Early in the morning on the day of the Hydra Kingdom's Founding Anniversary Festival, Lilia, who had been invited to the ceremony, arrived at the designated location via teleportation using a specialized magic tool.
A bit of time remained before the festivities officially commenced, but she had arrived early to handle preliminary greetings and other formalities. Unlike the festival in the Arclesia Empire, she hadn't needed to arrive a day in advance, which left her feeling relatively at ease—or so she thought.
"...Hm?"
"What is the matter, Lili?"
"Oh, no... it's just that the air feels somewhat tense. I have a bad premonition."
Lilia had brought Sieglinde as her guard and Lunamaria as her assistant, making them a party of three. Almost the moment they set foot in the Hydra Kingdom, Lilia's face clouded with a look of deep suspicion. Seeing this, Sieglinde spoke up, but Lilia struggled to find the words to explain the source of her unease.
"Hmm... Luna, do you sense anything?"
"No, nothing in particular. If you're having a bad premonition, Lili, perhaps it's a sign of some sudden incident or a chance encounter with someone of high rank?"
"Please don't make such unpleasant predictions. Well, it's just a feeling. I don't really have any basis for it... At any rate, shall we go pay our respects to His Majesty Laguna?"
Despite the nagging sense of dread for which she had no answer, Lilia quickly regained her composure and led the way toward the Royal Castle.
The guests, Lilia included, had been issued Teleportation Permit Magic Tools that allowed them to appear right outside the castle. Since the building was a mere stone's throw away, they reached the entrance in no time.
Fortune favored them, as Laguna was available to receive guests at that very moment. They were ushered directly into the room where the King waited.
After seeing off the attendant who departed with a polite bow, Lilia knocked and entered.
"...Excuse me. Your Majesty Laguna, I've come to offer my—?"
"...Oh, Lady Lilia. And Lady Lunamaria and Lady Sieglinde are with you as well. Welcome, I'm glad you could make it."
"U-Um, Your Majesty Laguna? Are you alright?"
Lilia's concern was immediate; Laguna looked so thoroughly drained that her exhaustion was visible at a single glance.
However, it struck Lilia as strange. Laguna was among the most powerful individuals in the Human Realm—one of the top-ranked figures in the entire world. Lilia was well aware of her capabilities.
Laguna possessed such overwhelming physical stamina that even fighting for three days and nights without sleep shouldn't have tired her out. It was highly probable that her current fatigue was mental rather than physical. Still, given the King's long years and the shrewdness that belied her youthful appearance, she should have possessed ironclad mental fortitude. Lilia couldn't fathom a situation where Laguna would be so spent she couldn't even maintain her public facade in front of them.
"...Ah, forgive me. I've shown you something unsightly. The truth is, something rather... mentally taxing occurred last night. Haha, even I have reached my limit. Now then, you were here for greetings, correct?"
"...Your Majesty Laguna, I am terribly sorry, but I have a truly awful premonition. I'd like to skip the ceremony and head home if I may..."
"Now, now, Lady Lilia. That's a bit too blunt, isn't it? We're friends, aren't we? Don't be so cold."
"No, it's just that my instincts... or rather, my stomach is churning with such intensity that I can only sense disaster."
Now certain that her earlier unease hadn't been a fluke, Lilia wanted nothing more than to retreat to her mansion and hide under the covers.
Her long history of hardship was acting as a survival instinct, screaming a warning. If she stayed, she would be dragged into a situation that would surely leave her stomach in knots.
Laguna met Lilia's gaze with a gentle smile. She stood up, walked over, and placed her hands on Lilia's shoulders, gripping them with surprising force.
"Hahaha... I won't let you run. I absolutely need Lady Lilia here in case of an emergency."
"The fact that you're even mentioning an 'emergency' makes me incredibly anxious! What is it? What on earth is going to happen!?"
"............Do you really want to know?"
"I don't! Please, just let me go home!!"
Laguna used her full strength to hold Lilia back as she desperately tried to pull away. It was only because their power levels were somewhat comparable that this physical struggle was even possible, but for Lilia, it meant her only escape route was effectively sealed.
Laguna and Lilia sparred once a month and shared a close, friendly bond. In a sense, that familiarity had become Lilia's downfall.
Then, with a serene smile that was practically bone-chilling, Laguna dropped the news.
"...It seems Shallow Vernal-sama will be attending the festival this year."
"............"
The moment those words were uttered, Lilia's face was drained of color as she stared blankly into space. It was only natural that her hand instinctively moved to clutch her stomach.
Serious-senpai: "If anything, the Gods probably arrived a day early and set up a rock-solid security perimeter... Ah, so that's why Lilia felt a bad premonition the moment she arrived..."