Higashino Makoto put down his teacup and looked at him.
"You're welcome. I didn't do this for you."
The prime minister was taken aback.
"So you're doing this for --"
"For her."
Higashino Makoto glanced at Draudillon.
"After all, Her Majesty the Queen has already paid a sufficient price."
The prime minister followed his gaze and saw Draudillon standing by the window, her long black hair fluttering in the morning breeze, her white dress gleaming softly in the sunlight.
A slight smile played on her lips, her face flushed, as she turned her head to the side.
That's not the Queen's smile.
That wasn't the Black-Scaled Dragon Lord's smile.
Rather, it's a smile that feels protected, reassuring, and warm.
The prime minister looked at that smile and felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
He has been with Draudillon for over twenty years.
He had seen her cry, seen her angry, seen her desperate, and seen her sitting alone by the window late at night, gazing north.
That land ravaged by Orc.
He remained silent.
But he had never seen her smile like that before.
A reassuring, warm smile, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders.
"Mr. Higashino."
The prime minister's voice became serious.
"You just said that these twelve angels... are they really that powerful?"
Higashino Makoto glanced at him.
You don't believe me?
It's not that I don't believe it, it's that I want to see it for myself.
Higashino Makoto stood up and walked to the window.
"Then let's go take a look."
He turned his head and looked at Draudillon.
"Draudillon, let your angel show us."
Draudillon nodded, pondered for a moment, and the four of them arrived together at an abandoned fortress behind the imperial city.
She walked to the window, took a deep breath, and then spoke.
"Angel."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and firm.
"Show your strength. Target: the abandoned fortress."
The twelve angels moved at the same time.
They turned around and faced the eastern wall of the fortress.
That was the only intact wall in this abandoned fortress.
As the fortress that once housed the Rainbow Dragon Lord, it was built with extreme luxury and sturdiness.
Although now, only a small portion remains.
It was an ancient city wall made of granite, about fifteen meters high and five meters thick, which had stood there for hundreds of years, witnessing the rise and fall of the Dragon Kingdom.
An angel raised a spear in its hand.
Golden light gathered at the tip of the spear, growing brighter and brighter until it was too bright to look at directly.
Then it threw its spear.
The light ripped through the air with a piercing shriek. The moment it struck the city wall, there was no explosion, no roar, only a piercing sensation as if a hot knife were cutting through butter.
The golden spear pierced through the granite city wall as easily as if it were tofu, flew out from the other side, continued flying forward for hundreds of meters, and then disappeared into the sky.
A circular hole about one meter in diameter was left in the city wall, with smooth, mirror-like edges, as if it had been formed by something that had melted and cooled instantly at an extremely high temperature.
The prime minister stood by the window, staring at the round hole, his gray eyes wide open.
"This... this..."
His voice was trembling.
"This was just an angel's attack."
Draudillon's voice was calm, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.
"If all twelve attack together, they can raze a city to the ground within an hour."
The prime minister remained silent.
He turned around and looked at Higashino Makoto.
The silver-haired man was leaning against the window frame, arms crossed, his dark eyes staring calmly at the round hole, as if it were all part of his plan.
"Mr. Higashino."
The prime minister walked up to him and bowed deeply.
This time, he bent down even lower than before.
"Your Majesty... has a request that I may make."
"Explain."
"Please, Mr. Higashino... stay in the Dragon Kingdom, stay by the princess's side."
Higashino Makoto raised an eyebrow.
"Stay in the Dragon Kingdom?"
"Yes."
The prime minister straightened up, a certain light gleaming in his gray eyes.
"Not as a guest, not as an ally, but as a guardian of the Dragon Kingdom. As Her Majesty the Queen—"
He paused.
"--companion."
"A prince of the Dragon Kingdom."
The room fell silent.
Draudillon's face flushed red.
"Prime Minister... Prime Minister! What are you saying?!"
Her voice was sharp, tinged with panic.
"His Majesty."
The prime minister turned around to face Draudillon, his expression serious and earnest.
"I have followed you for over twenty years. I know what you are thinking. I also know what you are worried about."
He paused.
"But what I must say is that the people of the Dragon Kingdom need you. And you need him."
Draudillon opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.
"You're worried that if someone finds out you have a crush on someone, it will affect team unity."
The prime minister continued.
"But have you considered that if that person were powerful enough to deter any enemy from invading the Dragon Kingdom, powerful enough to make the people feel safe, powerful enough to deter those with ill intentions from making any rash moves, would the people oppose him?"
Draudillon remained silent.
"Won't."
The prime minister answered for her.
"The people will not object. They will cheer. Because they will finally no longer be afraid. Because they can finally sleep peacefully at night. Because their children will no longer be conscripted to the battlefield."
He turned around and looked at Higashino Makoto.
"Mr. Higashino, I don't know who you are, where you come from, or what you want. But I do know one thing: you saved the people of the Dragon Kingdom. You gave them hope. You gave them safety."
He bowed deeply.
"Therefore, I implore you to stay. Not for my sake, not for Your Majesty's sake, but for those who need you."
The room remained quiet for a long time.
Higashino Makoto looked at the prime minister, a complex light flashing in his dark eyes.
"You..."
He finally spoke, his tone indifferent.
"You're quite eloquent."
The prime minister straightened up, his gray eyes looking at him.
"I am only telling the truth."
Higashino Makoto chuckled softly.
"That's quite interesting."
He turned around, walked to the window, and looked out at the sunlit land.
"However, I refuse. Leaving these twelve angels is enough to protect our country from Orc invasion. That was agreed upon yesterday, wasn't it, Draudillon?"
"Um."
Draudillon lowered her head and looked at her fingers.
"That's right, it was all agreed upon..."
Her voice was very soft.
Higashino Makoto looked at her for two seconds, then nodded.
"That's right, this earnest and calm Dragon King Princess is exactly the kind of person I like."
He said.
"I will be staying in the Dragon Kingdom for a short time. If there's anything I need you to do during this time, please let me know. There are very few things in this world that I can't do."
Draudillon raised her head, tears glistening in her dark eyes.
"Thanks."
Her voice was hoarse.
"Thank you, Mr. Higashino."
Higashino Makoto waved his hand.
"Don't thank me yet. I'm only allowing you to make your request, not saying I'll definitely agree."
Draudillon paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Good."
She turned around and walked towards the door.
After walking a few steps, she stopped and turned around.
"Prime Minister."
"Exist."
"Come on in too. You haven't had breakfast either, have you?"
The prime minister hesitated for a moment.
"Minister..."
"That's an order."
The prime minister was silent for a moment, then bowed slightly.
"Yes, sir."
He followed Draudillon out of the room.
As he passed by Higashino Makoto, he stopped and whispered something.
"Mr. Higashino, what I just said was sincere."
Higashino Makoto glanced at him.
"I know."
So your answer is--
"I told you, I'll be staying for a while."
"And then what?"
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
"We'll talk about the rest later. Oh, and remember not to spread my name around; I went a bit overboard this time."
The prime minister looked at him for two seconds, then nodded.
"Your subject understands."
He stepped out of the room.
Higashino Makoto stood there, watching his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"A very good prime minister."
Kurumi walked to his side, her right eye curving into a crescent moon.
"Oh dear, sir, you seem to like him quite a bit?"
I wouldn't say I like it, but I don't dislike it either.
Higashino Makoto strode towards the door.
"Let's go get breakfast. If we don't go soon, Draudillon will eat it all."
"Yes, sir."
Kurumi lifted her skirt and followed.
The black cat "Zafkiel" jumped down from the windowsill and trotted to follow the two at their feet, its tail held high.
The morning light streamed into the corridor, casting the three people's shadows onto the ground, where they overlapped.
In the distance, the aroma of breakfast wafted from the direction of the restaurant, a blend of the sweetness of bread, butter, and honey.
Higashino Makoto walked down the corridor, his dark eyes fixed ahead, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Dragon Kingdom.
Another country that needs to be protected.
Yet another queen who needs protection.
Another one...
He shook his head, trying to clear those chaotic thoughts from his mind.
"Eat breakfast first."
He said in a low voice.
"Let's eat first and then talk."
Kurumi chuckled softly behind him.
"The master is right."