Spare parts for when vessels are lost.
Those were the new allies that Bon had brought.
So, what is it that you need?
All of Renril.
This is the beginning of Fushi's fight
to rebuild the capital city of Renril in preparation for the Nokkers.
Secret Behind the Veil
Hey,
why won't you show your face?
My mother tells me
I have to veil my face before I trust someone if I'm to be a princess.
I don't really get it, but I think she means I can't open my heart to people.
You're going to be a princess?
That's the plan for now.
My family follows... "ultimogeniture" or whatever.
And whomever I marry becomes the king of this nation.
You play with me every day because you want to marry me, don't you?
That's what everyone says.
I wouldn't mind that.
It's hard being king, you know!
You can't become king unless you care about the people more than anyone else does.
I lost.
You're still not there yet.
Okay.
I'll give you a chance.
For what?
A chance to get what you want.
If you can beat me in a game, I'll give you anything you want, just once.
Alme-sama!
How many times must you be told that you can't play with a servant's child?
You're so naggy.
Now, come over here.
This way, please, Alme-sama.
Alme-sama!
Y-Yes? What is it?
We plan to go forward with this plan for defending the capital.
Your thoughts?
I think it's good.
Are you serious?
Fire arrows for wood Nokkers. Crossbows for the rock Nokkers.
Good.
You can shoot them down from the castle walls, sure.
But what if they suddenly come out of the ground?
Pray to God?
Who are you?! Where did you come from?!
Huh?
Messar Robin Bastar.
He's an old friend of mine.
Stand down, everyone.
Hurry up and hand over the blueprints for the castle and the underground.
I don't trust you yet.
Fine, whatever.
We'll nab an architect or something and figure it out ourselves.
Amazing.
Whose home is this?
Booze Man's.
I lived here for four years.
With three others.
Booze Man, Pioran, me, and...
Rean would come over pretty often.
Oh, that's the mask collection that Booze Man made.
Impressive, right?
Eko-san, you mustn't!
Don't touch things without permission.
Wise Man!
Thank you so much.
Look at how much nicer it is now.
This home ought to display impressive strength against the Nokkers.
I've hidden special powers within the walls.
Wise Man!
Please do the same for my home, as well.
My home, too. Please!
Oh, all right.
But I can't show anyone this technique.
I need you to cover your homes in cloth first.
I'll handle the requests.
Please sign up here if you're interested.
Hey, are you sure about this?
About what?
All you did was restore that house to before it broke down.
How is it any better against the Nokkers?
What the hell?
You built this whole damn thing?
Look, booze!
Not bad for a kid.
Let's drink, Kai.
And we can play another game while we're at it.
What is this?!
I see. So that's what you're doing.
You're going to do the same with the castle at some point, too.
Of course.
We'll have to convince the princess and the castle inhabitants to let us do that.
You can deal with that.
I don't have time to waste on improving the queen's mood.
How many houses are there in this town?
I don't know if we'll be ready in time for when the Nokkers attack.
Either way, it's going to be hard to do all of this by ourselves.
We're going to need the local soldiers to help fight, too.
Soldiers? We don't need them.
I'd rather they sit tight at home.
I won't have to run around to stop them getting killed.
But Hairo's already gotten in contact with Renril's citizen soldiers.
So that's why they've gone missing.
Where are they, and what are they up to?
Dunno.
Go find them and check up on them, Fushi.
Don't order me around. I'm busy right now.
You aren't the only one who's busy.
You're the best person for the task at the moment. Now go.
Shall I help?
Watch over Eko for me.
Okay.
That's it!
This training isn't going to help at all against the Nokkers.
Get 'em!
Don't run from him, Kamu!
Get up, Kamu!
What's wrong? Is that it?
Are you all right?
Thanks.
I'm Kamu. That was a good match.
Are you all right, though?
Ow!
Ow, ow, ow!
I'm going to tend to this.
That stupid training isn't going to help at all.
You're right.
But it's necessary for winning the trust of the soldiers.
I think earning their trust under a guise
would only serve to put us at a disadvantage in battle.
I doubt that.
Then why did you pretend to be in pain and make yourself look weak?
Fushi the immortal can feel other people's pain...
So it's true.
It's true that they might think I'm dependable if I stop acting like I'm hurt.
But it doesn't really work that way.
I'm not strong.
I only look strong.
I don't get it.
Tell me more about you.
I used to live in a church.
My oldest memory is...
Does this not hurt, kid?
...when I had all of my teeth pulled.
Every time new teeth grew in, they would get pulled.
No one would tell me why.
My meals were always mushy soup or congee.
All I was given was a small room.
A tiny yard...
Tall walls...
Oh, dear.
The doctor's going to scold you if you get hurt again.
That's nothing new.
I was always with my adoptive mother.
We ate the same food, read the same books,
and enjoyed talking about the same things.
She was my friend.
We only went outside once a week.
We walked to the hall fifty meters away to learn the teachings of Bennett.
What is that person eating?
Is that what was in the textbook?
It's nothing. Let's go.
What is it?
Tell me!
Every day was the same.
But I enjoyed it.
What are you doing, Hairo?
Oh, nothing.
Starting today, I'm a swordsman.
Swordsman?
Where did you see such a thing?
I read about it in a book.
Okay, let's fight.
Hold your sword!
You're so weak, Tasette.
Do you think I can become a swordsman?
Yes, of course you can.
Yes.
What's this?
False teeth.
Your birthday present.
Now, eat up.
My world went from zero to one.
I filled my mouth with a joy that I'd never known before.
I bit down hard.
Hairo Rich.
As of today, I am your adoptive mother.
What about Tasette?
Yesterday was your birthday, was it not?
I'll give you a gift.
Come on, where's Tasette?
Answer my question!
She'd committed a sin, so she was punished.
She was quite a strong woman.
She didn't cry out even once.
I realized I was different from the others.
Apparently, I was taken to this place because I was possessed by a demon.
Years passed, and by the Supreme Pontiff's orders, I became a head soldier.
I had an ambition.
If the opportunity ever arose, I would escape and do what I wanted.
I want your power.
I think it's because soldiers fight without fear of pain and because they overcome pain
that they are admired and trusted.
I don't have that.
The best I can do is look strong.
I'm not resilient, nor am I strong.
You might have been able to save your first adoptive mother if you'd known pain.
How long have you been there?!
From the beginning?
Whoa, calm down!
Don't kill me!
I won't tell anyone what I heard!
I promise!
I was just worried about you, Hairo.
You can't even protect those you otherwise could have if you don't know pain.
Would they really need someone like me?
Hairo, I'll protect you.
You, too, Renril soldier.
Wait, wait, man!
You've been talking this whole time like you're our mom or something!
What, do you want us to go home and play fight or something?
That's bullshit!
Let us be the ones to protect the people we want to protect!
I don't know whether we need you or not yet.
But you might need us, though.
Come on, Hairo.
Let's keep training.
I guess we should be earning their trust.
Hairo, I'll leave you to it.
All right.
This way!
You build multiple houses every day.
The people of the castle are calling you wizards.
How, exactly, are you managing it?
Can't tell you.
I don't trust you, after all.
This castle and the waterways might get ripped up eventually, too...
by the town's wise man.
I won't let you tell me you've forgotten that we used to be close.
I used to be close?
With you? When you always hid your face?
Quiet down!
What time do you think it is?!
Please! My child is sleeping!
I'm sorry.
We're going to be a nuisance for a while.
What are you doing here?!
We're rebuilding these houses.
To fight against the Nokkers.
What's the point of rebuilding houses?
I heard he rebuilt the waterwheel house on the edge of town in a day, though.
No way.
We won't be ready in time at this rate.
If we're aiming to rebuild every house
before the Nokkers' impending attack in three months,
we'll need to work during the day and not just at night.
But that'll draw even more curious onlookers.
Let's keep them busy.
Have the citizens destroy their own homes so that Fushi can focus on rebuilding them.
Not all of the townspeople will be cooperative.
It'd be ideal if the soldiers could take charge,
but I suspect it'll take more time to win their trust.
Sorry, they can be pretty stubborn.
Who is he?
Kamu of the Renril citizen soldiers.
He's learned about everything because of me.
I'm having him come with me so we can keep him quiet.
Now, what do we do?
I still think we need the princess's cooperation.
Messar, how are things on your end?
Huh? Dunno.
Give me a straight answer.
It's done.
It took twelve minutes to rebuild.
Please bring it down to half that.
Never mind that, Kai.
Teach me how to win at the game.
Sure.
The game again?!
Why don't you do something for once?
Shut up, brat.
Stay out of grown-up business.
Fushi is at least 233 years older than you.
You're the brat here.
So what?
Yo, I'll take you somewhere nice sometime.
Okay?
Let's have dinner.
Rest is necessary, even when the city is in danger.
Sorry, Fushi.
He's always had a foul mouth.
"Always"?
You've known him that long, Bon?
In this situation, it can be useful later on to leave a piece here.
Why did you bring him in?
I wanted to give him something to strive for.
To become king.
King?!
No way. He's hopeless.
Don't say that.
People would say he's the child of either a servant or a whore.
Yet he's been living pretty well.
He goes in and out of the castle, too.
I've been wondering what his deal is.
So I guess he was royalty this whole time.
Oh, this is delicious.
Thank you.
I'm not sure what the truth is, but I suspect he's royalty.
We first met at a super exclusive tea party that my mommy hosts every summer.
That would have been twenty years ago now.
It was a week-long discourse event held along with nobles of friendly nations.
Messar was there, too.
Hey.
Are you going to be king?
Yeah. What about you?
Who knows?
Never mind that. Let's fight.
No way. That would make Mommy sad—
We were about the same age.
We hit it off immediately.
How full of energy.
Oh, my! Boys will be boys...
Mommy told me that in the nation of Sonia, the youngest child inherits the throne.
Seems like it.
So I guess it's whomever Princess Alme likes.
Well? Do you think you can?
You're close with the princess, right?
It's not that we aren't, but...
Dunno.
You can do this, Messar!
Let's make buddy kingdoms together!
He was always vague,
but I did get the sense that he was interested in the royal family.
It's actually because he feels a close bond to the princess
that he can speak so indifferently about her.
Sounds like what they call being friendzoned.
I'm going back to work.
Yo, Princess.
Let's play a game.
Remember what you said?
That if I won, you'd grant me any wish.
You remembered.
Very well.
All right.
So, what do you want if you win?
The throne?
Dunno.
What I want is your trust.
You know what I'm talking about, don't you, Alme?
Wise Man, may we ask you to move?
My apologies.
We'd like to move the rubble.
I've already destroyed my house.
Please come later.
Take the rubble out through the west gate.
Bon!
What's happening?
He negotiated with the princess.
Messar did?
Don't get the wrong idea just because you won against me.
I'm merely upholding a childhood promise.
True trust is something that is meant to be built up over time.
How could you?!
So she's quite a looker.
Bon.
I want to protect her.
Just so we're clear, I don't have any power in the castle.
That's why I'm cooperating with you lot.
There's no way I'd ever become king.
The reason being that the king chose that chick's mother.
Alme and I are siblings from different mothers.
She doesn't know that, and I have no intention of telling her.
But if our brother and father both die, I'm the only one who can protect her.
So I'd like to stay as close to her as I can.
Do you not love the princess, Messar?
Give me a break.
This is why I can't stand brats.
Beats me.
Preview
Slowly, but steadily, the mysterious wise man rebuilds the city of Renril.
What will the people think when they learn that he is in fact Fushi,
the demon everyone had assumed was executed?
The Wise Man's Identity