E26 - Ahead, I See No Ancestors; Behind, I Find No Followers

Source: Crunchyroll
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(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.)
[00:38] ---
    Souma, forgive us for calling
    you in at the end of the year.
[00:43] ---
    It has been too long, Your Majesty.
[00:47] ---
    It has been too long.
[00:49] ---
    Here, have a seat.
[00:54] ---
    "Ahead, I See No Ancestors;
    Behind, I Find No Followers"
[00:55] ---
    "Ahead, I See No Ancestors;
    Behind, I Find No Followers"
    Congratulations on winning the war
    with Amidonia and annexing it.
[01:00] ---
    That is quite the feat after having only
    been on the throne for six months.
[01:05] ---
    At long last.
[01:07] ---
    I have petitioned to see you
    many times since you abdicated,
[01:11] ---
    and now, finally, I am
    able to meet with you.
[01:13] ---
    We are terribly sorry to have
    kept you waiting for so long.
[01:16] ---
    Every time I asked for an audience,
    I have been given the runaround.
[01:20] ---
    They told me that someday,
    you would tell me everything.
[01:24] ---
    Is today that day?
[01:26] ---
    If that is what you desire, then yes.
[01:32] ---
    Then please clear this up, already.
    Tell me what you were thinking.
[01:38] ---
    There are three things
    I would like to ask you.
[01:41] ---
    First--
[01:42] ---
    when you summoned me to this world,
    you gave up your throne on the spot.
[01:48] ---
    You were even kind enough
    to offer me Liscia as my fiancée.
[01:52] ---
    That was unnatural.
[01:53] ---
    It was the first time we had ever met.
    And to a person as young as I am.
[01:58] ---
    Why was it so easy for you
    to entrust everything to me?
[02:02] ---
    Second--
[02:04] ---
    Georg's devotion.
[02:07] ---
    He was willing to be
    dragged through the mud
[02:10] ---
    and commit to a suicide pact with those
    who would be my political foes.
[02:13] ---
    That was also strange.
[02:16] ---
    It was a plan that required
    some careful preparation,
[02:18] ---
    at the risk of his own life.
[02:21] ---
    Without his trust in and loyalty to me,
    he could not have carried it out.
[02:25] ---
    I find it hard to believe
[02:27] ---
    that he would go that far when
    he had never even met me.
[02:30] ---
    So to whom was that
    loyalty really directed?
[02:34] ---
    It must have been you.
[02:37] ---
    Lastly, why have you not met
    with me again until now?
[02:42] ---
    Why did I have to wait?
[02:44] ---
    And that's all you wish to ask?
[02:46] ---
    Generally speaking, yes.
[02:48] ---
    Very well. I would like to start
    by saying that all your questions
[02:54] ---
    are linked to a single thing.
[02:56] ---
    A single thing?
[02:58] ---
    Let me begin by answering
    your third question.
[03:02] ---
    We were debating whether
    or not we should tell you this.
[03:08] ---
    Or whether we should
    not tell you anything.
[03:13] ---
    My heart is not strong enough to
    keep the misdeeds I have committed
[03:16] ---
    locked up inside.
[03:23] ---
    Souma, have you ever wished that
    you could have a do-over at life?
[03:29] ---
    I feel that way all the time. I wonder if,
    after I took over the throne,
[03:34] ---
    I could have done the things I did better?
    Could I have saved more lives?
[03:39] ---
    But why would you ask me that?
[03:41] ---
    What I am about to tell you
    is a tale of long ago.
[03:45] ---
    I want you to bear that
    in mind as you listen.
[03:49] ---
    Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom,
    there was a king.
[03:53] ---
    He was a mediocre king.
[03:56] ---
    One day, a request came from
    a great nation to the west
[04:00] ---
    to perform a hero summoning.
[04:03] ---
    The king performed
    the ritual as he was told.
[04:07] ---
    And so, a young man was summoned
    from another world as a hero.
[04:12] ---
    The king was going to turn over the young
    man to the great western nation,
[04:17] ---
    but the hero said the following:
[04:20] ---
    "We should increase the nation's
    wealth and military might."
[04:25] ---
    Seems like I've heard this story before.
    You're talking about me, aren't you?
[04:29] ---
    Just keep listening to the tale.
[04:31] ---
    Oh, right.
[04:33] ---
    The king sensed within the young man
    talent that he did not possess.
[04:38] ---
    And so, he appointed him
    to be the prime minister.
[04:42] ---
    The young man lived up to expectations,
    and enacted a number of reforms.
[04:48] ---
    These efforts paid off,
[04:50] ---
    and the kingdom began
    seeing the signs of recovery
[04:53] ---
    from their food shortages and
    economic woes. However...
[04:58] ---
    ...since he implemented reforms
    that agitated the rich and powerful,
[05:02] ---
    he incurred the ire of the aristocracy.
[05:09] ---
    The aristocracy tried to convince the king
[05:11] ---
    that the young man was harmful to
    the kingdom, and have him ousted.
[05:17] ---
    However, he had an ally. It was
    the kingdom's army's general.
[05:24] ---
    He rightly perceived the young
    man's talent, and backed him.
[05:30] ---
    Nevertheless, the aristocracy feared
    the young man gaining momentum.
[05:35] ---
    They made even more false accusations,
[05:38] ---
    and the king began to
    grow increasingly anxious.
[05:43] ---
    Indeed, the young man's talents were
    appealing, but he had too many enemies.
[05:48] ---
    That is what the king believed,
    and so he dismissed the young man.
[05:54] ---
    The heartbroken young man
    then took shelter in the city
[05:57] ---
    where the army general had his castle.
[06:02] ---
    It was a pity, but it would at least keep
    the kingdom from being divided.
[06:05] ---
    This would end up with his
    life being spared, at least.
[06:09] ---
    Or so the king had convinced himself.
[06:14] ---
    However, that was not the end of it.
    For in that same year,
[06:20] ---
    a neighboring country that bore a grudge
    toward the kingdom attacked.
[06:25] ---
    The army general sent his forces
    to confront the enemy troops.
[06:31] ---
    That's when it happened.
[06:33] ---
    As if they were anticipating this,
    the aristocrats' forces staged a revolt,
[06:37] ---
    and the neighboring country
    responded to their actions.
[06:42] ---
    Despite how solid the castle was,
[06:43] ---
    and how skilled in strategy the army
    general was, they were outnumbered.
[06:49] ---
    After an intense battle,
    he was slain, and the castle fell.
[06:54] ---
    The city surrounding
    the castle was burned,
[06:57] ---
    and the young man perished into dust.
[07:01] ---
    The castle is said to have burned
    for three days and nights.
[07:07] ---
    The mediocre king
[07:09] ---
    lamented how his decisions had
    now cost the young man his life.
[07:15] ---
    After losing its general,
    the army was soon defeated.
[07:19] ---
    The neighboring country's forces
    united with the aristocrats' forces,
[07:23] ---
    and continued apace to advance
    on the royal capital.
[07:27] ---
    The king rushed to assemble his troops,
[07:30] ---
    but after doing nothing while the young
    man and army general were killed,
[07:34] ---
    no one trusted the king any longer.
[07:38] ---
    At this point, his only choice
    was to recruit a volunteer militia.
[07:42] ---
    However, that did not
    work out so well, either.
[07:45] ---
    While the young man's reforms had
    earned him the animosity of the nobles,
[07:50] ---
    they had been the salvation of the people.
[07:54] ---
    After being indebted to the young man,
    and then being his cause of death,
[07:58] ---
    the people had turned
    their backs on the king.
[08:02] ---
    Ultimately, the king found himself
    isolated and helpless,
[08:06] ---
    surrounded by a vast army.
[08:15] ---
    He had brought it all upon himself.
[08:21] ---
    It almost sounds as though
    you witnessed it yourself.
[08:24] ---
    Yes, I did witness it.
[08:27] ---
    Huh?
[08:29] ---
    Or maybe it's more correct
    to say that I was shown it.
[08:32] ---
    You were shown it? How do you mean?
[08:36] ---
    Through my wife's ability.
[08:42] ---
    Were you aware that she uses the
    same sort of dark magic that you do?
[08:48] ---
    I have heard that.
[08:49] ---
    This is something that only
    a very few people know,
[08:53] ---
    so I ask that you not tell anyone else.
[08:56] ---
    My wife's ability, you see,
[08:59] ---
    is to transfer memories to
    people who are in the past.
[09:04] ---
    Transfer memories to people in the past?
    What do you mean?
[09:08] ---
    Have you lived in the future?
[09:11] ---
    No, that's not it, Your Majesty.
[09:14] ---
    Listen, that tale I told you
    has a little bit more to it.
[09:21] ---
    Why did I dismiss that young man?
[09:26] ---
    I should have let him
    continue his reforms,
[09:28] ---
    instead of letting myself be
    swayed by false accusations.
[09:31] ---
    If I had done so, we would not be
    going through this distress, at least.
[09:37] ---
    I should have given the throne up to him,
    not made him the prime minister.
[09:44] ---
    If I had done that,
[09:45] ---
    then perhaps he would have ruled
    the kingdom better than I have.
[09:50] ---
    If I had done that, then our daughter...
[10:00] ---
    You have been a failure.
    Our fate is sealed.
[10:06] ---
    But by using my ability, I can convey
    your failure to your past self.
[10:12] ---
    Wh-What are you saying?
[10:15] ---
    You are aware that I can
    use dark magic, right?
[10:19] ---
    By using this power, I can deliver
    your experiences to your former self.
[10:25] ---
    Y-You can?
[10:27] ---
    Your past self that receives your memories
[10:29] ---
    will vicariously relive the
    experiences of the sender,
[10:32] ---
    feeling as though time itself
    was being rewound.
[10:37] ---
    Your Majesty, I have something
    for which I must apologize.
[10:42] ---
    Wh-What is it?
[10:44] ---
    The reason I chose you is also because
    of memories from the future.
[10:48] ---
    You what?
[10:50] ---
    Please forgive me. Up to now,
    no matter how valiant a husband I chose,
[10:55] ---
    no matter how wise a husband I chose,
    the kingdom has perished.
[11:01] ---
    Whether invasion by foreign enemies,
    war with the demons,
[11:04] ---
    insurrection by the nobility,
    or uprising by the people,
[11:07] ---
    the reasons may vary, but the outcome
    was always the capital in flames.
[11:14] ---
    I-In other words, if you married me,
    the kingdom would not perish?
[11:18] ---
    But it truly is about to perish, isn't it?
[11:22] ---
    Yes. But this is the first time
    the kingdom has lasted this long.
[11:28] ---
    This is also the first time
    that I have had a child.
[11:33] ---
    We cannot alter our present.
[11:36] ---
    But we can lead our past selves
    to a future different from this one.
[11:43] ---
    Indeed. Let's convey
    this failure to the past.
[11:47] ---
    Then have my past self relinquish
    the throne to the young man.
[11:59] ---
    What point in time would be best?
[12:01] ---
    You can choose that, too?
[12:03] ---
    Yes.
[12:05] ---
    Well then, after we summon the hero,
[12:08] ---
    and hear him speak about his policies
    to strengthen the kingdom, I'd say.
[12:12] ---
    Very well.
[12:14] ---
    Myself in the past--the one who
    can only make mediocre choices--
[12:18] ---
    at least make this one correct decision!
[12:34] ---
    So he's talking about a time slip?
    No, would it be a time leap?
[12:39] ---
    Wait, since it's just their memories
    and not the person, is that different?
[12:42] ---
    No, hold on a second.
    Wouldn't that create a time paradox?
[12:47] ---
    Ahh, this isn't a simple swords-and-
    sorcery world after all, is it?
[12:56] ---
    I truly am sorry about this.
[12:59] ---
    Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?
[13:01] ---
    This was hard on the me
    who sent the memories,
[13:04] ---
    but it has also been rough
    on the me who received them.
[13:07] ---
    I feel as though I went through my life
    where I appointed you as prime minister,
[13:12] ---
    played the fool,
    and then turned back time.
[13:17] ---
    My current self has done nothing,
    but I cannot shake the guilt.
[13:22] ---
    On behalf of my previous self,
    I apologize.
[13:26] ---
    Oh, I understand now.
[13:29] ---
    You can apologize if you want to,
    but I don't remember it.
[13:33] ---
    Please allow me to apologize.
    I want to apologize.
[13:37] ---
    In that case, all right.
[13:38] ---
    I believe that much will have answered
    your first and third questions.
[13:42] ---
    It does, at that. Which only leaves
    the question of Georg's dedication.
[13:49] ---
    Don't tell me you spoke to him about this.
[13:53] ---
    I'm a weak man. I wasn't strong
    enough to bear this burden alone.
[13:59] ---
    I could scarcely believe
[14:01] ---
    that I would be able to bring about
    a different future all by myself.
[14:05] ---
    That is why I found a man I could trust--
[14:08] ---
    Georg Carmine--
    and told him the whole story.
[14:13] ---
    Ordinarily, this is something that would
    be taken as the king going mad,
[14:17] ---
    but he gave a powerful nod of his head,
[14:20] ---
    and said that if I said it were true,
    then it is true.
[14:25] ---
    Does that mean that he's the one
    who came up with the plan
[14:28] ---
    to root out the corrupt aristocrats?
[14:31] ---
    Castor grew suspicious. However, we could
    not exactly reveal the plan to him,
[14:37] ---
    and that created a lot
    of extra trouble for you.
[14:41] ---
    So our trying to play him
    ended up with us being played.
[14:45] ---
    We thought we were blazing our own trail,
[14:48] ---
    but the truth is, we were running along
    the track that had been laid down for us.
[14:52] ---
    What else can I say? It's enough
    to lose faith in yourself.
[14:55] ---
    No, that's not true, is it?
[14:57] ---
    The truth remains, you have led us
    into a different future than before.
[15:03] ---
    You have annexed Amidonia, and rebuilt
    this nation as the Kingdom of Friedonia.
[15:09] ---
    My decision to yield the throne
    to you was not wrong.
[15:14] ---
    I'm happy to hear you say that,
[15:17] ---
    but at what point did
    the future begin changing?
[15:20] ---
    From the very beginning, I'd say.
[15:23] ---
    This time, Your Majesty had Liscia
    at your side from the start.
[15:27] ---
    Liscia? Was Liscia in
    that other future, as well?
[15:31] ---
    You ran into her in Randel Castle.
[15:35] ---
    She was serving as the executive
    secretary for Georg's forces, you see.
[15:40] ---
    Liscia recognized your talents then,
    the same as she has this time,
[15:45] ---
    and appeared to fall in love with you.
[15:47] ---
    After you were dismissed, she made a
    personal plea to reverse that decision.
[15:52] ---
    However...
[15:53] ---
    He was too afraid of the aristocrats
    to heed his own daughter's advice.
[15:59] ---
    Liscia left looking quite upset.
[16:02] ---
    Back to Randel Castle, which would be
    reduced to ashes by the aristocrats.
[16:11] ---
    Then, what about the friends
    that I appointed?
[16:14] ---
    Hakuya, Poncho, and the others?
[16:16] ---
    They were not around. You were not able
    to make your Gemstone Broadcast.
[16:21] ---
    I adopted the view of those
    who respected custom,
[16:25] ---
    and denied your use of the Gemstone.
[16:28] ---
    Looking back on it now,
    most of the personnel we recruited
[16:32] ---
    came to us through using
    Gemstone Broadcasts.
[16:36] ---
    Which leads me to believe that that
    was a tremendous turning point.
[16:41] ---
    And the intense push to use
    the Gemstone Broadcasts
[16:45] ---
    came about by being given the throne,
[16:46] ---
    and through my engagement to Liscia,
    which gave me legitimacy.
[16:51] ---
    Without that, we may not
    have been able to silence
[16:53] ---
    those who objected to the use
    of the Gemstone Broadcasts.
[16:56] ---
    Thinking about it in those terms...
[16:59] ---
    Wow. Liscia is starting to look
    like the goddess of victory.
[17:03] ---
    That's right. I hope you'll
    take good care of her.
[17:07] ---
    Right.
[17:09] ---
    Okay, I have now told you
    everything that I know.
[17:13] ---
    My role truly is at an end now.
[17:18] ---
    We've decided to leave
    the castle and go live in secret.
[17:23] ---
    Huh? Why is that?
[17:25] ---
    If the former king stays around
    too long, it will give people ideas.
[17:30] ---
    Once we saw a different future come about,
    we would go into hiding.
[17:33] ---
    This was something we decided
    to do from the start.
[17:38] ---
    We knew that we could entrust things
    to you. We're counting on you, my son.
[17:44] ---
    Understood. Father, Mother,
    thank you for everything you've done.
[18:01] ---
    I would like to ask
    one last question, if I may?
[18:04] ---
    What is it?
[18:06] ---
    In the world where I was
    the prime minister,
[18:08] ---
    did you ever locate
    Liscia's and my bodies?
[18:11] ---
    Remember when I said "reduced to ashes"?
    We didn't find anything.
[18:17] ---
    In that case, maybe Liscia survived.
[18:20] ---
    What did you say?
[18:21] ---
    Your Majesty, what do you mean?
[18:24] ---
    I mean that I would not have let her die
    without putting up a fight.
[18:29] ---
    I would have taken her without
    any concern for shame or honor,
[18:32] ---
    and made sure that she got away,
    no matter what it took.
[18:34] ---
    If you did not find our bodies, then
    perhaps it means that we got away.
[18:48] ---
    Thank you, my son.
[18:55] ---
    What are you doing out here?
[18:58] ---
    Oh, Liscia.
[18:59] ---
    Don't "Oh, Liscia" me.
[19:02] ---
    What are you doing out here in this cold?
[19:05] ---
    What did you talk to Father about?
[19:08] ---
    That's something I can't say just yet.
[19:10] ---
    I see.
[19:11] ---
    You accepted that quicker than I expected.
[19:13] ---
    Well, Souma, when you say it,
    I know there's a good reason.
[19:18] ---
    Besides, when the time
    does come to talk about it,
[19:21] ---
    I know you'll tell me everything.
[19:28] ---
    The New Year's fireworks
    should be starting soon.
[19:32] ---
    Let's just stay here like this until then.
[19:34] ---
    Yeah.
[19:39] ---
    Ah, snow!
[19:41] ---
    Wow, you're right.
[20:00] ---
    Whoa, Souma...
[20:02] ---
    The truth is...
[20:04] ---
    The truth is, I needed to tell you
    something before Aisha and Juna.
[20:09] ---
    Liscia, I love you. Marry me.
[20:15] ---
    It really did take you long enough.
[20:19] ---
    I love you, too...
[20:23] ---
    Souma.
[20:44] ---
    A happy new year to all of you.
[20:51] ---
    Sorry. That's what we say
    at New Year's where I'm from.
[20:55] ---
    Ah. We don't really have anything
    we say here for the new year.
[21:01] ---
    I know.
[21:02] ---
    The reason I asked you all together
    is to make New Year's resolutions--
[21:06] ---
    It's such a pain to call it
    such a formal name.
[21:10] ---
    Hakuya...
[21:11] ---
    Yes, sire?
[21:12] ---
    Please continue to help me
    and support the kingdom.
[21:16] ---
    Of course, Your Majesty.
[21:18] ---
    Poncho...
[21:19] ---
    Y-Yes, sire?
[21:21] ---
    I expect great things
    from your taste buds.
[21:23] ---
    Find even more ingredients for us to eat.
[21:25] ---
    And of course, keep coming up
    with delicious goods.
[21:28] ---
    Of course I will, yes.
[21:31] ---
    Roroa...
[21:31] ---
    Why so formal, Darling?
[21:35] ---
    Keep on supporting the
    kingdom financially for me.
[21:38] ---
    Of course I'm gonna. I'm a merchant.
[21:41] ---
    When I make money, the country makes
    money. Everyone comes out smiling!
[21:46] ---
    Juna...
[21:47] ---
    Yes, Your Majesty?
[21:49] ---
    I'm planning on increasing the number
    of Gemstone Broadcast programs we do.
[21:53] ---
    As our songstress, please keep
    nurturing the hopes of the people.
[21:57] ---
    As you wish, Your Majesty.
[22:00] ---
    Tomoe...
[22:01] ---
    Yes?
[22:02] ---
    As the kingdom keeps growing larger,
[22:05] ---
    your ability to talk to animals is going
    to become ever more important.
[22:09] ---
    I want you to stick with it.
[22:10] ---
    Yes, Big Brother.
[22:13] ---
    Aisha...
[22:14] ---
    Yes?!
[22:16] ---
    I ask that you continue to keep me safe.
[22:20] ---
    Also, please be careful
    not to eat too much.
[22:23] ---
    Your Majesty, why am I the only one
    who gets a warning?
[22:30] ---
    Liscia--
[22:32] ---
    You don't have to say a word.
    I will keep on supporting you.
[22:37] ---
    You are our king.
[22:42] ---
    When I spoke to Albert yesterday,
[22:45] ---
    I became sure that the future of our
    kingdom has been left up to me.
[22:48] ---
    But it's not something
    I can handle by myself.
[22:51] ---
    I need the help of everyone here--no,
[22:53] ---
    of everyone in the kingdom, or we
    cannot make our way into the future.
[22:59] ---
    I beg you to offer me your help.
[23:02] ---
    Souma...
[23:05] ---
    Darling, there's no need
    for you to bow to us!
[23:07] ---
    Please lift up your head, Your Majesty.
[23:13] ---
    I would like to see the future
    you will create, Your Majesty.
[23:17] ---
    I-If you order me to, Your Majesty,
[23:19] ---
    then even I, Poncho,
    would take up arms for you!
[23:22] ---
    You don't have to do that, Poncho.
[23:25] ---
    I want all of you to strive
    to do what you can.
[23:28] ---
    Those who can do, do what you can.
[23:31] ---
    That is how we will build the future
    for our kingdom together.