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“PRINCE Gerald was spotted?!” Jill cried after she heard the report from her subordinates.
She was just about to enjoy some breakfast in the dining area when she stopped her hands. Camila hastily pressed her index finger against her lips to shush Jill, and the Dragon Consort quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.
Jill had been allowed to rest well last night in her private room and felt better than ever. She’d finished her morning exercise and was about to satisfy her rumbling belly. Raw was fast asleep in a bag beside the foot of her chair, but Sauté was awake and pecking away at some neatly plated wheat. Camila sat beside them and unfolded a map to show Jill the spots in question.
“Yep,” Camila said. “If we consolidate these rumors, he went past Lake Lalatika, which is a bit away from here, and went in the direction of the former city street. It seems like a lot of people claim to have seen Prince Gerald here.”
“It’s a way aways from our flying route,” Jill observed.
“That’s in the Nebula region, the former Zaza Village,” Finn muttered as he sat beside them. “Makes me suspicious.”
Camila frowned. “That’s the famous Haunted Village, right? The villagers all disappeared in one night, turning it into a deserted village.”
Jill almost choked on her bread, and Finn hastily tried to calm her down as he patted her back.
“A-Are you all right, Your Highness?” he asked.
“I-I-I-I’m fine,” Jill stammered. “I-I was just… A h-h-haunted village?”
“They’re just rumors of a haunting,” Finn replied. “But a different rumor actually swirls around this village. Your Highness, are you aware of the Order of the Ark?”
Jill blinked at his serious expression. “The Order… Oh, you mean the Arks,” she replied.
Finn nodded. Camila leaned forward.
“I know about them. They’re a cult of conspiracy theorists in Platy that resist the idea of the Dragon God Rave and Goddess Kratos, right?” Camila said. “During the Millennium Festival, the Arks did some suicide bombing as an act of domestic terrorism, and Kratos and Rave had to form a temporary truce to work together and corner the Arks into ruin.”
“House Cervel also taught me that I was allowed to absolutely annihilate the Order of the Ark without going through any troublesome processes!” Jill exclaimed. “If I find them, I’ll crush them!” As she raised her fist in the air, she noticed that everyone shook their heads slightly. “What?” she asked.
Zeke had been quietly eating breakfast when he piped up. “And? What does this whatever Order have to do with that village?”
“It’s been rumored that the people of Zaza Village vanished because of the Arks,” Finn said, steering the conversation back on topic. “Truth be told, the Arks are always accused of being the masterminds of these kinds of mysteries, but recently, we’ve received reports that dragons refuse to fly around this area. We suspect someone has created a powerful dragon repellent to chase them away.”
“Are there dragon repellents that cover such a wide range?” Camila asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“Me neither, but dragon and magic seals are the specialty of the Arks.”
Jill had also been taught that the Order of the Ark had developed a new type of magic theory that differed from the teachings of Kratos. They were known to use peculiar kinds of sorcery.
“But it’s not like there were any actual incidents,” Finn said. “And since the dragons refuse to go there, these kinds of investigations tend to be placed on the back burner. Still, if Prince Gerald was spotted nearby…”
“He might’ve formed ties with the Arks,” Camila ventured.
Finn neither agreed nor disagreed with this comment as he raised his head. “We do have some extra time in our schedule, so we can make some small detours. What would you like to do, Your Highness?”
“Nah, don’t do it,” Rolf interjected. He sat alone at a small, round table next to them, reading the newspaper. “I reckon it’s a lie,” he said. “If he could be found so easily, no one would be strugglin’ right now. The Three Dukes and the imperial army would only sacrifice their reputation.”
“Aw, come on, Grandpa…” Camila said. “You can’t force us to work to confirm rumors and stop us now.”
“I told ye to confirm if there are any rumors, not to be manipulated by ’em. No doubt, the Kratos prince, who got his throne stolen by his younger sister, is a prime target for the Arks. But I can’t imagine that stupidly earnest prince gettin’ sweet-talked so easily, and if the Arks really had a base there, there should be some sort of sightings within those rumors.”
Could this have been a trap or a way to throw Jill and the others into a state of confusion? She couldn’t deny those possibilities.
“I can’t imagine this side trip bein’ more valuable than our peaceful negotiations at Lehrsatz,” Rolf continued. “This meetin’ can easily sway our decision on how to deal with that prince anyway. Don’t get yer priorities all screwed up. What’s most important right now is to safely end the meetin’ and ensure that the Rave Empire can agree to the best conditions possible, hopefully in our favor.”
Rolf had a point. Zeke, who was eating a steamed potato, set his fork down.
“Then why don’t we send a message to the imperial capital, at the very least?” Zeke suggested. “They can act if they deem it truly necessary.”
“Good call,” Finn said. “If we ask the dragon stables, they can dispatch a dragon and send our letter as soon as possible. Or perhaps His Majesty may know of it already thanks to King Raw.”
“Yeah? That clueless, baby dragon was doin’ some origami with that map,” Rolf said. “You think he can tell the emperor the exact location?”