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THINGS progressed faster than he expected, but it was still within the realms of expectations. Hadis removed the cloth around his head and his apron before proudly sitting on the sofa. How benevolent they were for providing everyone with enough blankets and pillows to go around.
Duke Igor Lehrsatz’s personal quarters prioritized efficiency. It was connected to the drawing room and the study. If the walls of the bedroom, which housed a large bed, and the partitions that required water were removed, it could easily transform into a large hall.
But the ones gathered there were Igor, Zeke, Camila, Lawrence, and Billy, the main cast for this ordeal. It mattered not just how large the room was; it’d always feel stuffy and cramped. The mere thought of them all locked in the same room filled them with dread.
“Please bear with it for only two days, Dragon Emperor,” an elderly man with a red mantle said with a smile. It was as though he read Hadis’s mind.
Several people wearing black mantles stood behind him, hiding their faces and pointing their guns at the emperor and everyone else in the room.
The Kratos queen had returned two days ago. Just yesterday, the Rave side had hashed out some details with the Kratos delegation, hoping to start the meeting soon after she’d awoken. This morning, the moment the station exploded, a spear fell upon the manor of Duke Lehrsatz and created a magic circle. Then a group of people, their faces hidden under dark hoods, appeared and surrounded Hadis, who was baking some bread in the kitchen early in the morning. And now, the Dragon Emperor had been taken hostage.
“I just need you all to silently watch on as the empress candidate launches a strike at Kratos,” the elderly man said. “I want you to then engage in the grisliest of wars, so we won’t harm you. Though I doubt that you can offer any sort of resistance.”
“Because you have the magic seal, using the Sacred Spear as your medium,” Hadis muttered as he glanced out the window.
The spear floating in the air created the transparent dome barrier surrounding the entirety of the Lehrsatz manor. Anyone inside the barrier was restricted from using magic, hence even Billy, who could single-handedly destroy an entire squad of Dragon Knights, was restrained in the room.
“But that’s not all,” the man said. “Surely, you’ve already realized that much. The Dragon King must be in agony.”
The man glanced at the tiny dragon cradled in Hadis’s arms. Raw lay lifeless with no signs of waking up. The moment he saw the magic circle in the sky, the baby dragon fainted.
“This magic circle acts not only as a magic seal, but as a dragon killer too,” the man explained. “Green dragons and lower should die instantly, but the beasts of the Dragon Knights are simply asleep. Good grief, that Dragon King cannot be underestimated. He can’t be killed, and he personally took the brunt of the spell. You can still use the Heavenly Sword, can’t you?”
“Wanna see?” Hadis asked.
“Oh, I’d love to! But if I die and the barrier in the sky vanishes, it won’t be just the station that’ll explode. It’ll be your citizens. We always have bombs strapped to us, eagerly waiting for the moment we become heroes who can kill gods! I believe our history is proof enough to show that my words aren’t just the ramblings of a madman, but if you’d like to see it with your very eyes, we’ll happily comply.”
“I’ve known since long ago that none of you are sane,” Igor spat under his breath. “You’re all fools who fear not even the gods.”
The man glanced at the duke and smiled. “No, there isn’t anyone in the world who fears the Dragon God more than us, the Arks—the Calvariae faction, to be precise. We’re very much aware of the might and influence he possesses. When he lost his divinity, we thought he vanished, but he merely fell into a slumber. Because he lost his power, he might have changed forms, but he will awaken one day, and the vessel born precisely at that moment will undoubtedly become the Dragon Emperor of Rave. Is that not so, sixth-generation Dragon Emperor?”
Hadis didn’t answer, but the elderly man, called Canis, didn’t seem to mind as he continued rambling.
“Some doubted you of being the true Dragon Emperor, but that’s all very silly. You wield the Heavenly Sword; you aren’t anything but the Dragon Emperor! And because you exist, the Dragon God does as well. He hasn’t vanished. Heh heh… We’re lucky that he lost so much power that he can’t be seen, but it matters not just how much knowledge humans amass—we cannot kill the Dragon God. He touts how death is logical, yet his actions contradict himself.”
“Enough of your spiel, Cardinal Canis,” a person in the back with a purple mantle said.
Canis whirled around to face them. “Young ones these days are rather hasty, aren’t they?” Canis said. “We’ve waited three centuries for a Dragon Emperor. How can you blame me for wanting to speak with him? I’m sure you’ll be just as excited when you get to personally meet the vessel of the Goddess.”
“No, I’ve grown tired of seeing princesses,” the purple-cloaked person replied.
“Aw… Goddess Kratos’s vessel is always present, no matter the generation, I suppose. But Dragon God Rave’s vessel won’t appear so easily once he’s been lost. We of the Calvariae faction have waited many long years for this.”
“Hurry up and get to work. We don’t have time. This is an order from the commander of the Arks.”
“Are you short on time because of the Dragon Consort?” Hadis asked.
The girl wearing the purple mantle tried to turn to leave, but she stopped in her tracks. The shade complemented her slender frame very well.
Hadis cracked a wry smile. “I thought we’d have more time, Millay.”
“My decision won’t change, no matter how much time we have. As the archbishop of the Moechia faction and the commander of the Arks, your attempts to woo me are appallingly insolent. You gravely misunderstand your situation.”
Hadis was surprised to hear such words and couldn’t respond. Millay laughed through her nose as she quickly left.
Hadis blinked a few times before he finally spoke. “Woo her? When did I do that?”
Lawrence burst out laughing, and everyone around him sighed loudly.
“Your Majesty, please don’t say that. I’ll start to pity her,” Camila said.
“But I don’t ever remember trying to woo her,” Hadis replied. “Is it because I was being careful so she wouldn’t notice that I was suspicious of her? Huh? But I was so blatantly wary of her.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha! You’re hilarious, Your Majesty!” Canis laughed as he wiped tears from his eyes, much to everyone’s surprise. “You remind me of your real father. The air around you differs greatly from his, but you resemble him so much. A young girl who knows nothing of society won’t stand a chance against you. But your father seemed more aware of his charm that could seduce men and women of all ages. I liked him very much. I helped him become a part of the army commanded by the late George, the younger brother of the previous emperor. Would you like to hear the tale?”
“I’m not interested,” Hadis replied.
“Oh, what a shame.” Canis shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. “Then I shall leave without saying a word. But could you kindly keep your thoughts a secret and allow Lady Millay to maintain her misunderstanding? Even a Dragon Emperor can surely spare the feelings of an adorably self-conscious girl in the middle of her adolescence, can’t you?”
“Is she really your commander?”
“Quite so. She’s a genius in magic theory, enough to replicate the divine crest.”
Canis sneered before respectfully bowing and leaving. When the double doors closed behind him, an unusual magic circle glowed and vanished. Likely, a spell for eavesdropping or some kind of surveillance had been cast.