"Who exactly is the emperor ...... Yume's person?

After a briefing with the reunited friends, Yukinojo-san muttered something like that.

'Mu, ah ......'

But when asked about it, the emperor seems to have some difficulty saying it.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. Isn't your father's rightful wife my mother?

Yukinojo's earnest voice made the emperor roar.

...... haha, is this also the shogun's karma?

When he let out a big sigh, the emperor seemed to have given up and began to tell the situation.

"The general of this country, Youlian Xia典, once had a regular wife named Yume no Fang.

"Were you there? I mean, it was a long time ago?

The emperor nodded quietly as Mina asked on behalf of the doubts we felt.

That's right. That's right, because of an incident, Yume's name was erased from the history of this country, along with the name of the Togo family she carried in her arms.

"Erased from history!"?

We're confused by the sudden and disturbing story.

A nobleman's house is erased from history, isn't that a big deal?

You're not going to be able to find out if you're going to be able to get a job. That is Yukinojo, your older brother, Yang Ren Chun-niu,

"Haruomi is my brother!

Yukinojo shouted in agitation at the truth revealed in rapid succession.

Is it true that Haruomi is my brother?

It's true. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Indeed, Haruomi's real name is Chunjingui, with a spring name in it.

But I didn't know there was such a rule for naming this country.

I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this, but I'm sure you have. To begin with, my father's rightful wife is supposed to be my mother! Why was your name erased?

The emperor began to slowly tell the situation, saying that sometimes it's better to remain unaware.

'That's because, you see, the Togo family committed treason.

Rebellion!

Yukinojo rolls his eyes at the unexpected statement of rebellion.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not the only one.

It's not something that will erase the name of the family by mistake.

What the hell happened to make that happen?

"Oh, it can't be! There hasn't been a rebellion against the Shoguns in our country for hundreds of years!

Hundreds of years! That's great!

Normally, I think a rebellion or two would occur in a few hundred years.

I mean, it's a number of years that could have ruined the country.

It must be a very peaceful country to not have such a long history of rebellion.

Ostensibly. But in reality, rebellion has happened more than once or twice.

But apparently not.

The most important thing for this country is to use magic items to stabilize the land of Heavenly Peak. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it. That's why it was necessary to have a severe punishment that would make people not want to get involved in any incident that could shake the country.

"Does that mean I'm going to clear my name?

Yes. It's not only for the warriors of this country, but also for the nobles of other countries to keep their houses intact, which is the highest priority. Even if you have to forfeit your title, as long as the name of the family and the blood of the family remain intact, you will be able to rebuild the house one day.

But and the emperor cuts off the words.

"That's not the way it should be if you rebel in this country. The members of the rebellious house will be executed, women and children alike, and the name of the house will be removed from the history of the country. Even if there was a lucky survivor of the family, he would not be allowed to revive the family, no matter how big a deal he made. After all, it's a house that has been erased from history. There is no way to reconstruct a house without it. And of course, it's not allowed to build a new house from scratch.

It's certainly a terrible punishment for the nobles who value the preservation of their clan the most.

If failure means that the name of the family will be erased forever and there is no hope of revival, they will not be able to revolt unless they are very confident.

If there are such circumstances, other nobles, not only the weakest but also mid-level nobles, are less likely to help with the rebellion.

In some cases, they can even pretend to cooperate with you to get information and get rid of other houses that are in your way.

It's a good idea to have a few more aristocrats on hand to help you out, as it will reduce the number of aristocrats, leaving vacancies in their positions and territories.

Shortly after the birth of a child on the Shogun's side and Yume's side, I received word that the Togo family was preparing to revolt against the Shogun's family. When the Shogun heard this, he thought it was unnatural, but decided to investigate first. After all, the Togo family sent their own daughter to become the Shogun's wife, and even had a child. A decent person would never revolt.

Certainly.

Everyone nodded that it was so.

If the daughter you send will be the mother of the next general, then her house will definitely be an important house for the country of Tianfeng.

That's because our country is the same in that area.

That's why the Shogun was concerned about the inexplicable rebellion.

So, if the Togo family was crushed, did the rebellion actually take place?

For some reason, the emperor shook his head in response to Yukinojo's question.

'No, there was no rebellion. The right thing to do is to find the evidence before the rebellion broke out.

"Piece of evidence?

That's right. We have found a large number of battle magic items in a number of warehouses and abandoned buildings in the Togo clan that were tipped off.

The 「「「「 magic tool "magic item" is!

Oh, the amount of magic items that would be impossible in normal times is proof that the Togo family is planning a rebellion. It seems that there is a considerable amount of magic items that have been arranged, not an amount that can be collected by casual means. It's an amount that can only be gathered for the war. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to do with it.

When he finished there, the emperor let out a big sigh.

I see. It's true that if a lord of an island nation that doesn't have to worry about war with its neighbors has such a large number of magic items, it's natural to be suspicious. Moreover, if a feudal lord was capable of winning a war against a country, the information about the rebellion would be considered almost true.

After all, even in a previous life, a single magic item could have caused a catastrophe that could have turned the country upside down.

Oh, I'm not talking about my magic item!

That's why Yume's name was dropped and Yukinojo's mother became his rightful wife.

"There is such a thing ......

Yukinojo's face becomes indescribable when he learns the truth about the fact that before his mother there was the shogun's rightful wife, and that person was erased from history.

'Huh? But if you revolt, even women and children will be executed, right? How was this Haruomi person able to survive and thrive?

Norbu, who seems to be wondering why Haruomi is alive, nodded his head.

It is certainly true. If the emperor's opinion is correct, Haruomi-san should not be alive by now.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's been told by people around you that you should be killed. It's a good thing that you're not the only one. The actual reason for this is because they want to make their daughter the mother of the new shogun, but even so, the shogun's family, which protects the peace of this country, cannot show weakness to their vassals. If the top brass won't abide by the rules, they won't be able to show their subordinates what to do.

The emperor looks uncomfortable with the doldrums of the country's warriors while saying, "Oh no, no, no, no. I really don't think he's interested in politics.

I'm sure you're not the only one. I guess he couldn't bear to kill his own child. He buried a baby who died at the same time in his grave as a substitute for his own child and secretly let his own child go. He was given the name of the spring nightingale (king) as the next general, and changed it to Haru (spring) vassal.

That's why you said Haruomi is not a vassal of mine: ......

He must have said something to Haruomi.

I nodded again, knowing the true meaning of what Yukinojo-san said to me from him.

'But how do you know so much about it? It was an event to be erased from history, wasn't it?

Yeah, I know. How does this man know so much about the situation when he lives in such a remote area?

Yeah, that's easy. I heard it from the general's bastard himself.

Directly from your father?

Oh. He's the de facto king of the country. You can't whine to the wrong person. But if you're the symbol of your country, the emperor of your country, then he'll be able to complain without any worries. It's a good idea to have a good time to listen to him complain if he makes up a general's duties at random.

It's a good thing that you know this because you were told about it by the man himself.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're talking about. The shogun ordered a gag order on the matter, and the baby was eventually placed in a distant family through this village and through the hands of several people. So they shouldn't be able to recognize the shogun's child, right? Well, you can't stop talking about it. I'm sure someone saw that Haruomi was alive and pursued her vindictively.

And the emperor says that the demon must have used this information.

I'm sure that's the end of the story for Haruomi. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

"...... is a magic item thing,

That's right. Haruomi and the demon headed to Mount Amatsukami with another key. When the registrant dies, the key is unlocked and can be used to sign a contract with the next master. So, now that the general is dead, Haruomi can also sign a contract.

"Isn't it possible that a witch could make a deal?

Don't worry about it. It's a magic item from a time when the existence of demons was a given. It's only meant to be used by humans to prevent misuse.

Well, that would avoid the worst of it.

But maybe that's exactly why Majin teamed up with Haruomi-san.

Since he couldn't move it himself, he wanted to control the magic item that was protecting the country through Haruomi-san.

The magic item is powered by the volcanic energy of Mount Amatskami and the energy of the spiritual vein. You will be able to find out more about the company and its products and services by visiting their website.

I see, you're using the energy of one disaster as energy to contain another.

That's what I thought. To put it another way, it would have taken an enormous amount of force to protect a country from so many disasters.

Well, that's an interesting idea. If I were you, I would have thought about solving the cause or directly eliminating the disaster itself.

Perhaps the emperor's ancestors were engineers who focused on energy reuse.

I hope that our future descendants will utilize this magic item for the further development of the country.

But these days, magic items are unstable. I've been doing regular maintenance on them, but even so, there are materials that are not available in this country, and parts that cannot be repaired while they are activated. In addition to that, a large number of demons were roaming around the village, so maintenance has been stagnant lately. On top of that, the key was stolen by a demon, so anything can happen at any time,

The emperor scratches his head in frustration and says in frustration, "The magic item may be close to its life span.

Maybe this magic item is nearing the end of its life. I've done the best I could, but the tools will break one day. But I want to maintain it again before it becomes irretrievable, and I want to calm the disaster at sea. And I want to get as many people out of the country as possible.

The emperor looks at us with a serious gaze.

So, the emperor's desire was to get the people out.

But it's a very hard thing to do.

The people who lost their country will have to go through a lot of hardship to get a new home.

But I guess that's the way it is in this country.

"Please, I need the key to the magic item. "Please, get me the key to the magic item, I want to maintain it again before it is destroyed by a demon.

"Okay! Leave it to us!

When I answer, they nod emphatically.

As expected, it would be a bad aftertaste to leave here.

Yes, a lot of people are in danger. As a servant of God, I cannot overlook this.

"We are at the request of the first lord's uncle, so we will help you.

Well, even if you don't ask, I will if you do.

"Squeak!

It's like Fluffy says to leave it to you, too. You've become so reliable after not seeing him for a while!

All right, then, let's get going!

I stood up, but Yukinojo was the only one who nodded silently.

I'm not going to ask you why: ......

It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on it.

You'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your own personal life.

Furthermore, the family's family was erased from history for committing treason, so it's only natural that Yukinojo would be unsure of what to do.

I'm not sure if the emperor understands the feeling or not, but his hands were floating in the air, wondering how to comfort her.

Everyone also hesitated to call out to Yukinojo irresponsibly after hearing about the situation.

''See, what's the matter with you, Yukinojo, you can't sign a contract with a magic item if you don't come too. You're going to be a general!

But Mina was talking to Yukinojo as usual.

I'm not sure if it's better for me not to go.

"What are you talking about? If you don't go, the magic item will become Haruomi's property!

"...... Isn't that good enough?

"What? What are you talking about?

Nodding, Yukinojo spun the words as if to spit them out.

"Haruomi was originally the next shogun. It was only robbed by me.

You can't help it. His family has rebelled against him.

"But that is not Haruomi's crime! Haruomi, who was an infant, is a victim!

Yukinojo shouts out, as if to say that this is the thing that pierced his heart the most.

"I couldn't do anything on this trip in the first place! I was just protected like a princess! His desire to become a shogun was only because he thought that becoming a shogun was the mission of the shogun's son, I! I was only trying to become a general! ...... that I, having taken everything away from my brother, could not be a shogun without a fight. ......

Guilt, that was the very thing that made Yukinojo despair.

He said that it was his own father who took away his brother's family and that he was the one who took everything from his innocent brother.

'Rather than such a meager existence, this country might be better off if Haruomi became a shogun.

So, Yukinojo-san laughs to himself.

'That's it! What's the matter with you?

In response to Yukinojo, Mina slapped him on the back as hard as she could.

"Ughhhh?

Boom! And then there was a tremendous sound, and Yukinojo fell to the ground, half blown away.

This country might be better off if Haruomi became a shogun, yo! Don't be silly! You're forgetting, aren't you?

"What, what?

You were told by Haruomi, right? He said he would destroy this country. You know, you took everything from yourself, everything in this country. That means he is trying to ruin this country! Do you think a man like that can be king and make people happy?

Ugh.

Not only Yukinojo-san but also the emperor rolled his eyes at the too obvious argument.

Liliella is also a bit surprised, but Norbu and Meguri seem a bit happy or amused to see her?

"Good? It's no wonder that there was a connection between you and Haruomi. But it was a parent to parent affair. You can't have anything to do with it. You'll be able to find out the best way to make a good impression. And also involving all the people of this country! In fact, your guards and the people in the castle were attacked!

"Yes, it is, but ......

"But no matter what! He's doing something bad now! And if you get the magic item, there will be more damage! So I dare to say. Neither the general's son, nor the brother who took everything from the spring nightingale, what do you want to do with yourself? Do you want to abandon everything and watch your country die? Just sit back and watch a bunch of people die? The general you wanted to be is the kind of king you would allow to do that?

Mina is not going to listen to you complain, but she's going to fold up to Yukinojo.

'Answer me, Sachi! As a man, you believe in the spirit of a warrior from Tianfeng!

So for some reason, Mina called Yukinojo by a different name.

What?

I'm not going to be the only one who can do this," he said.

I'm going to have to go to ...... to find out.

Yukinojo looks up to dispel his hesitation.

The ideal warrior of mine is ...... my father, who has devoted himself to the people of this country. It is the image of Shogun Youlian Xia典.

Slowly, but with determined eyes, I stand up.

'Mina, I am not Koki. He is Youlen Yukinojo, the son of Shogun Youlen Natsunori, and I cannot allow Haruomi, my brother's murderous actions! And I cannot allow Haruomi, my brother's murderous actions to go unpunished! As the next general, it is my duty to protect the people of this country!

Yukinojo clearly stated that he would fulfill the role he had inherited rather than the compassion and guilt of his immediate family.

If that's the case, then that's fine, isn't it? If it's your choice.

Hmm, but you're a tough one. There's no time to be discouraged.

And Yukinojo laughed as if he was possessed.

"As expected of Mina, who gave a lecture to the village's best kid general, beating him to death. I don't care what their circumstances are.

Yes, when your father died, Jairo was torn down like that when he was burned out, too.

"Thanks to Gyro, Mina can't get her head around it.

And Meguri and her friends laugh.

I don't know if Mina has always had this kind of older sisterly skin?

"Alright, I'll beat up the demon and get the key to the magic item, and then I'll grab Haruomi and preach to her!

"Mm! Make Haruomi pay for her sins! I will then face Haruomi as my brother.

"Yeah, good luck with that.

Mina's eyes were kind as she looked at Yukinojo's renewed resolve and whispered to him to encourage his words.

◆Chunninghua.

"Oh, so this is the magic tool to rule the country!

I smile self-consciously as I look up at the huge magical tool that sits in front of me.

This is the inside of a cave at the foot of Mount Amatsukami.

The true heart of this country, protected by a ward.

Thanks for the key, we're finally here.

The mage who came with me approached the mages' tools with the key in hand.

But the moment they were about to touch the tool, the mage's hand was violently torn off.

''Guffaw!

The mage's arm was torn to shreds, and a lot of blood flowed from his arm.

"Damn, not only the entrance, but also the magic tools themselves were countered to this degree!

The demon stared abominably at the grimoire and sprinkled the cure on his arm.

And then he threw the key in his hand to me.

"I guess I still need your help.

"Mm.

I look up at the grimoire again, key in hand.

"Ah, we're here at last,

Clutching the key, I remember the day I first met a witch.

I grew up as a child of a poor samurai.

However, he was not his own son. I was raised as a child taken from somewhere else, a child of the unknown.

Naturally, no family would welcome such a child.

My stepmother and brother-in-law were hard on me.

My father-in-law, though he had the right to raise me, did not try to correct my mother-in-law's behavior.

Why was I the only one who was forced to live like a manservant, living a life of depression?

It was that time.

A man who claimed to know my real father came to see me.

The man was a witch who had been transformed into a human.

I was surprised. I was surprised to learn that there was a mage who existed only in stories.

And he taught me everything I needed to know.

You are the son of the general of this country," he said. "You are the son of the general of this country, but you lost the political battle, and your clan perished without you.

Furthermore, the demon said. I have a half-brother.

And that he was given everything I was supposed to get, and that he was living a life of numbness.

I can't forgive him. Or so I thought.

I didn't have a proper education and didn't know the meaning of the word "political", but I still understood that I was oppressed and that my brother, who was my blood, had been given everything.

If you want revenge, I'll help you. And then you can take it all ...... or get it back. You should be able to get what you really wanted.

I don't know how much the words of a mage can be trusted.

I'm not sure how much you can believe in the words of a demon, after all, these people are our enemies.

I don't think it was in good faith to tell me the truth.

There's no doubt that there's something more to it than that.

I'm sure there is something behind it.

You're not going to be able to get a good deal more than you think.

There is no money, no food, no warmth and love, no nothing.

I have no money, no food, no warmth and love, no nothing.

Give me strength. I don't care what you're up to," he said, "I don't care what you're up to. I will take back everything that was taken from me, to take all of the people I have taken from!

Nee and the demon smiles.

That's good. You don't have to trust us. We can just use each other.

Thus, I abandoned my country and joined forces with a mage.

I was adopted by a high-ranking samurai, who was the mage's messenger, and my in-laws were burned down by the mage.

It was there that I received a samurai's education, something I had never been allowed to learn.

It was a hard, hard day.

I received the education that children of other warrior families learn from a much younger age, even though I was still a young adult, after I had grown up.

But I gritted my teeth and endured that education.

All in order to take revenge on the Shogun's family. And to give despair to Yukinojo, who pushed me away and took it all!

I'm not going to be able to get the key, and in order to get the key, I'm going to use the magician's handlers to serve in the castle.

I've been told that the reason why things have worked out so well is because the mage transformed into a human being with transforming magic tools for this day and got hold of the handlers and weaknesses.

It's a good idea to have a good time with them.

I'm going to use it.

It's a good idea to have a secret agent in the castle ahead of you and the magician's tools to assassinate the general.

However, since the identity of the key is unknown, the objective was focused on the Shogun's son, Yukinojo.

He waits for the key to be handed over to him when he comes of age, gaining Yukinojo's trust by being his bodyguard.

And while reporting to the Shogun on Yukinojo's daily life, he patiently searched for information on whether or not he had given the key to the Shogun.

To be honest, the role of acting as an intermediary between the man who abandoned me and the man who took everything from me was a chilling thought.

I kept enduring, wanting to kill them right now.

For better or worse, the general seemed to trust me because of my perseverance.

The number of guards was visibly reduced when I asked about Yukinojo.

It was really painful, though, to have to listen to the Shogun's endless stories about the difficulties of not being able to act as a parent instead.

But it was worth it.

One day, the general finally let slip.

I gave my son everything he needed to take the title of general. Now, he said, it would be safe for me to die at any time.

I finally got my wish and assassinated the Shogun that night.

I pressed Yukinojo to take the blame for killing the shogun on the first chief retainer and urged him to flee.

Yukinojo was so convinced of me that he trusted me easily.

To be honest, I couldn't help but enjoy it.

It was a moment when all the hatred I had felt for him was rewarded.

I had my men kill Yukinojo's bodyguards while secretly laughing at his stupidity.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

I'm sure you'll be able to use the shifting mages to draw the magician into the village and steal the keys to the mages' tools.

The only thing I wish was that I could not kill Yukinojo right then and there.

"Come on, grimoire! Recognize me as a general!

Holding up the key, I touch the grimoire.

"Oh!

Then the magic tool and the key glowed faintly, connecting each other with lines of light.

I'm not going to be able to get it right.

"What is this?

Don't worry. The mages and the key are linked and registered to you as the master.

At last, at last, I'm going to be the master of the magic tool!

When the light finished completely enveloping my entire body, the key and the magic tool faded in brilliance, and the lines of light that connected them to each other were interrupted.

'Looks like the registration is complete,'

"Oh, now I'm the true king of the land!

"Now, try to control your magic tool. Hmmm, a mage with such a strong user registration. I'm sure it's driven by the user's thoughts, judging by the absence of switches and levers. Touch that big gem over there and think about it.

Yo, okay. Let's do it.

I touch the jewel on the surface of the magic tool and remind myself, as the witch says, "Fools!

'Fools, I'll tell you who the true king is! Mage, dampen its work! Give the fools the fear of disaster!

As I reminded myself of this, the light that was emanating from the magic tool weakened.

And at the same time, a dull trembling sound came from underfoot.

And the tremors get louder and louder.

"Whoa, whoa!

"It seems that the cessation of the magic tool's power has resurrected the enclosed disaster.

Yes! The mage listens to me!

"Hahahahahahahahaha! At last! The time has come at last!

Unable to hold back a chuckle, I shouted to the heavens.

"Regret for abandoning me, General! You will be rewarded for taking everything from me, Yukinojo! Everything you didn't save me from! They'll take everything away from you! Know who the real general is! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

That's when Yukinojo regained his motivation and went outside to say it was time to go.

With a tremendous roar, a bright red pillar of fire rose up from Amatsukami Mountain.

"Amatsukamiyama?

"Hiiiiiiii!

People in the village scream at the sudden eruption.

"Oh my God, ...... Mt. Amatsukami has erupted: ......

"Oh, no. The power of the volcano of Mount Amatsukam is consumed by operating magic tools. ......

"You didn't make it. ......

The emperor and the priests crumble with despair sticking to their faces.

"It's over, if Mt. Amatsukami erupts, you can no longer reactivate the magic tool: ......

The priests who know what's going on are trembling, holding their heads in their hands, saying it's all over.

"No, not yet! It's not too late!

Yes, not yet.

Don't give up just yet!

It's no good, Mount Amatsukami has already erupted. Even if you reactivate your magic tools, it won't be too late. You can't stop the power of an erupting volcano with your old grimoire, but your current one, which has deteriorated, can't stop the power of an erupting volcano. It's not the same as siphoning off the power when it's still, and it's not the same as stopping it from running amok.

"No! The volcano has only just erupted! So you just have to stop it!

What?

Things are time-sensitive.

I put off explaining and concentrate my magic power and activate my magic in rapid succession.

"Stream control!

First, the airflow manipulation magic gathers the volcanic ash and rocks that rose into the sky and gently lowers them to the ground in one place.

"Volcanic funnels!

The next step is to stop the eruption by guiding the magma flow inside the volcano with a funnel made of magic to prevent the magma inside Mount Amatsukami from escaping further.

"Oh, whoa!

Blizzard Cocytos!

In addition, the magma that flowed out of the crater and the magma in the crater by widespread extreme cold magic was quickly frozen to stop the magma spill, pyroclastic flows, and forest fires at the same time.

What?

"Weather control!

Then he calms the storm and calms the weather with weather manipulation magic.

Hahhhh?

"Grand Calm!

Finally, by manipulating the earth, he calmed the neighborhood quake.

Jeez, the quake stopped!

What's happening?

Okay, that completes the first aid work!

Now that the process is over, I tell the slumped villagers that I'm done patching up the situation.

The volcano's eruption has been stopped for now. I'm sure you'll be able to find the magic item for environmental protection in the meantime.

"Ha, ha. ......

Yes, well, this is going to be okay for a while, so let's just get the remains back!

"......, beat the devil

"Yeah, yeah! It's okay. We'll have Mr. Lex!

...... Well, wait, what the hell happened? Which, how to disaster ......?

"Come on, let's go do what we do first! I'm going to do what I have to do first!

"Hmmm. ......?

Mina chided Yukinojo for wanting to hear the details of the situation.

It's a good idea to solve this problem first.

It's just a temporary disaster sinking magic for emergency evacuation.

It's not a permanent solution to the problem.

"Yo, good luck with that, guys. ......

"Yeah, I got it! Let's go then, guys!

「「「「 Oooh! 」」」」

"Oh, oh?

Thus, we were headed to the stage for the decisive battle with the demons.

...... Honestly, this is the first time in a long time that I've been scared.

Yes, I thought I had gotten used to Lex's outrageousness, but I didn't expect him to stop a natural disaster so easily: ......

What's that? Like everyone's acting funny?

Are you nervous about the fight to protect this country from a crisis?

But that's okay. You are definitely getting stronger.

No matter what kind of cowardly measures a demon takes, we are strong enough to handle it!

Emperor ◆

We watched in amazement as the late general's children headed for the Amatsukam mountain where the magic tools were enshrined.

What in the world is that monk?

The storm and earthquake had died down, as well as the erupting Mount Amatsukami.

I still can't believe it, even now that I actually saw it.

It was only a temporary thing, but how could a person do such a thing: ......?

"No way, those people are the incarnations of the gods who guard Tianfeng: ......

Saburo was standing by, and although I didn't think it was possible, I couldn't deny his words.

There is no way a mere human being can stop a volcano from erupting, erase the plumes of smoke in the sky, or even calm the rage of the earth.

......

I don't know who the boy, or the boys, were.

But as we gazed in the direction of their departure, we were in a spontaneous posture of prayer and deep gratitude to the gods.