“Hetor, listen carefully. Our baby will definitely marry into the Lapion Empire.”
Not only does she look fierce, but her dreams are also fierce.
Hetor stared at Melanie for a moment, thinking, then opened his mouth.
“But isn’t that too much of a stretch?”
Besides, Tanya Island was sinking.
That was precisely why they had attempted to start a war with the Principality of Aklatto.
Before they crossed over to the continent, the Principality of Aklatto had already fallen into Hetor’s hands, but even so, marrying into the Lapion Empire was a surefire way to go against the grain compared to other nations on the continent.
“That’s only if there’s no such thing as fate. What kind of a relationship are we with the Lapion Imperial Family?”
Melanie said with a hopeful expression.
“If it’s just a normal relationship, then it’s better.”
It was a special relationship, too special to dream of a national wedding.
“One was the concubine of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire, and the other was her bodyguard.”
Hetor chuckled as he spoke.
Since their relationship was more than just fate, it was a special relationship, so he didn’t bother to tell her to wake up.
“His Majesty is cool. So he acknowledges our relationship, right?”
But Melanie paid no attention.
“The issue of children will be different,”
Hetor said firmly.
“Hehe, we have this.”
But Melanie was even more resolute.
She shook Hetor’s notebook.
“That... well.”
“Whether or not you become in-laws with the Lapion Empire is up to you, Hetor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Write Chapter 12 quickly. I told you your in-laws were waiting. And you have to keep writing until our baby is born, yes?”
“I’m writing a novel, not a diary,”
Hetor said with a frustrated expression as he opened his notebook.
“Then I guess you’ll just write it like a diary. Keep writing until our child turns 18. Keep writing. I’ll use the ending as an excuse to arrange a national wedding!”
Melanie clenched her fists and vowed.
“...”
“Where’s time to daze off? Get started!”
Melanie urged, pressing a quill into Hetor’s hand.
He couldn’t write properly because Melanie was hypnotically shouting, “More exciting! More extreme!” next to him.
Around 1 p.m., the ship carrying the congratulatory delegation finally arrived at Enka, a port city in the Pasha Empire.
Enka was a trading hub with other countries, so the city had an exotic, unique atmosphere.
Even though it was autumn in the south, the weather was much warmer than in the northern continent, and the people were lively.
Moiya and Moni flew freely, confidently in their own guise, without any transformation.
Unlike the Lapion Empire, the Pasha Empire’s palace was located very close to the port, just a single large forest away from the imperial capital.
Moiya and Moni confidently played around, moving from carriage to carriage until they got close to the Palace of the Pasha Emperor, and finally, they entered the carriage carrying Bellos.
Inside the carriage was Bellos's crow, making it a perfect place to tease and harass.
"I guess the baby wyverns like the Lord of the Tower,"
Logan, who was also riding in the carriage, said to Bellos, looking at Moiya and Moni.
Moni then turned serious, as if wondering where the nonsense was coming from, and said to Logan,
"Don't we often come here to harass those crows, Moni~?"
Kami looked quite exhausted because of Moiya and Moni.
"There are so many other carriages, why did you come to ours?"
Bellos asked the two baby wyverns with a tired face.
"The other carriages are so ugly that I can't sit in them."
Moni said indifferently, plucking one of Kami's feathers and poking it in her nostrils.
"What?"
“That’s right. But it’s bleak and dreary here, and the crows make it look even gloomier. Don’t you like it, Moiya~?”
Moiya said seriously, pointing at Bellos and Logan.
Judging by the lack of a smile, he was serious.
“You know what? Magic Tower Lord? You two are the only ones without a partner.”
Bellos pretended not to hear Moni and looked out the carriage window.
Just then, Linel and Zelda’s carriage passed by.
Their happy laughter leaked out of the half-open carriage window and flowed into Bellos’ carriage.
As Bellos blankly stared at their carriage, Logan consciously closed the window, blocking out their happy voices.
“Ow? Our master and that cold body are making love in a carriage?”
“Anyway, our Majesty is a great mating male, Moni~!”
Moiya and Moni cackled obliviously and threw rocks at Bellos’ chest.
“Are you alright?”
Logan, unable to stand it any longer, asked, observing Bellos’s displeased expression.
“Of course I am.”
It would have been better if he had just pretended not to know, but Logan’s question, pretending to know, made the still-unhealed wound of unrequited love begin to sting.
“Why? You still want to flirt with our master?”
“Does your heart still flutter when you see our master?”
Bellos opened the window again and spoke to the two wyvern cubs.
“Get out.”
“Ow? Look at his heart!”
“Our Majesty, who is cold in body but warm in heart, is much better than someone warm in body but cold in heart, Moni~!”
Moiya and Moni's voices boomed through the carriage through the open window.
Bellos, aware of Linel and Zelda's carriage still running alongside his own, was about to close the window again when Linel popped his head out and asked,
"What's the matter?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Give Magic Tower Lord a partner, too. He must be lonely."
Both Linel and Bellos, the person involved, were startled by Moni's words.
"Magic Tower Lord, you should discuss such concerns with other people."
"...They're just joking,"
Bellos replied, suppressing his irritation.
"You're ridiculous! Every time we mention our master, his eyes dart like a pendulum."
Bellos wasn't the only one who stiffened at Moiya's testimony.
The smile vanished from Linel's face as well.
"You keep a close eye on him. If he harbors even the slightest ill will toward your master, don't hesitate to blast him."
Linel desperately blocked Zelda from looking out the window and ordered Moiya.
“Yeah, you already have four sets of eyes watching you, don’t you, Moiya~?”
Moiya said, and Moni looked at Linel and waved.
“Yes, you deserve to taste the sausages there as soon as you arrive at the Palace of the Pasha.”
Linel closed the carriage window again with a relieved expression.
Moiya closed the window himself and stared at Bellos before speaking.
“Magic Tower Lord, I won’t tell His Majesty, so be honest with me.”
“What?”
“Are you sure you’ve given up on our master?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
He could have just said so and moved on, but Bellos snapped back, getting angry for no reason.
“If the great wyvern asks, you should answer.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason to answer.”
“I haven’t forgotten, I haven’t forgotten.”
Moni crossed her arms and shook her head.
“Then you should love our master’s offspring when it’s born, Moiya~?”
“What?”
He's about to hear all sorts of strange things.
It was so absurd that Bellos didn't even feel it was worth responding.
"What would you do if a daughter who looks exactly like our master were born and confessed to you later?"
"That's impossible. Questions have to be questions for me to respond."
Bellos closed his eyes, overcome with fatigue.
"Why is that impossible? You won't age anyway, will you, Moni~?"
"Your mental state will remain the same."
Moiya also added sincerely.
"Don't be like this here. If you're bored, go play in the forest."
Logan, unable to stand it any longer, opened the carriage window again and tried to let the young wyverns out.
"As the adults say, you, Moiya~?"
"A young child under 100 years old should get out!"
Logan flinched at Moni's comment.
The combined age of the two young wyverns and Bellos was nearly 900 years.
Logan, in his early fifties, unconsciously clasped his hands together and kept his mouth shut.
“What if she looks exactly like my master? Wouldn’t that be ridiculous?”
Moiya asked, forcing Bellos’s eyes open with two fingers.
“How could the Princess do that to me unless she’s crazy?”
Bellos snorted in response. Yet, he felt pathetic and miserable, constantly answering the two kids’ seemingly nonsensical questions.
“She could go crazy for the Magic Tower Lord just by looking at his face, right~?”
“That’s right. After all, he’s handsome, right, after a cold body, so it could be possible, Moiya~?”
Bellos simply chuckled, as if it were absurd.
Even a wizard who had lived for nearly three hundred years couldn’t predict his own future.
As the carriage entered the Palace of the Pasha Empire, Linel took my hand.
Like me, he kept his guard down, but I could tell he was secretly worried that the Pasha Imperial Guard might threaten him.
Fortunately, my fears didn't come to pass.
Upon reaching the garden path branching off from the palace, the carriage carrying the congratulatory delegation was escorted to the palace, where the distinguished guests were staying, by the imperial guards who had been waiting.
Linel and I, along with Prince Norton and Rosie, headed straight for the main palace.
A moment later, the carriage stopped in front of the Palace of the Pasha Empire.
Prince Norton and Rosie, who had arrived before us and were waiting at the main entrance, turned to Linel and me as we entered the lobby, their faces perplexed.
"His Majesty the Emperor of the Lapion Empire and Her Highness Zelda!"
Naturally, I expected Prince Calvain and his wife to greet us, but unexpectedly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs greeted us.
"Why are you here?"
Prince Norton asked the Foreign Minister with a displeased expression.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty. I have been ordered to bring His Majesty Emperor Linel directly to the bedroom.”
“Not the reception room, but the bedroom?”
“Yes, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess said she would personally meet with you and convey the details.”
“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess? My brother?”
Prince Norton demanded. But this time, the Foreign Minister remained silent.
His expression was unusual.
Linel and I instinctively knew that something had happened to the Pasha Imperial Family.
Could it be that they were revealing hostility toward me, the Wyvern Lord?
An ominous feeling quelled our resolve.
“We’ll see when you get there.”
Prince Norton apologized to us once more at Linel’s words, and we followed the guide of the chamberlain as we ascended the stairs to the main palace.
Compared to the palace of Lapion, the interior of the Pasha Empire’s imperial palace was much more colorful and extravagant. Perhaps because of the warm climate, the building had far more windows.
The atmosphere in the main palace was quite somber, completely out of sync with the ornate interior. The court ladies, coming and going to greet each other, had a somber expression, uncharacteristic of a royal family about to receive the Emperor's coronation.
This wasn't the way it should have been. Something felt off.
Prince Calvain's bedroom floor was empty except for the knights guarding the bedroom door. It seemed they had deliberately barred the entrance of the court ladies.
"Tell me,"
Prince Norton said to the Foreign Minister.
The Foreign Minister asked him to wait a moment, knocked, and entered the bedroom.
"Your Majesty, something is amiss. This is not how you would treat a distinguished guest."
Prince Norton whispered to him with a serious expression.
Linel simply nodded briefly and remained silent.
He, too, must have sensed something strange as he ascended the bedroom floor, his expression even more grave than in the lobby.
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened.
Princess Jasper emerged in a black dress.
She politely greeted Linel and me, then exchanged a brief greeting with Rosie.
"Why did you come out alone, Sister-in-law?"
Prince Norton asked with a slightly angry tone, and Princess Jasper's eyes turned red.
"Sister-in-law?"
Prince Norton, flustered, called out to Princess Jasper.
Then, in a calm tone, she blurted out the shocking words:
"His Highness... closed his eyes a moment ago."
Not only does she look fierce, but her dreams are also fierce.
Hetor stared at Melanie for a moment, thinking, then opened his mouth.
“But isn’t that too much of a stretch?”
Besides, Tanya Island was sinking.
That was precisely why they had attempted to start a war with the Principality of Aklatto.
Before they crossed over to the continent, the Principality of Aklatto had already fallen into Hetor’s hands, but even so, marrying into the Lapion Empire was a surefire way to go against the grain compared to other nations on the continent.
“That’s only if there’s no such thing as fate. What kind of a relationship are we with the Lapion Imperial Family?”
Melanie said with a hopeful expression.
“If it’s just a normal relationship, then it’s better.”
It was a special relationship, too special to dream of a national wedding.
“One was the concubine of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire, and the other was her bodyguard.”
Hetor chuckled as he spoke.
Since their relationship was more than just fate, it was a special relationship, so he didn’t bother to tell her to wake up.
“His Majesty is cool. So he acknowledges our relationship, right?”
But Melanie paid no attention.
“The issue of children will be different,”
Hetor said firmly.
“Hehe, we have this.”
But Melanie was even more resolute.
She shook Hetor’s notebook.
“That... well.”
“Whether or not you become in-laws with the Lapion Empire is up to you, Hetor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Write Chapter 12 quickly. I told you your in-laws were waiting. And you have to keep writing until our baby is born, yes?”
“I’m writing a novel, not a diary,”
Hetor said with a frustrated expression as he opened his notebook.
“Then I guess you’ll just write it like a diary. Keep writing until our child turns 18. Keep writing. I’ll use the ending as an excuse to arrange a national wedding!”
Melanie clenched her fists and vowed.
“...”
“Where’s time to daze off? Get started!”
Melanie urged, pressing a quill into Hetor’s hand.
He couldn’t write properly because Melanie was hypnotically shouting, “More exciting! More extreme!” next to him.
***
Around 1 p.m., the ship carrying the congratulatory delegation finally arrived at Enka, a port city in the Pasha Empire.
Enka was a trading hub with other countries, so the city had an exotic, unique atmosphere.
Even though it was autumn in the south, the weather was much warmer than in the northern continent, and the people were lively.
Moiya and Moni flew freely, confidently in their own guise, without any transformation.
Unlike the Lapion Empire, the Pasha Empire’s palace was located very close to the port, just a single large forest away from the imperial capital.
Moiya and Moni confidently played around, moving from carriage to carriage until they got close to the Palace of the Pasha Emperor, and finally, they entered the carriage carrying Bellos.
Inside the carriage was Bellos's crow, making it a perfect place to tease and harass.
"I guess the baby wyverns like the Lord of the Tower,"
Logan, who was also riding in the carriage, said to Bellos, looking at Moiya and Moni.
Moni then turned serious, as if wondering where the nonsense was coming from, and said to Logan,
"Don't we often come here to harass those crows, Moni~?"
Kami looked quite exhausted because of Moiya and Moni.
"There are so many other carriages, why did you come to ours?"
Bellos asked the two baby wyverns with a tired face.
"The other carriages are so ugly that I can't sit in them."
Moni said indifferently, plucking one of Kami's feathers and poking it in her nostrils.
"What?"
“That’s right. But it’s bleak and dreary here, and the crows make it look even gloomier. Don’t you like it, Moiya~?”
Moiya said seriously, pointing at Bellos and Logan.
Judging by the lack of a smile, he was serious.
“You know what? Magic Tower Lord? You two are the only ones without a partner.”
Bellos pretended not to hear Moni and looked out the carriage window.
Just then, Linel and Zelda’s carriage passed by.
Their happy laughter leaked out of the half-open carriage window and flowed into Bellos’ carriage.
As Bellos blankly stared at their carriage, Logan consciously closed the window, blocking out their happy voices.
“Ow? Our master and that cold body are making love in a carriage?”
“Anyway, our Majesty is a great mating male, Moni~!”
Moiya and Moni cackled obliviously and threw rocks at Bellos’ chest.
“Are you alright?”
Logan, unable to stand it any longer, asked, observing Bellos’s displeased expression.
“Of course I am.”
It would have been better if he had just pretended not to know, but Logan’s question, pretending to know, made the still-unhealed wound of unrequited love begin to sting.
“Why? You still want to flirt with our master?”
“Does your heart still flutter when you see our master?”
Bellos opened the window again and spoke to the two wyvern cubs.
“Get out.”
“Ow? Look at his heart!”
“Our Majesty, who is cold in body but warm in heart, is much better than someone warm in body but cold in heart, Moni~!”
Moiya and Moni's voices boomed through the carriage through the open window.
Bellos, aware of Linel and Zelda's carriage still running alongside his own, was about to close the window again when Linel popped his head out and asked,
"What's the matter?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Give Magic Tower Lord a partner, too. He must be lonely."
Both Linel and Bellos, the person involved, were startled by Moni's words.
"Magic Tower Lord, you should discuss such concerns with other people."
"...They're just joking,"
Bellos replied, suppressing his irritation.
"You're ridiculous! Every time we mention our master, his eyes dart like a pendulum."
Bellos wasn't the only one who stiffened at Moiya's testimony.
The smile vanished from Linel's face as well.
"You keep a close eye on him. If he harbors even the slightest ill will toward your master, don't hesitate to blast him."
Linel desperately blocked Zelda from looking out the window and ordered Moiya.
“Yeah, you already have four sets of eyes watching you, don’t you, Moiya~?”
Moiya said, and Moni looked at Linel and waved.
“Yes, you deserve to taste the sausages there as soon as you arrive at the Palace of the Pasha.”
Linel closed the carriage window again with a relieved expression.
Moiya closed the window himself and stared at Bellos before speaking.
“Magic Tower Lord, I won’t tell His Majesty, so be honest with me.”
“What?”
“Are you sure you’ve given up on our master?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
He could have just said so and moved on, but Bellos snapped back, getting angry for no reason.
“If the great wyvern asks, you should answer.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason to answer.”
“I haven’t forgotten, I haven’t forgotten.”
Moni crossed her arms and shook her head.
“Then you should love our master’s offspring when it’s born, Moiya~?”
“What?”
He's about to hear all sorts of strange things.
It was so absurd that Bellos didn't even feel it was worth responding.
"What would you do if a daughter who looks exactly like our master were born and confessed to you later?"
"That's impossible. Questions have to be questions for me to respond."
Bellos closed his eyes, overcome with fatigue.
"Why is that impossible? You won't age anyway, will you, Moni~?"
"Your mental state will remain the same."
Moiya also added sincerely.
"Don't be like this here. If you're bored, go play in the forest."
Logan, unable to stand it any longer, opened the carriage window again and tried to let the young wyverns out.
"As the adults say, you, Moiya~?"
"A young child under 100 years old should get out!"
Logan flinched at Moni's comment.
The combined age of the two young wyverns and Bellos was nearly 900 years.
Logan, in his early fifties, unconsciously clasped his hands together and kept his mouth shut.
“What if she looks exactly like my master? Wouldn’t that be ridiculous?”
Moiya asked, forcing Bellos’s eyes open with two fingers.
“How could the Princess do that to me unless she’s crazy?”
Bellos snorted in response. Yet, he felt pathetic and miserable, constantly answering the two kids’ seemingly nonsensical questions.
“She could go crazy for the Magic Tower Lord just by looking at his face, right~?”
“That’s right. After all, he’s handsome, right, after a cold body, so it could be possible, Moiya~?”
Bellos simply chuckled, as if it were absurd.
Even a wizard who had lived for nearly three hundred years couldn’t predict his own future.
***
As the carriage entered the Palace of the Pasha Empire, Linel took my hand.
Like me, he kept his guard down, but I could tell he was secretly worried that the Pasha Imperial Guard might threaten him.
Fortunately, my fears didn't come to pass.
Upon reaching the garden path branching off from the palace, the carriage carrying the congratulatory delegation was escorted to the palace, where the distinguished guests were staying, by the imperial guards who had been waiting.
Linel and I, along with Prince Norton and Rosie, headed straight for the main palace.
A moment later, the carriage stopped in front of the Palace of the Pasha Empire.
Prince Norton and Rosie, who had arrived before us and were waiting at the main entrance, turned to Linel and me as we entered the lobby, their faces perplexed.
"His Majesty the Emperor of the Lapion Empire and Her Highness Zelda!"
Naturally, I expected Prince Calvain and his wife to greet us, but unexpectedly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs greeted us.
"Why are you here?"
Prince Norton asked the Foreign Minister with a displeased expression.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty. I have been ordered to bring His Majesty Emperor Linel directly to the bedroom.”
“Not the reception room, but the bedroom?”
“Yes, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess said she would personally meet with you and convey the details.”
“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess? My brother?”
Prince Norton demanded. But this time, the Foreign Minister remained silent.
His expression was unusual.
Linel and I instinctively knew that something had happened to the Pasha Imperial Family.
Could it be that they were revealing hostility toward me, the Wyvern Lord?
An ominous feeling quelled our resolve.
“We’ll see when you get there.”
Prince Norton apologized to us once more at Linel’s words, and we followed the guide of the chamberlain as we ascended the stairs to the main palace.
Compared to the palace of Lapion, the interior of the Pasha Empire’s imperial palace was much more colorful and extravagant. Perhaps because of the warm climate, the building had far more windows.
The atmosphere in the main palace was quite somber, completely out of sync with the ornate interior. The court ladies, coming and going to greet each other, had a somber expression, uncharacteristic of a royal family about to receive the Emperor's coronation.
This wasn't the way it should have been. Something felt off.
Prince Calvain's bedroom floor was empty except for the knights guarding the bedroom door. It seemed they had deliberately barred the entrance of the court ladies.
"Tell me,"
Prince Norton said to the Foreign Minister.
The Foreign Minister asked him to wait a moment, knocked, and entered the bedroom.
"Your Majesty, something is amiss. This is not how you would treat a distinguished guest."
Prince Norton whispered to him with a serious expression.
Linel simply nodded briefly and remained silent.
He, too, must have sensed something strange as he ascended the bedroom floor, his expression even more grave than in the lobby.
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened.
Princess Jasper emerged in a black dress.
She politely greeted Linel and me, then exchanged a brief greeting with Rosie.
"Why did you come out alone, Sister-in-law?"
Prince Norton asked with a slightly angry tone, and Princess Jasper's eyes turned red.
"Sister-in-law?"
Prince Norton, flustered, called out to Princess Jasper.
Then, in a calm tone, she blurted out the shocking words:
"His Highness... closed his eyes a moment ago."
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