CH 160

We are taken to a garden in the courtyard.

I definitely wouldn’t call it extravagant or anything, but it’s clear that everything here has been carefully chosen and planted.

Rather than showing the power of the royal family to visitors, the whole atmosphere feels like this garden is meant to soothe the heart of whoever comes here.

It’s pretty deep into the castle too, so it might actually be a private space for royalty.

There’s a gazebo in the center, where Princess Lily is sitting and having tea.

“Master Rust, welcome. And I welcome the dragon as well. Can you introduce me to your companions?”

Princess Lily presses me for an introduction. Seilook is quiet, so it probably fell asleep, and I just introduce Taula and Shellrule.

“Princess Lily, I am very grateful that you have taken the time to meet with me. They are Taula, a knight priest and a follower of Araysla, the goddess of revenge, and Shellrule, an alchemist of the Kagero Institute.”

“Hou, so you are Miss Taula the knight priest. I heard about your valiant efforts during the sky salmon attack.”

“I am humbled to hear it, your highness.”

Taula responds after taking a knee.

“And you, Miss Shellrule. You work under Master Rust?”

“Y-yes, I do…”

Shellrule looks pretty nervous. Is this how commoners are normally when face to face with royalty?

“You must be brilliant for Master Rust to bring you here with you. Everyone, please sit down.”

“Excuse us.”

I pull up a chair for Taula, and Shellrule sits down on her own.

She looks around, and her expression changes, like she feels she made a mistake. But Princess Lily smiles gently at her, before turning her head in my direction and speaking.

“Your letter asked if there were more walls with primordial writing on them, like the one in the mausoleum, am I correct?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“I just happen to have something in mind.”

“What!? Can you tell me about it?”

“Firstly, let me confirm one thing. I think there is something you’re not telling me. Did you find something in that mausoleum?”

I figured she would ask this. There’s Seilook’s rapid growth, and the fact that I went out of my way to contact her to ask about this, so from her point of view, it’s obvious something happened.

I decide to tell her everything except for Taula’s oracle and the half-transparent plates.

She wants to win me over, so I don’t think she is going to get in the way of making Seilook grow. I don’t think she’s going to do anything to actively make me dislike her.

But I do fear that her approach will become more intense, because Seilook has more value now that it has grown.

“I knew it! There was something in that mausoleum.”

“Princess Lily, do you know anything about a black cube?”

“It sounds like something mentioned in a legend passed down through our family called 『Box』. Inside this 『Box』, there are 『Points』.

Says Princess Lily, and Seilook, who was supposedly sleeping on my shoulder, suddenly flinches.