Lucius's Conspiracy
Even in her exhausted state, summoning a single Undine was still possible. In fact, she could do more than simply call one forth—she could send it to linger near Dot, who was surely lurking somewhere inside the Klein Ducal House.
Keeping it there forever would be impossible. A day at most, maybe up to a month if I push it. Anything longer… would be beyond my current strength.
She remembered something she had overheard during her time as an Eina. The main residence of the Klein Ducal House was protected by a barrier that repelled negative magic and spirits. Monitoring Dot’s every move would be impossible, but she had to try something. Even the smallest clue would be worth it.
If she kept the Undine just outside the barrier’s reach, it might work.
If I’m unlucky, it’ll be driven off or dispelled within a single day.
She had a rough sense of her own limits. A spirit mage relying on affinity could never keep their spirit near someone else for long, but Pay, whose water magic was unparalleled, could manage it. Maintaining the Undine with pure mana would be taxing, yet it was doable.
“…All right. Summon Undine!”
A tiny, winged Undine appeared in her palm. Through mental command, Pay ordered it to go to “the Eina named Dorothea inside the Klein Ducal House.” The moment the spirit flew off, all tension drained from her body.
“Ugh…”
She lacked even the strength to watch the Undine disappear beyond the window. Staggering to her bed, she collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Pay woke, threw on a coat, and stepped into Lucius’s teleportation circle without thinking. She had summoned the Undine the day before and was still tired; she would have preferred to sleep longer. There had been no time to ask what was waiting at the destination or whether he had seen Dot.
The spell activated instantly. The air around her changed, and her eyes flew open.
“This place…!”
“This should be far enough, don’t you think?”
Lucius spoke with unmistakable satisfaction, and any lingering drowsiness vanished at once.
Beyond the wide plateau stretched a faint mountain range. Pay looked around in confusion.
“What happened? Where exactly are we?”
“I don’t know the name. It’s a place I vaguely remember from long ago. We’re on a mountain. Hm, this should do. Momo! Return to your original form.”
Time had eroded the terrain slightly, but it was still recognizable to Lucius’s eyes. This was the very plateau where slaves had once fled during the final days of the old Sharp Empire, pouring every ounce of strength into their revolution.
Back then, helping them at the start and then watching them fight to the death had been rather entertaining.
Despite being an ancient dragon, Lucius was unusually interested in human affairs—unlike most of his kind. That same curiosity was probably why he was doing something unnecessary now: staying by Pay’s side.
“Gaaaaah!”
“If you’re going to carry us, lower your head. Do you think you’re a dragon?”
When Momo, returned to his full Drakan form, let out a thunderous roar, Lucius immediately scolded him. Pay smiled at the sight of the fierce creature meekly ducking its head.
“Hehe.”
The mighty Moitetra Banus looked like nothing more than a spiky puppy in front of Lucius. Could he really be a true dragon? No, he had to be an elven mage.
“You’re laughing?”
Even when Lucius wore a menacing expression, Pay felt no threat at all.
“…Lord Lucius, you really are an amusing mage. I’ve never heard anyone say such things before.”
“Impossible. You’re the first human who can smile so calmly right in front of me.”
Pay shook her head, still smiling.
“That can’t be true. Holtdein was very fond of you, wasn’t he?”
“I have no need for a man’s interest. Most women are the same! Why are humans so oblivious and reckless?”
He had always been baffled by the ancient human women who boldly called themselves his bride. Looking at the innocent Pay now, those long-buried memories threatened to resurface.
“If you hadn’t lived alone for so long, Lord Lucius, I think everyone would feel the same. Or perhaps… you were so terrifying that no one dared speak in your presence.”
“…Both are probably correct.”
He had never once fallen in love while indulging in his amusements. Being swayed by such trivial emotions would mean he was no longer a dragon. That fact was both his quiet pride and his badge of honor.
“Pardon?”
“Enough. Let’s get on.”
Lucius snapped his fingers. A magical saddle formed on Momo’s lowered back, settling into place with a metallic clink.
“Wow, that’s incredible! I’m hopeless at delicate magic, yet you can do things like this so easily.”
“If you know that, then…!”
He started to retort, then stopped short. Then what? You’ll serve me? Or should I tell you to remember how you once killed me? What happened to you after that?
Damn it.
Time-reversal magic had been his only option, but now that it had succeeded, questioning the past felt strangely difficult. Besides, “Morgana” had almost certainly been in an unconscious state and unaware of whose descendant she was. When he attacked the Klein Ducal House, he hadn’t observed her for long, yet she had shown none of the arrogance typical of nobles.
His pride was on the verge of crumbling to pieces in front of Pay, who knew nothing. Even now he kept reminding himself never to return to his true form in front of this woman. How ridiculous.
“Forget it. Just get on already.”
He barked the order for no reason.
“Are you riding with me, Lord Lucius?”
“Hmph. I don’t want to watch you fall off.”
Grumbling, Lucius took Pay’s hand and helped her onto the saddle. Soon the Drakan soared through the open sky, carrying only the two of them.
The moment Momo’s feet left the ground, Pay’s excitement was obvious.
“Waaah!”
“Windy Shield! Do you even realize you’re a human mage?”
They were on a plateau where the air was already thin. When Pay failed to wrap herself in atmospheric magic, Lucius hurriedly cast a spell and shouted.
As a dragon, even in human form he was fine, but she was not. He belatedly remembered that her specialty was water magic, yet that hardly mattered now. She was in danger of collapsing from lack of oxygen, yet she only stared in wonder.
I can’t leave her alone. She’s so reckless she’d probably die wandering off by herself. That’s… that’s all it is! I simply need to observe her closely to restore the pride she once shattered!
The excuse for traveling with a mere human—one who had defeated him in the previous timeline—was forming in his mind.
Pay, oblivious, pointed excitedly at the landscape.
“Look over there, Lord Lucius! There are incredibly sharp mountains. Smoke is rising from the peaks—could they be volcanoes?”
“Hey, Momo! Watch your direction! Are you trying to make me bathe in volcanic ash? If even a speck of dust lands on my collar, you’re finished.”
At Lucius’s scolding, Momo veered sharply away, tears welling in his eyes. He reminisced about the peaceful days he had spent alone with a gentle, kind female mage among humans…
Not long after changing course, the world’s most vicious and demanding dragon roared again.
“There’s a herd of mountain goats over there—it’ll stink! Go somewhere else, you stupid salamander! How is it possible you have no learning ability? Is that head of yours just for decoration?”
Thick, hot tears dripped from the wronged Drakan’s eyes. Who was calling whom intellectually inferior? They looked somewhat similar, so couldn’t he at least be a little kinder?
That day, after enjoying the flight with Pay and returning to the Magic Tower, Lucius made a firm resolution.
I’ll raise Pay into a 9th-circle mage. Then I’ll fight her on equal terms in human form. And… I’ll make her taste a crushing defeat. She needs to realize that no matter how hard she tries, she’ll always be beneath me…! Yes, that’s it!
Having made his plan without deciding what to do after defeating her, Lucius went to sleep feeling quite satisfied.
Well… I could casually suggest she read some ancient texts about ancient dragons. Then she’d figure out who I am. She’d tremble in fear, wouldn’t she?
“Hehehe.”
His lips twitched in pleasure as he drifted off, lost in sweet imagination.
* * *
The fruit festival that had stirred the capital for days finally came to an end. More shocking than the festival itself was the fact that the Klein Duchess had personally confirmed the long-standing rumors. High society was now reeling from the unexpected aftermath.
The imminent return of the Klein daughter who had gone missing as a child, along with the news that an Eina candidate would soon be chosen to serve her, gave the social circles plenty of gossip to chew on for years to come. Rather than the daughter whose appearance no one knew, talk centered on the Eina who would care for her until her engagement and marriage were safely concluded.
Because the woman named Dorothea was a commoner, it was all too easy to embellish stories and spread rumors about her. Among young ladies and noblewomen, “the ducal house’s Eina” had become the hottest topic. Yet there was one place that remained strangely quiet amid the storm—the Duke of Klein’s study.
“I suppose I should visit Grace Monastery today.”
“I’ll escort you.”
“You will?”
“Yes. I’d like to act like a son for once.”
“In that case, I have no reason to refuse. Let’s depart at once.”
The Duke regarded his eldest son, who was behaving so respectfully, with fond eyes. Since Cassel’s return, even the second son, Morris, had regained his focus and was once again devoting himself to training. In many ways, his firstborn was a blessing, a pillar, a source of strength—more than that.
During the four years Cassel had been away from the capital, many things had happened. The Duke had been too busy filling the gaps in information to even reach out to Grace Monastery, where Dorothea had supposedly stayed. Now, following his father, Cassel had no particular intention beyond accompanying him.