[FMMIKA] Chapter 283: Gudako's Diary (II)

February 1st, 6th year of the Dragon Emperor's Calendar.

We set sail for India.

Ah, we originally wanted to go to Africa. But it seems there's a little issue over there. It seems the expedition team found something mysterious, they call it the Ark of the Covenant or something like that.

Anyway, it's a bit risky. So, we had to change our plans.

After all, the only one by my side right now is Mash. It's not exactly the safest situation.

Even though Mash keeps assuring me that everything will be fine, I still have my doubts.

Trust is a tricky thing to build, yet it is so easy to shatter. And rebuilding it is even harder once it's broken.

Thinking about this makes me a bit melancholic.

I'd like to get close to Mash again.

But for now, it's not possible. I need an opportunity.

The opportunity is simple. Either Mash betrays that guy and returns to my side, or I give up on my desire for revenge and kneel before him like any other woman.

I absolutely refuse!

I'm not saying I refuse to kneel.

Kneeling is still an option. After all, with that guy's looks, I won't suffer much anyway.

I mean, I won't give up on getting back at that guy.

Yes, this is my way of surviving.

Even if he exposes me today, I won't give up on revenge. Even if he gets to me, I'll use a dagger to get back at him the next day.

I keep my word.

…

February 5th, 6th year of the Dragon Emperor's Calendar.

We've stopped for a while at the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

They say there's still gold and diamonds to be found here.

I want them.

Speaking of which, if that guy were to apologize to me with a massive diamond, as big as the Cullinan Diamond, I might consider forgiving him.

But when I mentioned my love for diamonds, I got dissed by Mash.

She's like "What's the big deal? It's just a chunk of carbon. Not much industrial value, just a fancy bauble. Not worth anything."

Is she for real?

Is she even a chick? How can a girl say no to diamonds? Diamonds aren't just rocks; they stand for love, class, and being fabulous, you silly eggplant!

She also talked about the proper human history's diamonds, claiming it's all just a publicity stunt and marketing for capitalists exploiting regular folks, and said proudly that there's no such thing in the world of the Dragon Emperor.

Dammit.

It's driving me nuts, seriously.

...

February 7th, 6th year of the Dragon Emperor's Calendar.

Today, I got a diamond as big as an apple.

But I'm not happy at all.

Turned out, Mash molded the diamond with her own hands.

Well, that's not the main point; the focus is on this girl's theory.

How much is the diamond she molded worth?

If we go by natural diamond standards, this thing is definitely worth a fortune. But if we consider it as a lab-grown diamond, then it's not worth much.

Our debate once again revolves around the value of diamonds.

If we're talking about beauty, then lab-grown diamonds are more beautiful and more flawless.

So, is the value of natural diamonds due to their natural origin?

But now, there are artificial methods to make diamonds naturally grow which makes it difficult to distinguish them from natural ones.

So no matter what, as long as there's an artificial process involved, only mined diamonds should be called diamonds.

However, the modern volume of mined diamonds is significant. But because the capitalist jewelers won't certify them, Russian-mined diamonds don't fetch high prices.

So, does that mean a diamond value is determined by the certificate?

When I thought like that, that apple-sized diamond didn't seem as appealing to me anymore, so I tossed it to Fou to play with.

Darn it all! I was planning to use my knowledge advantage as a time traveler to gain some benefits in this past history. But it's all useless!

This grudge, I, Fujimaru Ritsuka will remember it.

...

February 11th, 6th year of the Dragon Emperor's Calendar.

We're in India, the land of the caste system. But, as a fair-skinned foreigner like me, I wonder if they'll see me as a Kshatriya. Just thinking about it kinda excites me.

Life in Europe wasn't all that bad. I'm not talking about my guerrilla warfare and wandering through the wilderness like a bandit; I mean the time I was held captive by that guy.

Everything, from the food, accommodation, to clothing, met the standards of the noble young lady I thought I'd be.

Those long skirts with many folds, tassels, and all that bling made me feel like I could cosplay as an evil noble lady, you know, cackling in front of the mirror and going "Ohohoho~" or something.

Of course, Mash doesn't need to cosplay since she's already one. That little eggplant is still as sharp-tongued as ever.

But it doesn't quite feel right. I had the lifestyle of a noble young lady when it came to food, clothing, and shelter, but I didn't really feel like one.

Wonder what the reason for that is?

Oh, it's because I don't have servants.

Maids and butlers, those high-class and stylish folks, should be taking care of my every need and giving me that noble feeling.

That guy has so many maids of his own; why doesn't he share some with me? It's so frustrating.

Now, in India, it's a different story.

Here, I'm a cut above the rest, a Kshatriya. Indian servants are renowned throughout all of Europe.

In proper human history, Indian servants took excellent care of European nobles. Indian butlers are on par with Filipino maids. Just thinking about it gets me a bit excited.

Sure, there are a few things I need to be cautious about.

India has a high number of rape cases, and a cute beauty like me might be in danger. But it's alright, as long as Mash is here.

Would that little eggplant just watch if someone tried something?

Of course not, unless it's that narcissistic guy.

Plus, as a colonizer, I should be living in the city, right? The security there should be pretty good. I feel a bit relieved.

...

February 12th, 6th year of the Dragon Emperor's Calendar.

The fantasy of becoming the ultimate ruler of all has completely shattered.

These folks in India aren't into colonial rule as one might expect.

Instead, the empire was playing around with land reforms like the Europeans, experimenting with centralized governance, and abolishing the caste system.

My goodness, doesn't this completely ruin the beautiful traditions of India?

Their caste system isn't just a political institution; it's intertwined with religion and people's daily lives.

Attempting to abolish the caste system in India? That seems like a futile and unpopular endeavor.

Why not just be proper colonizers, plunder India's riches, and serve the empire? Isn't that way more appealing? Is that narcissistic guy out of his mind?

It's for this very reason that the rulers of various Indian states, along with the nobility, have been fiercely resisting the empire's advances. They don't feel as defeated as one might expect.

Even the Afghans or the Persians, with just a few thousand to ten thousand troops, can easily conquer Northern India, sweeping from the Afghan plateau to the Ganges River, and become the Sultan of Delhi.

As long as the caste system remains, the people of India don't really care who rules them; they'll kneel to anyone.

And yet, here he was, sending hundreds of thousands of troops to India, embarking on an arduous expedition.

The result? The empire only managed to conquer most of India, and even in the occupied areas, constant uprisings were a common occurrence. It's extremely unstable.

When I complained to Mash by asking, what's the point of all this? We could just plunder their wealth and gold and be done with it.

Ha! That expression! Mash seemed speechless by my question.

Mash retorted that the empire isn't colonialists driven by greed, and said my thinking is wrong.

That was when I began to understand, oh, right, that narcissistic guy is implementing a series of reforms in his own homeland and other regions as well.

His conquest isn't driven by a desire for wealth and the like; it's about building a better world.

I used to hear the empire's people say that a lot, but I always took it as mere propaganda.

After all, weren't the Europeans of proper human history also shameless in their self-promotion? They espoused ideals with their lips but had profit in their hearts, disguising their true intentions.

But that narcissistic emperor actually takes it seriously. He genuinely wants to transform India, no, he wants to transform the entire world, to shape the world according to his ideals.

In the Americas and Africa, he educated the indigenous people.

In Europe, India, and the other occupied territories, he brought about social reforms.

How should I put it?

Is he an idealist, or is he just plain crazy?

If I hadn't been involved in the world of magecraft, I would have thought he was a lunatic.

It's just too difficult and unrealistic, and the effort doesn't seem to be worth it.

If I had such incredible powers, I'd be living it up as an emperor to the fullest, enjoying a grand harem of beautiful women, and doing whatever I pleased. Doesn't that sound like a dream of every man of culture, no, I'm a girl, so... women of culture?

But Mash then said that's precisely why she and the rest are more than willing to follow him. What was worse is, she said that with a hopeful look, which didn't sit well with me.

I feel that, rather than being drawn to his ideals, I'd prefer to believe they're charmed by him.

He spoke about liberating all of humanity and such, and yet, he has so many maids in his harem to enjoy anytime and indulge in indecent acts, so what's the deal with that?

As I voiced those thoughts at that time, Mash said that they were ladies-in-waiting or something and not maids. They're part of the government, with employment contracts and salaries and so on.

All of this nonsense made my mood not particularly good over the next few days.

===

After finishing her diary, Ritsuka tore out the page from the diary once again and chewed on it.

Initially, she hoped that Fou could be her personal paper shredder, but it was clear that Fou was no fool.

When she presented the paper to Fou, it would give her a look that said "Are you kidding me?"

So Ritsuka had to do it herself; she had grown used to it by now.

"That emperor seems to be a good guy, huh?"

"He—"

"Ahh, whatever! Does it even matter if that guy is good or bad?"

"With all the chaos in India right now, isn't it that guy's fault?"

After saying those things, Ritsuka turned over and went to sleep, something quite rare for her.

This time, she found it hard to fall asleep because she knew that her complaints from earlier didn't hold water.

The turmoil in India was just temporary labor pains. Social reform came at a cost, and the empire was bleeding for it.

As long as this blood could bring about a better tomorrow, then it was not shed in vain; it was worth it.

Even though Ritsuka was a thick-skinned woman, she understood this principle as well. Of course, knowing it and acknowledging it were two different things.

===

At the same time, in Mash's room next door to Ritsuka's.

"Yes, yes."

"..."

"Senpai is reflecting on everything."

"..."

"I believe she has already accepted Your Majesty's intention to a great extent. Though she may not say it out loud, I'm sure her thoughts have changed."

"Hmm... umm... I understand, Your Majesty. You can rest assured that I will continue to watch over Senpai. And..."

As she reached this point, Mash blushed and felt a little embarrassed, but in the end, she gathered her courage and said to Artorius.

"I miss you, Your Majesty..."

"..."

"Umm..."

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Paris, Artorius spoke gently.

"When you return, let's meet properly, Mash."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Mash understood the deeper meaning behind Artorius's words of 'meeting properly'.

With Artorius's promise, Mash wore a happy smile and began to fantasize about reuniting with him and doing various things.

===

Author's Note:

In some ways, Gudako isn't entirely unreasonable. The Servants had betrayed her and sided with Artorius.