Arisugawa communicated his true feelings to Azura’s parents.
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? Have you thought of something again? I just hope it won’t cause any more trouble.”
“Let’s go meet the Ancient Dragonkin.”
“What’s that? Another race?”
“Hehehe, they are Dragonkin who have lived for a thousand years, passed down through legend. If I can receive an oracle from them, they will surely understand that I should become queen.”
“Legend means you’ve never actually seen one, right?”
“N-now, Azura, you don’t need to be in such a hurry.”
“You too? The boy who is about to be born will be ten years old soon. It’s about time to make a move. If I’m slow, I’ll lose my claim to the throne.”
“That might be true, but where are these legendary Dragonkin?”
“According to legend, they seem to be sleeping beneath this palace. However, no matter what I do, that door won’t open.”
“So you were already looking for them. Then maybe they don’t exist?”
“N-no, that can’t be. I’ve read many books about it. They say that when darkness befell the world, a true hero was given an oracle.”
“Are you saying that hero is me? What a ridiculous story.” Azura then went on to tell me what the Dragonkin had done. It seemed they had saved people from famine, driven away darkness, and even fought a giant dragon.
“Are you sure those aren’t just fairy tales? The expression ‘moved mountains’ is too unrealistic.”
“You’re saying something that amazing is here underground?”
“Of course! A dragon that lives for a thousand years with a long tail. You want to meet them too, don’t you?”
And so, I once again found myself indulging her whims. As we descended the stairs, I was met with strange looks from the passing servants. Honestly, this is not the time for such things.
“Hey, is there anything it likes to eat?”
“Hmm, I don’t know that. The books say human blood, but humans are imaginary creatures, aren’t they?”
A bad premonition struck me. I truly hope that legend is just a legend.
The underground of the palace was dark, and without a lantern, I couldn’t even see my feet. Azura apparently spent a lot of time reading books down here. I guess she’s surprisingly studious.
“By the way, why were you studying so hard?”
“Because I thought I could become queen if I received an oracle. Then you came along, and I think this is fate.”
Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s any such thing as fate. Besides, how are we supposed to find the door in this vast underground space? All I can see are endless hallways.
“Do you have any idea where the door is?”
“Of course. It’s in the back of the library. I found a secret mural there.”
Azura puffed out her chest proudly. The library we were led to was crammed with old books. And at the very back, just as she said, there was a mural carved and painted on the wall. A dragon with a long body was being worshipped by people. And at the front, there was the figure of a hero armed with a sword and shield.
“See? And you have a sword and shield.”
“But the hero’s sword is long and radiant, and the shield is large. Mine are different.”
“Is this the door? It just looks like a wall.”
“Don’t you understand? In the ancient language, it says ‘Door of Oracles’.”
“Well, let’s give it a try. If it will satisfy the princess, let’s get this over with quickly. I drew my sword and raised my shield.”
“Good, good. And introduce yourself. State your name and race.”
“Huh? Does it really say that?”
This is bad. I can’t let them know I’m human here. Azura nodded in agreement.
“I-I am Arisugawa Hiroaki, an Elf.”
…Nothing happened.
“See, they’re not really here. Listen, I want to go back to my companions.”
“Th-that’s right, it didn’t work, did it? I was foolish to think I could become queen with someone else’s power. I’m sorry, Hiroaki.”
The lantern light illuminated her sad face.
“Hey, why do you want to be queen so badly, Azura? It’s a difficult position.”
“I know. But if the throne passes to my father’s brother, not only my position but also my father’s, my mother’s, and even the servants’ positions will be in jeopardy.”
“Do you know about the Dark Elves? Everyone looks down on them. But I don’t think that way.”
Her green eyes, inherited from her father, looked at me intently.
“I know what they did.”
“R-really?! You knew and you still let them in?”
“Ah, long ago, there was a very powerful Dark Elf named the Black Witch. Because of her, other races couldn’t interfere. However, she was defeated by the White Witch and her power was sealed.”
The name of the White Witch who defeated the High-ranking Mage, Auroa’s mother! I think the Werewolf named Rune said she was plotting revenge using her son.
“Even if there is a dark history, one cannot move forward by constantly looking at the past. Nature changes, and things cannot remain the same forever.”
What? I thought she was just a selfish princess, but she had a plan that looked towards the future.
