Divergence
Divergence
"Don't just lie there. Get up."
"Gaaah!?"
Wiiing-
I pull the Nanobot Cell Activator from the third joint part of my pinky finger and inject it into the fainted Ancient Dragon.
With a crunching sound, the shattered jawbone rises back up and regenerates perfectly.
"As expected of Trixie. You extend the healing power you once bestowed upon my mother even to your adversary. Because you possess a beautiful soul—infinitely strong, principled, noble, and admirable enough to forgive someone who tried to kill you—you radiate a charm that captivates even me, the pickiest of them all."
"Ind-indeed... to show mercy to the defeated, certainly..."
"Even we dragons never spare an opponent who has challenged us to a glorious battle. Perhaps that Trixie is the one who truly possesses the capacity befitting a world arbiter."
"It is an auspicious harmony of immense power, enough to bring everyone to their knees, and a mature personality that makes everyone bow their heads of their own accord!"
Should I kill these annoying things or not?
Seeing the dragons agree with Tenebris's bullshit gives me mixed feelings.
It pisses me off that they flipped their stance immediately after I pressed them down once; it's not noble at all, it's spineless.
It's also embarrassing that they keep over-praising me for something I'm doing for my own benefit.
Well, anyway, it's good for me if they act cooperatively.
The recovered Ashtangite asks, hesitating.
"...Why, Trixie? I tried to kill you with all my might...."
Even though the mountain-like giant was looking down at me, he now looked somewhat small and helpless, like an old man with a hunched back.
"You mean why I showed such unnecessary mercy."
"Indeed. Even though I was defeated by you, I am still a being capable of harming the city and the people you hold dear. In a fight that I started, it would be your natural right—which no one here could criticize—to take the life of the loser to ensure future safety and establish your own authority. Yet you, Trixie, did not do so. Instead, you went beyond sparing me and restored me to perfect condition. How could I not be curious about the reason behind that?"
The Ancient Dragon's gaze looking at me was completely different from the previous hostility.
Pure curiosity and goodwill.
I answered readily.
"It is because I know your character."
"Character?"
"You are the arbiters of the world, aren't you? Protecting the order of this chaotic land, and desiring world peace more sincerely than anyone else."
"What...? C-could it be...."
Ashtangite opens his mouth in shock.
I continued.
"Yes, because dragons are born as noble beings who desire the radiance of many souls."
Thump-!
As if a massive shockwave swept through the dragons, a huge change occurs in the gazes of those looking at me.
'It was a bit fuzzy, but I guess they understood roughly.'
It's been 10 years so I don't remember well, but this is the scene where the Saintess was acknowledged by the dragons.
"...Trixie, do you truly recognize our mission?"
"Yes. Everyone considers dragons an incomprehensible disaster, but I know your true intentions. Since I know the underlying reason you are bound to the world, there is no need to exclude you."
"...Unbelievable."
The secret to how the Saintess captured the hearts of the dragons.
The Saintess, who could soothe others' souls, peeked into the souls of the dragons—the strongest race in the world—and understood their destiny.
The restriction that came with their massive bodies and power, which no one could approach, was, as they said, the duty to protect the world's order.
It's not that dragons were particularly noble or moral beings, which is why they boasted about arbitrating the world and protecting order.
It's just that, like how a person dies if they don't breathe.
Dragons were beings whose souls would die if they didn't follow the mission assigned to their race.
Well, that mission is about pursuing the radiance of countless souls...
It's an abstract concept that lacks consistency and jumps around depending on the interpreter, though.
"Trixie. I failed to recognize a noble person."
"Th-the Ancient Dragon..."
"He acknowledged her."
Swish-
Ashtangite bows his massive dragon head toward me.
"I thought that you, who are excessively strong, and your city, which has developed noticeably, would bring chaos to the world and harm its order. Therefore, despite being in an important position leading my kin, I rashly imposed my prejudices and clouded their vision. Of course, among them, there are admirable ones who set their own firm standards and escaped this old man's murky and blurry outlook."
Ashtangite slowly looked at the Black Dragon clan.
Tenebris and Aurelion spoke respectively.
"Trixie's soul shines brighter than any soul I have ever met. I saw it clearly. Beside Trixie, who possesses such a brilliantly shining soul, the dull souls of Lunatium are also shining together. I think it is only natural to consider that she is on the side that solidifies the beauty we pursue."
"Ancient Dragon! Just as Trixie did for you, she prevented the inevitable death that was approaching my friend and wife, Luminarix. The reason I brought Trixie to the meeting is also because she is our rightful friend who is qualified to be invited here."
"...Luminarix crossed the threshold of life and death, what on earth does that mean?"
Ashtangite tilted his head.
It was then.
"It is true that I escaped the crisis of death thanks to Miss Trixie, oh majestic Ancient Dragon."
"Mother...!"
"Luminarix! You've returned!"
Hugg-
The Black Dragon family reunited thanks to the mother dragon who had arrived at some point.
Luminarix looked at the tiny mechanical girl, who was smaller than a fist, with melancholic eyes and explained the situation.
"The Empire dared to betray the trust of the dragons."
"Wh-what...?!"
"The humans of the Empire, lost in debauchery and pleasure, plotted to murder me by exploiting the friendship between dragons and the Empire that has lasted for thousands of years. I received the grace of escaping from that petty and sticky malice of murder thanks to Trixie. I submit that Trixie is truly a companion who has brought virtue to our clan."
Whisper whisper-
The dragons are bewildered by the news of being backstabbed.
I was just as confused.
No, wait.
The start is supposed to be the Saintess of the Empire nursing and seducing Tenebris's mother, who is dying from an unexplained injury.
But the one who injured Tenebris's mother was actually the Empire?
This sounds like a backstory that wasn't even in the novel, what on earth is going on?
As my thoughts spin rapidly, Ashtangite declares.
"Trixie. I know well that the path you wish to take does not conflict with ours at all. Even though you were striving to realize justice and human ethics in the world, I had kept my eyes closed and ears shut, ignoring it. Listen, my kin!"
///
Bang-!
Bang-!
Lunatium Sector A-1, my precious luxury office on the 256th floor overlooking the entire view of Lunatium.
Fireworks go off brightly and loudly right in front of the floor-to-ceiling window several times.
Are they trying to blind and deafen me at the same time?
[General Director! How is it, how is it? Isn't it cool?! We collaborated with the Administration Bureau to host it! That stingy Administration Bureau AI guy, even though he refused saying he had too much work, once I showed him the super cool satellite photo of Trixie-nim, he pretended to give in and processed it right away!]
Swish-
Elara giggles while unfolding a paper newspaper that doesn't fit the era.
{!!General Director Trixie, Overwhelms Even the Dragons!!}
{!!!General Director Trixie, Receives a Pledge of Loyalty from the Dragons!!!}
On the top of the front page of the newspaper, there's a picture of me stretching out on top of Ashtangite after taking him down. In the bottom right, there was a picture of Ashtangite bowing his head to me, displayed proudly.
On the back, there was also news neatly written that a city-wide festival would be held from midnight today to commemorate this historic event.
Rip!
Of course, I tore it up immediately.
"Are you guys crazy, wasting resources and taxes, AIs?"
[Eeeeng- whyyy- we're just trying to widely announce and preserve Trixie-nim's heroic deeds that should be permanently recorded in world history!]
"Elara. Valkyria. What kind of nonsense are you two pulling together...."
<We are simply firing ceremonial artillery to boost the morale of the military, and to ensure that the soldiers can emulate the General Director's actions, which serve as an example to others.>
Thud-!
As if it were just fireworks.
Hearing the sound of heavy high-mass railguns firing into the sky all night, my mind goes blank.
"Skipping over me, the General Director, deciding and executing city policies on your own—why don't you guys just be the directors."
[Valkyria is the Defense Director!]
<Elara is already the Management Director.>
"Ugh."
I seriously consider shutting down the autonomous AI assistants who, for some reason, are ganging up on me and refusing to back down.
The serious noise pollution continuing until dawn, the infringement on the sleep rights of millions of citizens, the drop in productivity the next day, the holes in the security network, the budget and time wasted on useless festivals and records....
I held my throbbing head and leaned against the window, looking outside.
The city view with colorful headlights illuminating the sky here and there.
Advertising billboards filled entirely with my photos and heroic deeds.
A neon drone show depicting me in a deformed style standing on top of a dragon with X-shaped eyes and its tongue sticking out, fainted.
And working-class children walking the streets, smiling brightly with their families.
"...I'll let the most important violation of portrait rights slide. Just make sure to wrap it up well without any accidents."
[Yes!~]
<Of course.>
Leaving the AIs alone, who keep giggling for some reason.
I thought.
'In the first place, this is the time when the Saintess should have been bickering and romancing with Tenebris....'
Now, 10 years after I possessed this body.
With Luminarix's injury incident, it has become certain that this is the early part of the story.
The Empire in the early part of the novel was relatively peaceful.
It's natural, since the Saintess had to drink black tea, walk in the garden, and film a "Kya-kya" romance with her reverse-harem members.
The story heading toward war was quite late, and even then, it was a civil war within the Empire against rebellious noble territories; I remember Lunatium or other non-human nations weren't even mentioned.
But now, for some reason, it's a hair-trigger situation where they are threatening to wage war on Lunatium.
On top of this, there's even the tearful testimony of the victim herself that Imperial soldiers tried to harm Luminarix.
'Something is definitely wrong.'
It started to diverge from the novel.
I feel like I'm missing one important connection point that links all of this, but I have no idea what it is.
"Well, if I keep smashing things, I'll find out someday."
Just like I've done so far.
.
.
.
Grind.
The Saintess's fingernails were bitten down.