Gardenia’s Heart

Although Tiamat obviously needed more rest, she had insisted that the negotiations take priority.

As should have happened if all the confusion hadn’t taken place, the council of the three kingdoms resumed that same afternoon, following Lily’s visit to Tiamat.

Now, thanks to everything that had happened, the silver-haired girl found herself in an absurd situation.

The soft light of late afternoon reflected off the beautiful lake, casting a purplish-orange hue over its blue surface. Sitting in one of the gazebo’s chairs, with her wife and daughter seated on her lap, the girl watched the other four participants in the meeting with her shoulders hunched.

“I already told you, old man. I’m not sending my men to help with the mining in your mines.” Placing her legs on the table in a thoroughly discourteous manner, a tall woman with wheat-colored hair furrowed her brow.

“Hohoho! Lady Bahamut, could you be just a little more understanding? Extracting the ores from the newly discovered vein is essential for producing new artifacts. Do you have any idea how many things could be improved if we had access to more raw materials?” Stroking his long, braided beard, a short dwarf chuckled dryly as he looked at the hero.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Send your own men to do it.” Practically spitting out her response, Bahamut crossed her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, uninterested.

Ipomoea and Bahamut argued without any interest in hiding their dissatisfaction. At first, watching this endless exchange of remarks, Lily couldn’t understand how the dwarf could speak to the dragon hero that way. However, after thinking about it for a while, Lily finally understood what a round table represented.

This was a political meeting. Regardless of status or strength, everyone seated there was on equal footing and treated as an equal. That way, they could speak openly about what they thought.

Shifting her gaze, Lily observed the other people at the table. To her right, Thelira held her daughter on her lap. She delicately sipped a cup of tea while wiping the cheek of the little girl, who was eating cookies. Similarly, on her left, Tiamat was also finishing placing her cup on its saucer.

Considering that she had been poisoned by drinking tea, Lily thought the dragon woman must have nerves of steel to keep drinking it like this, even if only out of respect.

Made to sit between the dragons and the elves, the silver-haired girl couldn’t help sighing. Choosing to remain silent, she truly envied the way her beloved wife could stay calm and indifferent to everyone at the table while continuing to rest her head against her breasts.

“My lady, you know that’s impossible.”

Ipomoea’s loud voice drew Lily’s attention back to the discussion unfolding before her.

“We’ve reached a point where the temperature is so high that any dwarf would die after spending more than a few minutes down there. Even our advanced cooling system can no longer withstand it. Only a dragon from the Scales Clan could endure working there.”

“Huh? Send Scabiosa to do it! That guy wouldn’t die even if he fell into a volcano. A slightly hotter cave wouldn’t cause him any trouble.” Bahamut snorted, pointing her index finger at the dwarf.

“Even our esteemed hero would have difficulty extracting tons of ore from the Earth’s mantle.” Ipomoea protested.

Rolling her mismatched eyes, Bahamut slammed her tail against the ground. “This is why I hate meetings! You idiots can’t even wipe your own asses and have to ask for my help!”

“Mother!” The frightened, unsteady voice came from a trembling boy.

Standing behind the chair, Wisteria struggled to calm his mother, hiding his face behind his scarf out of sheer embarrassment.

“Stay out of this, brat. This is between me and the dwarf.” Rolling her eyes, Bahamut was about to shout again when a soft laugh interrupted her.

“Come now, Bahamut. We need to be a little more patient with the representatives of other nations, don’t we?” Like a mother dealing with a sulky child, Tiamat reprimanded the dragon hero with a look. Then, wearing a gentle smile as if trying to ease the tension, she turned toward the girl on her other side. “Isn’t that right, Lily?”

“W-What? I-I mean... yes?” Stammering, Lily replied, burying her face in her wife’s hair.

Even though she was now a clan leader, the silver-haired girl still had ties to the elves, and therefore wanted to preserve their neutrality.

Besides, diplomacy was irritating. Lily believed that with every fiber of her being.

Having said nothing or attempted to bring up any topic since the beginning, Lily tried to assess the situation by observing in silence.

Since she was now there as a participating member of the meeting rather than as a bodyguard, she was allowed to bring someone along. Neither Nia nor Rose qualified for that role, as they were being treated as guests. Thus, her “escort” had been appointed as Ignis.

Her plan was to have the indigo-haired dragon woman answer on her behalf any questions she didn’t know how to respond to. Thanks to that, she had avoided any complications so far.

Apparently, the meeting was focused on preserving existing treaties and establishing trade networks. From what Lily understood, thanks to the antidote Elarielle had prepared to save Tiamat’s life, Thelira was now negotiating reparations for everything that had happened.

Since the matter was complicated, even with Lily doing her best, she could only grasp the agreements on a superficial level. Apparently, Thelira had managed to secure various discounts on dragon products for the next several centuries, among other things.

“Given everything that has happened, we haven’t had the opportunity to explain another situation involving the demons.”

Suddenly raising her voice in a cordial manner, Thelira drew everyone’s attention.

“Demons, you say?” Tiamat asked, slightly confused. “If I remember correctly, you already explained the attack on the elven forest carried out by the Third Twilight.”

Nodding toward the white-haired dragon woman, Thelira turned to the dwarven delegation.

“I went into detail about this earlier with Elder Ipomoea, but I’d like the two of you to know as well. Around that same time, another event involving the demons took place on the continent of Anthus.” Raising her hand in an almost choreographed gesture, Thelira glanced at the woman behind her. “Selene, would you?”

Two rabbit ears rose tensely. Walking forward with her hands clasped behind her back, a girl in a red dress with golden twin tails took her place beside the elf.

“My name is Selene Leontar. I’m a three-star mage from the Mage Tower and the director of the Mage Academy.”

Although she tried to remain calm, her nervousness at speaking before world leaders was evident in her voice. Even so, knowing how important it was to explain in detail what had happened in the city she loved so dearly, Selene stood firm.

“Eight years ago, before the attack on the elven forest, the Fifth Twilight, Orlaith, The Soul Engraver, attempted to attack the city of Caligo, on the continent of Anthus. With the help of the city’s former mayor, she obtained the materials needed to produce an explosive artifact she named the Chaos Seed.”

Turning her gaze toward her rival, Selene straightened her back a little more, her twin tails swaying.

“We weren’t able to eliminate the Twilight, but thanks to Lady Lily and Lady Gardenia, the attack was stopped, and Caligo was saved without the artifact detonating inside the city. However, based on the materials they obtained back then, we estimate that they could produce at least three more. Perhaps even more if they refine and improve the process.”

Selene’s estimate was based on the amount of material that had disappeared from the records after she analyzed Velmont Sunshard’s purchases, combined with Nia’s analysis of the Chaos Seed’s requirements.

“A bomb, is it? How much firepower are we talking about?” Tiamat asked, looking at Selene curiously.

“Hohoho! I’ve reviewed the data Miss Thelira presented to me. Lady Gardenia’s analysis was perfect.” Taking the lead in the conversation before Selene could answer, Ipomoea drew everyone’s attention. “Although it has a limit, the theoretical range of the explosion will depend on how much mana is infused into the Chaos Seed. In an optimistic estimate, just half of its maximum charge would be enough to vaporize an entire city, along with up to a hundred meters of the ground beneath it.”

When it had been charged with the mana of Caligo’s inhabitants, Nia had estimated that the amount of mana in the Chaos Seed was slightly greater than her own dark mana at the time, when she had consumed two volumes of the Book of Truth. Although that was a great deal, it was still nothing compared to the destructive power one of those artifacts could attain if more people—or worse, a Twilight—personally fed it mana.

“They used to be more active along the border, sending Calamity monsters or a few lesser soldiers. However, we haven’t seen anything like that in recent years.” Bahamut struck the ground with her white tail and sighed.

“It’s like the calm before a storm.” With a worried look, Tiamat let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “With Drelkos’s death, only four Twilights remain to rule over what is left of the Demon King’s army. But both the attack on the forest and the production of bombs... What are they planning?”

After so many attacks in such a short period, the demons’ complete silence made everyone present uneasy, even if they didn’t show it.

“Excuse me. Wouldn’t it be possible to negotiate some kind of peace with the demons now that the war is over?” Raising her hand cautiously and speaking so softly that it was almost a whisper, Lily asked a question for the first time.

Like everyone else there, the silver-haired girl had also suffered from the demons’ actions. Whether indirectly, through what happened in her village, or directly, through the attacks on Caligo and the elven forest, Lily had already been forced to fight for her life because of them. However, despite everything that had happened, she wondered whether it might be possible to reach a peaceful understanding through a treaty, if there were a way to put an end to any future conflict.

After Lily’s question, everyone present silently exchanged glances.

It was a sincere question from someone who didn’t know all the details. Thus, even though the answer was obvious to everyone there, they knew they couldn’t continue the discussion without clearing up Lily’s doubts.

“Lady Lily, although the war technically ended with the Demon King’s death, that was more due to the fog than any agreement that had been reached.” Tiamat shook her head. “We were never able to negotiate adequate compensation from the demons for the war. The fighting may have ended, but its conclusion was so abrupt that nothing has really changed in our relationship with the demons over all these years.”

“Hohoho!” Chuckling softly and stroking his beard, Ipomoea spoke in a contemplative tone. “The large-scale battles ended, and we all agreed to retreat to our own lands. Their army was reduced to the point that the fighting has stopped for now, but the possibility of another attack is always there.”

The moment the Demon King was killed, his final breath brought the fog upon the world. Caught by surprise and forced to flee, only the heroes survived among those on the battlefield and managed to return to tell the tale.

With the confrontation ending so unexpectedly, there had been no way for them to exchange words with the other demons.

“Thanks to the fog, we can’t observe what happens in their capital, not even from space. We’ve tried to make contact several times to negotiate a lasting peace, but we’ve never succeeded.” Tiamat rested her palm against her cheek, a hint of agitation in her voice.

“The fog isn’t a problem for heroes, is it?” A voice no one expected to hear suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.

Speaking for the first time, a beautiful purple-haired girl pointed her index finger in a particular direction.

“Can’t that woman just fly to their capital and put an end to everything once and for all?”

“Tsk! Call me Professor, you irritating brat!” Bahamut snorted in annoyance when she realized Nia was pointing at her, then slammed her tail against the ground once more, making the entire gazebo tremble.

“Come on, Mother, calm down. And Novice, please don’t provoke her!” Doing his best to reconcile the teacher and her student, Wisteria was sweating bullets.

Seeing her son in such a pitiful state, Bahamut was forced to sigh.

“There are two problems with that idea of yours, Gardenia.”

Turning toward Nia, she raised two fingers.

“First, inside that damn fog, even I lose track of where I am. The area around the demons’ capital is filled with such a powerful purple miasma that even figuring out whether we’re flying up or down becomes impossible. Imagine the barrier protecting the elven forest, but many times more complicated, since the air itself becomes poisonous to anyone who isn’t a demon or a monster. Even reaching the place is impractical. And even if I try to get there through space, I’ll end up lost.”

The irritation on Bahamut’s face was so intense that it made the air in the room feel cold.

“We were exhausted and badly injured. For the five of us to escape the demons’ capital when the fog appeared was practically a miracle.”

Lowering one finger and looking at what remained raised, Bahamut’s troubled expression grew even sourer.

“The second problem is the Demon King’s generals who are still alive. You’ve already encountered at least two of them, so you know how troublesome they are. Outside the fog, it’s one thing, but trying anything under these conditions would be far too risky.”

Bahamut was someone who could engage in battles in outer space as if she were taking a walk in the park. An environment she described as extreme could hardly be considered ordinary.

“If all that weren’t bad enough, among all the remaining soldiers, the First Twilight, Zaeroth, is the one who makes everything even more complicated.”

“The First?” Nia asked.

Bahamut nodded, adjusting her crossed legs.

“Strength, speed, endurance—every one of her combat attributes is irritating. During the war, she was considered the Demon King’s right hand, and her strength was second only to his.”

“What Bahamut says is true.” Placing a hand over her ample chest, Tiamat commented in a melancholic tone. “She was truly a living natural disaster. During the war, encountering her on the battlefield meant certain death. Numerous battalions were wiped out before they even had a chance to call for reinforcements. The sea of blood left behind after her battles was deep enough to bathe her body. And since she disappeared as quickly as she appeared, many considered her a specter of death.”

“The Bloody Ghost Demon. That’s what they called her, wasn’t it?”Joining the conversation, Thelira spoke.

Hearing everyone’s explanation, Nia tilted her head as she stared at Bahamut.

“Is she really that strong?”

“You may have managed to kill me once, Gardenia, but that woman has done it six times.” Bahamut replied with an irritated sigh.

“Can she defeat you, Lady Bahamut?” Thelira asked, shocked.

“Don’t be an idiot, little sister.” The dragon waved her hand dismissively. “If she and I fought to the death to settle things once and for all, I’d win in the end, even inside the fog. But that would certainly exhaust my entire mana reserve and leave me on the verge of death as well. The problem is that defeating her alone wouldn’t bring the battle to a definitive end, so I don’t see why I should go there and sacrifice myself. It’s a battle not worth fighting.”

Nia had managed to kill Bahamut once, but she knew she hadn’t forced the hero to use even half of her mana reserve during their confrontation. Someone who could push her to the point of exhaustion—enough for Bahamut herself to say that a battle wasn’t worth the effort—seemed like someone best avoided.

“Very well. Setting that part of the discussion aside, the truth is that there’s not much we can do right now.” Tiamat coughed lightly to draw everyone’s attention. Placing a hand against her cheek in a manner that was both adorable and mature, she shook her head. “We can only attack them when they leave the fog of Finis. So, for now, all we can do is wait for the demons to make another move.”

“Hohoho! Even after all these years, they haven’t been able to choose a new king for their people. In my opinion, they won’t get very far.” The dwarf elder pointed out.

“The demon race has always been a people of barbarians. They only managed to unite in such an organized manner under the influence of the one who came to be known as the Demon King. Perhaps keeping him as a symbol rather than replacing him is a way for the Twilights to maintain their power without having to change the chain of command,” Tiamat explained.

“You mean like soldiers protecting the remnants of a royal family that was wiped out?” Thelira asked.

“Yes, we can look at it that way.” Tiamat agreed and nodded. “If he had any descendants, it would have been possible to pass the crown on and raise the army’s morale. But since they never did that, this doesn’t seem to be the case either.”

Tiamat’s words sent a shiver down Thelira’s spine, making even her pointed ears tremble. The idea that the demons might be planning to pass down the Demon King’s crown seemed so terrifying that she wanted to push the thought away.

“Please, don’t even joke about that,” Thelira said. “The last thing we need right now is a new Demon King starting another war.”

“My daughter is so adorable...”

The extremely cheerful voice drew everyone’s attention.

Once again oblivious to the conversation, Nia was rubbing her cheeks against her daughter’s. The softness and tenderness of the touch made her smile grow wider with every passing second.

“Mhn...”

Suddenly, a small, adorable moan escaped the little girl’s mouth. Noticing the tiny blue eyes that resembled the sky finally opening after her sleep, Nia couldn’t help smiling even more.

“Good morning, Rose.”

Planting several kisses on the little girl who was slowly opening her eyes in her arms, the metamorph was overjoyed.

“Mama Nia... Mhn...”

Finally realizing she was in her mother’s arms, Rose grabbed Nia’s clothes with her tiny fingers, her flushed cheeks relaxing even further.

Seeing her wife and daughter acting this way, Lily couldn’t help hugging them. The meeting had been exhausting, but knowing that her loved ones were safe gave her the strength to keep going.

As she thought this, Lily noticed a certain gaze turning toward her. With one cheek slightly flushed and a gentle smile on her face, Tiamat tilted her head and smiled.

“Lily, would it be possible for me to speak privately with little Miss Rose?”