Chapter 199 - 3-3
We moved to the gazebo in the garden and took our seats around the circular table.
The man sitting across from me, wearing a gentle smile, looked to be in his early thirties. His crisp, well-pressed suit suited him perfectly. His clean-cut appearance, combined with his slightly drooping eyes, gave off a kind and approachable impression.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am Ringa, from the Saumul Workshop."
"It is a pleasure. Thank you for coming today."
"Not at all. I would rush anywhere at the Crown Prince's request."
Despite being a relative of Count Halliud, he held no title himself. As a commoner, he would normally have no opportunity to meet the Crown Prince. Yet, he showed no sign of nervousness, maintaining a calm and dignified composure. I was surprised by his poise. I wasn't sure what Louis-sama thought, but the slight lift of his eyebrow suggested he was at least intrigued by the man's behavior.
"Have you been in this country long?"
"About three years now. Since I was a child, I loved the stories my mother told me about the Kingdom of Dutoit. A land where people live alongside spirits... it sounded like something out of a fairy tale. I've always admired it and been curious. I've long wished to visit my mother's homeland. That wish finally came true."
Ringa-san's expression brightened, his eyes sparkling. Unless he was a world-class actor, he seemed to be speaking from the heart.
"My family were merchants in the Empire as well, so I came here alone three years ago to start some kind of business. Fortunately, I was able to receive support from my relative, Count Halliud, and I began a glasswork business using techniques I brought from the Empire."
"The Count told me that the glasswork you sell is delicate and beautiful, popular among both commoners and nobles alike."
"I'm grateful to say that business has finally gotten on track recently."
Ringa-san blushed slightly and smiled. He then took a small, hand-sized package from the bag he had been carrying and placed it on the table.
"This is a gift from me to the daughter of Marquis Marcel."
As Ringa-san slowly unwrapped the package, a long, thin silver rod appeared. A round glass bead was attached to the tip.
"Please, take it and have a closer look."
I had never seen such a shape before. Wondering what the rod was for, I picked it up. Looking into the highly transparent blue glass bead, I saw what looked like tiny shells and fish depicted inside the small sphere. How beautiful...
"It is a hair ornament called a kanzashi. They've been popular among the women of the Empire for several years now."
"...A hair ornament? This is?"
Louis-sama peered at it from beside me, looking at it with curiosity.
"Yes, indeed. You can bundle your hair and secure it by inserting this kanzashi. At first, I couldn't imagine securing a woman's hair with a single rod, either. But once it became a trend in social circles, it became popular throughout the Empire because it's easy for even commoners to use."
"I see... a hair ornament called a kanzashi. I have no way of knowing what's trending in the distant Empire, so this is quite interesting."
Louis-sama nodded, intrigued by Ringa-san's story. I, however, was captivated by the beauty of the glass bead.
"It's so lovely... it's as if the ocean itself has been captured inside this glass. Is this the Empire's technology?"
"Yes. Embedding patterns and designs inside glass is a technique passed down in the Empire since ancient times. While working as a merchant in the Empire, I also apprenticed under a craftsman. I made this piece myself."
"To apprentice while working as a merchant... that is a wonderful effort."
"Not at all. I've always enjoyed detailed work. It's a joy to have my own creations become a business. Though, it was a bit of a gamble whether the Empire's techniques would be accepted in Dutoit."
"The reason you decided to become a craftsman in Dutoit despite having such skill was, as you mentioned earlier, because of your mother's influence, wasn't it?"
Ringa-san, who had been speaking about Dutoit with sparkling eyes, seemed to hesitate at my question. His lighthearted tone vanished, and he looked as though he were weighing his words.
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, no... Well, yes, my mother's influence was part of why I moved to Dutoit alone, but..."
Ringa-san gave a strained, awkward smile and looked down at the table, his face cast in shadow. Louis-sama, sitting next to me, also seemed concerned by his behavior.
"Is there some other reason?"
Louis-sama rested his chin on his hand and furrowed his brows, his gaze intensifying as he observed Ringa-san. Ringa-san looked up, his expression somber.
"...Does Your Royal Highness know of the current Emperor?"
"The young Emperor. He is said to be exceptionally skilled in combat, leading from the front lines and achieving overwhelming victories."
At Louis-sama's response, Ringa-san nodded with a look of bitterness.
"The people call him... the Blood-stained Madman."
The Blood-stained Madman? What a terrifying name...
I gasped at the mention of the Tratia Emperor's epithet. It was the first time I had heard it.
"A madman? Is he feared because of his overwhelming strength?"
"Feared... yes. There is likely no one left in that country who would dare oppose him."
To think that no one would oppose the Emperor of such a vast land. Just what kind of person was this Emperor, to possess such overwhelming power?
The information I had on the Tratia Emperor was sparse. I believed he was in his late twenties and had seized the throne eight years ago after driving his father, the previous Emperor, to his death. I had heard he ruthlessly eliminated anyone who stood in his way, even his own brothers. Based on the few rumors I knew, the name 'Blood-stained Madman' seemed fitting. I waited in silence for Ringa-san to tell us more about what kind of person he truly was.
"It is well known that the ancestors of the imperial family were dragons."
"Yes, of course. But just as the power of spirits has weakened in our country, rumors say the power of dragons has waned in the Empire as well. Above all, the Empire's expansion was due to the power of the Dragonewts and the efforts of the Combat Dragons. But those Combat Dragons are extinct, and the Dragonewt blood in the imperial family has thinned to the point where they are said to be little more than ordinary humans now."
"Um, what are Combat Dragons? Are they different from the imperial family having dragon blood?"
I asked Ringa-san about the unfamiliar term. He nodded as if understanding my confusion.
"There are different types of dragons in the Tratia Empire. First, there is the Progenitor Dragon, the ancestor of the imperial family. It is the strongest dragon in history, said to be the most powerful not just in the nation, but on the entire continent. Furthermore, unlike ordinary dragons, it was capable of taking human form."
"A dragon that can become human... is that why they are called Dragonewts?"
"Yes. They could freely transform between dragon and human forms at will."
The term 'Dragonewt' hadn't quite clicked for me before, but it seemed it meant exactly what it sounded like. A being that was both dragon and human, capable of changing its shape...
"Of course, not all imperial citizens are Dragonewts. It is a trait limited to the imperial family, who carry the blood of the Progenitor Dragon."
"Even if it's limited to the imperial family, Dragonewts who can transform into dragons... it sounds like something out of a fairy tale."
"Indeed. Even in the Empire, it is a fairy tale now. The dragon blood has thinned, and no one has heard of a member of the imperial family transforming into a dragon for hundreds of years."
In Dutoit, it was once common for everyone to be able to see and contract with spirits. But over time, those who could see spirits became rare. It seemed the Empire had similarly lost its ancient powers.
"And then there are the Combat Dragons you asked about, my lady."
I listened intently, trying to organize the information in my head.
"These are ordinary dragons that do not take human form."
"So there are dragons that don't become human as well."
"Yes. In the Empire, 'dragon' usually refers to these ordinary dragons, the Combat Dragons. These dragons existed even before the Progenitor Dragon. The Empire was originally the habitat of dragons. The Progenitor Dragon was a legendary dragon born from among the Combat Dragons."
Louis-sama, who had been listening seriously, murmured, "I see."
"So the Progenitor Dragon, the origin of the Empire, was a special dragon that, for some reason, became able to take human form."
"Exactly. The Progenitor Dragon also possessed the qualities of a king, capable of making all other dragons submit to its will."
"And that is why the imperial family used dragons in war."
Ringa-san nodded solemnly at Louis-sama's words.
"To have the power to command all dragons... how terrifying. Since they are called Combat Dragons, their strength must be extraordinary."
"Indeed. They breathe fire from their mouths and fly high through the skies while carrying people. A single breath of flame is powerful enough to burn down two or three houses. The Empire's vast territory was built upon the strength of the Combat Dragons."
If an Emperor with the power of a Dragonewt had come to Dutoit with his dragons to seize our land, as they did to so many other countries... no matter how much spirit power we had, we wouldn't have stood a chance.
I shuddered at the thought. Louis-sama looked at me with concern, and I gave him a reassuring smile. He then turned back to Ringa-san.
"But those Combat Dragons went extinct long ago. There are no dragons left to command, and the imperial family has lost the power to transform. That's the situation, isn't it?"
According to Ringa-san, dragons were a thing of the distant past. As Louis-sama said, the Dragonewt power was lost, and the dragons themselves were gone. If that were the case, why did Ringa-san look so grim, biting his lip as if in fear?
"Yes, that is correct. Having lost the power to bring all beings to their knees, the Tratia Empire still has fierce succession struggles, but it is no longer the overwhelming threat it once was, capable of wiping out other nations in an instant."
For the nations on the eastern side of the continent, the Empire was still a country to be feared even without its dragons. But the western side was different. Dutoit was far away, so it wasn't a major concern. We were more wary of closer neighbors like Orta or countries we had previously been at war with.
"However... the Emperor is different."
"Different? How?"
At Louis-sama's question, Ringa-san looked up. His face was even paler than before. Normally, I would have asked if he was alright, but the atmosphere didn't allow for it. The tension radiating from him was so thick that I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"He possesses the overwhelming abilities of a throwback to his ancestors."
Ringa-san's quiet, steady voice echoed ominously. Beside me, I heard Louis-sama gasp.
"Is that... truly the case?"
"I do not lie."
Despite his pallor, Ringa-san's eyes held a powerful conviction. He didn't look like he was lying at all. Louis-sama seemed to agree, offering only a brief, "I see," in response.
"While some citizens are fanatical about the Emperor's strength and charisma, I became terrified and fled the Empire. I felt that a world ruled by such an Emperor could never be peaceful."
"...I see."
Louis-sama fell silent, resting his chin on his hand as he sank into deep thought. A gentle spring breeze brushed against my cheek, but despite the clear blue sky and the peaceful setting, the air between the three of us was incredibly heavy.