War and Peace 5

Adonis: Yes, we have to eat to grow strong. Food is the foundation of all things.

Another saying is he who desires peace prepares for war. Only once we’ve satisfied ourselves, become strong and healthy, and overcome our worries can we truly enjoy this vacation.

It would all be for nothing if we collapsed from hunger or fatigue along the way.

Hey, Fushimi. Eat up. Make sure you eat meat, too. You always fuss over other people, but you don’t take good enough care of yourself.

Yuzuru: ......

Adonis: What’s wrong? You look like you’ve eaten something bitter.

Yuzuru: No... Might I ask, is that a famous saying? I had thought it was that thing’s own creation; I couldn’t find it anywhere no matter how may times I read through the Bible.

Of course, he was known to be a compulsive liar.^[1]

Adonis: The Bible? No, I believe it’s a saying from Ancient Rome.^[2]

But the Roman Empire was heavily involved in the establishment of Christianity, so maybe it was recorded in an apocryphal text which in turn influenced the Romans.

Yuzuru: Hm... well, it’s not really important, in the end. No matter who said it or where it’s been written, truth is a truth because it is unwavering.

Fufu. As Otogari-sama said, let’s eat our fill, sir. You mustn’t push your vegetables to the side, now; it’s not good to be such a picky eater.

Adonis: You too, Oogami. I know I said to eat meat, but I didn’t mean to just eat meat.

Koga: Shut uuuuup... it’s a buncha veggies I ain’t seen before, so I can’t even tell if I’m s’posed to eat ‘em or if they’re just decoration.

Adonis: You’ll find that most organic matter is edible, if you just try it.

Koga: But it’d suck ass if I ended up blowin’ out my backside ‘cause of it. Asshole, quit tryna control everyone else’s food and focus on your own plate.

Where’s your veggies, huh? C’mon, load ‘em up.

Yuzuru: Fufu. Shall I feed you, Otogari-sama? Open wide ♪

Adonis: No, I can feed myself.

Come on, Himemiya... Eat more. Keep eating and grow strong. I worry because you’re too small for your age.

Tori: Uh, sure. Thanks... I wanna grow too, so I guess I’ll keep going.

I’ve just been lazing around all day and haven’t burned off any calories basically, so I’m barely even hungry.

But we’ve got practice later, so I’ve gotta eat to build up my strength.

Koga: Damn straight. As long as you eat good, you can do just about anything.

Tori: Yeah. Hey Oogami-senpai, is Leon eating enough? I can get someone to bring him more food.

Koga: Nah, he’s good. He’s already eaten a double helping, so I’m cuttin’ him off.

Dogs can’t tell for shit when they’re full or not, so they just keep goin’ n’ goin’ as long as they got food in front of ‘em. It’s the owner’s job to manage it.

Yuzuru: Fufu. Leon-san seems to be finished with his meal, so shall I return him to his room?

I do believe that allowing an animal to sit at one’s table may raise some concerns about hygiene...

Koga: Fuck, you sayin’ Leon’s dirty? I’ll kill you!

Yuzuru: Eep... Might I ask you not to glare at me, Oogami-sama, Leon-san? That was a slip of the tongue; I beg for your forgiveness.

Tori: Ahaha. Sorry about him. Yuzuru’s scared of dogs, so he doesn’t like being near them. I can’t believe even a tiny little guy like Leon’s too much for him, though.

I wonder what makes him so scared, though. They’re sooo cute!

Yuzuru: I am not scared... Everyone else seems to be misconceived about these animals: dogs are, by their nature, ferocious hunters.

Though they appear to be man’s best friend, one need only look at how many lives have been taken by dogs throughout history.

Adonis: Fufu. If you want to play that game, we’ll have to talk about how many humans have killed their fellow men, too, both in the past and even now, all over the world.

It’s irrational to be afraid just because they are a species which has killed humans... because we, ourselves, are a species washed in the blood of our own.

It’s hard to forget the blood that’s been shed or the lives that have been taken.

But the cycle of hatred can only be broken when someone chooses to forget, or when someone chooses to forgive. War will never end, for as long as we exist.

I think it’s important to view them not as enemies but as companions, and to honor and respect them rather than begrudge them. In fact, I’m sure that’s the only way we will be able to create a peaceful future.

Yuzuru: Fufu. This has turned into quite the high-level discussion, don’t you think? We were only talking about dogs.

Adonis: I’m sorry. I’m not good at small talk; I have a limited range of topics.

Yuzuru: I beg to differ. You merely place greater importance on your physique. And that besides, you are from a foreign country; you surely haven’t yet been able to put all of your thoughts into words...

I am sure your personal philosophy is much more grandiose than mine.

But I must say, I didn’t think that we would end up discussing war at such a peaceful dining table, surrounded by idols.

Then again, this is no fantasy world... We are still subject to reality here.

Koga: Hey, Fushimi... gimme a hand, would ya? Your brat’s fallin’ asleep on me.

Tori: Zzz... snzz... ♪

Yuzuru: Oh, my. Falling asleep during a meal—is he a baby? How embarrassing...

Well, I suppose he wasn’t able to get a proper nap earlier; he merely dozed off sporadically.

Perhaps he was able to relax after getting some food in him and sleep finally overtook him.

Oogami-sama, would you mind carrying my master to that hammock over there?

As you see, my hands are quite full taking care of the dishes.

Koga: Tch, whatever... what a high-maintenance little shit.

Adonis: I’ll help carry him, Oogami.

...Oh, Leon’s rubbing up against me. Please don’t cling to me, Leon. I don’t want to accidentally step on you.

...I see. You want to help, too. What a good boy, always thinking about your human. Yes, good boy.