After the bombshell revelation regarding Tanaka's possible connection to the Lugunican royal bloodline, the discussion was reluctantly put on hold.
Although the mystery surrounding the dragon insignia remained unresolved, everyone in the room silently agreed that another matter demanded their attention far more urgently.
The Mad Prince.
Or rather...
"The kingdom's prince..." Tiriena corrected herself with a bitter smile. "...No. Calling him a prince is no longer accurate."
Her expression hardened.
"He is the King of Gusteko now."
The title he claimed after taking the previous king's life.
Apparently, his father wasn't much better than him and was just as deranged.
"And he seeks to erase every spirit from this world."
Even after hearing those words several times since arriving in Gusteko, Tanaka still couldn't fully comprehend them.
Because he has yet to hear a reason.
He heard the story countless times since he got here.
How, for unknown reasons, he killed 15 or 16 of his siblings, was branded a national traitor, and was subsequently imprisoned and confined to Gusteko's northernmost tower where they sealed his power.
But it was a story from a decade ago, how was he able to escape, with his power being sealed.
Tiriena slowly shook her head.
"...We don't know."
Her answer was as frustrating as it was expected.
"Our best assumption is that someone helped him escape."
No one could say for certain.
Halibel crossed his arms.
"Regardless of how..."
"The moment he escaped, everything changed."
Tiriena nodded.
"Some of the remaining nobles attempted to contact the neighboring kingdoms."
Her voice gradually became quieter.
"...He discovered their intentions."
"And he executed every one of them."
The room fell silent.
"...Including my father."
Those words carried no anger.
Only resignation.
No one responded.
There simply wasn't anything to say.
After several moments, Lilac quietly broke the silence.
"Shion and I have encountered him several times."
Everyone's attention shifted toward the elf.
"The first time..."
"We managed to force him into a deep sleep."
She paused.
"But every encounter afterward became harder. It was as if he gradually developed resistance to our abilities."
Lilac folded her arms.
"We can still affect him...Just nowhere near as effectively as before."
That was hardly reassuring.
"I'm not trying to sound arrogant."
The one who spoke this time was Tristan.
"But..."
"I don't believe Lugunica would consider the Mad King an immediate threat."
Misère muttered.
"...Because of Reinhard?"
Tristan gave a quiet nod.
Then Tiriena surprised everyone by continuing.
"...Involving the sword saint would be a terrible idea."
"...Why?"
Tanaka frowned.
Even Halibel glanced toward her with mild curiosity.
"He is the worst possible opponent to send against Vague Adgard."
Confusion spread throughout the room.
Reinhard?
The man capable of standing against both Halibel and Cecilus Segmunt?
The man blessed with over a hundred Divine Protections?
How could anyone possibly be his counter?
Seeing everyone's expressions, Tiriena quietly continued the explanation.
"Vague Adgard possesses multiple Divine Protections unlike any other."
She took a slow breath.
"One of them which allows him to steal the Divine Protections of others."
The room froze.
Tanaka genuinely wondered if he'd misheard.
He instinctively looked around.
Judging by everyone's faces...
He hadn't.
"During the past seven months..."
"He has stolen thirteen Divine Protections from the people of this kingdom."
The implications settled over the room.
Then Tanaka's eyes widened.
"It's a bad match for Reinhard... You can't mean!"
Tiriena nodded grimly.
"We don't know the exact conditions of his ability and its limitations."
"But if he were somehow able to steal even just the divine protection of the sword saint..."
"...It would be catastrophic."
Halibel finished the thought quietly.
Tanaka remembered something else.
The blessing that had allowed Beli Hainelga and Trellock to regenerate from fatal wounds.
The so-called gift of semi-immortality.
He was the one granting those blessings...
If Vague Adgard could bestow such abilities upon others...
Then there was every reason to believe he possessed them himself.
Tiriena clasped her hands together.
"That is why we desperately need assistance from Lugunica."
She looked toward Tristan.
"But..."
"...not the Sword Saint."
"Our situation is dire enough already."
"We cannot risk making it even worse."
Halibel gave a relaxed shrug despite the gravity of the discussion.
"Fortunately, Kararagi's Council of Elders responded."
"They dispatched me after the disturbances near the border."
His usual carefree smile faded slightly.
"But communication with the other two great nations was cut off before any formal response arrived."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Halibel finally said, breaking the silence. "But unless the Mad King makes the first move against either Lugunica or Vollachia, neither nation is likely to treat this as an immediate threat."
His voice remained respectful, "We did receive Gusteko's requests for aid."
He paused.
"But our military only mobilized after the Mad King's forces briefly crossed the border and clashed with our patrols."
Which means...
They're waiting until it becomes their problem.
It was a harsh reality, but one born from politics rather than malice.
No kingdom would commit its armies based solely on rumors of another nation's internal crisis.
"What if..."
Everyone turned toward Misère.
"What if Tanaka-Sama were the one to deliver the warning?"
Tanaka immediately shook his head.
"Wait a second."
He raised both hands.
"Everything about this supposed royal bloodline is still speculation. We haven't confirmed any of it."
Misère smiled politely.
"Perhaps."
"But regardless of whether you truly belong to Lugunica's royal family..."
"...the Divine Dragon acknowledged you."
His gaze shifted toward the dragon insignia resting on the table.
"That alone gives your words far greater credibility than anyone."
Tanaka scratched the back of his head.
"Even so..."
The thought left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
Whether this whole royalty business is true or not... which he still seriously doubt, the very first thing he would be doing after gaining any sort of authority is convincing another country to wage war.
That sounds terrible no matter how he looks at it.
Before anyone could continue...
Two tiny lights emerged from the pouches hanging from Zank's and Mikli's belts.
One glowed blue.
The other glowed crimson.
The two lesser spirits floated cautiously across the room toward Tanaka.
The instant Zarestia noticed them, her eyes narrowed.
"Hey!"
She swatted at them.
"I told you two not to come near him!"
"Eep!"
The pair scattered in opposite directions before immediately hiding behind Tanaka's shoulders.
One peeked timidly over his left shoulder.
The other hid behind his back entirely.
Tanaka blinked.
"...What is this about?"
"They've been bothering you all day."
Zarestia glued to Tanaka and kept trying to swat them.
"They kept hovering over you while you were asleep."
"They're clingy and annoying."
The two spirits visibly shrank under her glare.
They looked genuinely frightened.
...She definitely threatened them.
Tanaka sighed.
"...At least let me hear what they have to say."
"But—"
"Zarestia."
"..."
She pouted even harder.
"...Fine."
The two spirits hesitated before slowly floating back into view.
Neither spoke.
They simply looked at Tanaka with pleading eyes.
He understood immediately.
He came a long way, he was reminded of when he had first arrived in this world.
Back then...
He had been terrified of spirits.
Now...
After everything that had happened...
After Hugo.
After Zarestia.
After all the times spirits had risked themselves to save him...
They were no different from people.
His expression hardened.
"...The Mad King is only targeting spirits, isn't he?"
Everyone turned toward him.
"If that's the case..."
He slowly gathered his thoughts.
"...wouldn't it be possible for the spirits to temporarily seek refuge in the neighboring countries?"
The room grew quiet.
"If they leave Gusteko..."
"...and the Mad King pursues them across the border...Then Lugunica or Vollachia would finally have legitimate grounds to intervene."
Military action would no longer be viewed as interference in another nation's affairs.
It would be self-defense.
Until Tiriena quietly shook her head.
"...That won't work."
Her answer came immediately.
"The lesser spirits of Gusteko are not merely our companions."
"They are the reason our people survive."
She looked toward the snow-covered mountains outside the window.
"This kingdom exists in one of the harshest climates in the world. our entire lives depend upon the assistance of spirits.""
"If the spirits abandoned Gusteko..."
"...our people would freeze to death long before any army arrived."
Tanaka's expression stiffened.
He understood.
It wasn't simply a matter of evacuating civilians.
The spirits themselves were part of the nation's infrastructure.
Without them...
The kingdom would collapse, It was a siege without walls.
The spirits couldn't leave.
The people couldn't escape.
And no neighboring nation could realistically shelter millions of refugees.
They needed help.
His hand was still intertwined with Zarestia's.
Without realizing it, he tightened his grip.
She quietly squeezed back.
"...I'm sorry."
The words escaped almost automatically.
Everyone looked at him.
"I can't stay here."
"I can't risk Zarestia's or Hugo's life."
The Mad King is hunting spirits. If he remains here, he would be placing both of them directly in his sights.
"I'll go back with Tristan to Lugunica."
"I'll personally report everything we've learned to the Royal Castle."
"I'll do everything I can to bring reinforcements."
Even as he spoke, guilt twisted inside his chest.
It felt as though he were abandoning the spirits who always came to his aid, not extending his hand to help the person who got rid of his curse.
The moment he finally obtained what he'd come here for...
He was leaving.
A sudden smack landed on his back.
Thump.
"Come on."
Nora grinned at him.
"You don't need to make that face."
"You've got absolutely nothing to apologize for."
She folded her arms.
"If anything..."
"...we're the ones who owe you."
Before Tanaka could answer, Halibel casually stepped forward.
He pointed a thumb at himself.
"It was me who removed the curse."
Tanaka nodded.
"Exactly."
"Which is why I—"
Halibel interrupted him with a laugh.
"And you saved my city."
"My people."
"My home."
His carefree smile became surprisingly sincere.
"Listen carefully, Tanu-san."
"You don't owe me a single thing."
"If anything..."
"...I'm still nowhere close to repaying what I owe you."
Tanaka opened his mouth to object.
Halibel raised a finger.
"After I finish cleaning up this mess..."
He flashed his trademark grin.
"Come visit Banan."
"We'll grab a drink together."
He paused dramatically.
"...I'll even pay."
Another pause.
"...For the first round."
Tanaka couldn't help smiling "...I'll hold you to that."
Finally, Tiriena stepped forward.
She lowered her head gracefully.
"Tanaka-Sama... I must apologize."
"My request placed an unfair burden upon your shoulders."
Tanaka's eyes widened.
"W-What?"
"No."
He frantically shook his head.
"You don't have anything to apologize for, you were doing everything you can for your people."
Tiriena looked up, surprised.
He smiled gently.
"I don't know how much influence my words will actually have. But I'll go with Tristan."
"I'll explain everything that has happened here and I'll do everything I can to bring help."
For a moment, Tiriena simply stared at him.
Then...
A warm smile finally appeared on her face.
"...Thank you."
*********************************************************************************************************
After the conversation finally came to an end, Tanaka excused himself.
"I'm going to get some rest."
No one stopped him. After everything that had happened today, everyone understood that he needed some time alone.
As he stepped into the hallway, Tristan called after him.
"By the way... Tanaka-sama."
Tanaka stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Hm? What is it?"
The knight hesitated for a brief moment before speaking.
"...Emilia-sama and Subaru-dono."
"They never stopped looking for you."
For a second...
Tanaka simply stood there.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
Then, a gentle smile spread across his face.
"...Thank you, Tristan."
It wasn't merely gratitude for the information. It was gratitude for knowing that, despite everything...
They hadn't forgotten him.
___
__
_
"Hah..."
A long, exhausted sigh escaped him as he dropped onto the edge of the bed inside the room he had been given.
The mattress sank beneath his weight.
For the first time since waking up, there was no one demanding answers.
"Master..."
Hugo floated closer.
"Are you alright?"
Tanaka leaned back, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling.
"...Yeah."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's just..."
He let out another breath.
"...everything that happened today was a bit overwhelming."
"I think I just... ran away from it."
There wasn't much to say.
His thoughts naturally drifted back.
The dragon insignia.
The absurd possibility that somehow he possessed a claim to Lugunica's throne, the theory connecting his mother to another world's royal bloodline.
The Mad King.
The kingdom of Gusteko standing on the brink of collapse.
The countless lesser spirits begging him for help without uttering a single word.
Tanaka closed his eyes.
"...If I were alone..."
"...I would've stayed."
There wasn't a shred of hesitation in his voice.
Because he was so thankful to Halibel, he wouldn't think twice about sticking with him and helping him until the end.
But his life was no longer the only thing he should be concerned about.
Silence followed.
Lilac folded her arms.
"You know..."
"You really do sound like a pushover."
Tanaka lowered his shoulders dramatically.
"...Yeah..."
He gave a defeated smile.
"I honestly can't argue with that."
The room finally felt lighter.
Then...
Tanaka looked toward the window.
Beyond it, snow continued falling over Gusteko.
"...But..."
His smile slowly grew.
"...I'm really going back."
There wasn't a trace of sadness in it.
Only anticipation.
A genuine...
Heartfelt happiness.
The smile was so natural that everyone in the room unconsciously stopped what they were doing.
For several seconds...
They simply stared at him.
Kazuki Tanaka smiling from the bottom of his heart...
That was a rare sight.
Zarestia quietly walked over before sitting beside him.
She looked at him for a while before asking softly,
"...The people Tristan mentioned..."
"They're your friends?"
Tanaka nodded.
"...Yeah."
A nostalgic warmth entered his eyes.
"A lot..."
"...A lot has happened over the past two years."
His voice became quieter.
"But..."
"I always wanted to go back."
He had only lived at Roswaal's mansion for two months.
Objectively...
It wasn't a very long time.
Yet somehow...
That place had become home.
He remembered waking up every morning to Emilia's gentle greetings.
The lesser spirits happily gathering around the mansion's gardens.
Subaru dragging him into ridiculous conversations before breakfast.
Puck teasing everyone simply because he could.
Ram and Rem constantly playing their strange routine, the bad cop and the good cop, while somehow getting along perfectly.
Then...
His thoughts stopped on one person.
Beatrice.
A bittersweet smile appeared on his face.
He missed that little girl the most.
For the longest time...
One thought had haunted him.
That she might still be trapped inside that forbidden library.
Alone.
Waiting endlessly.
Just like before.
Fortunately...
That fear had been unfounded.
He only saw her for a moment in Pristella.
Yet...
That single glimpse had been enough.
She was outside.
She was being held and swung by Subaru, he was probably the one who brought her out and for that... He should thank him.
As those memories drifted through his mind, he noticed something.
Zarestia had gone unusually quiet.
He turned toward her.
She was smiling...
But there was loneliness hidden behind it.
As though she had just realized something.
Then Tanaka grinned.
"That's exactly why..."
"I can't wait to introduce you and Hugo to everyone."
"W-What?"
Zarestia blinked.
"...Me?"
"Of course."
Tanaka answered as though it were obvious.
"I know them."
He pointed toward himself.
"And I know you guys."
"So I already know you'll get along."
He laughed softly.
"And besides..."
He started gently messing her hair, "We promised we'd stay together from now on."
"Ahh! Let go of my head..."
"...Didn't we?"
Zarestia froze.
Her golden eyes widened.
"..."
"...Hey."
Tanaka tilted his head dramatically.
"What's with the silence?"
His grin became mischievous.
"Don't tell me you're already taking back what you said."
"I-I'M NOT!"
She immediately grabbed his hand with both of hers.
"I'm not taking it back!"
"I meant it!"
She shook his arm so vigorously that Tanaka's entire body bounced with it.
"H-Hey..."
"Hahaha!"
His laughter came out broken thanks to the relentless shaking.
Finally, he reached out with his free hand.
Pat.
He gently rested it atop her head.
"I know."
He chuckled.
"I'm just teasing you..."
"...Doofus."
Even Lilac smiled faintly.
Then Tanaka looked toward the two spirits.
"Lilac."
"Shion."
"I'll introduce you both as well. The other guy must have seen way more shows than me."
He shrugged.
"So you can enjoy the free subscription."
Tanaka leaned back, still holding Zarestia's hand.
His thoughts wandered ahead.
He could already picture it.
How Zarestia would interact with Beatrice and Emilia.
How she would interact with Subaru and Rem.
The image alone made him smile.
He gently clasped Zarestia's hand with both of his.
"...I can't wait."
The words escaped him almost as a whisper.
He pictured Emilia's gentle smile.
Subaru's loud, relentless nature.
And somehow... he could already imagine Zarestia arguing with Beatrice over the smallest things before eventually becoming inseparable.
The image was so vivid that it made him smile.
Then—
Her hand disappeared.
"...Huh?"
Before he could even process it, Zarestia's entire body dissolved into countless particles of pale blue mana.
"H-Hey...?"
Hugo looked just as startled.
"W-Wait, Nee-Sama..."
The little spirit also broke apart into golden motes of light.
Within seconds, both of them had vanished completely.
The streams of mana rushed into the crystal embedded in Tanaka's bracelet before the jewel dimmed once more.
Silence.
Tanaka simply stared at the bracelet.
His mind refused to accept what had just happened.
"...What?"
His heartbeat accelerated.
"No, no, no..."
He grabbed the bracelet with both hands.
"Zarestia!"
Nothing.
"Hugo!"
Still nothing.
"What happened!? Answer me!"
He shook the bracelet desperately.
"Zarestia!"
"Hugo!"
His voice echoed through the room.
Then...
A familiar voice resonated directly inside his mind.
"Calm down."
Tanaka's eyes widened.
"Cepheus..."
His expression twisted immediately into fury.
"Cepheus, you piece of shit!"
He clenched the bracelet so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Did you do this!?"
"I swear if you do anything to them!"
"They're safe."
Cepheus' voice remained as calm and detached as ever.
"I'm doing you a favor."
"A favor!?"
Tanaka nearly shouted.
"Screw you! Tell me what's going..."
BOOOOOOOM!!
A deafening impact interrupted him.
The entire mansion lurched violently.
The floor buckled beneath his feet.
Outside, panicked voices erupted from every direction.
"Enemy attack!"
Tanaka sprinted toward the window and threw it open.
His expression hardened.
Outside the estate...
Dozens.
No...
Hundreds.
Paladins dressed in white armor surged across the snow atop enormous dire wolves.
The beasts snarled as they bounded through the blizzard, surrounding the mansion from every direction.
"They tracked us..."
His jaw tightened.
But almost immediately another thought surfaced.
...It doesn't matter.
Halibel is here.
Those paladins had already witnessed what Halibel was capable of.
There was no reason for them to launch another assault unless...
Suddenly...
His entire body froze.
"...!"
It felt as though something unimaginably heavy had descended upon the world.
The air itself became suffocating.
His chest tightened.
Every instinct screamed at him.
Beside him, Lilac staggered backward.
Her face had gone completely pale.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"W...what..."
Tanaka slowly turned toward the window again.
And then...
He saw it.
Descending through the clouds was a colossal white dragon.
Its enormous body eclipsed the sky itself.
Brilliant white scales overlapped like layers of frozen stone, gleaming beneath the pale sunlight like an entire glacier brought to life.
Jagged crystalline spikes protruded from its neck and spine, each one resembling the peaks of snow-covered mountains.
Its wings spread across the heavens with overwhelming majesty, revealing vast pinkish-red membranes beneath them like exposed muscle stretched between ancient bones.
Every beat of those wings scattered torrents of snow across the valley.
Its tail, thick enough to crush buildings, swayed behind it before ending in an enormous fin resembling an icy war hammer.
When the dragon finally descended...
BOOM!!
The ground shook violently.
Snow burst outward in every direction.
Trees bent beneath the force of the impact.
The blizzard itself seemed to recoil.
Only then did Tanaka notice...
Someone stood upon the dragon's back.
A man.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Perfectly composed.
Yellow-green hair was slicked neatly backward without a single strand out of place.
A dark tattoo resembling ancient Sanskrit traced the left side of his face.
His slightly tanned skin contrasted sharply against the immaculate white coat draped over his shoulders.
Beneath it rested a pristine black military uniform that somehow made him appear even more imposing.
But what unsettled Tanaka the most...
Were his eyes.
Empty, devoid of any emotion.
Just looking at him made Tanaka's breathing grow shallow.
Then—
The bedroom door burst open.
"Tanaka-Sama!"
Tristan rushed inside, breathing heavily.
His normally composed expression had completely disappeared.
"What's happening!?"
Tanaka demanded.
"Who the hell is that?"
Before Tristan could answer...
Lilac spoke.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Yet every word carried unmistakable terror.
"...He's here."
*********************************************************************************************************
Quick note:
As from where he got that dragon, it is unknown. But it's so strong that it's up there with Mezoreia, the Mad Prince forcefully tamed it after a lot of pounding.