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JILL was escorted into an old manor that had once belonged to a noble. Trees surrounded it, and she could see a spattering of houses through the foliage, but that was all. Even the road was unpaved, and it was eerily quiet. Under the shade of the tall conifers, it was difficult for light to shine through. It had rained in the morning, and the area was dimly lit despite it being afternoon.
Probably hard to spot from above, Jill thought. Every now and then, the breeze carried the faint melody of a flute, perhaps used to ward away dragons. She stepped away from the drawing-room window and sat back down on the sofa. Her handcuffs had been removed, and she was given more freedom. She couldn’t leave the room, but all her needs and comforts had been accounted for. Jill took a bath safely, and the food wasn’t poisoned either. No alarming incidents had occurred.
If Jill continued to be left to her own devices, she felt tempted to cause a scene, but Canis had invited her for a spot of tea a short while ago. I can probably escape by myself, but…I’m not sure if I can leave Faris behind. I have to gauge my options carefully.
Jill had been slowly regenerating her magical energy, but she’d been separated from Faris, and they hadn’t met since. The queen had said that she’d try to find the location of the Sacred Spear, but Jill couldn’t imagine her negotiating her way out of this situation. Faris possessed an enormous amount of magical energy as the vessel of the Goddess, but she had no experience in combat and was just a little girl. She didn’t have her Sacred Spear, and she’d quickly fall ill if she tried to use her magic. That cruel fact hadn’t changed even to this day.
Jill ate the macarons and cookies lined up on the snack table as she tried to think of a plan. She removed the heat-retaining cover from the pot and poured tea into her cup. The nagging of Sphere and Cassandra filled her head, but in this emergency situation, it was vital for the Dragon Consort to replenish her sugar levels.
Among the various sweets, the muffin containing cheese was quite good. Maybe I’ll have His Majesty bake it for me one day. I hope he doesn’t get any twisted thoughts now that I’m gone. No, he’s probably already let his imagination run wild. I’m sure of it. That’s the kind of husband he is. Jill had to act with all that in mind—it wasn’t easy being a Dragon Consort.
“If he doesn’t get any messed-up ideas, I’ll invite him out on a date,” Jill muttered.
A bell rang, and Jill placed the spoon used to scoop jelly back onto the table. She was finally going to have some tea with another person.
“I’m terribly sorry to have kept you waiting,” Canis said. He glanced at the empty tray of snacks and told a fellow cultist to fetch seconds before he sat in front of her. “I’ve been told that you aren’t gravely injured, Your Highness, but those Moechians tend to use rather violent magic. Do you feel ill, or do you feel any sort of pain?”
“None, thank you,” Jill replied. “My magical energy is regenerating quite well, too. And? What do you want?”
“Oh, what a funny thing to say.” Canis chuckled as he placed his hands on top of his knees, his legs crossed. “Surely, you’re the one who has some business with me. What kind of story will you tell me? If it’s a conversation you desire, I shall humor you for as long as you wish.”
Jill pulled her chin back at his testing gaze. “Give Queen Faris’s Sacred Spear to me this instant,” she commanded. “If you do so, I’ll give you some time to flee before I destroy this entire place.”
“Oh dear, what a dangerous thing to say!” Canis replied. “The queen requires some rest right now, and above all, she wants to know the Sacred Spear’s location. She claimed she’d like to stay here until she learns of its whereabouts.”
“Then I’ll be frank with you. Where is the Sacred Spear?”
“We’re earnestly searching for it.”
Jill narrowed her eyes, but Canis shook his head.
“I’m not lying, I promise you that,” he said. “It’s the Moechia faction who seized the spear.”
“And you’re telling me to just trust your words?” Jill asked. “You guys are confining the queen as we speak.”
“What a poor choice of words. We’re sheltering her. The Moechians have always yearned to snatch the Goddess’s power for themselves and tried to steal her vessel, only to fail miserably. They decided they no longer needed the vessel and used the Dragon King as bait while they set up a trap on that carriage. If they were lucky, this plan would allow them to kill both the Dragon Consort and the queen in one go.”
Jill was merely exasperated when she realized that the carriage’s explosion had had such dangerous intentions.
“Then why did you guys save the queen?” she asked.
“I’m sure you know why,” Canis replied. “Should the vessel of the Goddess lose her Sacred Spear, she cannot fight against the Dragon Emperor and his Heavenly Sword. It’s quite an issue, you see, if only the Dragon Emperor and the Dragon God remain.”
The corners of his lips curled up to form a smile, and his eyes were focused and sane, making him even more terrifying.
“Those two monsters act as though they’re deities—it’s most efficient if they crush each other,” Canis explained. “Yes, we’re quite close. Just a little more. We’ve come so far.”