[Fun Fact Friday] #56 - Romero and Argent

Let’s talk about another piece of literature this time! Amongst Shin Makoku’s classical literature, while many are known to be heroic and glorious accounts of historic feats accomplished by Mazoku, there are supposedly three books known as the three great tragedies, one of which might sound a little familiar.

Romero and Argent is a piece of classical literature that’s been read far and wide. It depicts the great tragedy of two starcrossed lovers from feuding families (sounds familiar…) who are arranged to be married to people that they don’t love. They decide to drink poison that will turn them into members of the Kotsuchizoku (aka. the Earth Skeleton tribe, a tribe like the Kotsuhizoku, but they can’t fly and live in graveyards) so that they can always be together in their new forms (uh-huh, still sounding familiar…), but the Kotsuchizoku, despite being Mazoku, are a different species, as the term Mazoku is more like an ethnicity than a race or species. They’re born that way, so there’s no poison on Earth that could turn someone into a Kotsuchizoku after death. Rather, it reduces Romero and Argent to something akin to the living dead. In the end, their families discover what they’ve done and repent, exclaiming that they never would have forced them to marry other people.

So, naturally, Gwendal has never read it. He’s never even heard of it, actually.

https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=MaruMA:Gaiden01:Chapter_4

Our kingdom’s classical literature has many heroic military records and historical descriptions of the glory of the demons, but among them is a story that moves both men and women considered to be one of The Great Demon Kingdom’s three great tragedies.

This incident… no, this shocking affair has shouldered the burden of carrying on the love story of a man and woman from the most dreadful of the three great tragedies.

Good children should not try this at home.

…

“After thinking for a full night I came up with the best way to do so.  I call it Operation ‘Romero and Argent.’”

“Romero and Argent?  What’s that?”

“Eh!?”

They have been together for roughly over a hundred years, but this is the first time he has seen Anissina so surprised.  As usual she was not charming in the least, but the sight of her with her eyebrows risen, her clear blue eyes widened, and her fingertips pressed to her lips is a marked difference from her usual self.  Although, it is only a moment before her naturally rosy lips spit poison.

“You don’t know!?  Romero and Argent!?  It is an extremely famous drama considered to be one of The Great Demon Kingdom’s three great tragedies.  This is unbelievable, to think that someone would come of age without reading the classics.  This is why people ridicule you for having superficial knowledge.”

“The only one who ridicules me is you… Anyway, what sort of story is Romero and…”

“Argent.”

“Yeah, Argent.”

“W-well it is one of the many tear-inducing tales of love gone wrong.  Two lovers unable to be together hated the fiancées chosen by their parents and drink poison so they will be able to be together after death at the very least.  A promise, you see.”

It does not seem to be something that the Mad Magicalist would be interested in.

“By reading that story, I came to understand how pointless love was and that true happiness for a woman was definitely not living with a lover but utilizing the talents she was born with to their fullest to contribute to society.  Honestly, drinking poison for a man… there is a limit even for stupidity.  It irritates me no matter how many times I read it.”

Most likely, her impressions after reading are so in the minority they are heresy.

“However at the end of the story, the entire family surrounds the fallen Romero and Argent and repents.  ‘If it was going to turn out like this, we would not have forced them to marry the fiancées their parents chose’ and ‘we were stupid,’ that sort of thing.  I will also use this tactic so marriage negotiations will not be able to be proposed to me by making everyone tremble in fear from a fake double suicide.  Therefore, you will play Romero-”

“I refuse.”

“Oh?”

Anissina was taken aback a bit after being faced with a rare resolute attitude from her childhood friend.  She had not anticipated that he would reject her idea so there was a short interval before she spoke again.

Since it was incredible that she was struck speechless, Gwendal continued speaking in a strong tone.  Perhaps because of the nervousness of expressing his determination, the black tea in his cup is swaying slightly.

“Thinking about the bad behavior… no, if it’s a marriage that you don’t agree with I absolutely want to help you cancel that engagement.  Poison is… well, if it’s me I may have a bit of immunity from going along with various experiments.  Naturally, this Rodero-”

“Romero.”

“Yes, I’m probably suited for playing Romero.  However, you’re forgetting just one thing.  Let’s assume that you and I, like Rolero and-”

“Romero.”

“Yeah, you and I double-suicide like that guy and Argent.  Even if it’s a placebo and we don’t die, Densham may calmly accept that it is intolerable to subject you to such things. However, Anissina, however, what do we do if people think we have that sort of relationship?  A modern Rokuro and-”

“Like I said, Romero.”

“Yeah, what are we going to do if a fuss is made about a modern Romero and Argent and rumors spread?  Furthermore, if that reaches my mother’s ears and she jumps to the conclusion that ‘those two were that close!?’ with her brand of ‘love is the greatest virtue’ and we end up being forced to marry each other due to the king’s command…”

Imagining their lives ten years from now, the both of them pale at the same time.

“Can you refuse that?  A king’s command… It won’t be as simple as Rorifu…”

“Ro-Romero.”

The temperature in the room suddenly fell.

…

“In order to be together after death, Romero and Argent drink a drug that will turn them into Earth Skeletons.  However, sure enough the drug is a fake.  When demons die they do not become another species and they had to live forever as rotted dead bodies, or rather living corpses.  It is a suitable drama to be considered one of the three great tragedies.  This is why I told you to at least read the classics.  You cannot hide your lack of education behind the wrinkles between your eyebrows.”