Gardenia’s Heart

Inside the room warmed by the fireplace, a small silver-haired girl clung tightly to her mother’s neck.

“Mama Nia, I didn’t hurt her… mmm… I swear I didn’t.” In Nia’s arms, Rose continued to cry, her eyes already red and swollen.

Holding Rose even tighter, Nia—who was seated on the floor—wrapped her arms protectively around the girl’s small body.

“Rose didn’t do anything. It’s alright.” Gently stroking her daughter’s silver hair, Nia, whose eyes were still sharp, struggled to restrain the bloodlust leaking from her.

“We know you didn’t, my love.” Sitting beside them, Lily spoke softly, slowly running her hand along her daughter’s back.

Even after Tiamat’s sudden collapse, the group had managed to return safely to the visitors’ wing. Still, the situation was far from resolved.

“A poison strong enough to cause this much damage to a dragon is something I’ve never heard of—especially when dragon blood, saturated with mana, is constantly healing them.” Sitting at the table in the center of the room, Thelira spoke thoughtfully, Cherry resting on her lap. “Lady Gardenia, did you notice anyone approaching Sovereign Tiamat?”

“No one.” Nia answered curtly, tightening her hold around her daughter.

“Then we can assume it was planted beforehand.” Thelira brought a hand to her chin, pondering. “When we arrived, all the dishes were already served. Someone could have added something to what Tiamat consumed.”

“That would be highly unlikely.”

The rebuttal came from none other than the rabbit-eared girl.

Perched on the windowsill, Selene drew out her stardust brush. Accompanied by a bluish glow, two small bubbles of white paint—each a different size—formed in the air.

“The idea that lethal poisons work the same way on every being is an oversimplification. A rabbit and a whale are both mammals, but their weight and digestive systems are completely different.”

As Selene spoke, each bubble transformed into the respective animal she mentioned. Carefully, she brought the brush closer and placed a small drop of greenish paint onto each one.

“The amount of poison required to kill the rabbit is nowhere near enough for a mammal hundreds of times larger. Even with a human-like appearance, a dragon is still a dragon, right? I don’t know how their pseudo-human mimicry works, but I’m certain it doesn’t change the resilience of their internal organs. It’s impossible that a single small meal like that could have brought her down—it would have required a far greater quantity.”

Having once faced a highly skilled poison and acid user, Selene spoke with confidence.

“Lady Selene may be right…” Hearing the three-star mage’s analysis, Thelira couldn’t help but narrow her eyes further in confusion. “On top of that, they cleared the banquet grounds and took away the food Sovereign Tiamat ate, so it’s not as if we can analyze it ourselves.”

Listening to the women’s discussion, Lily—still gently stroking Rose’s back—joined in. “Would Elarielle be able to do something with her magic?”

With Nia’s magic, bringing Elarielle to Athamas in a matter of seconds wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, it would immediately raise suspicions as to why the elven queen appeared so suddenly—after all, traveling between the two capitals normally took days—but that was something they could deal with after Tiamat was healed.

“If not even dragon blood is working, I don’t think Sis’s magic alone will be enough. On top of that, given the situation and Ignis’s open accusation, I doubt the Fang Clan would accept our help even if we offered it. Not even if Sis were here.” As she spoke, Thelira’s expression darkened. “With Tiamat incapacitated, neither the Fang Clan nor the Wing Clan currently has a leader. An event like this has never happened in draconic history—this is completely unprecedented.”

“What happens now?” Lily asked.

“As long as Tiamat remains alive, even in critical condition, no one else can assume leadership of the Fang Clan. However, despite everything that happened, it won’t take more than a few days for Ignis to complete the formal cultural rites and officially assume command of the Wing Clan. Once that happens, with Tiamat still incapacitated, no one in the Fang Clan will be able to refuse her orders.”

Thelira’s words made Lily’s eyes widen.

“Wait—so that’s why she backed down today?” Lily asked anxiously, finally understanding what Thelira meant.

“Yes, that’s what I believe as well. As a judge, she could try to incriminate us right now, but a formal trial isn’t what they want. The only reason Ignis agreed to retreat today is because, having realized that Tiamat is no longer standing in her way, once she assumes the position of clan leader she’ll be able to easily bend the law in her favor and break the non-aggression treaties. Ignis isn’t an idiot—it will be far easier to declare war on the elves using all the dragons than to act with her clan alone.”

Without concrete proof that the elves had poisoned Tiamat, the Fang Clan wouldn’t expel or attack them just yet. But once Ignis took power, the entire draconic race would turn against them.

“Wait—if I’m understanding this correctly, then Tiamat’s death would be entirely beneficial to the Wing Clan, wouldn’t it? Doesn’t that mean they’re the ones who poisoned her?” Selene, who had listened silently to Thelira’s explanation, couldn’t help but raise her voice, unease swelling in her chest.

Both Lily and Thelira lowered their gazes at the rabbit-girl’s question.

“If they really did this, they’ll pay.”

Holding the small girl in her arms, the purple-haired woman spoke in a cold tone. The words, heavy with bloodlust, made both Thelira and Selene instinctively swallow hard.

“We’ll need to notify those who stayed behind in Lampides about what happened. This has grown far too serious.” Letting out a sigh to steady herself, Thelira hugged the little girl in her arms. “We no longer have any support within dragon territory. We need to find a way to prove our innocence before things become irreversible.”

The journey to the land of dragons had been meant to improve the elves’ image among the other races. However, with the situation deteriorating this far, there was no longer any way to keep that original goal as the priority.

“Um…” With clear hesitation in her voice, Selene raised her hand to get everyone’s attention, her rabbit ears drooping. “There’s still one clan leader we could turn to, isn’t there?”

No one needed to think long to understand whom Selene meant.

“Her…” Thelira whispered, one hand over her chest.

Having simply appeared in the plains, exchanged a brief conversation, and then left, the leader of the Scale Clan was still in the city.

“Despite how she acted, Bahamut seemed at least friendly toward you, Lady Lily.” Turning toward the pair of wives, Thelira spoke cautiously. “If she hasn’t left yet and is still in Athamas, if we hurry, we might be able to speak with her before Ignis or someone else does. I don’t have any concrete proof, but if it’s you who asks for her help, she might agree.”

“Selene, could you stay with the children?” Without hesitation, Lily stood up, facing the rabbit-eared woman, who answered with a determined nod.

“Mama…”

Seeing her mother rise while still clinging to Nia’s neck, Rose called out to her, fear and worry clear on her face.

Asking Nia to stand and taking her daughter into her arms, Lily hugged the little girl tightly and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “It’s alright, my love. We’ll be back soon.”

If she were the one being accused, Lily wouldn’t care. The opinions of outsiders—people who weren’t part of her family—meant nothing to her. But the same couldn’t be said when her family was the one being blamed.

Proving Rose’s innocence to those bastards wasn’t Lily’s true goal. Whether they believed her or not didn’t matter. But holding the small girl with tears in her eyes—the one who had been cruelly accused and forced to hear so many brutal words—Lily knew she wouldn’t find peace until she proved to her daughter that she wasn’t at fault, that she wasn’t in the wrong.

Rose hadn’t done it. Lily needed to show that little girl, that child—her daughter—that injustice would not go unpunished. That was her duty as a mother.

“Nia, you know where she is, don’t you?”

Hearing Lily’s words, Nia nodded reluctantly.

Although she didn’t fully agree with the idea of speaking with Bahamut so soon, Nia didn’t disagree with Lily’s resolve. Those who had made her daughter cry deserved punishment, and if this was what it took, she would see it through.

Leaping into Lily’s body, Nia guided her wife and the elf toward the plains.

(The mana she releases just to coat her body is so dense it distorts the surroundings. Even with my mana-location disrupted, I can find her without any trouble.) Nia spoke as countless tentacles wrapped around her wife’s body. (I’ll pull us out if anything goes wrong.)

Gripping the purple tentacle that trembled slightly, Lily swallowed hard, glancing at the elf beside her, who was equally tense. Uncertain of how things would unfold, Thelira had already summoned her fairy, the orange scarf swaying in the night breeze.

Far enough from the city that the houses of Athamas were nothing more than tiny dots on the horizon, a small hill of green grass rose at the edge of a sea of clouds.

Lying face down atop it, a beautiful woman with wheat-colored hair enjoyed the morning breeze. Beside her, an unconscious boy in a coat mumbled incomprehensible words, the strong stench of alcohol filling the air.

“Lily, good evening—or should I say good morning already? The sun’s about to rise, so it’s kind of confusing.” Casually shaking a bottle of liquor, Bahamut pushed dirt aside with her white tail. “Want to drink with me? I’ve still got a few bottles left. No one’s had the guts to come up here, and there’s no one interesting to drink with around here. This brat always passes out after just a few sips, so his company only lasts a few minutes.”

Scattered around Bahamut were several empty bottles of strong-smelling liquor. Despite the alcohol and her cheerful tone, there wasn’t the slightest sign of intoxication.

Since the hero was addressing only Lily, the silver-haired woman reluctantly sat down in the open space, while Thelira did the same, remaining slightly behind her.

With their positions reversed from the council meeting, Lily had to struggle to control her expression, realizing that this time, she was the one who had to speak.

“Lady Bahamu—!”

“Don’t poison me too, alright?” Cutting her off with a loud laugh—so strong she had to clutch her stomach—Bahamut tossed the empty bottle to the ground before grabbing another with her tail.

The woman’s carefree demeanor made both Lily and Thelira frown. If they had understood her words correctly, Bahamut had remained there the entire night without receiving any visitors. And yet, despite not being present at the scene, she was fully aware of what had happened.

“Lady Bahamut, we—!” Lily tried to speak again, but before she could continue, a bottle of liquor was placed in her hands.

“I’m joking! Haha! I don’t really care whether you try or not—it wouldn’t work anyway.” Retracting her white tail, which she had used to hand over the drink, Bahamut uncorked her own bottle and waved a hand dismissively at Lily. “And Lily, just call me Bahamut. I won’t answer otherwise.”

Not even Lily could immediately react to how the situation was unfolding.

Staring at the drink in her hand, Lily’s dazed gaze drifted back to the dragon woman, who drank her alcohol with utter nonchalance.

A completely detached personality, bordering on indifference. With such visible disinterest in everything she did, Lily couldn’t read the woman before her—she was unlike anyone Lily had dealt with before.

A merchant, for example, would try to convince you to buy something, whether you needed it or not. A knight would defend their master, regardless of who the opponent was or what their objectives might be.

But here, even with one clan leader dead and another fighting for her life, Bahamut remained indifferent.

“Bahamut… we weren’t the ones who poisoned Sovereign Tiamat.” Choosing her words carefully, Lily tried once more to speak to the hero before her.

“No? It looked fairly elaborate. I never thought those airheads could come up with something like that, so I figured the idea might’ve come from you.” For the first time, Bahamut didn’t interrupt Lily, her ivory-colored tail and wings swaying gently in the breeze.

“Someone did this to Tiamat and pinned the blame on us, accusing my daughter in the middle of it all.”

Straightening her posture, Lily spoke with even greater resolve.

“Really? Then you should’ve just smashed their faces in. It’s not like most of them would actually die from having their skulls crushed once or twice.” Finishing yet another bottle of clear liquor, Bahamut tossed it onto the pile of empties and sighed.

Even though the hero seemed willing to listen, she didn’t appear willing to help. Unsure of what to say to convey the gravity of the situation, Lily glanced toward the elf beside her.

“Sovereign Bahamut, please, we cannot resort to violence.” Clenching her fists as she spoke, Thelira finally joined the conversation. “Both clans currently lack a leader who can represent them. If you don’t restrain the unrest and suspicion that’s beginning to spread among them, a war against the elves will truly be—”

“Little sister, I don’t recall inviting you to drink.” Cutting the elf off, Bahamut rolled her mismatched eyes and licked the tip of her fingers where some alcohol had splashed.

Though it was nothing more than a casual gesture, Thelira instinctively lowered her head, falling silent, unable to continue.

“Bahamut… can’t you intervene, even just this once? If it’s you, it should be possible, right?”

Realizing the hero wouldn’t speak to anyone but her, Lily tried once more to ask for the woman’s help.

“Even if it’s your request, I’m not in the mood to meddle in another clan’s affairs.” Picking up another bottle, the woman drank slowly. The sound of the alcohol sliding down her throat echoed across the hill. “Besides… well, I can’t say I’m particularly interested in a battle, but I also can’t say I wouldn’t enjoy stretching a bit. If they really want that, I don’t plan on stopping them—and I might even lend a hand. After all, it’s been a while since I last saw how Elarielle’s been training.”

Thelira swallowed hard. From her arms, legs, and neck, cold sweat poured uncontrollably.

A dull, harsh sound seemed to echo across the hill.

War.

Without even the slightest twitch of her eyebrow, Bahamut spoke as though she saw no issue in letting the situation continue as it was.

The elf felt as if the ground had vanished beneath her feet, an immense weight crashing down onto her shoulders. In less than two days, a diplomatic mission meant only to preserve peace and improve her people’s reputation had become the ignition point of a conflict.

Noticing the elf’s ragged breathing, Lily gently placed a hand on Thelira’s back, while Bahamut once again became the focus of her attention.

“You’re making the face of someone who wants to ask something, Lily.” Her neutral expression shifted into curiosity as Bahamut looked at the silver-haired woman, amusement now clear on her face.

Still positioning herself as a wall between Thelira and Bahamut, Lily narrowed her eyes at the dragon woman before a whisper slipped from her lips.

“How do you have that book?”

The question made Bahamut pause for a moment before she slipped a hand inside her dress.

“This? Same way as everything else—I simply obtained it.”

A cover filled with symbols and an aura that felt utterly out of place in the world. Carelessly swaying from side to side, one of the six volumes of the Book of Truth appeared before them after eight long years.

“I figured you and Jelly would come after this someday. Just holding it, I can tell there’s at least one more with you.”

Tucking the book away again, Bahamut finally sat up. Stretching her arms in a way that made her ample bust sway, the dragon woman yawned as the first rays of morning sunlight reached the hill.

“Now, as for what’s happening—this elf problem doesn’t really involve you, Lily,” Bahamut said calmly. “From what I’ve seen, the hothead from the Winged Clan has an issue with little sister here. So if you just leave this place—and the elf forest—I doubt there’ll be any danger for you…”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the hill. Leaning forward, Bahamut drew closer to the two women, the mana around her body swelling.

“After all, even you wouldn’t enjoy facing me.”

The impact struck like lightning, followed by a thunderous roar.

Under the first light of dawn, two figures were hurled skyward amid a massive cloud of dust.

“Haha! I knew it—your scent was way too strong for you not to be here, Jelly!”

With her fist colliding against a black sphere, Bahamut shouted excitedly. Before her mismatched eyes, a purple-haired girl with black wings bared her teeth.

“I didn’t invite you to drink, but if you’re going to crash the party, at least have the decency to show your face!”

Pulling back her fist, the beating of ivory wings thundered through the air. Spinning her body like a coiled spring midair, Bahamut built up kinetic force, her white tail slamming into the surface of the sphere.

Like a small meteor hurled toward the ground, even Nia couldn’t stop herself from being flung away.

Piercing through the upper layer of the sea of clouds, Nia fell along the mountainside, dark mist swallowing all sunlight.

Rocks and thorny trees were obliterated as the black sphere containing the girl continued its descent. Finally, hundreds of meters after being struck, Nia managed to halt her fall.

Though she was still on the mountain, the entire area shared the same dense vegetation as the Aurora Valley at its base. A fog so thick it had taken on the purple hue of miasma engulfed everything.

Forcing her fallen body to rise, Nia examined her barrier. Beneath the surface of the black sphere—which had endured Fafnir’s claws without collapsing—thousands of cracks spread like a spiderweb. Recasting her spell, each shattered filament reformed, the sphere returning to transparency.

Then, narrowing her crimson eyes, Nia looked toward the steep mountainside a few meters ahead.

“That really is a strong barrier you have.”

Landing softly, a beautiful woman with wheat-colored hair tied into a single long braid offered the compliment with a smile.

Even though Nia had accounted for every calculation needed to dissipate as much energy as possible at the moment of impact, the dragon woman’s strike had still been devastating.

“Nia!”

Descending from the mountaintop at high speed, a silver-haired girl carrying an elf on her back quickly reached the metamorph.

Setting Thelira down, Lily immediately checked Nia’s body, searching for any injuries.

“I’m fine, Lily.”

Though glad for her wife’s concern, Nia couldn’t remain calm with that woman standing before them.

Opening a portal resembling a star-filled night sky, the metamorph prepared to pull everyone away.

“What? Leaving already?” Sitting atop a nearby rock, Bahamut leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm as she let out a disappointed sigh. “I thought trying to convince me here was your best option right now. We’re talking about a war, you know?”

At the hero’s words, all the girls exchanged uneasy glances.

“Going back to base and sleeping would be nice, but a bit of exercise after drinking sounds excellent.”

Her fangs showed beneath her smile, her mismatched reptilian eyes sharpening.

“Hey, Lily, Jelly—you want this, don’t you?” Holding the Book of Truth in her hand once more, Bahamut practically sang as she laughed. “I’ll make things easy for the three of you. If you manage to wound me just once, I’ll give you this book and do what little sister asked.”

Even as her eyebrows lifted in surprise, Lily couldn’t stop the unease from coursing through her body.

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Lily asked, stepping in front of Nia, her swords already in hand.

“Only cowards need to resort to something like that. Besides, if I really just wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t be letting you leave if you chose to.”

Lily had no choice but to swallow hard.

When Bahamut had chased Nia into the fog earlier, even with Lily stopping time and using the wings of lightning, she still hadn’t been fast enough to reach her before the dragon woman did.

Even though they were separated by at least a hundred meters, Lily knew that—even if she stopped time—Bahamut would still have a good chance of preventing them from crossing the portal if she wished. If they fled now, if they left Athamas, they would only be postponing a conflict they could not win.

Exchanging a glance with her wife and the elf, Lily saw that, despite their fear, both Nia and Thelira understood this might be their best chance.

“A single wound, then?” Lily asked.

“Yes. If you make me spill even a single drop of blood, you win.” Jumping from the rock down to the ledge where the women stood, Bahamut flashed a sharp smile, her white tail swaying energetically. “All three of you may come at once—but fight to kill… or you will die.”