I order you as the Deputy King of Balbadd!
The conversation between 3rd Prince Alibaba and the King is not to be interrupted!
So you want a coup d'etat?
Ahbmad!
I have come to put an end to the status quo in this country!
Hey, Ka Koubun.
Do you hear something coming from the palace?
They may be inspecting your betrothal gifts.
Or perhaps preparing for the signing and marriage ceremonies that are taking place tomorrow.
miwatasu kagiri no kouya ni hitori tatteirunda
In the wilderness, as far as the eye can see, stands a lone figure
sorya miburui mo surun darou
Surely he trembles as he stands
osanai shoujo ga yume ni miteiru hakuba no ouji mitaina mono
A young girl dreams of a prince on a white horse
bokura mo dokka de shiranai uchi ni kitai shiteshimatteitano kamo
Unwittingly, we also fall to such dreams of perfection
fukanzen na kono sekai wo dareka ga
No one will recreate
kakitashite kureru nante nai
this imperfect world for us
shinjiru toiu kotoba wo kimi ha kodomoppoi to warau kai?
Will you call me naïve if I say that I still dream?
miwatasu kagiri no kouya de yukisaki wo shimesu mono
In the wilderness, as far as the eye can see, shines a guiding light
mune ni daite aruitekou sekai ga hohoemu
Hold it close as you go and the world will smile upon you
kono basho ga doko darou to miagereba mabataku hoshi
If you're lost, consult the twinkling stars
sono shita de kimi wo omoeba warukunai yoru ni naru
If I think of you while gazing at those stars, the night brightens
tsumetai mune ni hi ga tomoru
and a warm fire lights in my heart
14th Night
Alibaba's Answer
This is all I can do.
I hope you are able to do what you set out to do, Alibaba.
Sahbmad, it was you who leaked information to those thieves, wasn't it?
Yes.
Have you lost your mind?
You're the crazy one, Ahbmad.
You plan on signing the people of Balbadd into slavery at the ceremony tomorrow.
Is that why you're doing this? You want to become king in my place, don't you?
No. I do not have plans or the capability to become king.
No plans? Not capable?
You caused a coup d'etat as Deputy King. How are you going to take responsibility for it?
Try standing here!
What does it feel like to carry the responsibilities of a king?
They aren't the only ones you need to answer to.
If you take the crown from me, you will have to answer to the expectations of all the people of Balbadd.
And they will hang onto your every word.
That's right!
You can't do it! You're a coward who's afraid of speaking in front of others! You can't do anything!
Stop that!
Sahbmad isn't a coward.
He risked his life to come to the Fog Troupe's hideout and speak with me.
And he just took control of this situation and saved my life!
Alibaba...
Sahbmad is definitely not a coward.
He's a brave hero!
Shut up, both of you worthless fools!
Ahbmad.
It's true that during your reign, the persistent intervention of the Kou Empire
prevented you from implementing good policies.
But we can no longer accept a king who allows our country to be driven into a dead-end like this!
So use this chance to resign from the throne immediately!
I-I'm the king... Kill him!
He's a traitor who's trying to kill the king!
Capture him and behead him at once!
I... I am the 23rd King of Balbadd,
Ahb... Ahb... Ahbmad Saluja...
You were finished a long time ago, Brother.
I am... I am...
What is with all the commotion?
Oh no! What should we do now, Alibaba?
She's probably Ahbmad's fiancée.
Now.
Now is the moment to set things right!
Hurry! This country's done for!
We're getting out of here before we get caught in the crossfire!
Can we really take these? They're Sinbad's...
What if they're metal vessels?
He'll need them!
Brother, look over there!
What's that?
So much rukh has gathered that it has become visible to the human eye!
Oh my. So much is coming to fruition.
All is as history wrote.
Fate is but a swinging pendulum, easily swung into depravity.
I heard the commotion and came to see what was the matter.
I am the 8th Imperial Princess of the Kou Empire, Kougyoku Ren.
I am King Ahbmad's betrothed.
I apologize, but I do not yet know the face of the king.
Who here is the king of Balbadd?
I-I am!
I see.
About that, Princess.
We don't know who the king is at the moment.
We just experienced a coup d'etat and Ahbmad is going to abdicate the throne.
D-Damn you, Banker!
He's going to abdicate? Which means I don't need to marry him?
No wait, I must remain calm.
I need to carry out the mission entrusted to me.
I have come to marry the king of Balbadd and sign the treaty our countries agreed upon.
My purpose will not change no matter who the king is.
Please select a new king now.
Following proper succession order, you would be next, Deputy King.
I am not qualified to be king.
I did not stop my brother's misrule of the country until today.
I watched him do it. I am just as guilty.
But there is someone else who has wanted to save this country just as much as I have.
Will you become the new king?
I will not.
I'm not qualified to be king either.
I enabled the incident that led to the previous king's death, then abandoned this country.
I have been extremely irresponsible.
Who are you?
I am the third prince, Alibaba Saluja.
I have a request to ask of you, the representative of the Kou Empire.
And what might that be?
I would like you to annul the Treaty of the Transfer of Human Rights that was to be signed tomorrow.
That treaty was agreed upon with the former king.
No one else wishes for such a treaty to be signed into law.
It appears that way.
But I cannot annul the treaty.
It was decided upon by both of our countries.
Tomorrow, I will marry the new king-
You will not be able to.
- and carry out the signing ceremony-
You cannot do that either.
What are you saying?
You cannot, because there will be no future king.
What do you mean?
The kingdom of Balbadd is to immediately cease monarchic rule.
How is Prince Alibaba doing?
He said he was going to change this country, but how?
What will happen to Balbadd?
I don't know...
All I want is to live happily with my family without going hungry!
The people don't want a king.
They want to live happily.
Even without a king, they can do that.
In my journey across the desert, I have seen many thriving countries without monarchies.
I believe Balbadd should become one of them.
Are you out of your mind?
Are you trying to destroy 23 generations of Balbadd royalty?
If we don't, the entire country will be destroyed!
If a king brings nothing but suffering to the people, get rid of him.
The people can choose their own representatives, set up a republic, and hold congress.
The people themselves should be the ones who decide how their country should be.
Let's turn Balbadd into a People's Republic, with no more disparity between the classes!
That is what I came to the palace to say!
Abolish the monarchy...
He wants to abolish the monarchy?
Then he's right. I really won't be able to get married or sign the treaty tomorrow!
And, if the people allow, I want to devote my body and soul
to recreating the country of Balbadd!
Oh dear.
So that's your answer, Alibaba?
Sinbad!
I apologize for interrupting right in the middle of such important matters of state.
Who are those people with King Sinbad?
They are the diplomatic directors of three countries in the alliance that I command.
Alliance?
The Seven Seas Alliance.
The alliance King Sinbad formed between seven different countries.
Why are the diplomatic directors of those countries here?
To recommend Prince Alibaba Saluja to be the king of Balbadd.
I thought that you needed to become king in order to save Balbadd, so I called them over.
But you thought of a completely different method.
I apologize for going off by myself and not saying anything.
But this is my answer.
Please wait!
What do you mean by recreate? And the People's Republic?
Have you forgotten?
All of Balbadd's rights have been transferred to the Kou Empire as collateral for Balbadd's many loans.
I am well aware of that.
This country owns nothing. Even if its organization were to change, those rights will not return.
Therefore, I would like you to pretend that those transfers of rights did not happen!
What?
The kingdom of Balbadd that you speak of no longer exists.
The country that is being created now is a completely different, new entity.
As such, it does not need to inherit the old treaties established with the Kou Empire!
Don't you agree?
What a ridiculous argument.
There is no way that formally signed, cross-national agreements can be written off so easily.
I am forcing my argument.
I know what I'm saying is unreasonable, but...
At any rate, the fact that there is no one for you to marry tomorrow stands.
Will you consider bringing my request to annul all former treaties back to the Kou Emperor first before we proceed?
What nonsense.
Exactly. Just dismiss all of his arguments immediately.
...is what my father will say when I bring your request back him.
Bring back to him?
What are you saying princess?
I guessed right. She's not interested in fighting this very hard.
In fact, she doesn't seem interested in this political marriage at all.
That could be my trump card...
Your mission to marry the king of Balbadd cannot be fulfilled.
Please return home.
The Kou Empire's goal was to gain country of this land completely and without too much bloodshed.
If he is unable to, he may decide to turn to militaristic methods.
Please ask him to dispense with that ambition as well!
You... impudent child!
I am not asking him to do so for nothing in return.
We will return the favor with the profits that we bring in from our maritime trade.
Those profits will not be less than what the Kou Empire could gain by taking over now.
Balbadd is the most powerful cornerstone of southeastern maritime trade.
Will you set fire to this land through war and turn it into barren ground,
or will you treat us kindly and reap our profits?
The choice is yours.
If the Kou Emperor is truly a wise man, with not only military strength but also political prowess,
which one do you think he will choose?
Don't listen to him, Princess!
Tell him you won't!
I won't listen to your flawed logic.
I don't think His Majesty of the Kou Empire will turn to military conquest.
Because the Republic of Balbadd will join the Seven Seas Alliance.
We do not invade, nor do we allow others to invade us. That is our creed.
I believe His Majesty respects our Alliance and our beliefs.
That is true.
But will you really include Balbadd in the powerful Seven Seas Alliance?
I don't know if I can believe that.
It's true!
It's an agreement that has been in the works for some time now.
Balbadd has had very close relations with Sindria since the time of the king two generations ago.
Is that true, Ka Koubun?
That is true, but that has nothing to do with the current situation!
It seems like it would be better to leave this matter to His Majesty.
What?!
I have a condition if I am to withdraw here.
It is on the matter of Balbadd joining the Seven Seas Alliance.
If it really is the truth, I ask that you come to the Kou Empire and prove it, King Sinbad.
I most certainly will.
Then that is all.
P-Please wait, Princess!
Thank goodness. I don't have the power to make such a decision.
And...
I'd rather die than marry that pig!
Princess!
We're safe?
He faced the Kou Empire without letting up a single step and achieved an acceptable resolution for all parties.
Alibaba!
Alibaba, you just might become really amazing one day.
Princess, are you sure it was all right to leave the Lord Priest?
It's fine! Banker said to leave Judal to him!
I must hurry and tell father about how Balbadd has abolished its monarchy!
I'll have to tell him about Sindria's promise as well!
Oh goodness, I wonder when he'll come visit?
You are too rash.
I'm sorry for acting on my own.
What do you plan to do now?
In order to build a republic, we need to gather representatives from the populous and hold council.
In order to do that, I was thinking of establishing a temporary government.
That makes sense.
What will happen to Ahbmad?
The people will want to see him executed, I'm sure.
But we also bear the same crimes.
Instead of death, let us work our whole lives as recompense.
Wait! Right now, this country does not have the ability to punish anyone.
Because we're going to rewrite our entire code of law as well, right?
Let's all work together to slowly build Balbadd back up again.
I believe we should copy the city-state Kashugan in the Central Desert.
They have also switched over to a republic and are now very successful.
I believe Balbadd should also, like Kashugan,
become a pure democracy where all people can equally participate in government.
You're really serious about this.
I wonder how well that will go.
I have seen many different countries,
and in all republics, a ruler always pushes himself above the people,
and causes the republic to fail.
In the end, people need to be ruled.
I'm sure that a king will rise up again in this country as well.
I'd bet on it.
Even so, I want to try to create a country without inequality.
Prince Alibaba.
The people of Balbadd are pressing in on the palace.
We can no longer hold them back.
I understand. I'll go speak to them now.
Everyone! Please listen to me!
Today, King Ahbmad has abdicated the throne.
But there is no king to succeed him.
Instead, Balbadd will cease to be a monarchy and recreate itself as a republic.
The kingdom of Balbadd will recreate itself as the Republic of Balbadd!
Republic?
We're going to become a country without a king?
This is also a part of history.
It is unescapable.
If we act, I am sure the opposition will not stay quiet.
What is going on?
The rukh!
In a republic, the people rule themselves.
In my opinion, that is what the people of Balbadd have already been doing.
In this crippled country, inflicted with heavy taxation, poverty, stress, and many other injustices,
you protected your families as though they were your own territories and governed yourselves.
Is that not so?
There is still much war and chaos and abnormality in this world.
None of us are immune to those things.
But when we reach a point where we need a decision,
we should find one together.
Even when the solution isn't that obvious,
we will come up with one that allows us to live happily with our families and with bravery in our hearts!
Let us carve our path and create a place where we can live in happiness!
That place is the new country of Balbadd!
The Republic of Balbadd!
I will no longer run from here.
I'm going to have to put off our promise for a little bit though.
Let's go on an adventure together!
Wait for me, Aladdin.
I'm going to do this right!
Aladdin?
Aladdin! It can't be!
It's here.
Swing, pendulum.
Reverse the flow of fate!
"kimi ni ha yuuki ga aru"
"You're a hero."
sono hitokoto wo shinji tobidashita
Off you went, believing in those words
mawari ha kare wo waratte
Those around you mock you
"douse nani hitotsu aitsu ni ha dekinai sa"
"Let him go. He can't do anything."
iwaseteoke
Let them talk
kimi ha keshite yowaku nanka nai
You're far from weak
dare ni mo hatasenakatta yume wo negae tsuyoku
Believe in those dreams no one else could reach!
dare ni mo hatasenakatta yume wo negae tsuyoku
Believe in those dreams no one else could reach!
kanarazu kanaete miserutte
You'll definitely make them come true
saa mizukara no hata kakage
Come, fly your own flag
susume mae ni
and keep moving forward
nijimu namida ha
The tears you shed
kimi no akashi
are proof that you're alive
chikara ni narou
Draw strength from your tears!
mayou toki ha kono boku ga soba ni iru
When you are in trouble, I will be by your side
dakara ikou
So go!
sekai no subete wo mi ni
And see the world
Even if the monarchy is gone, the crimes of the monarchy haven't disappeared!
Reversing the flow of fate?
Wise Solomon, please give this child the knowledge of miracles to dispel the darkness!
15th Night
Kassim's Answer
Next time: Kassim's Answer.
I will be the one to stop you!