Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 312

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 312 – The Attacked City and the Fox’s Reasoning

Several hours had passed since Ain left the castle.

A message delivered to the castle caused Warren’s face to contort violently.

“By the authority of the Prime Minister, I authorize the use of the magic stone cannon. Inform Lloyd-dono of this. No, first inform him of the military council.”

“Yes, sir!”

After relaying the order to the knight who had come to his office, Warren reflected on the events of the past few days.

He had played his hand, hoping his scheme would flush out the dragon worshippers. Unfortunately, they weren’t foolish enough to be flushed out, and no significant commotion had occurred.

With the fake eggs about to be transported to Ist, if any disturbance were to occur, it would likely happen now. That had been his expectation.

“They’ve resorted to quite drastic measures. Well then.”

Warren murmured as he opened the seal on a letter.

It contained the report that the knight had brought him moments ago.

“A large-scale attack occurred in the frontier city of Klyphoth.”

Of all the cities in Ishtalika, Klyphoth was closer to the monsters than even Balt.

Located in the western part of the continent, slightly north of the royal capital, its latitude was not greatly different. Its climate was neither as cold as Balt’s nor as hot, making it quite livable.

Its prosperity, despite its proximity to monsters, stemmed from the abundant mineral resources found nearby.

Unlike Balt, Klyphoth wasn’t called a sanctuary for adventurers, primarily because it functioned more like a fortress city defended by knights.

Klyphoth wasn’t a name often heard by those living near the capital. However, it was the city under the command of Baron Crim, Batz’s father.

Warren read the letter and raised his eyebrows.

“…Numerous casualties from flames believed to be caused by some sort of dragon-like creature. Its length was roughly that of a two-story house. Two individuals clad in robes entered after the rear of the fortress was partially destroyed. They stole the magic stones stored in the deepest part of the armory and fled.”

The dragons seemed to be under command; each time the robed figures waved their staffs, the dragons obeyed and acted accordingly.

Midway through, the flying dragons split into two groups and fled. Warren finished reading Baron Crim’s report.

“These are indeed dragons. And likely the red dragons that have been causing trouble lately…”

An illustration based on eyewitness accounts depicted two flying dragons spewing flames.

Their size was likely comparable to the length of a typical dwelling. Yet one puzzling fact remained.

“If this dragon is the one from the egg found in Ist the other day, its size doesn’t match. The growth period is far too short… Hmmm?”

Suddenly, he focused on the red dragon’s neck in the illustration. There was an embedded stone and a tube that resembled painfully spread-out blood vessels.

It was somehow familiar; it was precisely the same thing that happened during the incident Shannon caused.

“I see. In addition to the surviving Heim knights, there’s this red dragon. The connection is undeniable. It seems three factions have united.”

One faction was those clad in robes from the dragon-worship cult. Another was the researcher from the Ancient Biological Research Institute.

The final one was Heim’s remnants—no.

“So those discovery reports of hers that occasionally reached us were preparations for this.”

Warren stroked his beard, gazing at the ceiling as he pondered.

“The only powerful figure left in Heim is Tigre-dono. But, given the current situation, I doubt he’d bare his fangs at us. Then, perhaps, Duke Amour of Euro or the Head of State of Rockdam, but both have witnessed our combat strength firsthand. The merchants of Birdland are the same. There’s no advantage in initiating such warlike actions.”

Eliminating possibilities one by one led him to a certain conclusion.

“In the end, it seems it can only be her. Hmm… I thought my ties to that vixen were severed, but they remained indirectly, didn’t they? Come to think of it, she’s the last vestige of trouble left behind by Ain-sama.”

As he rose, Warren’s voice held a venomous undertone.

Despite Ain claiming he had overlooked it, the situation was so foolish that it drew a wry smile.

“Her own thirst for vengeance. She exploited the Heim Knight’s thirst for vengeance, too. Knowing she couldn’t defeat us by human means alone, she turned to monsters.”

Warren stood by the window, opened it, and let the cold winter wind chill his face.

“That dragon faith I overheard… If they offered a deal, they’d demand the World Tree of Gluttony. Well, their interests align, so it’s not bad: The red dragon splitting into two groups… Probably.”

The word “ship” flashed through Warren’s mind.

The turmoil would undoubtedly spread beyond the continent of Ishtar and reach the Heim Autonomous Region.

One of the red dragons that split and fled was commanded by her—Camilla.

“In that case, the World Tree of Gluttony would have been necessary for hatching it, but let’s set aside the technical details for now.”

He finished letting the cold wind in and closed the window.

Finally, Warren murmured to himself.

“The matter of the Black Dragon has also become something we can’t leave unchecked, hasn’t it?”

If his prediction was correct, the World Tree of Gluttony had already been cut down.

He believed the material had undoubtedly fallen into the hands of the Dragon Faith followers. Returning to his desk, he immediately drafted a document.

“To the Heim Autonomous Region, we shall dispatch an additional thirty battleships. No, not battleships—other forces. We wish to redirect the battleships elsewhere. If it comes down to it, we can manage by fighting along the coast in the fight against the Red Dragon.”

A large army would also be dispatched to the frontier city of Klyphoth and the area investigated by Ain.

Prime Minister Warren had decided to send the full might of the regular army to carry out a thorough annihilation. These details would be relayed to Ain once the military council concluded.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After Warren had settled several matters, the grand military council commenced.

Ain was at Duke Fors’ residence in Strohm. Its ivory-colored outer walls looked splendid.

“Oh, that’s not bad. Leonard, let’s cross the sea together.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Of course I am… What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Batz and Leonard. In their hands was a single sheet of paper bearing King Sylvird’s signature.

It was the document that Ain had heard about earlier, assigning them command of a unit.

They were free to issue orders from Strohm. As Batz said, the decision to cross the sea was also left to them. Yet Batz had decided to cross without hesitation.

“N-no. It’s not that I’m scared. I’m just surprised we’re the ones taking command.”

“You’re scared, aren’t you? Why did we even graduate from the Royal Kingsland Academy? We each paid more in taxes than tuition.”

“That’s true, but you’re way too calm about this.”

“Huh? That’s on you. Are you okay with Roland leaving us behind? Out of the four of us, only Leonard and I haven’t accomplished anything!”

Roland was in the direction Batz pointed with his thumb. Standing on the floor, a short distance from the sofa where the two were seated, were Roland and Ain.

“What is this?! It floats so high!”

“I’ll make something even bigger float within the next six months. Like… a carriage!”

Ain gasped in surprise as Roland declared triumphantly. Right before their eyes, a chair hovered several dozen centimeters off the ground.

The chair itself wasn’t rigged. Instead, a specially crafted magic tool was attached beneath it.

“Right now, I don’t have enough power to lift anything much bigger. But if it’s something that floats naturally, I think I could keep something the size of a person suspended.”

“That’s amazing! I don’t really understand how you can make a person float, though.”

“Well, for example, I could save someone who falls off a roof.”

“I see. Can I try sitting on it?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Ain sat down on the floating chair and cheered. Roland’s voice cheered at the sound, making Leonard smile wryly.

Then, Batz stood up and approached.

“That’s awesome! I’ll pay you; make me one!”

“Ah, I’ve got a spare. Here you go.”

A stone resembling an empty magic stone and a piece of paper emerged from Roland’s pocket. The paper bore intricate, mysterious patterns and characters that resembled a magic circle. At first glance, it looked like parchment.

“That’s not just paper. It’s a recently invented magic tool. It enables the activation of magic that’s too complex for human strength alone.”

“Ah, ah! Got it, got it! I see that I can’t understand it!”

“By the way, Your Highness, are you truly certain about me and Batz?”

Leonard, still unable to make up his mind, asked anxiously. But Ain answered with a smile.

“Leonard and Batz will be fine. Grandfather approved because he thinks so too, though he does want you to run away if things get dangerous.”

Leonard’s expression relaxed as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well then, we’ll board the ship in a day or two. I’ll report to Marco-san first and head to that port town ahead of you.”

“W-wait! That’s awfully soon!”

“Well, it’s that ‘strike while the iron’s hot’ thing. But man, this is getting pretty big, huh? The Red Dragon, was it? If it ever comes to the Heim Autonomous Region and I defeat it, wouldn’t I be a hero too?”

“Well, if you could defeat it, you’d be a hero. What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“No, no, no. I’m a man, too, you know. I have that desire to do something great.”

Like Ain, who was called a hero for slaying the Sea Dragon, Batz also harbored that kind of spirit.

“Yeah, I guess slaying the Red Dragon would be pretty cool, huh?”

“Yeah, that’d be cool.”

Ain agreed while Roland and Leonard both exhaled in exasperation.

“Well, just watch. I’ll get strong enough to become the Black Knights’ captain someday. The second Black Knights captain and the Red Dragon Slayer…what the hell… I’m already getting goosebumps just thinking about it.”

That evening, the results of the military council held by Warren and the others in the capital arrived.

Upon hearing the report that Camilla’s involvement was almost certain, Ain stood alone in Strohm’s mansion, offering a sorrowful, bitter smile.

[T/N: I forgot about it. I thought her name was Alma in the web novel, but I don’t know if the author changed it to Camilla now, since that’s her name in the light novel.]

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

On the first night back in Strohm, Ain’s heart was tormented by complex emotions over the attack on the frontier town and other matters.

“The Red Dragon… I think we should send Marco and Arche-san, too…”

Ain muttered to himself for the umpteenth time. He had been thinking in his room since morning.

It was past ten o’clock. Although today was a day off, any sense of a holiday had long since vanished.

At the very least, this wasn’t the kind of work he wished to do as Crown Prince Ain. Not being called back to yesterday’s military council at the castle was surely a message to focus on the matter in Strohm.

The military force being dispatched to the Heim Autonomous Region would be incomparably larger. What would Batz and Leonard do about that? He also had questions about his friends.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

“Excuse me. It’s Chris. Is it okay if I come in?”

“…Yeah, it’s fine!”

Truthfully, they hadn’t had a chance to talk properly since the other day’s confession.

Given the unsettling news from the capital, Chris had considered waiting a bit. But, in reality, that was the only reason to delay.

Hearing Ain’s voice, Chris stepped into the room.

“You’re not seriously thinking of going yourself, are you, Ain-sama?”

Approaching Ain, who was seated on the sofa, Chris asked.

“Not yet. I was just thinking maybe I should send Marco for reinforcements.”

“Huh—W-well, you’re surprisingly levelheaded about it…”

“Look, given my past behavior, you probably won’t trust me, but I’m actually being pretty levelheaded—”

“Ah, excuse me for sitting beside you.”

“…”

Though she usually sat directly across from him, today Chris took a seat beside Ain.

Her expression was neither particularly cheerful nor displeased—ordinary, one might say. Yet her beauty remained undeniable.

“Y-you’re… closer than usual.”

“Yes, I prefer being near you, Ain-sama. For today, I’ll settle for this distance.”

Even so, their thighs were close enough to touch. If she wanted to be any closer, she would practically be clinging to him.

What was he supposed to do about this change in Chris? Her unprecedented pushiness left Ain at a loss.

Not that he disliked it. Compared to before, her sweet scent drew his attention even more.

“Weaponsmiths forge weapons, fishermen catch fish, and doctors heal injuries. The Crown Prince’s duties are next to the King’s. I understand what you’re worried about, Ain-sama. But I think entrusting things to subordinates is also an important job, don’t you?”

It was sound reasoning he had heard countless times before.

Her gentle, almost reproachful tone reminded him once more that she was older than he was.

“Ain-sama, If you were to gain the power of the Red or Black Dragon, what would you want to do?”

“…Why bring that up now?”

“Well… I was wondering if becoming that powerful would give you a new goal. I was just testing the waters.”

The Crown Prince’s ultimate goal wasn’t necessarily to be the strongest in terms of raw attack power.

That was more the value held by knights and adventurers. Still, Ain gave it serious thought.

(Come to think of it, if the Loli Goddess really is deep inside that dungeon…)

He wanted to talk to her again, to thank her and tease her with a remark like, “Aren’t you bored all alone?”

But whether she was actually in the dungeon of divine abduction was uncertain. If someone asked him if it was worth risking danger to step inside, he would have his doubts.

But if she really was there—Ain thought, almost praying.

He wished for it with all his heart, just as he had when the goddess’s words saved him during the Sea Dragon incident.

…Suddenly.

“――”

A strange, almost consciousness-like aura reached Ain.

“Huh…!?”

“Wh-what happened all of a sudden!?”

Chris asked, surprised, as Ain looked around sharply.

Though it was indescribable, Ain grinned smugly, certain.

“Nothing. I just thought that, surprisingly, goals might actually exist.”

Although he had been upset about the Camilla incident, Ain now wore a cheerful smile as if it had never happened.

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