E25 - Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself, and Your Union Shall Not Be Endangered

Source: Crunchyroll
Translator:
Editor:
Timer:
QC:
(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:10] ---
    Jirukoma left Komain as chief
    of the settlement,
[00:14] ---
    and together with the others
    who volunteered to go,
[00:16] ---
    put Friedonia behind him.
[00:19] ---
    Those who departed could not shake
    their longing for home,
[00:22] ---
    and would try to take back their lands,
    by force, if necessary,
[00:26] ---
    while those who saw them off kept
    their longing for home in their hearts,
[00:28] ---
    and dreamed of restoring the peace
    of their nations in a foreign land.
[00:35] ---
    Their parting was a sad one,
    but it was their choice.
[00:43] ---
    "...Keep on going anyway"
[00:45] ---
    Our bond strikes deep into my left breast
[00:58] ---
    We enjoy a fleeting happiness
    after weathering one fog,
[01:03] ---
    until our vision becomes obscured again
[01:09] ---
    Bitterly betrayed, we grow
    disgusted by our destiny
[01:14] ---
    But why does the dawn still come?
[01:19] ---
    We close our eyes and try to remember
[01:24] ---
    the chance of stopping, of never meeting
[01:29] ---
    From boundless zero to infinity,
[01:35] ---
    dreaming is the heartbeat of believing
[01:41] ---
    We'll move along alone and in pairs
[01:44] ---
    Don't stay put; our small,
    though by no means helpless steps
[01:51] ---
    will open uncharted territory
    for each of us
[01:55] ---
    Realize we will never again
    let our dreams die on the vine
[02:01] ---
    The tear tracks that run down
    our cheeks are shooting stars
[02:08] ---
    We're going to grab hold of them
[02:12] ---
    "Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself,
    and Your Union Shall Not Be Endangered"
[02:17] ---
    I see that everyone is here.
[02:20] ---
    Oh, these glasses?
[02:22] ---
    These are not prescription lenses.
    They just put me in the right mood.
[02:26] ---
    Is it a matter of mood?
[02:28] ---
    Yes. For you see, the reason
    I had you all come here today
[02:32] ---
    is for you to attend Lesson 1 of
    your "Fiancée's Bridal Course."
[02:38] ---
    And your teacher will, of course,
    be myself, Excel Walter.
[02:45] ---
    I have been hoping for an opportunity
    such as this for a long time,
[02:49] ---
    and when I heard His Majesty say that
    he could have children any time now,
[02:53] ---
    I decided that now would be
    the perfect time.
[02:56] ---
    After all, in time,
    all of you will be mothers.
[02:59] ---
    As you are aware, following the death
    of the king two generations ago,
[03:03] ---
    the Kingdom of Elfrieden
    nearly faced a civil war
[03:07] ---
    surrounding the royal family's dispute
    over succession to the throne.
[03:11] ---
    I trust that such a thing will not happen
    under the reign of His Majesty Souma.
[03:16] ---
    However, we must not be complacent!
[03:19] ---
    If there is any breach between
    king and queen,
[03:21] ---
    or between any of the queens,
[03:23] ---
    there will certainly be someone who
    will try to take advantage of it!
[03:27] ---
    For the sake of the kingdom,
[03:30] ---
    it is necessary for you to establish
    harmonious marital relationships.
[03:35] ---
    That is what this bridal
    training course is for.
[03:39] ---
    Excuse me, but why are you
    teaching us, Duchess Walter?
[03:45] ---
    Well, I have lived for over
    500 years, now.
[03:48] ---
    I have fallen in love with
    a number of gentlemen,
[03:51] ---
    and I have never parted with any of them,
    except through death.
[03:55] ---
    I have also born each of them children.
[03:59] ---
    I will now teach each of you as
    queens--no, as individual women
[04:05] ---
    the way to remain with
    the man that you love.
[04:08] ---
    How to be a wife, from understanding
    the psychology of the male mind,
[04:13] ---
    to ensuring a smooth married life via
    the performance of nighttime "services."
[04:20] ---
    I have already had His Majesty Souma
    take an individual class with me.
[04:26] ---
    Now, in both war and marriage,
    information is essential.
[04:32] ---
    "Know your enemy and know yourself,
    and in a hundred battles,
[04:36] ---
    you shall not be endangered," is something
    His Majesty is fond of saying.
[04:39] ---
    That's right. If you know how
    the other party views you,
[04:44] ---
    it will become clear to you
    how to conduct yourself.
[04:46] ---
    There are times when it is
    good to be unpredictable,
[04:49] ---
    and create some space between you
    to shake things up if you're in a rut.
[04:53] ---
    Know your enemy and know yourself,
    and your union shall not be endangered.
[05:00] ---
    After my lesson with His Majesty,
[05:03] ---
    I called in an illusionist mage to
    secretly cast a confession spell on him.
[05:08] ---
    This notebook contains the information
    I got out of His Majesty at the time.
[05:18] ---
    All right, allow me to tell each of you
    how His Majesty Souma sees you.
[05:26] ---
    Roroa...
[05:27] ---
    I'll start with his estimation of you.
[05:31] ---
    Wh-Why me?!
[05:33] ---
    No special reason.
[05:35] ---
    I just thought I'd start with
    the latest one to meet His Majesty.
[05:39] ---
    Well, I am the newest one of this group...
[05:43] ---
    I suppose it's better than
    having to go last.
[05:47] ---
    All right, according to His Majesty...
[05:50] ---
    What do you think about Roroa?
[05:54] ---
    I like how cheerful and friendly Roroa is.
[05:59] ---
    She can be a bit underhanded,
    but that's just part of her charm.
[06:04] ---
    The way she looks up to Liscia and
    the others as sisters is heartwarming.
[06:07] ---
    Also, she's a wiz when it
    comes to finances.
[06:11] ---
    I really am glad that she
    became one of my fiancées.
[06:18] ---
    Th-This is so embarrassing...
[06:21] ---
    Further, when I asked His Majesty,
    "Do you have any feelings for Roroa?"
[06:27] ---
    he answered, "I feel bad that I'm
    responsible for her father's death."
[06:33] ---
    I realize it was war,
    but that notwithstanding,
[06:35] ---
    from where she stands, his blood
    will always be on my hands.
[06:40] ---
    Roroa says that she was
    far removed from her father,
[06:43] ---
    but what if, really,
    she doesn't want to marry me?
[06:47] ---
    That's something he worries
    about at times.
[06:52] ---
    Wh-What is he, dense?!
[06:54] ---
    Darling, you dummy!
    I've already considered all that!
[06:58] ---
    I want to be with Darling of my own
    free will, so why would he say that?!
[07:09] ---
    Roroa...
[07:10] ---
    Cia...
[07:13] ---
    I get it. I'll have to give Souma
    a piece of my mind later.
[07:18] ---
    Roroa, the reason His Majesty
    thinks the way he does
[07:22] ---
    is because he loves and treasures you.
[07:25] ---
    You do know that, don't you?
[07:27] ---
    Mm-hmm.
[07:29] ---
    So while on the one hand, I'm upset
    that he doesn't know how I feel,
[07:33] ---
    I'm also kind of happy to know
    that Darling thinks so much of me.
[07:39] ---
    If you know that much,
    you should do just fine.
[07:43] ---
    Next up, Juna...
[07:45] ---
    Yes?
[07:48] ---
    Pretty... Beautiful...
    That's the long and short of it.
[07:53] ---
    I don't just mean her appearance,
    either; I mean her heart, too.
[07:57] ---
    It seems like she keeps a pace behind
    the others, to see the larger picture.
[08:03] ---
    She truly is the perfect woman.
    I don't want to lose her to anyone.
[08:08] ---
    His Majesty said that about me?
[08:12] ---
    When I asked him:
    "How do you feel about Juna?"
[08:17] ---
    he said "I sure feel lucky
    to be a younger guy
[08:18] ---
    when she lets me dote on her
    from time to time."
[08:23] ---
    But I thought His Majesty
    and myself were the same age.
[08:26] ---
    She's right. They're both 19.
[08:32] ---
    His Majesty realized something later on.
[08:34] ---
    It seems that in his world,
    one year lasts for 365 days.
[08:40] ---
    Here, it lasts for 384 days,
    so as a result of that difference,
[08:44] ---
    in the world where His Majesty
    Souma is from,
[08:47] ---
    you would be at least a year
    older than him.
[08:50] ---
    You mean, I'm a whole year older?
[08:53] ---
    You're not saying that His Majesty
    dislikes older women, are you?!
[08:58] ---
    Not to worry. His Majesty Souma
    also said the following:
[09:02] ---
    "Where I'm from, we have a saying--
[09:06] ---
    'Find a wife a year older than you,
[09:08] ---
    even if you must wear
    wire sandals to do so'."
[09:11] ---
    Thank goodness.
[09:14] ---
    Next up, Aisha...
[09:16] ---
    Y-Yes?
[09:17] ---
    His Majesty Souma's
    appraisal of you, Aisha, is...
[09:23] ---
    U-Um, why did you stop there?
[09:27] ---
    Well, it's...
[09:28] ---
    ... "pet-like."
[09:29] ---
    It's what?!
[09:35] ---
    I can see that.
[09:37] ---
    Juna, not you, too!
    What am I, his pet dog?!
[09:41] ---
    Aisha is a strong, noble,
    and beautiful warrior.
[09:45] ---
    It's safe to say that she is the most
    valiant fighter in the kingdom.
[09:49] ---
    It is reassuring to have
    Aisha by my side...
[09:53] ---
    At least it should be...
[09:56] ---
    There's something irresistible about her.
[10:00] ---
    I find myself wanting to
    protect her, I suppose.
[10:04] ---
    Wah! I'm a failure as a bodyguard!
[10:07] ---
    Ai, shake.
[10:09] ---
    Woof.
[10:11] ---
    Aisha, you're adorable.
[10:13] ---
    I feel like I want to protect you, myself.
[10:16] ---
    Huh? Is that so?
[10:19] ---
    Ahem...
[10:21] ---
    Lastly, we come to Princess Liscia.
[10:25] ---
    I should probably start with what he said
    when I asked how he felt about you.
[10:30] ---
    Huh? Why am I the only one you're
    answering that question first with?
[10:35] ---
    I believe his assessment of you,
    Princess Liscia,
[10:37] ---
    can be summarized by
    the answer to that one question.
[10:41] ---
    His Majesty answered with one word:
[10:45] ---
    "Nothing."
[10:47] ---
    "Nothing"? At all?
[10:50] ---
    He had something to say about
    all the others, didn't he?
[10:54] ---
    And yet he said "nothing"
    when it came to me?
[10:58] ---
    His Majesty said the following:
[11:01] ---
    "I want to personally tell her
    the feelings that matter most to me."
[11:09] ---
    You know, it doesn't seem fair that Cia
    is the only one he said that about.
[11:13] ---
    Huh?
[11:14] ---
    I'm jealous that you're the one
    who gets special treatment.
[11:17] ---
    Ow...! Hey, ladies, that smarts!
[11:21] ---
    Oh, Juna, not you, too!
[11:24] ---
    Roroa, I'm actually a little jealous
    of the rest of you, too.
[11:27] ---
    Huh? You are?
[11:29] ---
    I wanted to hear him say that he
    liked such-and-such about me,
[11:32] ---
    or that he didn't want to lose me to
    anyone, or he wanted to protect me, too.
[11:37] ---
    I guess that's just the way
    these things go.
[11:39] ---
    In any case, let's all gather around
    the table together from now on!
[11:44] ---
    Ai, way to bring it all together.
[11:47] ---
    Sure!
[11:50] ---
    All right, I would now like to instruct
    you on some specific details
[11:54] ---
    to help you all maintain
    your marital bliss.
[11:58] ---
    Specific details?
[12:00] ---
    I said at the beginning
[12:02] ---
    that this course would cover
    the psychological aspects,
[12:05] ---
    as well as the performance of
    one's nighttime services, did I not?
[12:08] ---
    And I intend to teach you
    exhaustively about those.
[12:11] ---
    E-Excuse me, Grandmother,
    but everything else aside,
[12:16] ---
    are you sure we have
    to sit through a lecture
[12:19] ---
    on these, um, n-nighttime services?
[12:22] ---
    I-I'm with Juna on this.
    It's just so embarrassing.
[12:26] ---
    I'm kind of curious.
[12:28] ---
    Roroa?
[12:29] ---
    Huh? Cia, you don't wanna know more?
[12:32] ---
    Well, I mean...
[12:35] ---
    You are a little curious,
    aren't you? Huh? Huh? Huh?
[12:39] ---
    Goodness, are you sure you want to
    pass up an opportunity such as this?
[12:43] ---
    If you will sit through my lecture
    all the way to the end,
[12:46] ---
    then as proof of completion,
    I will give you this.
[12:51] ---
    "Top secret document"?
[12:53] ---
    "Burn after reading"?
[12:56] ---
    Sounds pretty dangerous.
[12:58] ---
    What are they, state secrets?
[13:00] ---
    Yes, top national security secrets.
[13:04] ---
    Contained in here are the unspeakable
    things that His Majesty Souma
[13:08] ---
    wants you to do to him,
    or that he wants to do to you,
[13:12] ---
    as well as the situations
    in which to do them.
[13:15] ---
    You see? Top national security secrets.
[13:18] ---
    --Oh...
    --Oh...
[13:19] ---
    --Huh?!
    --Huh?!
[13:22] ---
    His Majesty Souma's desires
    for each of you,
[13:24] ---
    which he normally keeps under restraint
    and locked inside his heart,
[13:28] ---
    are all frankly spelled out
    and laid bare in here.
[13:31] ---
    Very well, let's begin
    the "servicing" lecture.
[13:53] ---
    "Gran Chaos Empire,
    Imperial Capital, Valois"
[14:02] ---
    Come in.
[14:03] ---
    Pardon the intrusion.
[14:11] ---
    I have a report for you concerning
    the slave traders.
[14:23] ---
    So, what about the slave traders?
[14:26] ---
    Right. As Souma proposed,
[14:29] ---
    I would like to start an approval system
    for slave traders here in the empire, too.
[14:34] ---
    That's Souma for you.
    Rather than abolishing it outright,
[14:37] ---
    he made slave traders public servants,
[14:39] ---
    as well as raised the level
    of education for slaves.
[14:43] ---
    That couldn't have been easy to think up.
[14:45] ---
    It wasn't His Majesty; I heard it was
    the idea of a slave trader in town.
[14:50] ---
    Oh, my. I see they are as blessed
    with talented people as ever.
[14:54] ---
    That they are.
[14:56] ---
    However, there's also a chance that
    slave traders who become unsanctioned
[15:00] ---
    may commit violent acts
    and start kidnapping people.
[15:04] ---
    It actually happened in Friedonia.
[15:06] ---
    We will have to keep
    a careful watch out for that.
[15:08] ---
    Right. I would like to bear that
    in mind while doing certifications.
[15:14] ---
    I have to wonder, what kind of nation
    building will Souma try next?
[15:19] ---
    He's probably imagining an even
    more wonderful kingdom.
[15:24] ---
    Sister, you certainly are
    taken with Souma.
[15:27] ---
    Of course I am. However,
[15:30] ---
    Fredonia's nation building is
    ultimately just for reference.
[15:33] ---
    We must build our own rock-solid nation.
[15:41] ---
    Understood. I would like to keep in
    close touch with Hakuya going forward.
[15:47] ---
    Yes, please do. So, how is it going?
[15:52] ---
    Huh?
[15:53] ---
    With Hakuya, I mean.
[15:57] ---
    Th-Th-There's nothing going on!
[16:00] ---
    Please excuse me.
[16:02] ---
    That's okay. Please continue.
[16:04] ---
    The citizens' lives have
    become more stable,
[16:07] ---
    allowing us to build many more houses.
[16:10] ---
    That's great.
[16:11] ---
    But there is a problem.
[16:15] ---
    The trees surrounding the capital
    have all been cut down,
[16:18] ---
    both for lumber and
    winter heating purposes.
[16:20] ---
    Some areas have been left as bare hills.
[16:23] ---
    I didn't see that coming. I guess
    we introduce lumber stoppages.
[16:27] ---
    Lumber stoppages?
[16:29] ---
    Where I'm from, lumber was once
    an important military resource,
[16:34] ---
    so there were some mountains set
    aside where logging was prohibited.
[16:38] ---
    It was so strict, they say that felling
    a single tree could cost you your head.
[16:42] ---
    That seems a bit excessive...
[16:44] ---
    We won't go that far.
[16:46] ---
    Beyond that, let's redirect
    the thinned timber
[16:48] ---
    from the God-Protected Forest
    to where it's needed.
[16:51] ---
    Very well.
[16:55] ---
    How are Komain and
    the other refugees doing?
[16:58] ---
    Their relocation to Venetinova
    is going smoothly.
[17:01] ---
    They seem to have no complaints
    with the housing. The issue is jobs.
[17:06] ---
    There are many hunters among them,
    so the truth is,
[17:10] ---
    there are not many of them with what
    you would call "marketable skills."
[17:13] ---
    We can't exactly have them making nothing
    but bows, arrows, and spears.
[17:18] ---
    They may be hunters, but they
    also make woolen goods, right?
[17:21] ---
    Let's put them to work
    in the textile industry.
[17:24] ---
    We have to invest in the public sector
    more, and not just to employ them.
[17:30] ---
    Luckily, there are some areas in
    Venetinova that have not been zoned.
[17:35] ---
    We can develop the facilities we need
    to provide employment for the refugees.
[17:39] ---
    Go right ahead. In time, Venetinova
    will become a center of trade.
[17:45] ---
    Unless we raise the level
    of education there,
[17:47] ---
    they won't be able to make ends
    meet on industry alone.
[17:51] ---
    I've already spoken
    with Ginger about that.
[17:54] ---
    Leave it to you, Hakuya.
    No flies on you, huh?
[18:01] ---
    Y-Your Majesty!
[18:05] ---
    What's the matter, Poncho?
[18:06] ---
    I-It's finally ready--the thing
    Your Majesty requested!
[18:11] ---
    What?! You don't mean... it?!
[18:13] ---
    Yes!
[18:16] ---
    This is it?
[18:17] ---
    Please have a taste, yes!
[18:32] ---
    What do you think?
[18:36] ---
    You did it, Poncho! This is a sauce for
    flour-based dishes! No doubt about it!
[18:41] ---
    Yes!
[18:43] ---
    Begging your pardon, but what
    is sauce for flour-based dishes?
[18:47] ---
    Now that we have this, we can make
    yakisoba, okonomiyaki, monjayaki,
[18:50] ---
    takoyaki, sobameshi--all of it!
[18:53] ---
    It'll even be good as a sauce
    poured over fried foods!
[18:56] ---
    Hakuya, would you like a taste?
[19:14] ---
    It has a fruity, veggie flavor, the aroma
    of spices that entices the nose,
[19:18] ---
    and yet it's unlike
    ordinary Worcester sauce,
[19:21] ---
    in that it has a strong sweet
    and sour flavor and depth of taste.
[19:25] ---
    It is indeed unlike any sauce
    I've tasted before.
[19:28] ---
    I have to admit,
    I'm surprised you reproduced it.
[19:31] ---
    You've never even tried it
    yourself, either.
[19:34] ---
    Thank you very much, yes!
[19:37] ---
    Still, what's in this, anyway?
[19:40] ---
    I remember tasting it somewhere before.
[19:42] ---
    I'm impressed, Your Majesty.
    You took note of it, I see.
[19:46] ---
    I took a mixture of Worcester
    and tomato sauce
[19:49] ---
    and added a little bit of soy sauce
    and mirin from Kikkoro Distillery, yes.
[19:57] ---
    Poncho, are you able to
    mass-produce this sauce?
[20:01] ---
    Kikkoro Distillery says
    they're willing to take it on.
[20:04] ---
    Your Majesty, I just had a thought.
[20:07] ---
    What if we took food that uses
    this flour-based-dish sauce
[20:10] ---
    and made it the specialty dish
    of Venetinova?
[20:15] ---
    The creation of new jobs!
[20:17] ---
    We can't let Venetinova have
    a monopoly on this sauce,
[20:21] ---
    but it is a gulf city!
    They can make squid yakisoba!
[20:24] ---
    This is the dawn of the Venetinova
    delicacy, squid yakisoba!
[20:27] ---
    Squid yakisoba? That sounds so tempting!
[20:31] ---
    I'm sure it will taste good
    before I even eat any, yes!
[20:39] ---
    This sure has been a turbulent year, huh?
[20:42] ---
    Sure has.
[20:43] ---
    I had the throne relinquished
    to me on April 32nd,
[20:47] ---
    and before you know it,
    another year has passed.
[20:50] ---
    Tomorrow is December 32nd. The last
    eight months really have flown by.
[21:04] ---
    Liscia, is something wrong?
[21:06] ---
    I-It's nothing! It's nothing.
[21:09] ---
    Hmm...
[21:11] ---
    Here. "Ahh."
[21:17] ---
    I've always wanted to do this.
[21:20] ---
    You know, sit under the kotatsu,
    stay warm and do nothing.
[21:25] ---
    It's terrific, isn't it?
[21:28] ---
    Mm-hmm.
[21:29] ---
    Here. "Ahh."
[21:36] ---
    It's nice to just do nothing.
[21:38] ---
    I hope it stays just
    being nothing, though.
[21:43] ---
    Yeah...
[21:48] ---
    And as soon as we say
    it's nice to do nothing...
[21:52] ---
    Yes?
[21:57] ---
    I have a message from Albert.
[22:00] ---
    Tomorrow, the evening of December 32nd,
[22:03] ---
    he would like to meet with Your Majesty.
[22:06] ---
    At last...
[22:07] ---
    Father?
[22:09] ---
    Souma, I'm coming with you.
[22:11] ---
    He requests that His Majesty comes alone.
[22:29] ---
    "What are we supposed to choose?"
[22:33] ---
    Our voices imploring the future are hoarse
[22:38] ---
    We've become so afraid
    of what we could lose
[22:44] ---
    that we're just frozen in place
[22:49] ---
    How many times have we made mistakes
[22:53] ---
    because we wanted to check our "answers"?
[22:59] ---
    Before we knew it we were in love,
    we had fallen in love
[23:07] ---
    I'll hold fast to you
    in the times we're in
[23:11] ---
    We who set alight
    our finite lives to fight
[23:17] ---
    are noble and beautiful above all
[23:22] ---
    As long as we create
    as many bright tomorrows
[23:26] ---
    as the indelible wounds we suffer,
[23:31] ---
    we can be proud of all
    we've woven together