Lord Reineke, Liam, Bal, Marcel, and I were riding atop the dragon’s back, soaring above the Garland sea. Bal was allowed to come with us, now that he no longer had to hide the signs of light emanating from him. He was also here in case the golden net needed using again.
Liam hadn’t cast any cloaking magic this time, so everyone was able to perceive us. People trembled at the sight of a massive white dragon flying across the sky.
A cloth bearing Lord Reineke’s symbol was hanging from the dragon’s back. It was a magic carpet that allowed us to ride on his back without the risk of falling off. There was also a transparent shield made of wind magic covering us. Not only did it protect us from wind, dust, and cold, but it could even deflect small-scale attacks.
A couple of battleships were out at sea, engaged in vicious combat with monsters.
“Humph. The pieces of trash are fighting,” the dragon said in a voice only spirits and monsters could hear.
I smiled dryly at the way he referred to humans.
“Hey! It’s a dragon!”
“Aren’t they supposed to only exist in legend?!”
“We’re done for...”
The people aboard the battleships screamed and despaired.
“They think a dragon must be allied with monsters,” I murmured.
“Oh? Fascinating.” Mr. Dragon sounded pleased, shaking his shoulders.
He dove down, aiming right for one of the battleships. His wings hit the sails lightly, causing the vessel to lurch sideways. It looked like it might sink at any moment. Mr. Dragon was capable of sinking a ship with just a swish of his tail.
The knights aboard the ship either scrambled for a way to escape or froze to the spot.
“Mr. Dragon, please stop bullying them!” I pleaded, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“If that’s what you want...fine,” he grumbled, gaining distance from the ship and hovering in the air.
He then let out a bellowing roar, causing humans and monsters alike to stop what they were doing and look at him.
“Well, Liam, the stage is set,” Lord Reineke said. The way he looked at Liam almost seemed to say, Show me what you’ve got.
With a determined look on his face, Liam stood upright atop the dragon. He pulled out the Eclipse Blade, suppressing the Lord of Darkness’s powers with his own.
“I am Liam Renard, here as the representative of House Renard. I have a message from the Great Lord Reineke: Monsters and humans, cease fighting!” Liam’s beautiful, imposing voice resonated across the sea.
After a moment of silence, there was a deep rumbling sound. The water monsters had flown into a rage, making the humans shudder at their sheer vigor.
“The mermaid queen ordered us not to obey humans!”
“The sea belongs to us!”
“We don’t need to listen to some land spirit!”
The creatures caused a commotion, though their words would not reach human ears. Their rage swelled the sea, rocking the battleships. The only thing the people could do was cling to their ships to avoid slipping into the water.
“You dare disregard my words too?!” the dragon bellowed sharply.
The rumble grew silent and the waves calm. The mermaid queen and princess popped up from the water. The princess’s face lit up when she caught sight of Liam, and she waved at him enthusiastically. Liam waved back to her.
For some reason, I felt a prickle in my chest.
“Lord White Dragon!” the queen choked out. She withered beneath his gaze. Perhaps because she looked partly human, her voice sounded human too.
“Did you think I was dead?” he asked with a smirk.
The queen seemed paralyzed. “No, I...”
The dragon only cast the stammering mermaid one final glance before looking around. The sea monsters stared at him with fear, holding their breaths. The humans couldn’t understand what was going on, so they could only gulp and watch the events unfold.
“Monsters, stop your fighting!” Mr. Dragon shouted.
The mermaid queen gazed at him imploringly.
“But the humans kidnapped my daughter! I cannot forgive them!” she said, her voice shaking.
“And who saved that daughter of yours?”
“Lord Reineke and Renard’s children. That’s why we’re sparing Renard ships!” the queen argued, lifting her face. “But other humans deserve no such mercy,” she declared, her voice thick with resentment.
Bal shuddered.
“Your shallow actions have driven Renard to a corner. You repay your debt to them by making them enemies?” the dragon asked, looking down at the queen with exasperation.
“Renard is...in trouble?” the princess asked, casting Liam a surprised glance.
“Yes,” Lord Reineke responded. “Renard has lost permission to use sea routes. Because of you, the domain is suffering.”
The princess turned to her mother, grabbing her arm. “Oh no! Mommy, we can’t do this!”
“I refuse to forgive humans. As the queen, I cannot forgive the human who used that golden net,” the queen replied, avoiding her daughter’s gaze.
“Then this marks our farewell. I feel indebted to Renard, as it was they who aided me in my recovery,” the dragon said.
He opened his mouth wide, inhaling deeply. The air rippled with tension as the monsters who’d been watching all dove beneath the surface.
“You’re siding with the humans?! The land creatures?!” the queen asked tearfully.
The princess clung to her.
No! It’s pointless to do things by force from either side!
I wrapped my arms tightly around the dragon’s neck.
“Stop! It’s not about humans versus monsters, or water creatures versus land creatures!”
At the sound of my scream, Mr. Dragon exhaled slowly. Lord Reineke, Liam, and Bal turned to look at me. The people aboard the ships all raised their heads to stare too.
“The human who took your daughter is at fault, but don’t blame the rest of humanity! You can’t hate all of them just because they’re all the same species!” I screamed.
The dragon glanced at me and laughed. Lord Reineke nuzzled close to me, always ready to protect me.
“There you have it, O queen.”
“But we have no way of capturing and punishing that scoundrel. We have no knowledge of the land. All we can do is make those who come out to sea answer for that person’s sins,” the queen said, grinding her teeth.
I have to be the intermediary between humans and monsters. Otherwise, things will escalate past the point of no return.
Truthfully, I had no confidence in myself. But I knew that in order to convince the merfolk, the criminal would have to be punished. So even if I didn’t think I could do this, I had to at least try.
I let go of the dragon’s neck and stood in front of Lord Reineke.
“The one who is guilty will be punished, so please spare those who are innocent!” I said.
A halo appeared behind my head.
Ugh! There he goes, staging another divine event!
I glared at Lord Reineke, who simply smirked without a hint of remorse.
I felt so exasperated that all my nerves melted away. Liam patted my head, while Bal nodded. Marcel displayed his approval by flexing his bicep. Lord Reineke’s tail gently brushed against my back.
Everyone is supporting me. I can do this!
I breathed in deeply, feeling the air fill my abdomen. The salty sea breeze tickled my nose. I looked down at the battleship, where some people were prostrating themselves.
“Who holds the highest rank among you?” I asked.
The very same auditor who had once visited Renard staggered forward.
“Do you agree to find the culprit behind the mermaid princess’s kidnapping and make them face justice?”
The man nodded repeatedly at my question.
“B-But how?” he asked in a trembling voice.
The mermaid queen glared at him with scorn. “I have proof right here.”
From beneath the surface, the box with the golden net appeared, as well as a large orb containing the men the merfolk had taken a few days ago. The men were listless, as if on the verge of death.
“That tool is House Cordier’s hidden treasure!” the auditor exclaimed, before slapping his hand over his mouth.
“House Cordier, is it?” the queen asked with an unsettling smile.
“Arrest these men and punish the one who gave them orders,” I instructed solemnly.
Although the auditor was still quivering, he nodded.
“It seems we’re out of other options. I’ll do as you say,” he vowed, raising his head as though steeling his resolve.
“Mr. Dragon, please put that sphere on the ship,” I requested.
The dragon lifted the orb from the sea surface and tossed it onto the battleship’s deck. It landed with a soft thud, rolling around. The men inside were tossed around, making them even more groggy. Those aboard the ship quickly dashed out of the way to avoid being crushed by the orb. It finally hit the brim and stopped.
Lord Reineke and I stepped onto the deck as well.
“Please write a report to His Majesty. The spell on that orb will then be released,” I said.
The auditor nodded, turning to a subordinate. “Get rope to tie those men with, and a form for filing a report.”
Shortly after, he finished writing the report, then signed and sealed it.
“Ever since my visit to the Reineke Hot Spring, a lot of things have been on my mind. I hope that revealing the sinner will lead to peace in our kingdom,” he said, handing me the sealed envelope.
This man had been pushed around left and right by Hodr during his visit to Renard, and he’d come to know our internal affairs very well during the audit. Being tasked with yet another troublesome job must have been exasperating.
“This document will be sent to the palace. I’m sure that the wrongdoer will be punished,” I said.
The sea monsters cheered at my words. The mermaid queen snapped her finger, causing the sphere with the men to shatter. While the auditor and his crew tied up the men, Lord Reineke picked up the light magic tool with his mouth.
“Now we go to the capital,” Mr. Dragon said, lowering his tail to the ship for Lord Reineke and I to walk up to reach his back.
The dragon picked up the tied men with the claws of his front paw as though he were holding something disgusting.
“We’re going to inform His Majesty!” I called out.
The sea creatures hit the water happily as they cheered. The crew of the battleship breathed sighs of relief.
Mr. Dragon ascended on the sea breeze, and began heading to the palace.