-Gazing out the window, taking in the things that made up the scenery, Rem quietly narrowed her eyes.
In the manor's garden, a flying dragon rested its wings, with a soldier beside it feeding it.
The normally terrifying, ferocious flying dragon now had a gentle look in its eyes and made affectionate noises as the soldier fed it by hand.
Flying dragons were said to be vicious by nature, and Rem had in fact witnessed their danger firsthand, so the sight of one being friendly with a human was truly shocking to her.
Proud dragons would never grow close to humans, a girl who seemed very knowledgeable about dragons had once warned her. Surely that girl would not complain if she thought she was wrong.
"You look troubled."
A voice suddenly came from behind Rem as she gazed into the garden. Since the person had approached with audible footsteps, Rem had already noticed someone coming and was not surprised.
She simply did not know the person, and this place was new to her as well, so she was still a little tense.
"I didn't know I looked troubled, but I was thinking about something. This isn't somewhere I came of my own free will."
"Hehe, you express yourself very clearly. You're a straightforward person."
"...Who are you?"
Rem had been brought to a room. The entire building was so grand that even a prisoner's room was luxurious. Leaning against the back of a chair so fine that she felt uneasy sitting in it, Rem asked the old man who had entered the room who he was.
He was an elderly man with white hair, a white beard, and eyes as narrow as threads. From his manner, his age, and the respectful bows of the soldiers watching Rem, she could surmise that he held a considerably high position.
Faced with Rem's unreserved stare, the old man lightly waved a hand, urging the soldiers to leave the room.
The soldiers silently obeyed, saluting before leaving. With no one left in the room to interfere, the old man gestured toward the seat opposite Rem.
"May I sit?"
"...Please do."
Rem nodded, and the old man slowly sat down. Facing the girl, he stroked his chin with his fingers.
"Have you heard nothing about me?"
"No. I was only ordered to heal and rest, and told I'd be killed if I tried anything."
Recalling the words of the manor's mistress-Madelyn, who refused to listen to anything anyone said-Rem shook her head.
People had been assigned to watch her and ordered not to let her escape. It was house arrest in every sense. Although she had no intention of escaping, being treated this way was unpleasant.
"I see. It seems there are some slight problems with how our guest has been treated. I shall remind First General Madelyn to be more mindful."
"...She listens to you?"
The unidentified old man's words left Rem dumbfounded. Having spent a stretch of time neither long nor short with Madelyn on a flying dragon from the fortress city to this manor, Rem had struggled considerably with how to communicate with her.
Her impression was that Madelyn was stubborn and obstinate, but straightforward enough to be coaxed a little, which left some hope.
"I think she dislikes being told what to do. Whatever she's told, she seems to immediately get angry and turn violent..."
As she voiced her opinion, Rem folded her hands. Thinking calmly about it, what right did she have to say that? It was shameful that she herself had refused to listen and broken the other person's fingers. But the sight of Rem reflecting on herself made the old man chuckle.
"Hehe. You're essentially correct. It is painful for me to hear as well. In fact, she failed to follow her instructions properly this time too. However-"
"-"
"This time, it seems other factors played a greater part than First General Madelyn's mood."
The old man's lips formed a smile, but there was no laughter in his voice. Appraised by eyes so narrow that their pupils were invisible, Rem held her breath slightly.
His gaze treated Rem as the "other factors" he had mentioned. And she had consequently brought about a result the old man before her had not wanted.
"...Who exactly are you?"
"My apologies for introducing myself so late. I am Berstetz Fondalfon, granted the office of chancellor by His Majesty the Emperor of this Holy Vollachian Empire."
"Chancellor, Berstetz..."
The old man who bowed courteously in answer was Berstetz Fondalfon. Hearing his name and title, Rem's cheeks stiffened further, and her shoulders grew tenser. She had heard both the name and the title before.
"Then you're..."
"Yes.-I am an enemy of His Majesty Vincent Vollachia."
"-"
He admitted it without the slightest hesitation, and Rem did not know what to say next. She had never expected him to acknowledge his own rebellion so directly.
At the same time, finding that she herself had stepped into the place closest to the heart of the incident made Rem feel especially out of place.
The one who should have been here was not her, but Abel, Priscilla, or Subaru.
At that thought, Rem felt thankful that Subaru was not here.
"If he were here, he would definitely do something reckless all on his own..."
There was no questioning the boy's daring or his unconventional imagination.
Even in a situation like this, he would probably cause some unexpected incident beyond anything Rem could imagine.
From that perspective, his absence when the flying dragons attacked the city had been for the best. Nothing he could have done in that situation would have turned the tide; it would only have added needless casualties.
But-
"-"
But once he learned that Madelyn had taken her away, what would he think? Merely imagining it hurt as though someone were gouging through her chest with a sharp blade.
"-. You know that Mr. Abel is the real emperor."
Forcing herself to ignore the pain of having her chest cut open, Rem questioned Berstetz. His tone remained calm as he answered.
"Yes, of course. Allowing him to escape was a serious blunder, but everything afterward proceeded according to plan. No, I should say it had been proceeding according to plan. In fact, Guaral's destruction ended halfway through."
"Why did you turn against Mr. Abel? I can't even imagine how much resolve a rebellion takes... Was it because of Mr. Abel's character?"
"Those beneath an emperor, who stands at the pinnacle of a nation, do not demand character of him. Personal feelings and emotions are utterly insignificant from the perspective of governing a nation. What is required is ability, along with the trust and achievements that show he can fulfill his responsibilities."
Berstetz slowly shook his head, neither his voice nor his expression betraying emotion as he answered. His tone was utterly firm, and not even an eyebrow moved.
Unlike Rem, with her meager life experience, Berstetz's excellent negotiating skills made it impossible to read his thoughts. Still, Rem wanted to believe him when he said Abel's personal character was not the reason for the rebellion. She had witnessed so many people injured and killed in the fortress city.
If the motive was Abel's unpleasant personality, then not only the dead, but Rem herself could not accept it.
"So Mr. Abel was exiled because he lost his qualifications to be emperor?"
"Exile was not the intention. That was merely the outcome."
"Mr. Abel is an outstanding person... That's what I think. Even so, he lacked the credibility and achievements required of an emperor. Is that it?"
Why did she have to speak up for Abel? Rem herself found it puzzling, but she listened and spoke carefully so that she could come to terms with what troubled her.
In fact, setting his combat ability aside, Abel was exceptional in both his reasoning and his breadth of knowledge.
Mizelda, Medium, and even Subaru did as he said, which also proved that he possessed the leadership to persuade others to accept his opinions.
Even so, he was not qualified to be emperor? Then who could possibly fill the role?
"I have yet to ask your name, Miss Healer."
"...Apparently, it's Rem."
"Hmm."
Partly wishing to express her distaste for Berstetz, she gave it as something she had heard.
Even Rem had long since accepted that her name was "Rem." Since she had introduced herself to Priscilla-or perhaps since she had allowed Subaru to call her that. In any case, Berstetz familiarized his tongue with the name and exhaled softly.
"-Miss Rem, how many heirs do you believe His Majesty the Emperor currently has?"
"Heirs... Um, you mean children and such, right?"
"Precisely."
Berstetz nodded quietly, and Abel's figure came to Rem's mind.
Though she had lost her memories, she had not lost the many things she had learned before her amnesia. She still remembered how humans reproduced. But could Abel really build that sort of relationship with someone else? Rem had her doubts. For that matter, she truly could not think of a woman who would be suited to stand beside him.
"I can't imagine it. Doesn't he have none?"
"-. You understand well. As you say, he has none."
"Ah, I thought so. Perhaps saying that is very-"
Rude to Mr. Abel. But Rem stopped there. It was not because Berstetz had said anything or interrupted her by telling her to be quiet.
The silent old man had merely opened his threadlike eyes a little, enough for their pupils to become visible. Facing him, Rem was so startled by the unbelievable menace that her throat froze.
Berstetz's hands had been resting quietly on the low table between them. Now, though he said nothing, his entire body radiated anger of unimaginable intensity.
"His Majesty has no heir.-That is the problem."
"-Ah."
"The empire must be fierce and strong. Otherwise, this nation..."
Before Rem, who could only draw hoarse breaths with effort, Berstetz stopped midway, unclenched his fists, and exhaled. Then his pupils disappeared behind his eyelids again, and he looked at Rem.
"Forgive me. This is my first rebellion as well, and I must admit I am somewhat unsettled."
"...Why are you telling me all this?"
"-"
"There should be no need to let me hear any of that."
Berstetz's words just now had carried no personal emotion, yet they had been infused with something heavier and clearer.
Although she did not think they were lies, Rem did not understand why he had let her hear them.
She was merely an insignificant person who had happened to encounter Abel and Priscilla, followed the course of events, and been brought here. She held no special position, nor had she been entrusted with any important mission.
"And yet, why..."
"...You are a healer, and an oni as well. A valuable individual whom we would like to bring over to our side, if possible."
That answer was not a lie, but neither was it the whole truth. Yet Berstetz seemed unwilling to spare any more time for Rem, who wanted further answers. He slowly rose from his chair.
"I would very much like to speak with you further, but I too have things to do. You will be observed for a while, but I have instructed the manor's staff to make you as comfortable as possible."
"...Mr. Chancellor, what are you to Miss Madelyn?"
"Partners would be the most appropriate description, I suppose. Of course, from her perspective, I am merely someone who takes advantage of clever people for his own benefit. This manor is mine as well."
Berstetz shrugged his unexpectedly sturdy shoulders, and Rem looked around the room and into the garden.
Madelyn had acted so much as though she owned the place that Rem had assumed it was her manor, but apparently she had been mistaken. It did explain why the building and its furnishings were so fine, however.
"But I don't want to live comfortably, and I don't want to live under observation."
"Such frankness is refreshing. Then, Miss Rem, I bid you farewell once more. Please take care."
After a quiet chuckle, Berstetz bowed again and left the room. Rem considered calling him back, but she did not know what to say, and even if she wanted to stop him from leaving, she would not get her way, so she remained silent.
Replacing the departing Berstetz, the guards who had left earlier returned to watch her. Under their stern observation, Rem looked outside again. Just then, the flying dragon that had finished its feed let the man who had fed it mount its back, flapped its wings, and slowly rose into the air.
"-"
Though it was hideous and terrifying, flying on a dragon's back was exhilarating.
Of course, her circumstances then had left her no room to relax and enjoy it, but being transported from Guaral to their destination in less than a day made her wonder what all the hardships of their previous journey had amounted to.
The place Madelyn had brought her to while she continued treating the gravely wounded Flop along the way-
"-The imperial capital, Lupgana."
The city where Abel had been driven from his throne, and which he had sworn to reclaim.
Gazing at the distant crystal palace in the city's center, Rem was now a prisoner. Touching the window that would not open, feeling the glass beneath her fingers, she suddenly thought of something.
"...That person."
It would hurt him terribly if he learned Rem was gone, would it not? Would his chest ache too, just as Rem felt as though a sharp blade had pierced her heart?
Rem did not know what thoughts of her own had given rise to this.
Flop slowly opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
"-"
He took a moment to collect his thoughts and surveyed his surroundings to quickly grasp the situation. It was a habit of a traveling merchant who often slept outdoors.
Of course, he left keeping watch to his younger sister, whose senses were keener than his, but that was no reason to grow careless. His own poor reactions might determine whether he lived or died, so keeping a clear head immediately upon waking was naturally a survival skill he had to master.
But-
"Where is this... Urgh!"
The instant he tried to inspect his surroundings more closely, a fierce spasm of pain in his chest made him cry out.
"I-I can't move my body at all...!"
Groaning in pain, Flop was deeply dismayed by his unresponsive body. His flailing only made him sink farther into the soft bed.
Flop felt that this was not a bed, but a soft prison cell. Even so, he kept twisting and struggling desperately, trying to escape the bed.
"This, this...! What a troublesome situation!"
"-. You are quite a strange human."
"What!? Is someone there!?"
Hearing someone speak while he wrestled with the bed, Flop tried to turn, but his efforts came to nothing. At present, he could not even roll over.
He kept struggling like a fish stranded on land. At this, the other person sighed deeply.
"A dragon. Your wounds are still being treated, so don't move around needlessly."
"Ah," Flop said when he saw the person who approached the bed as she spoke. A girl with pale blue hair, golden eyes, and two black horns growing from her head-Madelyn. She was an imperial first general, and the "Flying Dragon General" who had attacked the fortress city. Moreover, the last thing Flop remembered was-
"You certainly gave me a swift end with your claws..."
"That's right. My dragon claws nearly took your life... That girl healed you."
"That girl... Oh..."
Madelyn averted her eyes, looking awkward.
Her words brought someone to Flop's mind, and he understood what had happened to him. At the same time, he remembered making a rather unreasonable request of her-of Rem-as his consciousness faded.
"Miss Madelyn, may I call you that? I'd really like to ask what happened to Guaral. The city where that huge explosion happened, and which your friends attacked."
"-"
"Judging by the fact that I barely escaped with my life, the lady and I must have survived. But only the two of us surviving would be the second-worst outcome I could imagine. Of course, the worst would be both the lady and me dying."
Flop's stream of words, delivered with a raised finger, kept Madelyn looking awkward. Thinking that this proved the outcome had not been what she intended, Flop continued.
"Well, Miss Madelyn? You look dissatisfied, or perhaps unhappy. My younger sister often gets sulky and unhappy like that too. Since she's so big, even when she's being bashful, she still doesn't look restrained in the slightest, which is adorable. Are you the same?"
"...Fine."
"Hmm? What did you say?"
"The city is fine! It wasn't completely destroyed! Is that good enough!?"
Madelyn bared her teeth and shouted back. Flop felt as though her fierce breath were washing over his entire body, and at the same time let out a long sigh of relief.
From what he remembered seeing of Guaral, it was difficult to call "the city is fine" an appropriate answer, but Madelyn had said it had not been completely destroyed.
"It seems the lady put my life to good use..."
Flop looked back on what he had done before passing out, amid hazy consciousness and ringing ears. Seeing him lose so much blood and appear close to death, Madelyn had lost her composure.
She seemed to have something she wanted to ask him and would not let him go. That was why he had thought they could use that. By having Rem save Flop's life in exchange for the answers Madelyn wanted, an agreement like that might allow them to save Guaral from its predicament.
He did not know whether the pacifistic Rem could make such a cruel decision, but judging by the present situation, the strategy had succeeded. Still, it must have placed a great psychological burden on her.
"Where is the lady who treated me?"
"...Brought her back too. That was the dragon's condition, and that girl agreed. The dragon keeps her promises. You must also keep your promise to the dragon."
"Promise..."
"This."
Hearing that Rem was safe, Flop felt relieved. Just then, an ornament made from a beast's fang painted red-no, a dragon's fang-was held out before him.
It was an important possession that Flop normally wore around his neck, never letting it leave his side. Now, it was being held right under his nose as he lay facedown on the bed.
"Oh, you picked it up for me? Thank you so much. This is very, very important to me. If I lost it, I wouldn't even have the face to go on living with peace of mind. So..."
"-Kariyu."
"-"
He reached for the dragon fang, but Madelyn moved it out of his reach and spoke a name instead. Hearing that name, Flop held his breath, and Madelyn continued.
"This is Kariyu's tooth. Why do you have it?"
The name she had spoken twice was unmistakably Kariyu. He could not have misheard it. After all, that name was-
"Answer me! Why do you have Kariyu's tooth...?"
"I was there when Kariyu was born. I helped think up that child's name. Together with big brother Miles and Balleroy."
"-!"
"When that child shed their teeth, I received this as a keepsake. As proof that we were sworn brothers... family. So my sister and I both have one of Kariyu's teeth."
Flop answered as though quietly opening an important treasure chest hidden deep within his heart.
That was the answer to where the flying dragon's tooth dangling from Madelyn's hand had come from. A memento of two precious family members-his benefactor and his sworn brother, both of whom were no longer in this world.
Hearing that answer, Madelyn was struck speechless, her lips trembling and her eyes wide. Judging from that reaction and the fact that she knew Kariyu's name, Flop formed several conjectures as he asked:
"May I ask something? Where did you learn Kariyu's name? You even recognized that child's tooth at a glance, so you must have been close. And you..."
"-Ah."
"You're Balleroy's successor, the one who inherited 'Nine.' Could it be that you knew Balleroy and Kariyu long ago?"
Her reaction was painful to watch. Feeling as though he were pressuring someone who looked so young made Flop's chest ache.
Yet, for that same reason, Flop had once felt an even stronger pain in his chest than the pain of seeing Madelyn hurt.
There was no poison in this world more potent than his sister's face crumpled with tears. Thus, he could press Madelyn about her secret without hesitation.
-Balleroy Temeglyph. A former member of the Vollachian Empire's Nine Divine Generals, Flop and Medium's sworn brother, a rebel who had lost his life after rebelling against the emperor. He had been a gentle, likable man who had loved his beloved dragon Kariyu and his benefactor Miles from the bottom of his heart.
What was the relationship between him and Madelyn? And-
"Why did you become one of the Nine Divine Generals?"
"-Revenge."
She hesitated for a second before answering, but the words she spat out were clear. Madelyn's expression, her lips previously trembling and her eyes wide, gradually changed. Even her golden eyes took on the same agitation as her expression-fury. The fury of the girl who could command dragons made Flop feel as though his entire body were burning.
"-"
Revenge was a reason Flop had considered too.-Because it was also his goal in life. However, the target of his revenge was not an individual, but the world. A world that forced certain people to kneel and submit. Flop and his sister would take revenge on that world.
But the anger in Madelyn's eyes was completely different. The emotion burning in those golden eyes knew whom to point itself at.
"Who do you want to avenge?"
"...Balleroy. I will avenge the man who should have become the dragon's mate."
"-"
"The dragon will never forgive the one who killed her beloved. So-"
Madelyn answered, her small body brimming with anger as she spoke of avenging the dead Balleroy. Flop knew nothing of how Balleroy and Madelyn had met, what they had been through, or what form their bond had taken. But he could tell that, deep within her heart, Madelyn felt regret and grief over his death.
So, so, so-
"-Who is Balleroy's enemy? What would count as revenge?"
If Medium had been there, she would surely have pulled Madelyn into a tight embrace.
When she had learned that Balleroy and Miles were dead, she had wept torrents of tears and wailed. Surely she could have taught Madelyn how to cry.
Someone important to her had been killed, and that had driven Madelyn into a frenzy of rage. Because she did not know how to grieve.
With the ability to make flying dragons obey her and black horns containing astonishing power, she could think of no way to express her grief except through anger. And Flop, just like her, had forgotten how to cry.
Thus-
"The one who caused Balleroy's death was-"
Hearing Flop's question, Madelyn clenched her small hands and answered. Her beloved had been taken from her, and love with nowhere to go filled her little body. Replacing tears with rage, Madelyn resolved to take revenge.
"-"
Then, upon hearing the name Madelyn spoke, Flop closed his eyes. He squeezed them shut and remained silent, surrendering his body and mind to the darkness beneath his eyelids, even forgetting the pain of the wounds Madelyn's claws had left, which were still being treated.
All he had to do was close his eyes to remember the faces of the people he still held dear.
"You and Medium haven't thought this through enough. You could just stay here with the Earl. How much looking after do you need, honestly?"
"This is how big brother Miles shows he's worried about you. He means that as long as you stay here, he can keep looking after you. He's not very honest, is he?"
"Shut up, you little brat, Bal! If you've made something of yourself, stop coming back to bother us!!"
"Oh, come on~ That place doesn't suit me. You're here, big brother Miles, and so are Flop and Medium. Living here with all of you suits me better. Right?"
The conversation between Balleroy, who had deliberately come from far away on the day they set off on their journey, and Miles, who had returned late the previous day, was a deeply nostalgic memory. Waving hard, he and Medium had left the place that had looked after them for so long, and then-
Then, Flop O'Connell arrived in the imperial capital, a light kindling in his blue eyes. With that light in his eyes, his lips wove words. They were-
"-So you're Balleroy's enemy, village chief... No, Emperor Vincent Vollachia."