Chapter 200 - 3−4
Ringa-san had departed an hour ago, leaving with a gentle smile and a slightly awkward dip of his brow as he told us to call on him anytime. Since then, Louis-sama and I had moved to my private chambers.
Louis-sama had been wearing a grim expression, lost in deep thought ever since hearing Ringa-san's story. As we sat side-by-side on the three-seater sofa, Kuro let out a soft meow and squeezed between us, stretching out comfortably. I stroked his back, my mind drifting as I tried to organize everything Ringa-san had told us.
No matter how I looked at it, my mood remained heavy.
"Rachel, forgive me. It seems I was lost in thought for quite some time."
"No, I understand. I feel the same way."
I offered a small smile to Louis-sama, who looked genuinely apologetic and dejected. He knit his brows and lowered his gaze to his hands, which were clasped over his knees.
"Rachel, what do you make of what we heard?"
At his question, I let my eyes wander as I pondered the situation. Ringa-san's story was filled with things I hadn't known, and I wasn't even sure if I truly understood it all yet. He had told us so much about the dragons and the current Emperor, but I couldn't quite process it.
Even if we shared the same continent, the Empire was a country we had no alliance or significant interaction with. Had a dragon not appeared in my care, I might never have sought to learn about them. But...
I let my hand trail over the Bangle on my wrist. Feeling the cold metal and the hard gemstone, I spoke slowly.
"...If the Emperor learns of this Bangle or the white dragon, the Kingdom of Dutoit could be sucked into the center of a massive whirlpool of war."
"Yes, exactly."
That was clearly Louis-sama's greatest fear as well.
"Dragons, which were thought to be extinct, actually exist. To the Tratia Empire, no matter what that dragon is—even if it was sealed until very recently—they will surely want to claim it."
"...This has become far more troublesome than we initially thought."
"Indeed. What are we to do?"
When I first saw the dragon after obtaining this Bangle, my only emotions were surprise and excitement. I was simply amazed that a mythical creature was right before my eyes. However, the more I learned about the Empire—the land of dragons—and the reality of these creatures, the more I felt a creeping dread. According to Ringa-san, if a dragon truly wished it, even this mansion could be turned to ash with a single breath.
Knowing such a being was in my possession made the Bangle feel even colder, turning it into an object of fear. Louis-sama must have noticed my unease, for he reached out and firmly grasped the hand I had been using to touch the Bangle.
"I wonder why the previous Dark Saint sealed the dragon in the first place?"
"Has there been any word from Prince Isaac regarding new discoveries about the Bangle of the Dark Saint?"
Meeting Louis-sama's steady gaze, I shook my head weakly.
"No. He said there was nothing about dragons in the books he collected. Nothing about the mystery of the Bangle, either."
Why did the previous Dark Saint seal this dragon? What happened hundreds of years ago? Perhaps only the Dark Spirit King, Nel-sama, would know the truth. But Nel-sama had been surprised by the dragon's presence. While he inherited the eyes and memories of the previous Dark Spirit King, it wouldn't be strange if the Spirit King had hidden memories of the dragon just as the Saint had, leaving him ignorant of their relationship.
"I want to know, yet I'm also afraid to step into it."
"Yes. A sleeping dragon, indeed... It looks so peaceful just to watch."
Louis-sama gave a troubled smile, and I mirrored his expression with a slight dip of my own brows. He leaned back against the sofa, looking up at the ceiling, and let out a deep sigh with his eyes closed.
"However, it seems a very difficult matter has arisen because of this."
"Difficult? Did something happen?"
Louis-sama's gaze wandered as if he were debating something, letting out a low hum. But when I didn't look away, he seemed to give in. He exhaled, straightened his posture, and turned to face me.
"It's about the international students."
"International students? You mean for Torsova Academy of Magic?"
I was confused by the sudden shift from the Tratia Empire and dragons to the students coming to the academy, but Louis-sama nodded.
Wait, if he's bringing this up now, is there a connection?
I had considered the expansion of education—my dream—to be a separate issue from our current problems. Seeing the grim set of Louis-sama's jaw made my heart race with a bad premonition.
"Is there... going to be a problem?"
"Regarding the students for the middle and high school divisions starting this new term, we received eight applications."
"That's the number we expected. Why is it difficult?"
To me, the fact that the exchange program was moving forward was good news. But Louis-sama's demeanor told me that what I was about to hear was anything but good. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Two of those eight are related to the Empire. One of them... is the sister of the 'Blood-stained Madman.'"
"The sister of the Tratia Emperor...?"
I was stunned by his words, caught completely off guard.
"What?! How?!"
My voice trembled involuntarily. It was only natural, given that we had just been discussing the threat of the Empire. Louis-sama must have hesitated for that very reason.
"Could it be that word of the dragon has already reached them?"
"No, I'd like to think that's impossible... but given the timing, I can't rule it out entirely."
I can't believe the Empire is moving this quickly... I thought we had more time. Time to gather more information on the Empire and dragons, time to get closer to the mystery of the Bangle and the seal.
But that time might have already run out.
"The fact that information about the exchange program reached the Empire at all is strange. They aren't a neighboring country, nor an ally. I wonder where the leak came from..."
"Then, will we refuse them?"
I clung to a sliver of hope, but the deepening frown on Louis-sama's face told me it was futile.
"...No, that would be difficult. The Empire's national power is many times our own. We want to avoid giving them any excuse for conflict by refusing a member of their imperial family."
"...This is a problem."
In the quiet room, the sound of a deep sigh—whether mine or Louis-sama's—echoed with a heavy weight.