Clean up always finished quickly.  It was because everyone helped.  Leftovers were sometimes passed down, but more often than not they were tucked between bread to become simple late-night meals.  Hades, however, wasn’t the one who made them.  The task essentially went to his younger brother and sisters who didn’t have any work at night.

Vissel, deciding to pause for a moment at feeling fatigue in his eyes, noticed that the date was almost ready to change.  And having dismissed everyone, the fire in the hearth had gone out before he knew it.

Snow seemed to be falling heavily outside.

No wonder it’s cold.

Thinking he would take a break for the moment, Vissel unwrapped the late night meal.

“This time was Lutiya.”

The sandwich looked easy to eat with the vegetables and meat well placed inside.  That child always prepares them so that they’re just right.  He was different from Frieda who took her time carefully arranging them and Natalie who would add just a bit of flare.

Vissel always ate the late night meals his siblings made with the thought, It’s fine as long as there is no poison in it.  Then, after confirming there was no poison, he trusted his siblings a bit.

—if I couldn’t trust them at all, that would probably mean checkmate.

At first glance, Hades’ surroundings seemed to be calming down, but the footing was no thicker than a sheet of thin ice.  The incident at Laica was the same.  Once a small crack formed, it didn’t matter where, it would spread and shatter all at once.  He would take any measure he could to prevent that.

With such a thought in mind, he stretched and turned back toward his desk.

A strangely heavy thud came from the balcony.  He thought it might be falling snow, except it shouldn’t have been that long since it started snowing.

Vissel stared at the balcony, its curtains drawn shut, and frowned.  Illuminated by the bonfires lit for security, a shadow moved.

Something… is there.

“—Who’s there?”

Whether his voice reached the balcony was uncertain.  The window rattled violently, as if a fierce wind had slammed into it.  Beyond the curtain, a shadow beat its wings sharply— Could it be a dragon?

 He hurried to pull the curtain aside and opened the balcony door.  Flying away into the snow-filled dark night was a dragon.  Not yet swallowed by the darkness, scales resembling the moon gleamed faintly.

“A yellow dragon…”

Muttering that, Vissel lowered his gaze to the snow-covered balcony floor… where a single tuna laid.

“………”

The tuna was frozen.  It had been frozen stiff.

“………………”

Without a doubt, the sound he had heard earlier came from the tuna falling— No, being dropped.

“………………………………”

Now that he thought about, his fiancée that he didn’t even want to mention was rumored to fish tuna while riding a yellow dragon.

“………………………………………”

Spearing swimming tuna while flying a dragon above the sea’s surface required deft skill in controlling the dragon, a strong core to support the body, arm strength that didn’t lose to the tuna, dynamic visual acuity and so on to list a few.

“So why tuna!?”

His voice burst out before his body could be frozen over by the snow.

“Just what is this…!?  Why come all this way but not show your face?  No, why even bring it yourself!?  I don’t understand it at all, and at such a busy time—!”

Vissel noticed a dagger stabbed into the tuna while shouting.  What he had thought snow or ice turned out to be paper.

Ignoring the snow, he stepped forward, pulled out the dagger, and took the paper.  Upon reading what was written on it, he stood up, returned to his room, and continued through.  He didn’t even spare the effort to brush the snow from his shoulders or hair, heading straight for Hades’ room.

—Princess Feiris will ascend the throne as queen in spring. It will be formally announced at the start of the new year.

Information had also arrived from Listeard in Veilburg that the frail Princess Feiris had begun appearing in high society, as if filling the gap left by Crown Prince Gerald.  The strict control on information seemed excessive for someone merely “filling a gap,” making him suspect something.  However, at the same time he had thought, surely not.

What are they planning, passing over the crown prince!?

How much does the current king of Kratos, the Southern King, know?  Do they intend to abandon Gerald here?

The Kingdom of Kratos was protected by the Goddess of Love and Earth.  However, unlike the Rave Empire, where the vessel of the Dragon God is called the Dragon Emperor, that county had never had a queen.

The goddess who had never revealed herself was now trying to step onto the public stage.  It was as though she had resolved herself to fight.

Hades.

His younger brother was called the Dragon Emperor, was bearer of the Heavenly Sword, and had been raised by the Dragon God.  His brother who fought while housing the Dragon God within himself would not lose easily to a goddess.  Surely the Dragon God would protect him and guide him properly as the Dragon Emperor.

However, that guidance did not necessarily mean happiness for his brother. His younger brother who rejoiced with laughter at having siblings had been ordained into his position.

Vissel was well aware that his brother had never once wished, of his own will, to become the Dragon Emperor.

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