Gardenia’s Heart

Inside the elegant wooden room, its shattered wall allowing the cold high-altitude wind to sweep through, two small girls slept embraced atop the warm fur of a black wolf.

“Hehe… Rose…”

With her eyes closed, completely surrendered to sleep, Cherry tightened her arms around the girl holding her.

“Mm… Investigate…”

Likewise fast asleep, Rose leaned further into the warmth surrounding her. The wolf’s thick black tail curled carefully around them, shielding their small bodies from the cold wind.

“They stayed up the entire night. After everything that happened, it’s no surprise they’re exhausted.”

Watching the two girls sleeping peacefully on Akasha’s back, Lily allowed a faint smile to form. She gave the black wolf a small nod. Receiving only a slow roll of those luminous eyes in response, the silver-haired girl let out a soft chuckle before closing the bedroom door and walking toward the wooden table.

Pulling out a chair, Lily looked at those waiting for her.

Rhei and Thelira sat side by side, though their expressions could not have been more different. The bee woman, outwardly composed, seemed to be making a subtle effort to appease the elf beside her—who, despite the freezing wind entering through the broken wall, continued to sit with her cheeks puffed in visible displeasure.

“Are you sure it’s fine for that one to hear this conversation?”

The irritated voice forced Lily to shift her attention from the pair to the rabbit-eared girl leaning over the table beside her.

With her upper body sprawled across the wood—her golden twin-tails spilling forward—Selene pointed toward the corner of the room.

Holding a broom in one hand and a toolkit in the other, a woman with bee antennae was currently cleaning up the very mess she had caused.

Annona’s hand and antennae had already been restored. However, her dress remained partially torn, and dirt heavily stained both her body and her disheveled orange hair.

“Don’t worry. As a precaution, I sealed her ears with a special wax. She won’t hear a single word we say.”

Rhei calmly licked the tip of her finger, a viscous substance forming there. Thanks to the innate abilities of the golden bees, a wide variety of substances could be produced through their saliva—from medicinal compounds to thick wax similar to that used in candles.

“Even as royalty and not commoners, every member of the Golden Hive receives construction training. By sunset, she should have repaired the room. That way, the dragons of the Fang Clan won’t suspect anything.”

And so, with her ears sealed, the princess with bee antennae had been reduced to a worker for the elven delegation.

“We’ve discovered that Bahamut possesses one of the volumes of the Book of Truth.” Choosing—for the moment—to ignore the sight of a princess hammering a wooden plank into the broken wall, Lily turned to Rhei, apprehension clear in her eyes. “Tell me. Is she one of the Guardians?”

Lily’s words caused the bee woman’s normally neutral expression to show a flicker of surprise.

“No. Not at all.”

Waving her hand lightly, Rhei continued.

“There was a dragon among the six individuals Sylvan chose to carry out his will—one who was granted a volume of the book. But her name is Rain.”

Lily’s mismatched eyes widened.

Bringing a hand to her chin, the silver-haired girl fell so deeply into thought that everyone around her immediately noticed.

“Something wrong, Rival?” Selene asked, straightening up from where she had been leaning across the table.

“I saw a painting in the Library of Scales that had that name as its signature.”

When she had gone out with Selene to keep the rabbit-eared girl out of trouble, Lily had ended up wandering into the library. Among the many scattered drawings, a painting of an indigo dragon had caught her attention.

Purely by chance, she had read the artist’s signature.

She never expected that name to resurface—least of all like this.

“So the Guardian—the beings you said stay inside labyrinths protecting the volumes of the Book of Truth—is here in Athamas?”

Trying to piece the situation together, Selene frowned. But instead of answering her directly, Lily turned to Rhei.

“I noticed something while speaking with Bahamut. She never once referred to what she held as the Book of Truth. She only called it a book.”

“When someone carries a volume of the Book of Truth, they can feel it resonating with other volumes or even individual pages,” Rhei explained, pausing briefly to organize her thoughts. “It’s not a spell tied to it—more like a side effect. The range depends on how sensitive the bearer is. So she may have sensed the three volumes inside Lady Gardenia.”

Lily remembered the time in the labyrinth of the Stardust Spring, when Nia had suffered excruciating pain as she approached the volume carried by Nox. Likewise, the page Elarielle kept in her laboratory—and the volume once guarded by Rhei—had both been perceptible to Nia.

If Bahamut carried one of the volumes, then she would certainly have sensed the others within Nia. That meant she had known exactly how valuable the girl was.

“Nia told me that the place Bahamut took her to is a labyrinth floating even higher than Athamas. She couldn’t sense the presence of anyone there. Can we assume that was Rain’s labyrinth?” Lily asked, her expression darkening.

“I’m not certain how many labyrinths exist in this region,” Rhei replied gently, her black eyes showing a faint trace of sorrow as she looked at her troubled king. “But I doubt there are many. The unstable terrain made it difficult even for my master to construct stable structures. So yes… I believe that is likely, my king.”

Selene’s gaze shifted between the two grim-faced women. Growing increasingly restless, she crossed her arms.

“Wait. What exactly are you two implying? You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Instead of proving herself worthy and learning of Sylvan through dialogue…” Lily began quietly, her eyes fixed on the table. “It’s very likely that Bahamut killed the Guardian Rain and took her volume by force.”

The dragon woman had said she acquired the book just like everything else she possessed. Considering the overwhelming strength Bahamut had demonstrated, it was hardly difficult to imagine such a scenario.

“And there’s still the matter of Sylvan’s personal artifact that was entrusted to Rain…” Lily murmured.

Just as Akasha had remained with Rhei, and the Orb of Fractal Consciousness rested with Nox, one of Sylvan’s personal creations had been granted to Rain.

An artifact personally crafted by the Archmage could, on its own, reshape the world.

After failing to find the artifact that should have been in the labyrinth where Nia was born, the thought of such an item resting in the hands of a being as powerful as Bahamut did nothing to ease Lily’s mind.

“My king, there is something I would like to inform you of.”

Rhei stepped back into the discussion, addressing the silver-haired woman respectfully.

“We found no trace of poison in the dragon blood and meat samples you sent us earlier.”

“Rhei, what are you talking about?” Thelira asked, tilting her head slightly.

But it was Lily who answered.

“I suspected that Fafnir—the dragon who attacked us on our way here—might have been under a demon’s influence. But Nia confirmed there were no stigmata.” Lily gently brushed the tentacle resting at her waist and let out a quiet sigh. “When we returned to gather more luggage and inform everyone about what happened, I left a sample of his flesh with Elarielle so she could examine it for anything unusual. But if there were no toxins or narcotics either… then I can’t say what exactly caused Fafnir to act that way.”

Considering what had happened with Orlaith in Caligo and Belladona in Lampides, Lily would not have found it strange if something similar had occurred with the former leader of the Wing Clan. Being attacked during what was meant to be a diplomatic journey simply did not make logical sense. Manipulation would have explained it.

“So it wasn’t the work of a demon?” Thelira asked, clearly surprised by Lily’s foresight in testing the theory in advance.

“I would like to say that with certainty,” Lily replied calmly, “but until we have more information, I prefer to leave that possibility open.”

Since the Third Twilight’s assault on the elven forest eight years ago, they had not encountered another demon. While that should have been reassuring—given how difficult it was for demons to leave Finis—the prolonged silence unsettled her.

“Rhei, could you remove the wax from her ears?”

Lily gestured toward Annona, who was measuring a wooden plank against the broken wall.

Immediately obeying, Rhei approached and carefully removed the viscous substance from the princess’s ears.

No sooner had Annona regained her hearing than she was forced onto her knees before the table—directly in front of Lily.

“You and the rest of the dwarven delegation arrived several days before we did, correct?” Lily crossed her legs and rested her chin against her hand as she regarded the kneeling princess. “During that time, did you meet Fafnir?”

Having agreed to full cooperation, Annona had no choice but to obey every command in the room. At first, she had assumed she would be answering to the high elf—the leader of the delegation. Being placed in front of a human woman instead filled her with confusion… and something far heavier.

“Y-Yes! For the sake of courtesy, we arrived two weeks ago!”

She stammered, each word struggling to escape her throat. She could not even bring herself to meet Lily’s gaze.

Carefully choosing every syllable, the princess kept her head lowered, shrinking under the cold stare directed at her—a weight unlike anything she had ever felt pressing down on her shoulders.

“As the leader of the Wing Clan and the one responsible for political matters, he was the one who received us!” Her voice grew more frantic, as if she understood that failing to be useful would mean her end. “The wing where the dwarven delegation is staying is part of the Wing Clan’s district!”

Annona’s words made Lily fall silent in thought.

If Fafnir had been lucid—fulfilling his duties as clan leader—shortly before attacking them, Lily could not determine what could possibly have driven him to commit such an affront against the elves.

“Was there anything strange about the way he acted or spoke? Anything at all that felt different or out of place.”

Lily’s calm question was directed at the kneeling princess. This time, however, Annona tilted her head thoughtfully.

“Strange…?”

Crossing her arms and closing her eyes, her expression turned unusually serious as she reflected on the past two weeks.

“Oh—there was something that certainly felt off. General Fafnir no longer had the aura of a leader that he once did.”

“General? Wait—aura?” Lily repeated, her brows lifting at the unfamiliar phrasing.

A faintly proud look appeared on Annona’s face. Still on her knees, she placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her modest chest.

“The Golden Hive was one of the races who entered the war to protect Phaea. Even if it wasn’t for long, I was part of the battlefield forces and served under General Fafnir’s command!”

Her tone grew animated—almost euphoric.

“Back then, he was so cool and impressive! The way he commanded everyone with firm authority was truly majestic. Without a doubt, someone worthy of the title The Untamed Sky.”

Pressing her hands to her flushed cheeks, Annona spoke excitedly for several moments—until her enthusiasm extinguished like a candle.

“But the man I met here… he had none of what he once was. He felt dead inside, as if all his fighting spirit had burned away, leaving only his sense of duty.”

Her voice dwindled to nearly a whisper. Only then did she notice the heavy stares fixed upon her.

Quickly straightening her posture and lowering her head as much as possible, Annona scrambled to recall anything else of value.

“I-I don’t know if this will help, but… I may have been the last person to see General Fafnir in Athamas. About two day before you arrived with him dead.”

“How so?” Lily asked, still processing the earlier revelations.

“I-I couldn’t stand Ipomoea’s smell of alcohol anymore, so I stepped out for fresh air. While wandering, I reached that strange place that looks like a library.” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue despite Lily’s cold gaze. “I saw General Fafnir rush out of there and take flight toward the east. It was only for a moment, but… there was a trace of the grandeur he once had on his face.”

“East? What lies to the east?” Lily asked.

Thelira answered before anyone else could.

“The only thing east of Athamas—aside from the demon territory itself—is the base of the Scale Clan, on the border between Finis and Phaea.”

Lily fell silent for a brief moment after hearing that.

Then she turned to Rhei.

“Rhei, I need you to return and explain the current situation to Elarielle. I also need her help with something. Can you do that for me?”

As she spoke, a purple tentacle slipped out from beneath her black cloak, placing a small pouch into the bee woman’s hand. Opening it, Rhei’s dark eyes settled on the crimson liquid inside a small glass vial.

“Another sample…?” she asked quietly.

Then her gaze dropped to the second item within the pouch, and her expression shifted to confusion.

“I collected that sample just a short while ago,” Lily explained evenly. “As for the other item, I made some notes about which book Elarielle should consult for relevant information. It’s in the elven library—I know it’s still there. It’s only a hypothesis, but ask her to analyze the sample with that in mind.”

Hearing Lily’s words, Rhei stood up from the table and bowed solemnly.

“Your wish is my command, my king.”

After saying farewell to Thelira, Rhei stepped through a portal resembling a starry sky that opened within the room. Watching the bee woman—who had once been her fiancée—disappear like that left Annona staring with her mouth open, until she noticed Lily’s gaze and assumed she should quickly return to work.

“Now, I don’t think they would be brazen enough to try anything with our food, but I think it’s better if we get food from home,” Lily commented, rising from her chair and stretching lightly.

After everything that had happened, it was already close to lunchtime. While she herself did not need to eat, the same did not apply to the others. The Fang Clan had not yet turned against them and would likely bring something to eat soon, but considering everything, she thought it safer to prepare the food herself.

“Mm… Can I go with Mama Lily?”

Suddenly, sliding open the door from the other room, a small sleepy girl with silver hair fading into purple at the tips stumbled toward her mother.

Picking Rose up into her arms, Lily watched the little girl cling tightly to her dress and knew she would not have the strength to refuse such a request.

Nodding to Thelira and Selene, Lily stepped through a portal created by Nia and, in the next instant, was already home.

Soft sunlight filtered through the living room curtains, and the gentle scent of wood filled the air.

“Home is so nice…”

Placed on the couch by her mother, Rose let out a small laugh, hugging a pillow as she felt the relief of being home again.

“I’ll prepare something light. Is there anything specific you want to eat?”

“Sandwich!”

Declaring it excitedly, Rose hugged the pillow and rolled from side to side on the couch, her radiant smile prompting Lily to place a kiss on her head.

“I think we still have the bread Nia baked. I’ll prepare some for you.” Giving her daughter another kiss—this time on the cheek—Lily left the room.

Watching her mother leave to prepare lunch, Rose rolled over on the couch, hiding her face in the pillow before whispering softly.

“Grandma Sylvan, can you answer something for me?”

The girl’s words, which to anyone else would seem like she was speaking to herself, reached a single woman with red hair and a wide-brimmed hat.

(What is it, dear?)

Floating casually, Sylvan raised an eyebrow at being called. Sitting in the air and crossing her legs, the mage looked at the apprehensive little girl.

“You know… if dragons are so strong, why don’t they simply invade the other kingdoms?” Rose asked, still hugging the pillow tightly.

Placing her index finger against her chin, Sylvan considered how she should explain it. Then, looking at her granddaughter, she answered simply.

(Let’s see… setting aside the difference in interests among the three clans, if I had to point out one reason, it would be… that they simply can’t.)

“What do you mean?”

Sylvan’s words made Rose sit up on the couch, her sky-blue eyes widening in confusion. However, her question brought a reply she would never have imagined hearing.

(Dragons cannot use magic.)