Don't Touch Our Dad

The four hundred mana granted by the Essence of Joy was far more convenient to use than the borrowed power she had been drawing from the Botella. Mana stored in the Botella had to pass through three stages—absorption, purification, and internalization—before it could be released. But this was Yustea's own. It needed no such settling process, and the difference in casting speed was enormous.

"...!"

"...!!"

Aslan and Marquis Andres stared, faces gone rigid, at Yustea as she planted her hands upon the ground.

The Domain of Nullification.

It's the Domain of Nullification.

Inside Yustea's domain, allied forces were untouched by any attack. And that was not the only advantage. Morale soared. With no fear of death, there was no hesitation in their movements. They grew faster. Their assaults grew fiercer. And in the end—!

A heavy boom rolled across the square as the combined assault of the mages and knights flipped the White Dragon onto its back. Yuis sprang off its body, aiming for the eye. The tip of his blade plunged into the vertical slit of its pupil.

A piercing shriek tore the air. The White Dragon thrashed, but they were inside the Domain of Nullification. The soldiers were unaffected. Marquis Andres's troops hurled their chains, and the beast, writhing in agony, could not fend them off. The chains bound it fast.

"Pull!"

The soldiers hauled the chains taut. The plan was to bind and subdue it the way one would any giant monster. But then—

The White Dragon's jaws yawned wide. The air around its maw warped, condensed into something like a cannonball, and launched. The clock tower struck by that compressed-air shell collapsed on the spot.

Yustea's brow furrowed.

Sonic waves.

That was precisely why the Old Empire Reconstruction Society used the White Dragon. The current empire—the Avalon Empire—and the rest of the continent communicated through transmission towers. The Old Empire, however, had communicated through the White Dragon's ultrasonic cries. Ordinarily those sonic waves served only as a means of communication... but given the creature's size, the waves packed the force of a shockwave blast. Or perhaps it was not the size at all. Having absorbed Stella's high-purity mana, it had been reborn as a monster of grotesque power.

Yustea turned to Yuis, who had already drawn up beside her.

"Subduing it isn't enough. We have to kill it outright."

"I know. The problem is..."

Yuis's brow tightened. The hide was impossibly tough—steel-grade, at the very least. He had gone for the eye not merely to keep it from dodging the chains. Nowhere else would an attack even land.

"This is bad. I can't keep the domain up forever."

Her mana was not infinite. The more powerful the effect, the shorter the duration.

"How much time do you have left?"

"Three minutes, at the outside."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Yustea scanned her surroundings in a rush. A way. I need another way. She was still searching for an alternative when the chains finally snapped with a ringing crack. The soldiers gripping them either slid or went flying. The White Dragon took to the air. Air condensed at its maw once more, and another shockwave blast shot forth—aimed straight at Yustea.

Yuis snatched her around the waist and pulled her back. The White Dragon, claws fully extended, dove straight at her. This time it was Aslan who stepped into its path. He slashed his sword through empty air, and with a sharp crack, lightning flashed as if a thunderbolt had struck. The White Dragon recoiled.

Huh?

Yustea frowned up at the beast.

"It's only targeting me...?"

Why me, out of all these people? Not even Yuis, who had blinded it—so why...?

Then her eyes flew wide.

It's synced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Stella's emotions!

It had been inside Stella for so long. Which meant there was a way to stop it.

Yustea broke into a dead sprint—straight toward the gathered nobles of the Seven Houses.

The nobles flinched.

"Wh-why...?"

"W-why is she coming this way?"

"How should I know! Wait—the White Dragon is targeting that girl, and if she comes this way...!"

The nobles, startled out of their wits, were about to scatter when Yustea seized someone by the wrist.

Marquis Andres.

"What do you think you're doing."

The marquis's brow furrowed.

"Come with me for a second."

"What?"

Still gripping his wrist, Yustea sprinted toward the White Dragon all over again. She shouted at the beast locked in a standoff with Aslan.

"No, no! Don't you dare touch our dad! I'll give you this instead!"

"...?"

"...??"

Give it what? This? People stared at Yustea in bewilderment. And then she—

"...!"

"...?!"

"...!!!"

The crowd gasped in horror. Because she threw him. She threw Marquis Andres at the White Dragon.

Even Aslan and Yuis's eyes went wide. Marquis Andres's brow furrowed. The mages and Andres soldiers, startled out of their skins, cried out.

"The lord—protect the lord!"

"Hurry—!"

But the next moment was even more astonishing. The White Dragon, faced with Marquis Andres, stopped attacking.

"Wh-what?"

"What's going on...!"

What's going on? Simple.

Yustea grinned. If it was synced with Stella's emotions, it would not be able to attack anything that girl held dear. And the person Stella treasured above all others was none other than Marquis Andres.

"It can't attack as long as the marquis is in front of it! Yuis, go for the jaw! Force its mouth open!"

Yuis startled, then moved. Black script unfurled from his fingertips. He seized the White Dragon's jaw and wrenched it open.

"If the hide is too tough, we go for the inside. Dad!"

By the time Yustea shouted, a black sphere was already taking shape in the air. Aslan had condensed his mana. The aura it gave off was bone-chillingly sinister—like an abyss that swallowed all things, like a collapsing gravitational well, like the dead of night given form. The black sphere shot into the White Dragon's interior.

A wet, heavy lurch. The White Dragon convulsed violently in midair. And then—

The explosion swallowed everything. Chunks of flesh rained down. A beat later, what remained of the White Dragon—barely half of it—hit the ground with a thud.

The onlookers let out ragged breaths at the sight of the all-but-collapsed corpse. It was not only Aslan's terrifying power that had stunned them.

"Are you okay, Dad? You're not hurt anywhere, are you? Right?"

"I'm fine."

It was Yustea who had led the White Dragon's subjugation.

"Not a single person was injured..."

"Within that domain, no one would die."

And that was not all. The vision to grasp a situation in an instant. The resolve to act without a moment's hesitation. Not a soul present failed to recall the oracle.

The one who shall bloom into glory...!

She was, without a doubt, the seed of glory the oracle had foretold.

They were staring at Yustea in a daze when Duke Esgarott spoke.

"So then. Would you care to explain what just happened, Yustea."

Yustea, who had been anxiously checking Aslan over, went "Ah" and straightened up. Then she looked toward a corner—at the man still bound tightly in place.

Benjamin.

Now that the White Dragon has appeared, there's no way the Old Empire Reconstruction Society won't come up. If she stayed silent here, she could be implicated in it herself. Benjamin seemed to sense as much; he let out a sigh. Yustea pointed at him.

"The Old Empire Reconstruction Society."

"...What?"

"What did she just say?"

Uproar erupted once more inside the half-destroyed grand assembly hall. The loudest shout by far belonged to Marquis Becker—Benjamin's father. His face gone white, he bellowed,

"What kind of nonsense is that—!"

Night. Sprawled face-down on the sofa, I let out a groan.

"Great power ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠comes with great pain, I guess..."

"You overdid it just because the Essence of Joy boosted your mana."

Yuis clicked his tongue and set an ice pack on the back of my neck. My whole body felt locked up. I had been tensing every muscle to keep that powerful mana flowing for so long.

"Marquis Becker didn't know Benjamin was with the Old Empire Reconstruction Society, did he?"

"Doesn't look like it."

It had not been an act. His face had gone deathly pale looking at Benjamin. He had worked his mouth soundlessly, wearing an expression of utter disbelief, before finally squeezing out a voice.

"It's a lie. Isn't it."

"..."

"Say something. Benjamin."

"..."

"You should be telling me this is a misunderstanding—!"

Benjamin had merely smiled.

"How unfortunate. ...Father."

I rolled over and looked at Yuis. He frowned.

"The ice pack's going to fall off."

"Didn't you say Benjamin isn't actually the marchioness's son?"

"Right. The marquis and marchioness never had children. So the marquis brought in Benjamin, the son he had with a foreign woman."

"When was that?"

"Around age ten, I think."

"Then that foreign mother was probably with the Old Empire Reconstruction Society."

"Looks that way."

Benjamin had been imprisoned on the spot. The news reached the imperial palace through an emergency channel. Needless to say, the Emperor and the Temple were in an uproar. And then...

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't expect Marquis Andres to throw Marquis Becker in a cell too."

At Yuis's words, I sat up. Pressing the ice pack to my neck, I said,

"It's to threaten Benjamin."

"Keep quiet about your dealings with Andres if you want your father to live? Not sure that'll work."

"Why not?"

"House Becker did a lot of ugly things to turn Benjamin into a presentable heir."

"Abuse?"

"Something like that."

"Wonder how that'll play out."

From Esgarott's perspective, there was nothing to lose. I grinned. If two of the Seven Houses crumbled, we would just divide the spoils nicely.

That was when a knock came at the door. Yuis and I locked eyes. Who at this hour? It was already ten. I nodded, and Yuis opened the door. The moment he saw who it was, his face went rigid. He was not the only one. I stood as well, staring at our visitor with a hard expression.

"What brings the Marquis here."

...It was Marquis Andres.

"Come with me."

"I don't believe whatever you have to say required a visit at this hour."

"Shall I have you dragged out."

The marquis was not looking at me. He was looking at Yuis. Meaning the one who would be dragged out was not me—it was Yuis. I frowned at Marquis Andres, but he showed no sign of backing down.

"I'll go. Don't lay a hand on Yuis."

"My lady...!"

Yuis scowled, but I raised a hand lightly to stop him. The heads of the Seven Houses were in this castle. Which meant Duke Esgarott was here. And Dad, too. He would not dare do anything to me. I shot Yuis a look. If I'm not back soon, get the Duke or Dad. That was the message. Yuis nodded, looking like he had no choice. I followed the marquis out.

The corridor was pitch-dark. The only sounds were our footsteps and an owl calling somewhere in the distance. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I followed in silence at first, but once we reached the outside of the castle, I could not hold it in.

"Where are we going."

"Shall we try the harbor."

"You know that's absurd."

"You seemed rather skilled at doing absurd things."

Marquis Andres glanced at me. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted.

"'I'll give you this, so don't touch our dad.' ...Was that it?"

"..."

I clamped my mouth shut. I had shouted that, facing down the White Dragon. And then I had thrown Marquis Andres at it.

"Or was it not."

"It was 'Don't touch our dad. I'll give you this instead.' ...That's what I said."

"Close enough."

"I'll follow quietly, so at least tell me where we're going..."

I sighed. Then the marquis said,

"The rear garden."

"...The garden?"

"Didn't you say you'd follow quietly."

I was not pleased, but I had given my word, so I followed him for now. We arrived at the rear garden together. And what I found there was...

"...What is this?"

Daisies. Planted everywhere. Just this morning, the garden had been full of china asters—stellas, that is. No matter where I looked, it was nothing but daisies.

"Your mother planted a great many daisies in this garden."

"She did..."

"Was it your fourth or fifth birthday."

"...I was six."

"I remember you loved them."

"Yes. And when Stella came to this house, you tore that flowerbed up as a 'celebration' and planted stella flowers instead."

Mother had been furious. It had hurt me so much I had forced a smile and said it was fine. Mother had stroked my hair as I pretended to sleep, and wept without end.

"I'll wake your mother."

"...What?"

"If she didn't collapse from illness, you'll need the Crown of Spiral. I can give it to you."

"...!"

My heart hammered. He could wake Mother? Right now? I swallowed dryly.

"I..."

"..."

"Do that, and I'll wake your mother."

In the instant I went utterly still—

The voice cut through the wind.