We live at the foot of Dragon Peak.
An unpleasant dinner party.
Before long, Seol, who had apparently taken shelter during the commotion, returned with his retainers, while Ruiseine and Madrine were tending to the injured Winged Tribe.
Slustal, who was busy with damage control, reacted quickly.
“Lord Seol, I apologize for the trouble we have caused.”
Slustal bowed deeply, even though he was not directly involved. He was a capable person, both serious and considerate.
We, watching, wondered how Seol would react to the disturbance in his own territory. However, Seol seemed unusually cheerful, despite the Winged Tribe having been defeated by the Human Race.
“Good, good. Such things happen once in a while. I don’t mind,” Seol said.
Seol then praised Slustal for handling the situation and walked over to us with a smile, taking Mistral’s hand.
“My, you have a marvelous power, far beyond what I’ve heard.”
“Could you please let go of my hand?”
“Oh my, my apologies.”
It seemed Seol believed Mistral was the central protector of our group. Well, I had mentioned something like that before, and Mistral’s fighting prowess during the recent disturbance was exceptional. But everyone else had also played a significant role, hadn’t they? The Winged Tribe must have realized firsthand that not only Mistral but all the women were highly skilled.
However, my own standing might not have improved much. After all, all I did was release Nimia from my pocket and have her unleash the Howl of Ash. Nimia was relaxing comfortably on my head after her task. A small dragon that could speak human words. And the power of the Howl of Ash was immense. Because of that, even though I didn’t do much, the Winged Tribe people didn’t approach me, likely due to Nimia’s presence on my head. Seol, while praising Mistral, also kept his distance from me.
Seol, still in good spirits, continued to talk with Mistral.
“Tell me, how about we arrange lodging for all of you here? We would be honored if you would stay with us, and we could make amends for our shortcomings.”
“What do you think?” he asked Mistral, who then turned the decision to me. Mistral’s deferral of the decision to me did not faze Seol. It seemed I wasn’t being looked down upon.
“Uh, we hadn’t decided on lodging yet, so I think we’ll take you up on your offer then.”
Frankly, I hadn’t expected us, a group primarily consisting of humans, to be easily accommodated in an inn in a city ruled by the Winged Tribe. So, I decided to accept Seol’s offer without hesitation to avoid the trouble of finding an inn ourselves.
I readily agreed. For a moment, I was concerned the Winged Tribe might react unfavorably, but they seemed to have lost the will to resist us. Once Seol saw me nod, he quickly ordered his retainers to arrange lodging.
“…So. What is Seol’s objective?”
We were provided with an inn, or rather, a mansion. It turned out this mansion was one of Seol’s private residences.
The residences of the Winged Tribe are somewhat peculiar. Their main entrances, used for exiting and entering, are often located on the top floors, like the second or third story. The ground floor entrance is typically a service entrance for slaves and servants.
This is likely because the Winged Tribe can fly. For their usual movement, having the entrance on the top floor might be more convenient. The villa we rented also had its entrance on the third floor. However, there was a splendid entrance on the first floor as well, and we entered the building through that.
Given this structure, it’s likely this residence was built by Seol for when he invites important guests. If the guests were Winged Tribe members, they would use the third-floor entrance. But if the guests were demons or divine beings, a grand entrance on the first floor would be necessary for their convenience.
The first-floor entrance was adorned with beautiful flowers, and expensive furnishings were elegantly arranged. Even at a glance, this entrance was clearly for guests, unlike the service entrance used by slaves and servants. Those servants were already busy before we were even shown around.
“It smells good.”
“It smells like a feast!”
“Mmm? Seol wouldn’t go to such lengths for us, would he?”
The Winged Tribe must have understood that we were not ordinary humans. But would they offer their private residence as an inn and prepare a feast for us simply because of that?
In this city, there are Divine Beings, the Imperial Honored Mansion, who require more attention than we do and have been staying here for some time. Normally, one would focus all their attention on the Divine Beings rather than a few unusual human travelers, wouldn’t they? It feels as if we are being treated as special guests.
But is that really the case? We claimed to be travelers who crossed the Heavenly Mountain Range. While observers like Slustal seemed to no longer doubt this, we had just engaged in a major altercation with the Winged Tribe in the city. Even with Mistral and Nimia present, to be so overwhelmingly defeated by the Human Race, whom they considered inferior, and particularly by the women, makes me suspicious of this treatment.
Seol, who holds a neutral stance and is a council member, is siding with the Divine Beings. I suspected he must have had some purpose or ulterior motive for offering us preferential treatment. And my suspicion was well-founded.
After we deposited our luggage in the assigned bedrooms and were relaxing together, a servant approached us.
“Dinner is ready, please follow me.”
We were led to a large dining hall where a lavish meal awaited us, along with Seol, Slustal, several other Winged Tribe members, and representatives from the Imperial Honored Mansion.
“Gah!”
I was so surprised I almost let out a sound. Because among the Imperial Honored Mansion members brought by Esneed, I even saw Gina, a subordinate of Guen! This means that the Imperial Honored Mansion is starting to seriously intervene in the activities within this buffer zone.
“Oh, did we surprise you? Well, Esneed-sama heard about the recent incident and graciously offered to join us for dinner. Consider yourselves honored.”
“Ah, thank you!”
That’s a lie. I believe Seol had been working to arrange this gathering from the beginning. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough food prepared for the Divine Beings who were seemingly sudden guests.
Seol misinterpreted my reaction as surprise at the assembled guests. Since there was no need to correct him, we went with the flow and thanked Esneed and the Divine Beings. Guen, in the Imperial Honored Mansion’s ranks, offered a mischievous smile.
“Don’t hold back. Take your seats.”
Prompted by Esneed, we took our seats. However, not everyone gathered in the dining hall sat down for dinner. The Winged Tribe was represented by Seol and Slustal, who sat side by side. On the Divine Beings’ side, only Esneed and Guen took seats, while the rest stood at attention in the corner of the dining hall. It was like an army.
Ah! With Gina’s presence and the disciplined movements of the Imperial Honored Mansion, I finally understood. That’s right. Among the Imperial Honored Mansion members who pursued us in the Divine Race’s country, there were several with the aura of soldiers. Perhaps those individuals were also subordinates of Esneed! Back then, due to various circumstances, the men with the aura of soldiers were captured by Guen and Gina. Did they investigate Esneed’s movements from there and come to this land? It’s possible!
Scattered pieces of information began to connect, giving me a slight understanding of the Empire’s movements. the Imperial Honored Mansion was more organized and widespread in its activities than I had imagined. The reason the Imperial Court is paying attention to the Imperial Honored Mansion’s actions is likely because the increasingly conspicuous Imperial Honored Mansion has begun to influence national policy. After all, an Imperial Divine General like this is operating far from the home country.
“So, Lord Seol. May I inquire as to the reason I was summoned?”
Slustal was someone who spoke directly, even to those of higher status. While he was cautious around the Divine Beings, he did not hesitate to give Seol, a fellow Winged Tribe member, a questioning look. He clearly felt a strong resistance to sitting at the same dinner table with the Divine Beings, despite his and Seol’s neutral stance. However, Seol, instead of addressing Slustal’s concerns, continued to favor the Divine Beings.
“Slustal, it’s fine. Even if you hold a neutral position, there are times when one may dine with the Divine Beings. As you become an official council member, such opportunities will increase, so there is no need to worry.”
Seol’s attention was more focused on Esneed than on Slustal, who harbored doubts.
“Since Esneed-sama wishes to join us, consider yourselves honored. Of course, this applies to you all as well.”
When the conversation turned to us, we politely thanked Esneed and the Imperial Honored Mansion members lining the edge of the hall. Hmm. If Seol’s story is true, then Esneed planned this gathering. But why did Esneed gather these particular people? The Imperial Honored Mansion is searching for a way to cross the Heavenly Mountain Range. To do this, the cooperation of the Winged Tribe, who know the terrain of the buffer zone intimately, is indispensable. However, they chose to ally with Seol, who belongs to the neutral faction. Why didn’t they ask for cooperation from a council member who supports the Divine Beings? Or perhaps the Imperial Honored Mansion has a separate team that is in contact with the Divine Beings’ faction? No, even if that possibility existed, it would be strange for the central figure, Esneed, to be deeply involved with the neutral faction. Based on our current assumption, wouldn’t the central figure normally handle negotiations with the main Divine Beings’ faction and delegate subordinates to the neutral faction, where cooperation might be uncertain? The very fact that Esneed is in contact with Seol confirms that the Imperial Honored Mansion views the neutral faction as their primary contact in this region. With what intention did Esneed host this banquet? It seems not only Seol but also Slustal, a candidate for council member, were specifically invited. Moreover, we, who are primarily human and at the core of our group, are also seated at this banquet. There must be some scheme at play! Naturally, our attention and Slustal’s attention were drawn to Esneed, the host. Esneed, sensing our attention, took his time, as if deliberately making us ponder various possibilities. If Esneed is a Divine General, he must be skilled in man-management. Therefore, it’s best to assume that a negotiation has already begun. If we let ourselves be swept away by the atmosphere Esneed is creating, we will fall right into their trap. “The food is delicious, nyan.” It was Nimia who then shifted the flow of the conversation. In this dining hall where people’s intentions intertwined, Nimia, an Ancient Dragon Species, was unconcerned. The manners and customs dictated by humans held no meaning for her. Nimia began eating the food served without even saying “Itadakimasu.” The members of the Imperial Honored Mansion were surprised that a small dragon could speak human words. However, Esneed and Slustal remained composed. Slustal already knew Nimia could speak human words. Esneed should have received such information in advance. “What a delicious-looking drink.” “What delicious-looking food.” Yufilia and Nina, ignoring the atmosphere, also showed interest in the food and drinks on the table. This is also characteristic of royalty; they know various ways to prevent the other party from controlling the conversation. “It would be a waste if the food got cold.” And when Mistral, the Dragon Race member, urged them, they could no longer hold back. “Then, if you’ll permit me, I shall offer the toast.” Following Seol’s signal, everyone raised their glasses. And once the banquet began, it was all over. Yufilia and Nina enjoyed the sake, Sefina and Mistral savored the food, Ruiseine and Madrine had pleasant conversations, and Laira took care of Nimia. We, as if indifferent to the schemes of the Divine Beings and the Winged Tribe, started enjoying ourselves. Alright, alright. Let’s eat until we’re full and head back to our rooms quickly! As our entire family unit was boisterously engaged. Esneed began to speak in a low but resonant voice. “We have come to this land for the glory of the coming Emperor.” We ignored him, continuing our conversations with the Winged Tribe. However, Esneed’s voice could not be ignored. “We sought the cooperation of the Winged Tribe to find a way for us Divine Beings to cross the Heavenly Mountain Range, which a terrifying monster is said to rule.” Unfortunately, as long as the Eastern Magician is alive, neither Divine Beings nor Demons can cross the Heavenly Mountain Range to the west. Considering the Imperial Honored Mansion’s prolonged stay in Yondo City, even a secret passage used by the Winged Tribe would likely be unusable. “Unfortunately, we have not yet found an effective means to do so.” Then, intent on conquering the terrifying monster of the Heavenly Mountain Range and paving the way, Esneed looked at Slustal, who turned pale. “H-how dare I.. but, Lord Seol… did you tell the Divine Beings about the Gate of Underworld Prison!?” “I-I couldn’t help it, Slustal. We have no other options left.” What exactly is the Gate of Underworld Prison? Seol seems to have revealed a secret that even the usually calm and collected Slustal would be so distraught about. “I-it’s ridiculous… Lord Seol, this is a serious matter!” “I know, I know. But, Slustal, I believe you are my successor. So, please, for this once, close your eyes and comply with Esneed-sama’s request.” Despite Seol’s words, Slustal could only tremble without reacting. Esneed shifted his gaze from the Winged Tribe, who had not given their consent, to us. We continued eating, pretending not to know. “It seems the Human Race finds the food of the Winged Tribe quite delicious. Humph, that’s all they are. However, I highly value your abilities. Especially you, the Dragon Race girl, the small dragon, and you.” Esneed pointed at me. “Therefore, you too will help us pass through the Gate of Underworld Prison.” “W-why are we getting involved!?” I couldn’t help but protest Esneed’s arbitrary decision.
