did not know that Australia has such a rich culture in coffee in the past. 

He had never been to Australia but when he takes over Australia continent and make it his Pandemonium, there is a few survivors of Australia that returns back to Pandemonium.

One of them is a barista before the Fall. He took the Herbalist class. But for some reason he activated some secret requirement and get a unique class of Barista. 

Azief hired him to Pandemonium Palace and even ask him to teach him how to make a good coffee.

He told her of how he messes up in identifying the coffee beans and how to brew and he takes prides in it.

Katarina smiles and chuckles a few times. She could imagine the barista feeling awkward and at odds seeing the ruler of Pandemonium being so passionate about coffee.