The people around him began to chant as a chorus as they matched his intensity and his voice. Jill was familiar with the famous verses that they sang. They had been hammered into her head ever since she was young.
“You wicked witch who commits adultery with dragons. May you be punished,” they chanted.
The Order of the Ark! The teachings of House Cervel had been carved into Jill’s body. Annihilate them upon sight! Jill showed no signs of hesitation or holding back, but her fist passed through the man’s body. A mirage? No, this is teleportation! Isn’t he just a mere sorcerer?! Even in Kratos, the land of magic and sorcery, teleportation could only be done in carefully maintained facilities with the help of magical energy. It was akin to the work of the gods, and it was unheard of for someone to use such magic, even if it was only for short distances.
“Captain!” Zeke yelled.
Jill regained her composure as a flaming carriage fell between her and Zeke. The men around her had vanished, and Jill clicked her tongue angrily. At this rate, she’d allow them all to escape.
“Are you all right?!” she roared. “Any enemies?”
“None!” Zeke shouted back. “But everyone’s confused, and the dragons are going wild!”
“Where’s Raw?! He can probably…”
Jill stopped herself and gasped. Would the Order of the Ark fail to notice Raw’s true identity? Perhaps this mess broke out because the Dragon King was gone.
“I’ll go find him!” Camila yelled.
“I’m counting on you!” Jill replied.
“Captain, who were those people?!” Zeke asked.
Jill sensed the presence of magical energy and whirled around. The large carriage that she’d seen earlier rushed forward. Perhaps an item that large couldn’t be teleported, but it was fishy to see it left behind in plain sight. Is it some kind of trap or… No, I can’t hesitate right now.
“I’ll chase after them!” Jill shouted. “I’ll leave the rest to you! Prioritize rescuing everyone and ensuring their safety!”
“Roger! Be careful!” Zeke replied.
As Jill ran ahead, she heard a loud whoosh chasing after her. When she gazed up at the shadow looming overhead, she smiled.
“Meine!” Jill cried. “Are you still safe?!”
In lieu of a reply, the dragon descended in front of its rider, and Jill hopped on without a saddle. As Meine again took to the skies, Jill frantically glanced around with her dragon in search of that carriage. It was the only clue that they could get their hands on now. If Prince Gerald is actually being protected by the Order of the Ark, then…
Meine let out a ferocious roar. Jill, in her shock, turned in the direction her dragon indicated and immediately found the cause. The carriage she was searching for was clattering ahead at frightening speed, likely with the aid of some spell. On the roof of that carriage was Raw, all tied up like some sort of cargo.
“Raw!” Jill cried.
“Rawr…” Raw cried out with tears in his eyes.
The bumpy, uneven roads had made him dizzy, and Meine’s body trembled with fury as it gave chase with incredible speed. A flash of light came from the roof of the carriage—anti-flight magic circles. The entire carriage was covered with them, but Meine paid no heed and charged headfirst.
“Meine, no! Dodge it!” Jill shouted.
She had no way to quickly stop her dragon and could only shout out her warnings, but she didn’t make it in time. Meine received the full brunt of the magical rays, and it lost its balance as it fell to the ground. But right before it hit the dirt, it regained some of its composure and landed—red dragons were truly impressive.
“Meine, are you okay?” Jill asked. “Can you still fight on?”
Several shadows flew above them as Meine raised its head. Jill blinked and spotted several wild dragons gathering to save Raw, their Dragon King. Blood drained from her face. Dragon Knights and dragons could only dodge anti-flight magic circles thanks to their rigorous training and the fact that they knew of their existence. There was a good chance that wild dragons had no idea that such magic existed. Meine only stayed safe because it was a red dragon, but lower-ranking dragons would fall in one shot—Jill had seen such grisly battles with her own eyes.
Meine once again flew up as more dragons gave chase. With their Dragon King in danger, they risked their lives to save him, like soldiers headed for war. When Jill looked down at Meine, she noticed it had also completely lost its cool.
“Raw! Raw!” Jill screamed. “You have to stop them! Raw!”
Even from afar, it was clear that the Dragon King couldn’t respond—he had been knocked out. A green dragon flashed its talons to scratch the carriage when the vehicle began to glow. An incredible amount of magical energy burst forth, and the anti-flight magic circles fired their rays in all directions. Dragons roared in pain as some fell to the ground. Meine, finally noticing that danger was ahead, slowed down. Jill gritted her teeth and stood up to leap from her dragon’s back when a small shadow shot out from above her.
“Chiiirp!”
Sauté was like a bullet. It whizzed through the air and dodged all the rays of light before it kicked Raw awake.
“Raaaa?!” Raw cried.
That kick was enough to wake the Dragon King. He cried out and flew in circles before he was blown back in a different direction. The carriage, dragged by the rope that tied Raw, fell to the ground on its side. Even Meine blinked in utter astonishment as it saw Sauté saving the Dragon King. Jill leaped off her dragon’s back.
“Raw! Sauté!” Jill ordered. “Retreat right now! Something else is coming!”
The fallen carriage glowed again as the game fowl looked up at its master.
“Protect Raw and return to Camila and the others! I promise to return, so I’ll leave the rest to you!” Jill commanded.
“Chirp!”
Sauté stuffed Raw into a bag and hopped atop Meine. The dragon finally snapped back to its senses and shot into the skies. As Jill tried to leap on the carriage from above, the vehicle emitted a pillar of light in an attempt to fight back. The Dragon Consort transformed her golden ring into a sword and received the explosion of magical energy head-on.
Fortified with several layers of magic, the carriage turned into a cannon that fired energy above—golden energy, the same color as the Dragon Consort’s. If left alone, it would surely cause explosions that would drag others in. Jill’s mission was to stop that. Pushed by the intense magical energy, she couldn’t see ahead. But just as the carriage was about to run out of energy, a tendril shot out and wrapped around Jill’s ankle as she floated in the sky. The magical chain dragged her ankle down, and her Sacred Treasure faded away. Only then did the realization hit her. My magical energy…is being sapped away!
The chain dragged her down, and tried to suck her into a magic circle that she’d never seen before as she crashed to the ground. Meanwhile, the pillar of light that emerged from the carriage formed an arc and rained upon her—she couldn’t stop it anymore. The Order of the Ark excelled in sneak attacks and guerrilla warfare. Precisely because they used mysterious tools, Jill had been constantly told to be very careful if she was going to challenge them. She mustered the magic she had to create a barrier, protecting her from the rays of light that rained down. I’ll be okay! It can’t take all of my magic!
Luckily for Jill, the carriage had depleted much of its energy from the magical rays and the explosions it expelled, weakening its moves. In exchange, Jill had used up all of the magic power she had, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered. She had to remain positive, even if people cloaked in black mantles surrounded her as the clouds of dust began to settle.
“She’s the Dragon Consort,” one said. “What do we do?”
“We have to bring her,” another replied. “Where’s the Dragon King? I want to collect him too.”
“The Goddess’s vessel should be prioritized. She’s alive, isn’t she? I can’t believe the carriage itself exploded. The Moechia faction plans so poorly.”
Jill cracked her eyes open as she turned toward the carriage. From the battered vehicle emerged a girl. A collar was around her neck as she was dragged out, and Jill only gasped in surprise. Why is she here?! Jill had been told that the queen had departed Basileia, but she should’ve just crossed the border. The queen was headed for the Lehrsatz duchy to meet with Jill.
“Oh, Dragon Consort, I didn’t think that you’d be all the way out here too,” the girl said. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she smiled, her face pale. “Or perhaps, is this where the meeting is to be held?”
Faris der Kratos was in chains as she gracefully gazed down at Jill, her tone sarcastic as dirt sullied her cheeks.