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Chapter 246
One Unwavering Truth
“F-flower that’s as common as the weeds? You must have mistaken it for another flower, kid,” Eltharion struggled to calm down and answer Carbuncle.
”No, I’m pretty sure—“
I quickly held Carbuncle from uttering her next word, but at this point, it seemed too late and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how we could do damage control this time around.
‘Kuu-chan, please take your words back and—‘ I whispered to Carbuncle, but before I could even finish, Ein stepped forward.
“Doctor, if we can help with both Eneida and Maiara-san’s conditions, will you help us?”
Ein’s words shocked me to the core.
And perhaps Carbuncle as well, for she remained silent and continued to watch Ein with an expression that seemed to want to know where he was planning to go with all this, despite the hand that I used to cover her mouth had finally left her mouth.
“Reynald… What’s going on?” Prince Manasye was confused.
”Just what is the meaning of this?” Maiara-san grew alert.
Ein’s change of demeanor caught the doctor, Maiara-san, and even Manasye off guard.
…Actually, that included me and Clavis as well.
A-at least give us a signal or anything! What are you planning to do, Ein? Are you going, no, are we going to destroy the bridge here now?!
“…I will explain later. So, tell me, Doctor, what is your answer?” Ein answered Manasye and Maiara’s questions before going back to asking the doctor.
”……That depends,” Eltharion the divine doctor showed a serious expression when he finally gave out an answer to Ein.
”Depends on what?” Ein asked.
”What do you need me to help with?”
“Ah, of course it’s natural for you to ask first. As expected of the divine doctor. Now then… First, I want to know if you have treated the royal family as well,” Ein asked.
”But you already know that he has looked after me before,” Prince Manasye was the one to answer.
”No, what I want to know is whether or not Divine Doctor Eltharion has treated the royal family—the generation before Prince Manasye,” Ein shook his head and clarified.
”The king?! What do you plan on doing?!” Maiara grew fully suspicious of us right now, or more precisely, of Ein.
Yes, Ein was usually this angelic, innocent, and bright child. But when he got serious like this, he was like the embodiment of the creepy child from horror series. It was as if Ein was a fake child… when it was supposed to be me and Carbuncle being the fake child…
”No, you’ve got it all wrong,” Ein shook his head and continued, “I am more curious about the heir to the throne that has mysteriously disappeared—the former crown princess.”
”…! Are you after Oriel-sama?!” Eltharion seemed upset—he was more reactive when he realized Ein was referring to Oriel rather than the current king, Deus.
“Calm down, Doctor. We are not after her for malicious intent. Contrary, we really want to help bring her back…”
”And why is that?” Eltharion didn’t seem to believe Ein’s words.
”Doctor, what do you think about the idea of peaceful coexistence between the elvenkin and the Oni?” Ein threw another question instead of answering.
“…! And why do you think Oriel-sama is necessary for it?” Divine Doctor Eltharion asked.
”Because she… and the Oni…,” Ein only mentioned vague things like that, but the divine doctor was surprised.
”Judging by your expression, Doctor, I guess you are one of the insiders… The people who know, right?” Ein smiled proudly, it felt as if this confirmation was what Ein had wanted to hear in the first place.
”You… how?” The doctor stuttered.
”Doctor, let me ask the same question. What do you think about the idea of peaceful coexistence between the elves and the Oni?”
”…I stand by the former crown princess’ side,” Eltharion solemnly said.
”Good. Now that we are on the same page and I know you are one of the insiders, this will be quick,” Ein said.
Ein then turned to look at me and said, “Big Sis Lyra, please.”
Even without him telling me what to do, I understood. I quickly undid the illusion magic cast to my group, and any disguising devices used were also disabled.
”H-huh?!” Manasye was the most confused seeing our figures changing.
Ein quickly explained everything in an abridged version. That we are Riviera citizens who came here due to receiving a message from the delegates—who actually came here for a different purpose. That we knew of Oriel being the former crown princess who was a leader of the Elf-Oni union because of her child. Perhaps out of consideration for Manasye, Ein didn’t go in details about how Oriel had a child with an Oni and that perhaps King Deus tried to eliminate Oriel and her child once due to the fact that they sided with the Oni, and because he wanted to ensure his throne…
That was a good decision to make, since I believe this was already too much for Manasye to take all at once. He had been gloomily silent since before… What would have happened if Manasye were to hear that his father was suspected to have tried to kill his sister and daughter? And that his father actually has an opposing view with him in regards to the Elf-Oni union, and that his father was an extreme kind of a person to those with opposing view?
And as expected, the version told to both Manasye and Maiara were different.
”We were told that the king’s sister perished alongside the former queen in a rebellion… There’s no information about the former crown princess wanting to have a coexistence with the Oni, and there’s no information about her having a child…,” Maiara explained on behalf of Manasye, who seemed to be too shocked to talk.
So, even this information was being strictly kept even within the royal palace.
“…,” Eltharion only went silent.
“…I took the risk to reveal the truth now, seeing that the prince of Cielle shares the same sentiment as us, and the fact that his beloved nanny can benefit from this deal, and the fact that you, the renowned divine doctor, should have something you know related to Oriel-sama. It is such a good coincidence to know that you are by Oriel-sama’s side. Therefore, I stated the whole truth since I don’t see any risk of our cooperation turning sour. How does that sound?” Ein smiled after he just spewed cold business-like words.
”…So that is why… Escha… No, Lyra, you can use dark magic, right?” Maiara suddenly asked me.
”Huh? How did you know?” I was taken aback.
”When we went against that chimera… I had suspicions you were using it, but I wouldn’t have expected my guess to be true and the reason behind why you can use it is because you are not an elf…,” Maiara muttered before looking at my surprised expression and quickly added, “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell the king and the queen… yet, I mean.”
”…!” It’s not that no one caught on, but Maiara simply stayed silent about it all this time? Why?
Before we all could utter anything else, Prince Manasye’s weak and shaken voice could be heard.
”I… I thought we were… friends.” He seemed as if he was about to cry any time.
”So… you approached me because of this… ulterior motive… You were lying… all this time… to me.” Tears fell from his eyes.
I was surprised hearing that this was the thing that the little prince was concerned the most. No, perhaps he might be unable to really digest the whole information we just told him, or perhaps it was because he couldn’t ask his parents about the lie he was told about their royal family.
Manasye’s hands quivered as he covered his face and cried.
My heart ached hearing his cries and from seeing him all curled up, hurt like that.
I grabbed Manasye’s quivering hands and just when he looked at me with his tearful eyes, I slowly said.
”I am sorry, Prince. It wasn’t our intention to make you feel deceived like this. And… our friendship might have been built on lies—and to tell you the truth, it pained me so much when we had to lie to you when I knew you were sincere. I… I wished we could have been truthful from the very beginning, but circumstances didn’t allow that. I really wished we could’ve met under different situations, but… Aah, I am not good with my words, but… Know that us wanting to be friends with you… I mean, it’s sincere. We really do want to be friends with you, without any other motive, regardless of anything. That is… one unwavering truth that I can guarantee.”
Manasye seemed to have calmed down a bit hearing my words, but he didn’t look as convinced.
”Big Sis Lyra is telling the truth. She should have been the most desperate out of us, since she’s worried sick of her dear brother. Yet, she still insisted on us helping you and Eneida, even if it meant we had to be off track for a while. I had to try and analyze how getting off track could still help us… Sigh… But you get the point. If she isn’t sincere, she wouldn’t have the need to do all this. She’s also the one who asked if the doctor could also help Maiara. That was unnecessary, right? She… just has to get involved and want to help you all… because she really cares about you,” Ein added.
“…,” Prince Manasye stopped crying, but I could see that he had some doubts lingering on his mind.
However,
”…I will choose to believe you for now. As my nanny has told me… Trusting is better than doubting,” Prince Manasye finally could smile again.
Maiara was stunned hearing Manasye’s words, as if she had forgotten that she had ever uttered such words in the first place.
”…The prince has spoken. As his vassal, I will follow his judgment.”
“…!” I was glad that they took this information well. I was a bit worried and prepared to flee, should the situation escalate to the worst possible outcome…
“Your sincerity paid off, Big Sis,” Ein suddenly whispered close to my ears.
I… I totally didn’t think of it that way…
But I am glad if Ein thinks so.
”Doctor, do you have any idea of Oriel-sama’s condition or her whereabouts? Even if it’s an information of her death… that is fine. We just need to know if she’s alive or not, where and how she is, if she is alive.”
Now that we finished the explanation and everyone calmed down, we returned to the topic at hand.
”…About that… Didn’t you ask me to share that information only after you are really able to assist with Maiara-sama’s condition and bring the Thunder Miracle Flower in bulk to prove your words that it’s as common as the weeds, then I will tell you all I know about our former crown princess.”
T-the doctor is quite petty for emphasizing the ‘common as the weeds’ part!
“So, you do know something,” Ein said.
”Well, who knows I might have been bluffing all along? Just like how I think you guys were only bluffing about the flower. In the first place, it is nonsense for such a flower being as common as the weeds. The condition to which the flower can bloom is very rare. There’s no way this young lass’ words are true!”
…Yes, I am certain that the doctor here now has some beef with Carbuncle.
“You dare to challenge me? Now, now, if I can prove my words and you’re the one who were bluffing, you’d better suffer the consequences!” Carbuncle was taunted, as she stood up and even pointed a finger to the doctor’s direction…
”Kid, you’ve got some nerve!” Eltharion was clearly annoyed.
”Aah, stop it with this ‘kid’ and ‘young lass’! I don’t think our ages are that far apart, kid! And there is indeed an area where eternal thunder hits the land constantly—and the flowers happened to grow in that land abundantly—and so, making the flowers bloom just like normal flowers!” Carbuncle said without an ounce of reverence to the divine doctor, Elthation.
”W-wha?! What do you mean?” Eltharion was taken aback from the moment Carbuncle finished her first sentence.
”Heh. Thank you for leaving out my identity, Ein. Behold!” Carbuncle then smugly started to float in the air as she slowly let out her dragon horns, wings, and tail only.
”D-d-d-dragon? A real dragon?!” Eltharion had to blink several times and adjust his glasses before he pointed his trembling finger at Carbuncle’s figure.
“Whoa! You’re a dragon, Kuu-chan?” Manasye looked at Carbuncle with sparkly eyes.
”N-no way, they aren’t extinct…?” Maiara gasped.
”Hm~hm! Awesome, ain’t I~?” Carbuncle smugly asked.
”Yes, yes, awesomeee~!” Manasye nodded like a chicken.
S-stop fuelling her smugness!!
“Hold on. Kuu, could that place be in your homeland?” Clavis suddenly asked.
”Hmm? Yeah, of course.”
”So… you will go back to the Dragon’s Heritage to fetch the flowers, while we wait?” Clavis asked again.
”Eeh… It’d be boring going alone… Hmm… Lyr, come with me!” Carbuncle’s expression changed from the troubled look to a look of excitement when our eyes met.
”WHAT?! No way, Kuu-chan! It’s impossible for non-dragons to even go near the dragon continent!” I quickly refused this absurdity.
”You have dragon blood in your veins. You can,” Carbuncle descended from the air and nagged at me as she pulled my arm.
”You have dragon blood?!” Manasye was surprised.
”Eh, it’s only faint… So I don’t think I can—“
”I can lend you a dragon stone to strengthen your draconic bloodline and aura so you can be fine. Don’t you want to see the dragon continent?”
…Carbuncle’s right. I do wanna see it if possible, but I have always thought it was just a dream that’s impossible to reach unless I were born as a dragon in the first place…
”Well… If you promise it’d be alright, sure.”
”Yay~!” Carbuncle then hugged me happily.
”Hold on, Big Sis Kuu. If you said it’d be boring and that’s why you asked Big Sis Lyra to tag along… Just how long will it take for you to go back and forth?” Ein asked.
Oh, that is a good question to ask.
”From here? Hmmm… around two weeks, I guess?” Carbuncle said after she thought for a while as she scratched her head.
”That long?!” I was surprised.
“Yeah. It’s not like you non-dragonkin has any teleportation circle to reach area near Dragon’s Heritage, right?”
”Okay…,” I couldn’t argue with that.
”Then, I suggest we return to the castle since it’d take that long. The king and the queen will be worried for the prince,” Maiara said.
”Maiara-sama, I apologize, but I require you to remain here to prepare yourself for the treatment,” Eltharion said.
”I thought you said I was just bluffing?” Carbuncle asked.
”That was before I know you are a dragon,” Eltharion quickly answered without any reservation.
”Then… Would it be possible for me to escort the prince back before returning here?” Maiara worriedly asked.
“Sure,” Eltharion nodded.
”Can I also come with Prince Manasye?” Clavis suddenly asked. He even elaborated further.
”I have a favor to ask of you, Prince. Can you help us speak with our friends who are the Riviera country’s delegates? I want to make sure they are doing fine and that we are here to assist,” Clavis said to Prince Manasye.
”Your friends… Right… My father…,” Manasye looked glum for a moment, perhaps he had an understanding of our situations despite us not saying too much about it.
“I will help you,” Manasye finally said.
”As much as I want to follow Big Sis Lyra, I can’t…,” Ein said with a sullen look that was finally befitting a child his age.
”So, I will stay here with Doctor Eltharion. Doctor, can you teach me more about many things? Cielle kingdom, the ancient language, and and…” Ein continued to blabber.
”I do want to have more dialogues with you, seeing that you aren’t just an ordinary child,” Doctor Eltharion agreed.
”So… everyone’s destination has been decided, then?” I commented.
”Yeah. Let’s prepare to embark soon, Lyr. Aren’t you excited to see your ancestor’s homeland?” Carbuncle smirked.
I wonder about the dragon continent being my ancestor’s homeland?
But it’s true that I never would have dreamed of setting foot in the Dragon’s Heritage.
I can’t lie and say that I am not excited at all, since I am excited!
But… will everything be alright?
I couldn’t help but feel worried…
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