After reinforcing the spells in Dez's tent, I cast a barrier over the demons' camp to protect them from any outside attacks for a short while. Then, I teleport us all back to the conference room at the elven palace, but I demand that Dez discard any weapons.
Upon arriving, I am surprised to see Elira, Dargo, and Ilina still using the conference for their personal discussions. They are equally surprised to see me, but especially to see Dez.
"Mizuki, what is the meaning of this!? Did you teleport a demon into the same room as our queen without telling anyone!?" (Dargo)
Elira is also seemingly nervous, as well as Ilina, but they're just looking at me expectantly.
"Relax, Dargo, the situation required it, and I made sure he came unarmed. This is Dez, and from what I can tell, he's kind of the de facto ruler of the demons." (Mizuki)
The elven royals look shocked, but before any of them can speak further, I turn to Dez and continue.
"Dez, this is the King and Queen of the Elven Kingdom. Let me make myself clear…you're here as my guest, and if you take even the slightest hostile action towards anyone here, I will kill you before you can achieve it. As their leader, I'll also have to assume that your actions reflect the will of the demons' armed forces and…act accordingly. Is that clear?" (Mizuki)
Ilina gives me a shocked expression mixed with concern, and I think I know why. I sigh internally.
[It's okay, Ilina, I'm bluffing. I'm not going to slaughter his people over one individual's actions, so please quit looking at me like I'm a monster. He doesn't know that, though, and I want him to behave himself.] (Mizuki)
Ilina's face relaxes, and I receive an apologetic smile. Dez begins to break out in a cold sweat and nods vigorously, then kneels towards Elira and Dargo.
"King and Queen of the elves, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today, and I give my word that I will not cause trouble during my visit. I only wish to clear up this misunderstanding with your kingdom and beg for your assistance." (Dez)
Elira's and Dargo's faces contort in shock, then glance between Dez and me in confusion.
"Mizuki, even if all that is true, this behavior is still completely unacceptable. There are proper protocols that must be adhered to for discussions between country leaders." (Elira)
Under normal circumstances, I'd be a bit more deferential to their feelings and customs. In this situation though…
"Sorry, Elira, but to be frank I don't care about your long-winded customs that serve no meaningful purpose at a time like this. I brought him here because I consider it urgent that you talk to one another. If you decline this opportunity, I will respect your wishes and simply return Dez to the demons. However, I will consider that justification to stop consulting you on how I deal with the situation, since your refusal would be a clear indication that you either don't trust my assessment or don't care if it's urgent." (Mizuki)
Elira and Dargo go pale, and their mouths drop open in shock at my blunt dismissal of their concerns. Ilina is looking at me with annoyance, like I could have handled it better, but I also see resignation in her expression.
"Mother, Father, I know that was more than a little rude of Mizuki, but I think you should just listen to him. I've only ever seen him act like this the night he found out about the elven slaves and came to visit me. I tried to dissuade him from doing anything reckless to aid them, but he'd already made up his mind. I can only assume that this is another situation where he feels so strongly about the right course of action and the stakes that your protests would be completely wasted. Am I right, Mizuki?" (Ilina)
I smile at her affectionately and nod my agreement and my thanks. Elira seems to have recovered enough to respond.
"Very well, ruler of the demons. Since Mizuki seems intent on this discussion taking place here and now, we'll condone it for that reason alone. Our understanding is that you plan to invade our country and wage war with the backing of Veyron. We've seen dragon-kin among your military encampment, large-scale ship building operations on your eastern coast, and three of our elven soldiers sent to contact you never returned. How else do you explain all this?" (Elira)
Dez concisely recounts for everyone else in the room what he told me about their current situation and how they arrived at it. Dargo's face is a mix of sympathy and skepticism, and Elira is just skeptical.
"Mizuki…do you have reason to believe that what he says is true?" (Elira)
Elira eyes me intently.
"I'd say that's certainly more likely than them intending to wage war. First, while the so-called demon army was largely armed troops, there were also civilians among them, including many children protected in the center of the camp. Second, I saw no dragon-kin in the camp during my visit. Third, I was able to confirm the presence of a strong force located near the demons that were, in fact, not other demons. Finally, when I told him that Nina was an Elder Dragon, the hate in his eyes was palpable, as you'd expect if his story were true." (Mizuki)
Dargo nods his agreement following this new information, and Elira looks troubled. I figure this is a good time to interject.
"Dez, can you think of any reason for Veyron's sudden change in behavior? You've been coexisting peacefully for millennia, right? Did resources become scarcer in his original territory? Did some demons do something to earn his ire? Did he say anything about why he wants total control of the continent?" (Mizuki)
Dez shakes his head sadly.
"No…he did not. However, I'm confident that it's not because of any of the reasons you suggested. The only information we have was from one of the survivors of the first attacks. Veyron only commented that 'this continent will be better than the ice continent', but we don't know what purpose he has in mind for either." (Dez)
The ice continent…isn't Cerilia there? Further thoughts are interrupted by Nina.
"Fufufu…Veyron is truly foolish. His ego has been shattered by Cerilia it seems." (Nina)
Is she saying that Veyron is committing genocide…over his ego?
"Nina…are you telling me that glorified lizard is exterminating an entire race over something petty related to Cerilia? Like what, exactly?" (Mizuki)
"Perhaps he is just insecure about Cerilia having an entire continent to herself. Maybe he also thinks that claiming the continent will entice her to see him as enough of an equal to challenge to a fight, or to mate with. Cerilia is desired as a mate by Veyron and Halzar, but she has shown no interest in them. All I can say for sure is that letting his fragile pride drive such a petty action would be very in character for him." (Nina)
Dez is looking at Nina in disbelief. I don't blame him…his people might have been the subject of near genocide because some horny lizard has the emotional development of a middle schooler. I sigh deeply…this is going to be a pain.
"Nina, what would likely happen, in terms of the dragon-kin, if Veyron were to die?" (Mizuki)
Everyone in the room looks to me in shock, while Nina just ponders the question neutrally for a moment.
"Hmm…nothing really, I don't think. They wouldn't all drop dead, for example. However, the remnants of their devotion to him would likely make them hostile afterwards. I'm not sure they'd peacefully share the continent with the demons." (Nina)
Well, there goes that plan. However, I think I have another that Nina would enjoy even more.
"Nina…do you think that Veyron would agree to a wager, if you taunted him for being weaker than you? One where you face him in single combat, and if he loses, he and his dragon-kin are forced to never set foot in the demons' territories or be hostile to them again?" (Mizuki)
"Fufufu…yes, I think it would be quite easy to bait him into such a duel. As I said, he's arrogant and has a fragile ego. He would ask for something truly humiliating in return if he won, I'm sure, but I wouldn't let him win." (Nina)
"If he lost, do you think he'd actually hold up his end of the deal?" (Mizuki)
"I can't say for sure, but…yes, I think so. A similar wager of strength was made between Veyron and Cerilia several millennia ago, and his loss meant that he'd never be allowed on her ice continent again. Naturally, she soundly defeated him, and he has upheld their agreement to my knowledge." (Nina)
Hmm…so it's not certain, and it's not necessarily forever, but the demons could be fine for generations at least. I'll take those odds. I turn to Dez, who is looking at me expectantly, and give him a reassuring smile.
"Alright, I guess that's what we'll do then! Dez, I'm going to return you to your camp now, and I'll reinforce the barrier around it so your people will be safe. Tomorrow Nina and I will come take care of Veyron, and then you guys can go back to your semi-normal lives. Is that fine with everyone?" (Mizuki)
Everyone except Nina is staring at me like I'm nuts, especially Dez. Elira is the first to react.
"Fufufu…sure, whatever you say, Mizuki. We'll leave it to you. It doesn't sound like the Elven Kingdom needs to be concerned about an imminent attack regardless." (Elira)
"Mizuki…with all due respect, even another Elder Dragon is not guaranteed victory over Veyron. I'm sure you are a strong human, but they are on a different level than us. I'm not sure you'd make much difference. Trust me, I've seen the evidence of Veyron's strength firsthand." (Dez)
Nina starts laughing at Dez.
"Fufufu…silly demon. As far as Mizuki and I can tell, I'm currently stronger than Veyron. I'm unlikely to lose. Still…you seem to have misunderstood our powers. Mizuki is much stronger than I am, and Veyron would stand no chance at all." (Nina)
Dez shoots me a bewildered gaze at Nina's comment, and I nod my agreement patiently. He then turns to the elves in the room questioningly, and they all nod their assent with exasperated expressions. Dez turns to look back at me with considerable fear in his eyes.
"S-Sure, Lord Mizuki, we graciously accept your help, and we will await your arrival eagerly tomorrow." (Dez)
That's a hilarious change in attitude, it's 'Lord' now, is it? Oh well, I don't really care to correct him over something like this.
"Terrific, let's depart then." (Mizuki)
I teleport Dez and I back to his tent, then reinforce the barrier over their camp. Afterwards, I remove all the spells on his tent and teleport back to the palace conference room.
The whole process takes under a minute, and as I leave, I see Dez staring at me in amazement and fear.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
It's afternoon by the time Ilina, Klaus, and I make our way out of the palace and into the city square to begin socializing with the city's residents. Nina was going to come along initially, but decided she'd rather go to the hot spring at the last minute, so I dropped her off. Klaus is hanging back to watch us, and Ilina is walking to my side in front of him.
Around the square are close to a dozen little vendor stands selling all kinds of food, souvenirs, clothes, and jewelry. Past the square, a main street can be seen extending down into the heart of Avalon, and it's lined with several other shops.
Looking over at her, I see Ilina watching the people in the square fondly, and she gives a small wave to an onlooking group. I can't help but smile warmly at the sight.
[You know, Ilina, this could be considered like a first date for us.] (Mizuki)
I direct the thought message at her with an amused smile, and I see her eyes widen some as she blushes.
"So, Il…err, Princess Ilina, is there anything that you recommend for me during this visit? I am in your care." (Mizuki)
Ilina rolls her eyes at my forced formality, then smiles and nods. She gestures to one of the food stands in the square.
"I'm quite fond of kur'kes, they're small, crisp sweet breads that are common to the Elven Kingdom. Would you try one for me, Mizuki? I think you'll like it." (Ilina)
I smirk at her and nod my agreement, and she smiles back genuinely and leads us over to the food stand with the kur'kes.
A 50s-looking elven man is tending the stand as we approach, and his eyes go wide in surprise as he sees Ilina. A huge smile breaks out on his face, and he's not even looking at me.
"Princess Ilina, to think that you'd visit my little food stand…I'm deeply honored! Please take whatever you want free of charge. Just to know you are enjoying my food is payment enough!" (food stand elf)
Wow…these people, like, really love Ilina. I know Alto said as much, but this is nuts. I wonder what they think of Alara.
Ilina gives a dazzling smile to the elven vendor, then shakes her head politely.
"I'm very touched by your generous offer, but I'll insist on us paying you. All the elves in this city work so hard to help the kingdom prosper, and pay their taxes without complaint, so I'm not about to take your goods for free when I can afford them. What kind of Princess would that make me, hmm? It simply won't do. I'll be happy if you could just prepare a few kur'kes and any other local favorites for my friend and me." (Ilina)
The elf vendor smiles and his eyes sparkle with admiration, and he begins collecting several baked goods into a box. As he does, he looks at me for the first time, presumably since Ilina referred to me as her 'friend'.
Seeing me, his eyes go wide in surprise, then his expression transitions to one of concern and confusion. He glances between me and Ilina a few times, but he doesn't say anything. I decide that's a good cue.
"You're correct…I'm human, and my name is Mizuki. I apologize if my presence is concerning. My aim wasn't to frighten you, I just wanted to try these kur'kes that Princess Ilina spoke so highly of." (Mizuki)
I try to give the man a very reassuring and empathetic smile. His expression changes to one of embarrassment, but I still see hints of suspicion and confusion.
"Ah, yes, I'm just not used to seeing humans around, Mizuki, and I wasn't sure why you would be in our kingdom with the princess. I wasn't afraid that you were going to harm me or anything, I just…" (Kudra)
He trails off and glances between Ilina and me again nervously. I nod sympathetically.
"You're worried that I'll make trouble for the princess, right? You were nervous about a human being allowed so close to her, whether she was safe, and how people might act towards her with me around?" (Mizuki)
Kudra looks surprised, and then once again embarrassed. To my surprise, however, he responds.
"Yes, that's correct. I'm sorry if I caused any offense, but it wasn't personal, Mizuki." (Kudra)
I can't help but chuckle at his honesty. Ilina and Kudra both give me puzzled looks.
"Fufufu…Kudra, I'm not offended in the slightest. In fact, I am grateful and humbled that you were so honest with me despite your suspicion. I really appreciate it. This may seem rather sudden…but…could I ask you for a favor? I wouldn't do so without providing something in return, of course." (Mizuki)
Kudra looks practically bewildered, but Ilina is just shaking her head with an amused smile.
"Err…a favor, Mizuki? What could you want from me?" (Kudra)
"Well, could I ask you a few questions, just the two of us, while you finish preparing our order? You should feel free to say 'no', and you should know that this is a personal request from me, not a favor to the princess. In return, I'll answer your questions, too, if I can. If there's anything I'm not allowed to tell you, I'll just say so instead of lying. If Princess Ilina and Klaus are fine with it, is that a conversation you'd be interested in?" (Mizuki)
Ilina and Kudra widen their eyes at me in surprise. Ilina looks nervous but remains silent. Kudra looks at me hesitantly, but I see curiosity in his expression as well.
"I'm…not scared to talk alone with you briefly here, and I admit that I'm a little curious about you, but…I don't think I'm as informed as you believe. I doubt I can answer any questions that you'd have. Even if I could, I can't promise that they're things I'd feel comfortable telling a human." (Kudra)
"I think you could, but if I'm wrong that's okay. Of course, I would never make you answer a question that you're uncomfortable with. So long as you try to answer my question to the best of your ability, or tell me honestly why you're uncomfortable doing so, I'll answer your questions in return." (Mizuki)
Kudra looks thoughtful, and glances at Ilina. She shrugs and nods her consent to him, then Kudra turns back to face me with a curious expression.
"Okay, sure Mizuki. I'm happy to have a chat with you briefly while I finish filling this order." (Kudra)
Ilina nods and walks with Klaus over to a nearby group of people staring at her. Once we're alone I smile at Kudra.
"I appreciate it. As a token of that, I'll let you ask the first question, whatever you want. Unless it affects Princess Ilina negatively, I won't repeat it if you don't want me to." (Mizuki)
"Okay…can I know why there is a human in our country as a royal guest, walking around with our princess like their friends?" (Kudra)
Now that Ilina is gone, Kudra is a little less polite, and his suspicion is a lot clearer. Good. I nod at him with a smile.
"Essentially, I freed several elves from the humans' slave trade and wished to return them home safely. I'm also an advisor to the Elder Dragon Nedonera, who Princess Ilina secretly visited in the human country to request aid from. Since I wanted to see the elves home safely, and Lady Nedonera wanted to visit your country before offering aid, we both came here as Princess Ilina's royal guests." (Mizuki)
Kudra's face goes pale, and his eyes become mostly white with surprise. Not unreasonable, since I just dropped a lot of information on him as part of that answer. In fact, I'm hoping it hooks him enough to answer my questions honestly and earn his trust.
"M-Mizuki…that's…why…I have questions about every one of those statements. I promised to answer your questions as well, though, so please go ahead with your first question before I ask my own." (Kudra)
"Sure. How does it make you feel that Princess Ilina referred to me as her friend?" (Mizuki)
"I'm not sure why my opinion should matter, but…it primarily just confused me. I couldn't decide if it was just royal politeness or genuine familiarity. My beliefs that humans are dangerous, and that Princess Ilina is an excellent judge of character and devoted to her people, were clashing. I also feared you having access to our royal family, and whether it foreboded more humans around our peaceful country." (Kudra)
I smile at him appreciatively.
"Thank you very much for your honesty, Kudra. I can assure you, free of charge, that my being here is not a sign of more humans soon to come. In fact, if I was consulted by the royal family, I would strongly advise against them allowing other humans into this country for the foreseeable future. Also, I'll answer your next question now." (Mizuki)
Kudra looks confused by my statement, but just proceeds with his next question.
"I'm conflicted about what to ask first, but…what was this about a secret visit to the human kingdom by Princess Ilina? Can you explain the circumstances surrounding that? Such a thing would be very dangerous for her. I can't imagine anyone allowing it, nor would the people have wanted her to do such a thing." (Kudra)
"I'd recommend not repeating this, but I'll answer you. First, are you aware of the rumors that your kingdom may soon be invaded by the demons and go to war with them?" (Mizuki)
Kudra nods expectantly.
"What about that the Elder Dragon Veyron was believed to have sided with the demons for the war?" (Mizuki)
Pure fear and surprise flash across Kudra's face.
"Ah, so that's a no. Well, the royal family had reason to believe that's the case. Ilina arranged, without the royal family's knowledge, to sneak out of the kingdom and travel all the way to Delmura Forest to ask for Lady Nedonera's help to protect you all against Veyron. She put her own life on the line, so I don't think there can be any doubt of her devotion to your kingdom. Your people are very lucky." (Mizuki)
Kudra has a very conflicted expression for a few moments.
"That's…troubling…to think Princess Ilina would risk her life so freely for us. No elf would have asked such a thing of her, though I can't deny that we all cherish and appreciate her. Still, while I thank you for telling me this, I think it's best if you don't tell others about it, Mizuki. You can ask your next question." (Kudra)
I nod at him, then lean over and lower my voice. He raises his eyebrows at me.
"Very well, I'll take your advice. My next question is…what do you and the other elves think of Alara versus Ilina as potential rulers for your people? Naturally, I'm sure this is a sensitive thing for a common elf to discuss, so I promise not to repeat it." (Mizuki)
Kudra's eyes narrow suspiciously at me, and he looks quite nervous. However, I stare at him patiently for a few moments, and he sighs deeply and nods to himself.
"Truthfully, I worry that Princess Alara doesn't care for all elves equally the way that some of the other royals and nobles seem to, and I worry how common elves will be treated when she comes to power. In general, the people are respectful towards Princess Alara, but don't really admire or love her. By contrast, Ilina is practically worshipped by the people, and has been for almost a decade now. Some even…" (Kudra)
Kudra seems to trail off fearfully and glance around, then decides to stop speaking altogether. So, I guess that's all he'll admit like this. After a moment, he redirects his gaze to me.
"I was more concerned about your comments on Princess Ilina at first, but now I'd like to ask about you. Can you tell me about the situation of you freeing elven slaves? How did you learn of them, how did you help them, and why did you involve yourself against humans to help elves?" (Kudra)
Oh? I thought he'd ask about me being an advisor to Nina for sure, or about an Elder Dragon being here.
"There are some specifics of how it was done that I can't discuss, but I'll answer what I can. Essentially, I got a tip that kidnapped elves might have showed up in a human city's underground slave trade, and I was asked to confirm their location and number. I hate slavery, so instead I located the slave house, killed every human I found that was involved, then I freed all the slaves there. I don't care about race, social status, or anything else…all people have the same rights, and those who violate them forfeit their own. End of story." (Mizuki)
Kudra looks at me with his mouth open in shock, and a trace of disbelief in his expression.
"Y-You…really killed your own people to free elves you'd never even met?" (Kudra)
That's…technically a second question, but whatever.
"I don't consider those low lives 'my people', but yes, I killed other humans to free elves and wolf-kin. If I had to kill a dozen guilty humans just to free one innocent demi-human that they enslaved, I'd do it without losing a minute of sleep. Humans don't get the right to mistreat other races just because I was born a human. Also…that was a second question, but I guess I can let it slide." (Mizuki)
Kudra is giving me a strange expression that I can't quite place, but he seems to believe my statements. I continue with my inquiries.
"My next question is, what do you think of me, Kudra? Are you afraid of me, and if so, why?" (Mizuki)
Kudra seems to consider the question carefully for several minutes before responding.
"I don't have any concerns that you're a danger to myself or other elves anymore, but I wouldn't say that it's like I trust you as a person either. Your personality is so clear yet inexplicable that I feel like I can predict your actions but not understand your feelings, if that makes any sense. So, I don't fear you, but I'm unsettled by your nature." (Kudra)
I nod appreciatively to him with a polite smile after he answers. Kudra notices, and he doesn't wait for me to speak before continuing.
"Mizuki, I only have one final question. You've told me that you serve an Elder Dragon who is currently visiting our kingdom, that a different Elder Dragon may intend to wipe us all out, and that you'll readily kill people regardless of who or what they are. As much as all this information baffles and scares me, I also don't get the impression that you'd lie to me. So, my only question left is…what, if anything, should an old elf like me be worried about in the foreseeable future?" (Kudra)
That's a great question. I smile at him reassuringly.
"That's clever, Kudra. I'd say the outcome of the royal announcement in ten days. You don't need to worry about the actions of the demons, Veyron, Lady Nedonera, me, or any other races. Instead, you should be concerned how your nobles and commoners will react to the information they receive. From my perspective, that could lay the foundation for millennia of unprecedented peace and advancement for your kingdom, or millennia of turmoil and regression. I'm sorry, but I can't say more than that." (Mizuki)
Kudra looks surprised, but then he nods solemnly.
"I admit…that wasn't the answer I expected. It was only just announced by the palace, and while I was curious about the reason for it, I wasn't concerned. I suppose I'll need to pay close attention and hope I and other elves make the right choices when they present themselves. Do you have any other questions, Mizuki?" (Kudra)
"Yes, just one. If I told you that my most genuine desire is for your people to be comfortable with my presence in your kingdom, and with my familiarity with Princess Ilina, what advice would you give me towards that end?" (Mizuki)
Realization seems to dawn on Kudra about something, and I think I see the hint of a smile in his expression. Then, he makes a troubled face and shrugs.
"I really couldn't say, Mizuki, that's too far above my station, and too daunting of a question." (Kudra)
Yeah…I was probably hoping for too much with that one. I nod at him in a conciliatory manner.
"That's fine, I understand. In that case, just tell me about yourself. What would make you, personally, more comfortable with me being around the palace?" (Mizuki)
"Fufufu…well if you like the kur'kes, for starters. It's hard to trust someone that doesn't like kur'kes. Other than that, I'd say just some time seeing you around here without any other changes or incidents. That would be enough to settle the uncertainty I feel." (Kudra)
He presents our finished order to me as he responds. I smile and hand him three gold coins, much to his surprise.
"Fufufu…thanks, Kudra. Here's some coin for your goods. Before you think about declining it, just ask yourself something. Either Princess Ilina or this strange human is going to overpay you, so whose money would you really rather take?" (Mizuki)
Kudra looks like he's about to argue at first, but after a moment of thought, he smirks in amusement and accepts the coins from me. Then, he nods appreciatively, and I rejoin Ilina and Klaus without another word to him.
As I approach Ilina, she smiles and looks at me with curiosity and amusement. There's nobody else in our vicinity, so she speaks freely.
"So, Mizuki, did you learn anything interesting from your chat?" (Ilina)
"Oh yes…it seems that me trying these kur'kes is more important than I thought. Also, I need to praise Alto for her suggestion to tour around this place." (Mizuki)
Ilina rolls her eyes at my evasive answer.
"Well, just don't give me a bad reputation, okay?" (Ilina)
Ilina has a playful tone as she says this, so I don't think it's a real concern. I nod at her reassuringly anyway.
"Of course not, my future Queen." (Mizuki)
I give a subtle bow to her and put on a pretentious voice as I respond. Ilina's eyes narrow at me dangerously, and I feel my body being weighed down. Is she using gravity magic on me?
Hmm…I'll provoke her further. I've learned how to keep a perpetual body enhancement active. It's not maxed out, to avoid outpacing my magic regeneration, but it's still more than enough to protect me.
"If you wished me to kneel to the future Queen, you only needed to ask Princess Ilina." (Mizuki)
The weight on my body intensifies briefly, then lets up. Ilina looks more than a little annoyed with me.
"Tch…you'd really tease your beautiful date so mercilessly, Mizuki?" (Ilina)
I glance around nervously at her careless words, and I can feel myself blushing slightly from embarrassment.
[Woah, Ilina, I'm sorry! I yield! I'll stop teasing you about your royal status, I swear.] (Mizuki)
Ilina immediately smirks.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it, Mizuki. Now shall we continue with our tour around the city for today?" (Ilina)
I stare at her, dumbfounded. When did she get so comfortable with romantically intimidating me? After a moment, I just sigh deeply and nod my obedience. She smiles happily, then takes off further into the city with Klaus in tow while I mutter to myself.
"Hmm…I might be in trouble with her." (Mizuki)
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Later, it's close to sunset and we're back inside the palace. Ilina asked Klaus to give us a few minutes alone, and she insisted I'd be walking her to her room.
I pull one of the kur'kes out as we walk. It kind of resembles a snickerdoodle with an almond-type nut embedded in its center. Biting into it, the taste is as expected, just less sweet.
For this world, I'm quite impressed. No wonder Kudra said he couldn't trust someone who didn't like these. I pop the rest of it in my mouth and finish chewing it happily.
"What do you think?" (Ilina)
She stares over at me expectantly as she asks.
"It's very good, thank you for recommending it. It reminds me of something we had on my planet." (Mizuki)
Upon hearing that I like it, Ilina smiles happily and takes one of the kur'kes from my hands and pops it in her own mouth. Then, she sighs contentedly as she chews it. As she finishes, we arrive back at her room.
Before I can say anything, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me quickly. She's blushing some, but I can also see her smiling happily as she looks at me.
"Thanks for the date, Mizuki, I enjoyed it. When you see Nina later, please tell her I said thank you for letting us go alone this first time." (Ilina)
Oh, was that another arrangement between the two of them? I'm not sure I like being handled in the background like this.
"Will do. She hasn't reached out to me to come retrieve her yet, though, and it feels like she's enjoying herself. So, there was something I wanted to talk about in private first. Can we step into your room?" (Mizuki)
I still haven't told her about everything with Azazel, and I don't think it's a good idea to hold off on that too much longer. She makes a coy smile at me in response to my suggestion.
"Oh? How forward, Mizuki, inviting yourself into my room. So long as your ideas aren't too ambitious, I like the sound of that." (Ilina)
I direct a solemn smile at her, and she raises her eyebrows questioningly. Seeming to understand that we didn't have the same things in mind, she nods seriously and leads us into her room. We take a seat on her bed together.
"So…what's this about, Mizuki? You look nervous." (Ilina)
"Well, while Alto and I were doing magic research the other day, I had a little bit of a revelation. Long story short…Azazel ended up coming to visit me and we had a rather serious chat." (Mizuki)
Ilina looks at me puzzled, but when my expression doesn't indicate that I'm joking, her face contorts in shock.
"Mizuki…that's…you're telling me that Azazel, the god of Azura, paid you a personal visit? What could you possibly have discussed with him?" (Ilina)
"Yes…but before I tell you that, you should know that him and I came to a number of agreements. One of those agreements was that I'm only allowed to share what I learned with three people at a time. If I tell you what we discussed, you wouldn't be able to mention it to anyone else except me, Alto, and Nina. Not your parents, not Klaus, not anyone. That rule is so absolute, that I'd be bound by my agreement with Azazel to kill you and whoever you told if it's broken under any circumstances. So, do you still want to know?" (Mizuki)
Ilina's face goes pale at the mention of me murdering people over the information, and she appears to quietly contemplate my offer for several minutes. Eventually, she seems to recover and speaks.
"What kinds of consequences could I expect if I wasn't one of the three people you mentioned?" (Ilina)
Wow…she's really considering not having me tell her, huh? At least I know she's taking my warning seriously.
"Regardless of whether I tell you more, I think you're already one, and you can't repeat what I've already told you about magic. You need to pretend that magic works exactly how the elves always thought that it works. If you want to avoid being further implicated, you won't learn any more magic or knowledge from my world, and there may be times in the future where I have to take actions in your kingdom without explanation." (Mizuki)
"If you tell me everything, what are the benefits…and the consequences?" (Ilina)
"In terms of benefits, you wouldn't have to be in the dark about any actions I need to take in your country, and we'd have truly no secrets between us. Also, I'd be able to teach you all the personal magic and knowledge from my home planet that you want. I think the worst consequence you may face is a situation where sharing the information you learn could ease your people's suffering, but you'll be unable to do so." (Mizuki)
Ilina is quiet for several more minutes.
"What decision do you think I should make?" (Ilina)
I shake my head at her.
"If it were me, I'd choose to know everything. Regardless of whether I tell you, your people can't have this information. However, you could become stronger and more knowledgeable, and intercede directly. On the other hand, living with knowledge your people and family can never have might be more than you can bear. If the latter affects you strongly, the correct decision for you could be different from mine." (Mizuki)
Ilina seems to steel herself, then looks at me with resolve in her eyes.
"In that case, I want you to tell me everything, and I promise not to betray your trust. I'm sure if I have you on my side, and we work together, I won't have to watch my people suffer. I'm very clever, remember? So, we can figure out solutions without violating Azazel's rules." (Ilina)
By the end of voicing her decision, some of Ilina's normal demeanor has returned, and she's gazing at me confidently.
"Alright, I'll start from the beginning then." (Mizuki)
I recount for Ilina my entire revelation about magic on Azura, my meeting with Azazel, and the conditions that him and I agreed on. I also explain why I felt that Alto was the only one Azazel would grant agelessness to. By the time I'm done, Ilina is wearing a serious expression. She takes a deep sigh before responding.
"Well…I think I'm overall glad that I know now. I won't pretend that keeping this all a secret from other elves will be easy, but…I don't necessarily disagree with Azazel's assessment of how dangerous the combination of magic and natural theory could be. Still, I can't help but wonder if the incantations were the best way to go about protecting this world from itself." (Ilina)
"I'm glad you don't regret your decision. As for the incantation system, I think that's a matter of your priorities. If you prioritize allowing people as much free will as possible, I think the incantation system was kind of genius. I can't think of an alternative that I'm sure would work better." (Mizuki)
After our respective statements, we just sit in comfortable silence for several minutes. Eventually, it's interrupted by a thought message.
[Hey, Mizuki, I can sense that you're probably with Ilina, but I'd like you to join me at the hot springs soon. Please apologize to Ilina for me, but I think she's had you to herself long enough this evening.] (Nina)
"Fufufu…sorry Ilina, but Nina has asked to see me, so I'll need to take off now." (Mizuki)
Ilina smiles and nods her understanding, but she responds with a teasing tone.
"Fufufu…leaving your date so soon? You're free to go, I guess, just don't make it a habit." (Ilina)
I shake my head at her in exasperation, then give her a mischievous grin.
"Of course, Princess Ilina, I promise to serve you better in the future." (Mizuki)
I see Ilina's face turn murderous at my sudden jest, but before she can react further, I teleport away to safety.