A letter had arrived from the Flame Dragon Lord that read: "When night falls, open your bud and wait."
I knew better than to take those words at face value. Surely, there was more to it than a literal request. This was likely an invitation to a secret nighttime meeting.
The letter said to wait, so I knew someone was coming to see me, but... could it be that the Flame Dragon Lord himself was coming here? No, that seemed impossible. It was hard to imagine a person of his stature coming to visit me in secret under the cover of darkness. I assumed Uncle Teddy, the butler, would be the one to arrive.
Still, I wondered why he had sent a letter instead of a verbal message like usual. It seemed he was even trying to keep the matter hidden from Parca. Moreover, the choice of meeting at night suggested he was avoiding prying eyes. Thinking about it that way, perhaps it wasn't Uncle Teddy after all. In that case, there was only one other person from the Demon King's Army who would come to see me.
The hour eventually reached the dead of night, the time when even the trees and plants slept. The world was shrouded in a darkness so thick I could see nothing. The only thing I could discern was the occasional rustle of leaves as they swayed in the wind.
Parca the Harpy had returned during the day, so only the Little Witch remained by my side. She was currently snoring away in a deep sleep, tucked safely inside my Vine Cocoon.
As for Fairy Kiri and my little sister-figure, Amazoness Treant, they were staying overnight with Lady Dryades in the Dryades' Forest. I had asked them to check on the sapling Dryades, Fair-chan, to see how she fared at night, so they wouldn't be back until tomorrow.
The real reason I had dispatched Kiri and the others to the Dryades' Forest was because of the Flame Dragon Lord’s impending visit. The Little Witch was fine—once she fell asleep, she wouldn't wake until morning—but Kiri and the Amazoness Treant would surely have woken up the moment the Flame Dragon Lord arrived. I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I figured it was best to have them out of the way entirely.
I wondered what business the Flame Dragon Lord had with me. The curiosity was eating at me. I just hoped it wasn't anything related to Beast King Marticoras...
Still, I wondered when he would show up. Since the letter only specified "when night falls," I had no idea exactly when to expect him. I wondered what time it was now.
As I stared blankly into the pitch-black forest, a night breeze swept through with a sharp rustle. The sound of the trees swaying restlessly stimulated my senses. Suddenly, I felt something land from the sky right next to me.
It was too dark to see a figure, but there was no mistaking that a human-sized individual had just jumped down. I cautiously called out to the mysterious visitor.
"...Who's there?"
"It is I."
It was the Flame Dragon Lord’s voice!
"I have kept you waiting. Preparing for this took a bit of time."
His voice echoed from the darkness. Within my lightless field of vision, I could just barely make out the faint silhouette of his human form. As I strained my eyes to see his face, small, will-o'-the-wisp-like lights appeared out of nowhere.
It was likely his fire magic. The flames began to dance in mid-air, circling both me and the Flame Dragon Lord. Thanks to that light, I was finally able to see him. The red-haired gentleman was staring intently at me.
It really was the Flame Dragon Lord. I had been a little anxious when I could only hear his voice, so seeing his face brought a small sense of relief.
"Good evening, Flame Dragon Lord."
I was glad to see him well. I assumed he hadn't come all this way just to eat my nectar, right?
"You... what happened to the flower on your head?"
Oh, this? Hehe, it just sort of sprouted. Is it cute?
"It suits you."
"Ah... th-thank you very much."
I was so surprised by the compliment that it caught me off guard. It was the first time a gentleman had ever praised the flower on my head, and I felt myself growing flustered. The shock was enough to shake off the last vestiges of sleep.
"It seems that flower isn't the only thing that has changed. I sense a vast power coming from you—far more than when we last met."
He was likely sensing the spirit power. To see through it with a single glance... as expected of the Flame Dragon Lord. He was on an entirely different level than certain other members of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"Even so... you didn't really need to come at such a late hour, did you?"
"Was it painful to wait with your bud open?"
"It's not that, but... being alone with you like this in the middle of the night, Flame Dragon Lord... it makes me a little nervous, you know?"
This was the first time I had ever met with a gentleman alone at night. It was something that had never happened even during my Saint Era.
"What are you talking about? Though our sleeping quarters were separate, did we not spend our time in the same room at the castle?"
Now that he mentioned it, he was right! During my Maid Alraune era, I used to sleep in a pot by the window in the Flame Dragon’s Room. I had been treated as a complete houseplant back then. It was true that we had been the only two in that room.
Oh dear. Without even realizing it, I had been alone with the Flame Dragon Lord countless times before!
"There is a reason I chose the night. I did not want anyone to know that you and I were meeting here in secret."
He continued as he stepped closer to me.
"Under the cover of the dark night, I have been evading the eyes of my older sister's subordinates who are monitoring this forest. That is why I was delayed."
I had gathered from the letter that he wanted to meet secretly, but now I understood the gravity of the situation. It seemed I really was being watched by the Prime Minister of the Demon King's Army. Even now, the only light came from the small will-o'-the-wisps. He was keeping the illumination to a bare minimum to avoid detection.
Because there was so little light, we couldn't see each other's faces unless we were very close. Facing the Flame Dragon Lord at such close range in the dim light felt surreal. I felt as though my long-lost heart was actually thumping and pulsing in my chest.
"Tonight is a secret between the two of us."
"...Why are you hiding the fact that you met with me?"
"Because you defeated Marticoras."
He was referring to Beast King Marticoras, the third member of the Four Heavenly Kings who had attacked me the other day.
"Having three of the Four Heavenly Kings defeated in such a short span of time—and by the same person, no less—is unprecedented in the history of the Demon King's Army. Because of that, there is a faction within the Demon King's Castle that views you as a threat."
I figured as much. It was bound to happen after defeating three of them. I had expected this day to come eventually; if anything, I was surprised it had taken this long.
"My older sister is conspiring with the Witch Queen. They are moving to have you eliminated as an enemy of the Demon King's Army."
So the Flame Dragon Lord's sister and the Witch Queen were behind it after all.
"I was surprised when I heard that the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune had defeated Marticoras, but seeing you now, I understand. With your current strength, burying someone like him would be a simple task."
"Are you... not angry that I defeated the Beast King?"
If he knew I had killed Marticoras, I worried the Flame Dragon Lord—who cared deeply for his subordinates—might try to kill me in revenge. I wasn't sure if Marticoras had been under his direct command, though.
"It is certainly sad to have lost Marticoras. However, I heard that he was being played like a puppet by my sister and that he attacked Alraune without provocation. Since Alraune could not escape, it was an act of unavoidable self-defense."
Exactly! It was totally self-defense. Thank goodness... I've been forgiven!
"Besides, Marticoras's failure to gauge Alraune's strength shows he still had much to learn."
With a distant look in his eyes, the Flame Dragon Lord gazed up at the starry sky. I wondered if he had known Marticoras for a long time. If so, I felt a little guilty.
"However, I am likely the only one in the Demon King's Army who sees it that way. You have eliminated several of the Four Heavenly Kings, including Beast King Marticoras. That is more than enough reason to be branded an enemy of the Demon King's Army."
"......Then, your business with me is...?"
"Forgive me, but it has become impossible to leave you as a free agent."
The Flame Dragon Lord turned a grave gaze toward me.
"I was able to protect you regarding Garudafresvelgr of the Light Crown and Spirit Princess Vergissmeinnicht. But now that even Beast King Marticoras—a long-standing veteran of the army—has been defeated, this has become a major incident. Consequently, the majority of the Demon King's Army, led by my sister, has begun mobilization to subjugate Alraune as the slayer of the Four Heavenly Kings."
The entire Demon King's Army is coming for me? I really don't want that... If they keep attacking me, my dream of living a quiet life in the forest will drift further and further away.
"Therefore, you must choose," the Flame Dragon Lord announced calmly. "Will you submit to me, or will you become my enemy?"
The last time we met, he had said he wanted me. I had turned him down then, but it seemed he hadn't given up on making me his subordinate.
"If you come to me, I will guarantee your safety. Not only that, but I intend to grant you a position of significant status."
"A... position?"
"The now-vacant seat of the Four Heavenly Kings would be suitable. You have the power for it, and no one would be able to voice a complaint."
Me? One of the Four Heavenly Kings? The proposal was so far beyond anything I had imagined that my brain couldn't quite process it.
"What if... I refuse...?"
"It would be a pity to lose access to your nectar, but I have a mission to protect the Demon King's Army. In that case, I shall have no choice but to become your enemy."
A flicker of fire dwelt within the Flame Dragon Lord's eyes. Even I could tell there was no lie in those words. If I refused his invitation, he truly intended to kill me.
"I shall ask you once more."
As if delivering a final ultimatum, he spoke with heavy, weighted words.
"Will you submit to me, or will you become my enemy? Which do you choose?"
Although I was alone with the Flame Dragon Lord in the middle of the night, the Little Witch was sleeping nearby, so technically there were three of us. Still, since she was fast asleep inside the Vine Cocoon, we were effectively alone.
Next time: The outcome of the secret meeting.