Gardenia's Heart-Chapter 167: The Strongest

Under the soft light of the room, several girls prepared to head out as the chill of the night grew steadily stronger.

“Cherry, I’ll need to cover your head again, alright? Let me know if it hurts.”

“Mmm…” she let out a small, low sound, accompanied by a nod.

Smiling gently and with extreme care, Thelira placed a fluffy winter hat over her daughter’s head, then wrapped her in a large greenish coat and scarf.

The use of warmer, more comfortable clothing was due to the immense altitude of the dragons’ mountain. In a place so high, the cold was inevitable—but there was another reason Thelira needed to bundle her daughter up so carefully.

“Make sure you don’t show your antennas, okay? I’m sorry for making you hide them.”

Since arriving in the plains of Athamas, Thelira had been using hats and other accessories to conceal the fact that her daughter was also half Golden Bee. Though she was, of course, proud of that fact, the way her wife had asked her to ensure it remained undiscovered during the council period left her uneasy.

After making sure Cherry understood, Thelira planted a long kiss on the girl’s forehead. Cherry immediately scampered off toward a certain silver-haired girl.

“Yes, it looks really cute!”

Spinning around a few times to show off her winter clothes, Cherry waited with a bright smile until a chorus of compliments reached her.

“Hehe…” giggling softly, Cherry took Rose’s hand, then shyly lowered her head toward the tall woman beside her.

Unable to stop her face from warming at how polite her daughter’s friend was being, Lily nodded, letting the two girls go off to play during the last few minutes before heading to the evening event.

Since Tiamat had requested the presence of the entire delegation, Thelira had explained that Rose and Cherry would need to come along. The dragons’ banquet was merely a cultural event, and even with the Wing Clan in attendance, the presence of the Fang Clan would prevent any direct attacks. It was safe to bring the children.

“Lady Lily, as we discussed, tomorrow’s meeting will be with Lady Selene instead, alright?” Thelira asked as she approached Lily, wearing a far more elegant dress than usual.

“Yes, that’s fine with me. Since the dwarves’ representative said he’ll be addressing the human kingdom, Selene is without a doubt the best choice.” Resting one hand on her hip, Lily glanced toward the corner of the room, where a rabbit-eared girl in a red dress was struggling to crawl out from under a massive black wolf.

Using her arms as leverage to try and push against Akasha’s stomach, Selene could only narrow her eyes as the fairy let out a sarcastic laugh between a short howl, putting even more weight down to keep her trapped.

“Even if it doesn’t look like it, Selene is still a three-star mage, the aunt of the Second Prince, and one of the main pillars of one of the most important cities within the mist of human territory. Taking her along to rub those connections in that arrogant dwarf’s face is something I fully support.”

Although they had managed to use Drelkos’s horn to prove he had been slain on elven territory, both Lily and Thelira knew they had failed to convince the council that it hadn’t been Elarielle who defeated him.

“As expected, without concrete proof, it’ll be impossible to convince them with words alone,” Thelira sighed.

Her primary objective on this journey was to build a reputation for the elves. With Lily and Nia’s help, the fall of a Twilight had been credited to the elven kingdom—but due to her inability to argue her case, the achievement had been attributed solely to Elarielle, not to the elven forces as a whole. In the coming days of meetings, she would need to begin forging her own reputation, and she intended to use everything at her disposal to do so.

“Hey! Don’t think I can’t hear you talking about me! Help me already! This wolf is trying to crush me!”

Slamming her arms desperately against the carpeted floor, Selene cried out for her life as the weight of the wolf on top of her finally began to grow too much to endure.

“Akasha.” Letting out a sigh, Lily extended her right hand, and in a single second a bluish glow flooded the room. Cutting through the air, a wooden staff appeared in her grasp.

Stowing Akasha at her waist, Lily walked over to Selene—who was breathing heavily—and gently rubbed her back.

“By the way, Thelira, what did that man mean by ‘descendant of The Mad Slaughter’?”

Ever since the man had directed those words specifically at her, Lily hadn’t been able to shake her curiosity about what they meant.

“To be honest, Lady Lily, even I can’t say.” Thelira shook her head slightly. “If it were something recorded in elven archives or documents, I would know the answer. But judging by how he spoke of it, and by Tiamat’s lack of surprise, it must be a shared acquaintance—most likely from the war.”

Throughout most of the war, Thelira had remained confined to her room due to her health condition. With no communication from the front lines and no one bothering to keep her informed, she had never truly learned everything that had happened.

Although she had thoroughly studied the reports after becoming involved in politics, that expression wasn’t mentioned in anything she had read. Even she couldn’t say for certain what it meant.

“That name… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.” Panting heavily, Selene sprawled out on the floor, arms spread wide.

“You know what it means, Selene?” Lily asked, her eyes widening.

“I think some idiots at the Mage Tower mentioned it back when I was studying there to earn my second star as a mage. But honestly, I never cared enough to listen to what they were saying. And since they never tried to talk to me directly, I don’t really know much more than you do.”

Finally giving in to exhaustion, Selene gave up on thinking and focused entirely on resting.

Standing up, Lily realized there were still a few minutes left before it was time to leave. Letting the rabbit-eared girl rest, she gently touched one of the tentacles beneath her dress.

“Nia, are you alright? Ever since you came back inside me, you’ve been awfully quiet.”

Even while talking to others or doing something else, Lily was used to hearing Nia’s casual comments—especially when she was inside her. Having Nia stay silent for so long was unusual, and it made Lily feel she needed to check on her.

(Hmm… there’s something I find strange, so I was focusing on trying to figure it out.)

“Something strange?” Lily asked, tilting her head as her wife’s gentle voice finally reached her mind.

(Since about an hour ago, the mana over the mountain has been slowly growing heavier. It’s as if all the dragons are gradually increasing the pressure of their auras.)

Along with Nia’s words, Lily felt all the tentacles around her body tighten slightly against her skin.

“Do you know what that means?”

(I can’t really say, Lily. It doesn’t feel directed at anyone, and there’s no murderous intent, so it doesn’t seem like they’re preparing some kind of attack. I just found it odd, because it’s increasing evenly—as if all of them are doing it at the same time, in the same way.)

Hearing Nia’s explanation, Lily couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion. She could imagine the Wing Clan attempting something eventually, but if the Fang Clan was doing the exact same thing, she had no idea what it could mean.

Although she wanted to think about it longer, before Lily could ask anything else, a gentle knock came from the door to the elven quarters.

“Lady Lophantera, the banquet is ready. Sovereign Tiamat awaits you.”

A feminine voice came from the other side. Even though it was unfamiliar to everyone, it was clear that it belonged to a member of the Fang Clan.

“Thank you. An escort won’t be necessary—we’re already on our way,” Thelira replied without opening the door, finishing the final adjustments to her clothes.

“Certainly. I only ask that you arrive at the appointed time.”

After the respectful exchange, the presence on the other side of the door withdrew. With night having fully fallen, the time for the event had arrived.

Memories of how meticulous—almost obsessive—Tiamat was about punctuality made Lily conclude that they really shouldn’t be late.

Calling Rose and Cherry away from their games and urging the exhausted Selene to stand up, the group left the room without delay and headed out of the visitors’ wing.

“Mama Lily, look! So many shiny lights!” Still holding Cherry’s hand, Rose tugged at her mother’s black cloak several times, her blue eyes fixed on the horizon.

Across the moonlit grassy plains, countless small points of light shimmered, blending with the glow of the stars.

“Yes, it’s very beautiful, my love.” Answering her daughter, Lily had to agree—the land of the dragons was truly impressive.

After leaving the more remote area and reaching the Fang Clan’s district, the silver-haired girl noticed how empty everything was. The lack of people made it clear that everyone had already gone to the banquet. A public event where the entire community gathered felt charming to Lily, but there was another reason why tonight’s event excited her.

Although she hadn’t found any useful information when she searched the Scale Library alone, now that the place could be accessed through portals, Lily could return there later with Nia and study more efficiently. Because of the banquet, she doubted Cicuta would be guarding the library tonight, making it the perfect opportunity.

“Why do they have to do this so far away?” A tired sigh came from the girl in the red dress walking at the back.

“Selene, you’re just complaining because we didn’t let you bring another canvas to paint.” Rolling her eyes, Lily glanced at the rabbit-eared girl, who pouted as she walked.

The banquet would be held in the city center—specifically in the neutral zone separating the districts of the two clans. Like a vast open plain, it was the perfect place to set up tables and prepare large meals, making the choice of location appropriate.

“You can paint more tomorrow. I don’t want a repeat of yesterday.” Afraid that Selene might get distracted again and wander off alone while painting, Lily felt it was safer to make sure she stayed close. After all, they would be surrounded by members of the Wing Clan.

Finishing her explanation, Lily realized they were just about to leave the empty districts and enter the plains. However, the moment she was about to guide the group forward, a particular person appeared in front of her.

“Nia?”

Unable to hide her surprise at her wife suddenly emerging from her body, Lily couldn’t help but call out her name.

The dragons didn’t know that Nia was part of the delegation, so she was supposed to remain inside Lily at all times when outside the rooms. But when Lily took the metamorph’s hand and received no response to her call, even she couldn’t stop a wave of unease from tightening in her chest.

The purple-haired girl sounded cold.

Standing frozen in place, her crimson eyes wide, Nia stared up at the sky, the tips of her fingers trembling.

“W-We need to leave,” shaky words spilled from her mouth, broken by urgency. “We have to go!”

It was a desperate call, forged by instinct and tempered by reason, warning her to abandon that place at all costs.

But it was useless.

Everyone present froze where they stood.

“He insisted so much on coming to eat at the banquet, and now he’s gone. Where did that little brat run off to?” A lone voice cut through the air, echoing across the vast plains like thunder without clouds.

And then, it descended from the heavens.

A single, clean, precise burst of air turned the wind for kilometers into a raging gale. It was as if the very atmosphere was fleeing from the presence that had arrived.

With a dull impact that shook the ground, a small crater opened in the plains. From the rising dust emerged a slender figure, baring sharp teeth as she spoke in an annoyed tone.

A long tail covered in white scales reflected the moonlight softly, while wings as white as ivory rose and fell gently with the rhythm of her breathing.

Two dark wine-red horns, one on each side of her head, framed wheat-colored hair that flowed down her back in a single long braid. The tight black dress she wore—boldly torn—wrapped around her neck like a scarf, while exposing her chest, strategically covered by white scales.

“Oh?”

Suddenly turning away from the horizon, the beautiful woman faced the city, her mismatched eyes—one obsidian black, the other silver like polished metal—locking onto the paralyzed group of women.

A surprised whistle escaped her lips.

Slowly, the tall woman walked toward them, her reptilian eyes growing sharper.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lophantera Thelira Phaea.” Gathering all the strength she could to move, Thelira bowed her head and lifted the edge of her dress. “Are you Sovereign Bahamut?”

Though she managed to speak, Thelira lacked the strength to lift her head again. Beneath the shadow of the tall woman who had stopped before her, the elf gripped the hem of her dress even tighter.

“So you’re the little sister everyone’s been talking about. Looks like Elarielle succeeded in conquering the labyrinth.”

Resting a hand on her chin as she examined the elf before her, the woman Thelira had addressed as Bahamut seemed amused.

“Have you finished your duties? As the leader of the Scale Clan, I imagine you’re a very busy woman. My sister tried several times to contact you before, but never received a reply.” Thelira spoke evenly, struggling to suppress the tremble in her fingers, not daring to raise her head.

“Calm down, little sister. That Elarielle is tough as hell, so I knew she’d manage. I’ve seen her survive even after having her heart torn out—no mere labyrinth was going to stop her.”

Casually declaring such an absurd event, Bahamut sighed as if she had lost interest, then turned her gaze toward the other members of the group.

“Looks like you finally set foot in Athamas, Jelly.” With her eyes fixed on the delegation—or more specifically, on a purple-haired girl—Bahamut sing-songed.

“Jelly?” Nia repeated, stunned.

Walking until she stood directly in front of her, Bahamut stared down at the girl in the black dress, resting one hand on her hip.

The reptilian eyes locked onto the crimson ones, and Nia felt her body tremble. It was as if a mountain had been placed upon her all at once—suddenly, her mind was swallowed by white. It felt as though she were staring straight into the core of her own being.

Nia didn’t understand what that woman wanted or what she was doing. Every nerve in her body, every fragment of her existence, screamed that she needed to find a way to grab Lily and Rose and get out of there.

“No, not yet…” Bahamut sighed, shaking her head as a look of disappointment crossed her face. “You’re still not good enough, Jelly.”

As if she had suddenly lost all interest in continuing the conversation, the dragon woman casually stretched her arms, preparing to leave.

And then—

Bahamut froze mid-motion.

“You…”

Her eyes were fixed on Nia once more—no, not on her, but on someone beyond her.

Gently placing one hand on her wife’s shoulder and the other on the small girl clutching her cloak, Lily slowly stepped past Nia and walked toward the dragon woman.

A black cloak swayed, and a tail of white scales gleamed.

Standing face to face, the two women stared deeply at one another. Silver hair fluttered before wheat-colored strands, and two pairs of mismatched eyes seemed to peer straight into the depths of each other’s existence.

“Is this for real?” Bahamut asked.

“I don’t know. What exactly are you referring to?” Lily replied, never breaking eye contact.

For a brief moment that felt like it stretched into eternity, the two women continued staring without moving, until—

“Hahaha!” Laughing so hard she lost her posture, Bahamut covered her face with her palm, her fangs fully exposed as she burst into laughter. “What’s your name?”

“Lily.”

Speaking in a cold tone, the girl—whose hands already rested on the hilts of her swords—stepped in front of the rest of the group.

“Lily, huh.” Finally managing to stop laughing, Bahamut looked at the silver-haired woman with delight. “Coming all this way might’ve been worth it after all.”

Staring at the dragon woman, Lily tilted her head, confused by everything that had just happened—but before she could do anything, a young male voice rang out.

“Baha— I mean, mom, I got them to prepare your damn alcohol. Can I go eat now?”

Wrapped in a long coat that covered him from head to toe, a young man hurried over, a necklace with a single white fang hanging around his neck. Even with most of his face hidden by his clothes, his annoyance was obvious.

“What are you talking about?” Without a second of hesitation after the boy appeared, Bahamut’s long white tail coiled around his body completely, lifting him off the ground and turning him upside down. “You dragged me all the way here—you’re drinking with me before anything else, brat.”

Spreading her white wings, Bahamut turned toward the plains.

“I’ll head on ahead, little sister, Jelly.”

Ignoring the boy’s protests as he dangled from her tail, Bahamut raised one hand, waving without looking back.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you later, Lily. Come drink with me sometime.”

With a single powerful beat, the dragon woman shot into the sky, vanishing into the horizon as quickly as she had appeared.

Total silence once again fell over the area.

That is—until a shrill scream echoed.

“Whaaaat the fuuuuck was that!?” Selene’s voice rang out between stutters, barely containing her bewildered expression.

Using the girl’s outburst as a signal that it was finally safe to lower her guard, Lily loosened her grip on her swords and let out a long, heavy sigh of relief.

“I have no idea.”

Returning to the group, Lily approached Rose, who was already in Nia’s arms, and gently kissed her on the forehead. Even through everything that had happened, Rose made sure the girl with the bee-like antennae had stayed on her back the entire time, something Lily couldn’t help but feel proud of.

Noticing the soft giggle that escaped the girl when she was kissed, Lily turned her gaze to her wife, whose expression was still tense, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Even after the dragon woman had left, Nia remained pale. The way she clutched Rose tightly, pressing their bodies together, made it clear just how shaken she still was. Lily didn’t rush her to speak, instead letting the warmth of her body slowly calm her down.

“Thelira… who exactly was she?” Turning to the elf who was already holding her daughter in her arms, Lily asked with a strained expression.

Pausing for a moment to steady her breathing, Thelira wiped the tension from her face, which was damp with cold sweat.

“She fought alongside my mother and sister at the edge of Finis to defeat the Demon King. One of the Five Heroes. The leader of the Scale Clan—Bahamut, The End.”

The words that left Thelira’s mouth sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

One of the Five Heroes. Someone who should have been on the same level as Elarielle—yet stood on an entirely different plane.

“I truly never imagined we would encounter her here. Sis explained that Bahamut never appeared at any previous council meetings and never cared for politics of any kind.” Placing a hand over her chest, the elf felt her heart, still racing from merely having been in the same place as that woman. “The Scale Clan’s base lies far to the east of the mountain range. It was supposed to be far enough that we wouldn’t have to cross paths with her.”

“How much will her presence affect what comes next?” Lily asked, still holding Nia and Rose close.

“That depends on how much she decides to interfere. From what she said, if we’re lucky, she’ll leave once the banquet is over. Of everyone, she is without a doubt the one I want us to avoid clashing with at all costs.” Thelira couldn’t hide the tension on her face as she looked at the silver-haired woman with fear. “Sis once told me that if the two of them fought to the death ten times… she would manage, in one of those fights, to force Bahamut to use her dominant hand to kill her.”

Ten battles. Ten defeats.

Knowing Elarielle, Lily would normally assume the elf was being modest—but after standing face to face with Bahamut, she couldn’t bring herself to call that claim a lie.

“Even when I was ill and Sis needed help, Bahamut never answered a single message. Because of that, I had some idea of her personality… but I was wrong. It’s far worse.”

During her failed attempts to conquer the forest labyrinth, Elarielle had set aside her pride to the point of asking that woman for help, all for Thelira’s safety. Yet despite sending countless letters and attempting communication through magical artifacts, the queen received nothing in return from the dragon woman—only that she was busy.

Letting out one last weary sigh once her breathing finally settled, Thelira—still holding Cherry tightly in her arms—approached Nia.

“Have you ever met Lady Bahamut before, Lady Gardenia? She addressed you as if she knew you… and didn’t even comment on your red eyes.”

“I’ve never seen her before…” Still wrapped in Lily’s embrace, Nia whispered the words before tightening her hold around her wife and daughter even more.

Even after the dragon woman had gone, Nia remained tense.

The only time Lily could recall seeing Nia in such a state was when she had come face to face with Torment in the forest labyrinth—no… this was far worse than that.

“I was wrong, Lily…” Nia whispered, her small hands clutching the black fabric of her wife’s dress. “It wasn’t several dragons letting their mana leak that made my mana-location feel strange.”

Nia’s trembling words made Lily’s entire body tense, but what came next struck her like a blow.

“It was her,” Nia said bluntly. “All the excess mana over the city comes from that woman.”

“Wait, Nia—but from what I understood, she wasn’t even in the city until tonight, right?” Unable to process her wife’s words, Lily asked in panic.

“She has more mana than all the dragons here combined. Ever since we arrived, she’s been covering the entire mountain—and far beyond it—with her mana. What I was feeling earlier was her approaching the city. She’s stronger than Mr. Demon!”

An existence with an aura far greater than Nerine—the World Tree itself—and Drelkos, the Third Twilight. Hearing her wife confirm this so plainly, Lily could no longer contain the unease rising within her.

“And that’s not all, Lily, I could only sense it for a moment, when you got very close to her—but I’m certain I’m not mistaken…”

Yet among everything Nia said, the next words were, without a doubt, the ones that left Lily the most shaken.

“She has one of the volumes of the Book of Truth with her.”