Chapter 42
“Lord Drake. Thou dost honor us with thy presence this evening. What matter bringeth thee here?”
That night, Antonius had been reviewing documents alongside Theodoros in his office. Though Drake’s sudden visit clearly caught him by surprise, he welcomed him warmly nonetheless.
There were no chairs in the office fit for a guest of Drake’s size, and so the two of them settled cross-legged upon the carpet instead.
Theodoros moved with practiced efficiency, quickly fetching cushions and preparing drinks for them both.
It was the liquor brewed in Tatsuno. Antonius was served in the usual manner, yet for Drake, Theodoros prepared it differently. He warmed the liquor over the kitchen hearth, brewed tea alongside it, blended the two together, and poured the mixture into a small tea vessel rather than a wine cup before offering it to him.
The rich scent of Tatsuno’s liquor mingled with the fragrance of tea grown in Imresia.
Drake had never seemed particularly accustomed to strong drink, yet after a single sip, he looked quietly impressed by how naturally the flavors complemented one another.
Seeing how much Drake enjoyed it, Antonius emptied the cup first poured for him and afterward requested the same preparation from Theodoros.
After finishing perhaps three cups, Drake released a satisfied breath. Then, all at once, his expression grew grave as he turned his eyes toward Antonius.
“I think I ought to become the Dragon of Doom once more.”
From those words alone, Antonius understood most of what Drake intended. Without interrupting, he merely inclined his head slightly, bidding him continue.
“If I remain a hero mankind no longer fears, they’ll grow comfortable. Comfort becometh complacency. Complacency leadeth to forgetfulness. And when the true Dragons of Doom return after mankind hath forgotten its fear… next time, the world shall not endure it.”
Antonius did not dispute him.
“I fear mankind hath ever been most vulnerable in times of peace, my lord.”
“…Thou wouldst not stop me?”
“Wouldst thou truly wish me to, my lord?”
A faint trace of amusement touched Antonius’s voice. Drake narrowed his eyes slightly, though Antonius continued calmly.
“Thou didst say before that clues to the breaking of the seal yet remain.”
Drake hesitated for a moment before giving a slow nod.
He spoke of why he had come unto Agnia, and how he had repeatedly appeared wherever he sensed the signs of war beginning to gather. By now, Drake had already reached something close to certainty. Though the remnants of Magira had perished, he believed other means still existed.
“I must find them. And for that, so long as men continue finding reasons to wage war upon one another…”
His gaze darkened slightly.
“…they must be given a common enemy.”
Then Drake proposed that those blades and all that fury should be turned not toward rival armies, but toward a single foe—the Dragon of Doom itself.
After hearing from Drake the full truth regarding the possible breaking of the seal, Antonius resolved to weave the matter into his own designs.
There was only one thing he regretted.
That the younger brother who still believed him noble and righteous would once again be made to suffer a painful farewell.
With a faintly lonely smile, Drake began speaking of the time Irina had shared her knowledge with him—of the breaking of the seal, and of the birth of a half-blood child.
