The White Cat That Swore Vengeance Was Just Lazing on the Dragon King’s Lap - Volume 7 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: To The Imperial Nation

“Hey, Ruri, can we?”

“Yeah, just a little~?”

“Just a teensy bit. Please?”

The spirits were requesting something in an adorable fashion, but Ruri knew that what they wanted was not adorable in the slightest, so she stayed adamant.

“Absolutely not!” she replied.

“Awww!”

“But! But! She said mean things to you, Ruri.”

“We just gotta punish her!”

The spirits were all launching complaints about Sango. Their unique ability to communicate with one another meant that a description of Sango’s actions had quickly spread to all of the other spirits. Knowing the story from beginning to end, the spirits were furious at Sango for picking a fight with their beloved Ruri and were set on personally returning the favor. Ruri was in the middle of it, trying to stop them.

“Heh heh.” Despite Ruri’s best efforts to control the situation, someone chuckled.

They were in Jade’s office. Quartz was also there, looking as if he wanted to quip about Ruri’s little dilemma. Ruri, however, was throwing a sidelong glance at the person who was trying to stifle their laughter from a short distance away.

“Jade-sama, what are you laughing at?”

“You seem to be having it rough, Ruri,” Jade teased.

“If you think that, then why don’t you give me a hand here, Jade-sama?”

Jade snorted, his anger still not quelled. “I can’t. I feel the same as the spirits, after all.”

Ruri sighed in disappointment.

“Not even one finger?” asked a spirit.

“I said nooo!”

It was shocking to hear such terrifying things coming from such cute faces. What were they even planning to do to that “one finger”?! Ruri was too afraid to ask.

There was a knock at the door, and Claus walked inside. Using this as an opportunity, Ruri ran the spirits out of the room. “Go on, go on. Play outside now.”

The dissatisfied spirits left the room as instructed, and Ruri breathed a sigh of relief. Turning her attention to Claus, she noticed that he was handing Jade some sort of letter. As Jade opened it and read its contents, wrinkles started to form on his brow.

“Is something the matter?” asked Ruri. She was concerned about Jade’s grim expression.

After he finished reading the letter, Jade looked up and said, “It’s from the Imperial Nation. Adularia’s symptoms have gotten even worse.”

“What? But you gave them the dragon’s blood medicine, didn’t you?”

“It seems to have had no effect.”

“Then...the situation is worse than we thought, isn’t it?” Ruri asked trepidatiously.

Jade nodded sternly. Ruri’s face tensed, as did Quartz’s and Claus’s.

“Dragon’s blood normally works on any sickness or injury, so long as the one taking it isn’t dead. I don’t know of any illness it wouldn’t cure, but...” Jade looked at Quartz pensively. “Master Quartz’s mate, Seraphie, passed away without the medicine having any effect.”

“Oh!” Ruri quickly looked at Quartz to see Seraphie come forth from the ring.

“Do you really think that the emperor’s sickness is the same as mine just because the dragon’s blood was ineffective?” Seraphie asked.

“I cannot say for sure,” Jade answered. “Only you and Master Quartz and a select handful of people know of the circumstances of your passing.” The reason most people didn’t know was because Quartz had rarely ever let Seraphie out in public.

With all eyes on him, Quartz scanned the letter that Jade had just read. Once he finished, he closed his eyes for a moment before slowly opening them again. “Unfortunately, this situation is similar to Seraphie’s. I think that we should assume the worst.”

“The worst being...?” Ruri asked.

“There’s a good chance that she’ll die.”

Ruri gasped, but she wasn’t the only one. Jade and Claus did as well. Anyone who knew Adularia would react the same way.

“What do I say to Corundum?” Jade wondered aloud.

His pained words struck Ruri as well. She could count the number of times she’d met the emperor on one hand, but Adularia was so friendly that no one would suspect that she was a grand ruler. The last time Adularia visited the Nation of the Spirit King, she was happy and healthy. The fact that her life was in danger after such a short amount of time felt unreal.

“Claus, I’m going to the Imperial Nation now. Take care of prep work and matters in my absence,” Jade quickly commanded, writing a letter on the spot. “Send this to Corundum on the double.”

“Jade-sama, may I go as well?” Ruri asked, knowing that even though there was nothing she could contribute, she couldn’t just sit idly by in the Nation of the Dragon King.

Jade paused for a moment before nodding and saying, “Fine.”

Just then, Quartz jumped in. “Jade, I’m coming along as well. I want to see whether this actually is the same illness Seraphie had.”

“Yes, I would appreciate that,” Jade said with a quick nod.

After leaving the Nation of the Dragon King in Euclase’s care as chancellor, Ruri and the others quickly made preparations to leave.

That was when Gibeon popped in and whined, “I wanna come too~!”

“Gibeon, if you’re trying to get in the way, I’ll slice you to ribbons,” Jade snapped.

“Aww~! You’re so mean, Mr. Dragon King!” Gibeon retorted. His unflinching pluckiness in the face of Jade’s anger was commendable. “If you’re going, then you should go on your own. You can leave Ruri here, and I’ll guard her.”

“You being here is why I can’t leave her!” Jade screamed, his nostrils flaring.

Rutile, who’d been watching this all transpire, interjected, “But, Your Majesty, while I am not agreeing with Gibeon, wouldn’t it be dangerous to bring Ruri along? By accounts, there is a chance that the Reapers are on the move.”

“The Reapers...” Jade muttered. “Yes, that is a concern...”

“Hm? What? What about Reapers?” asked Gibeon.

Once again amazed by Gibeon’s inability to read the room, Ruri explained, “They said they found traces of the Reapers being in the emperor’s room. Everyone is on edge because they suspect that the Reapers might be involved.”

“Wha—? Nah, no way, no how,” Gibeon refuted with a chuckle.

“How can you say that for sure?” Ruri asked, unprepared for his surprising response.

“Well, ’cause the Reapers disbanded after their leader died years ago. Anyone calling themselves Reapers nowadays are a bunch of phonies!”

“Huh?”

How did Gibeon know that? Ruri wasn’t the only one with that exact question.

Jade wasted no time in grabbing Gibeon by the head with an iron grip, and Gibeon screamed.“Gaaaaah! Yow! Ouch!”

“Okay, you. Say that once more,” Jade demanded.

“Oh no, Jade-sama!” Ruri cried. “Don’t grip Gibeon with your dragonkin strength, or you’ll turn his head into a crushed tomato!”

“Don’t worry.”

“No, no, I’m going to worry about it. Let go of him, please!” Ruri pleaded. She managed to save Gibeon before the cracking sounds coming from his head became more severe.

“I thought he was gonna tear my head off...” Gibeon said in relief. Jade’s grip had been so sudden that he’d forgotten to put up his barrier. If Jade had persisted, Gibeon would have actually been a goner.

As Gibeon crumpled to the floor, Jade relentlessly asked, “How do you know about the Reapers when so much about them is unknown?”

Gibeon pouted. “I’m not talking until you apologize first.” He turned his head away, seemingly okay with dying today.

Jade was emanating anger, but he still caved in and murmured, “Sorry.”

“Oh yeah? Your face doesn’t look sorry at all,” Gibeon pointed out, noting that Jade’s terrifying stare looked like it could stab him to death.

“I did as you said, so talk. Now.”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Sheesh, for a ruler, you sure are narrow-minded, Mr. Dragon King. Now, let’s see, the Reapers, right? The reason I know about them is because I used to be one a long time ago.”

“You what?!”

“After being forced to flee my country, the leader of the Reapers picked me up, and I was a Reaper till he died. But I want to set the record straight. The Reapers were never an ‘assassination guild.’”

“What do you mean?” Jade asked. It was said that those who were targeted by the Reapers faced certain death, but Gibeon’s words contradicted the fact that people had been killed by them in the past.

“The leader was actually a sweet, kindhearted person, the type who couldn’t ignore a person in need,” Gibeon explained. “So, y’see, in order to assist people who needed to run because of unavoidable circumstances or who had a hit put on them, he helped them escape by disguising things as murder scenes. Soon after that, the rumors took on a life of their own and made the Reapers out to be a guild of assassins. But the Reapers were a guild of kindhearted people who took me in after I had no place to go. They’ve never killed a single person. I can guarantee you that.”

“And what you’re saying is the truth?”

“I’m willing to bet my life on it. You can even interrogate me with Kotaro’s powers if you feel so inclined.”

Kotaro’s powers would show whether Gibeon was telling the truth, but he had no reason to lie about this matter.

“Then that means the paper with the sickle drawn on it found in the emperor’s room was...” Jade trailed off.

“Either a fake or a prank,” Gibeon replied. “Or maybe a crime by someone who wanted to pin the blame on the Reapers?”

Jade, irritated, pondered this for a bit before running his hand through his hair. “I guess there’s no point in contemplating from afar.”

“Yes, but now it’s very likely that the Reapers are fake,” Rutile noted.

Jade nodded and said, “Sorry, but take care of things while I’m away.”

Rutile would be staying in the Nation of the Dragon King.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Ruri, Jade, and a few elite dragonkin set off for the Imperial Nation. It was a tough flight, even with Kotaro’s wind powers, so by the time they arrived, everyone was worn out. Naturally, that went for Ruri, but not even the sturdy dragonkin could hide the exhaustion written on their faces. On the other hand, thanks to this slog, they were able to reach the nation in record time—so much so that the welcome party that came to greet them was astonished.

Perhaps because Jade had informed him beforehand, as soon as they arrived at the imperial palace, they were granted an audience with Corundum, the imperial consort.

“Your Majesty the Dragon King and Lady Beloved, thank you very much for coming all this way on such short notice,” Corundum said.

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries for now. Where is Adularia?” Jade asked.

Corundum’s expression turned bleak. “I’m afraid her condition has worsened since our last correspondence, and now she can’t even get out of bed. I can’t understand why this is happening to her...”

“And the dragon’s blood had no effect, I take it?”

“None. I gave her every last drop of the medicine you gave us, but there was no change in the slightest. There is nothing more I can do!” Corundum covered his face as if to hold in his sadness, his grim resolve making everyone fear the worst. “I am sorry. I need to be strong in times like these.”

“No, don’t worry about it,” Jade assured him. “Is it possible to see Adularia?”

“Yes, of course. I have made sure she hasn’t had any visitors except our sons, the doctors, and a few court ladies, but she told me to see you in if you were to come, Your Majesty. Would you like to see her now?”

“Yes, I would.”

Normally, it would be impossible to see someone as grand as the emperor as soon as one arrived. They felt as if they were being told that Adularia didn’t have time—at least not the time to waste on procedures for scheduling a meeting.

Ruri, Jade, and Quartz were the only three to enter the room—four if one included Seraphie. Rin and Kotaro also accompanied them. Seraphie, who was now visible, was constantly concerned about Corundum’s condition. She would glance at him and mull something over, a difficult expression on her face.

The emperor’s room was not much different from Jade’s. If there was anything of note, it would be that the color scheme was a bit more vibrant, probably because Adularia preferred brighter colors.

“How are you doing, Adularia?” Corundum asked, peeking anxiously at the bed where Adularia lay. “His Majesty the Dragon King is with us.”

A small female voice called out, but it was so weak and muffled that Ruri, who was only a few steps away from the bed, couldn’t make out what it said.

“Okay, I’ll get you up. Just tell me if it becomes too much.” Corundum slowly raised Adularia’s upper body, sat her up, and propped a cushion at her back. He then made space to allow Jade and the others to come forward.

When Ruri got close enough to see Adularia, she noticed that her face was as white as a doll’s—a figure without an ounce of blood coursing through its veins. Her skin had lost its glow, and her face was so tired that it looked like she’d aged considerably in a short amount of time.

“So good of you to come, Jade,” Adularia said softly, possibly because it took everything she had just to speak.

Despite it being so difficult, Adularia forced herself to smile in order to put everyone else at ease. Ruri couldn’t help but admire her strength.

“I am truly blessed to have a Beloved, the Dragon King, and the former Dragon King here to pay me a vis—” Adularia paused, holding her chest in pain. Corundum rushed over to support her, calling her name, but she raised her hand to hold him back. “It’s all right. I’m dying, but I still have time until I do.”

“How can you say such a thing?” Corundum asked. “Don’t speak of death so lightly. What would I even do without you?”

Adularia gently caressed Corundum’s sorrow-stricken cheek, her face full of love and affection. “It’s all right. I am still here with you.”

“Ngh!” Quartz averted his gaze: he couldn’t bear to watch. He was likely comparing himself with Corundum—with how his past self had been stricken with the despair of losing Seraphie.

Seeing Quartz’s reaction, Seraphie floated over to Adularia. “There is one way that you two could stay together,” Seraphie said. Corundum’s head shot up, and a flicker of hope crossed his face. “If you transfer your soul to an object like me, then you can exist with your loved one just as you have even if you die. This process utilizes sorcery, and the success rate is fifty-fifty, but if it succeeds...”

“So I won’t have to be separated from Adularia?” Corundum asked.

“No. She will lose her physical body, but she will remain here—just like me.”

“Adularia, did you hear that?” Corundum asked, turning to her with a face bright and full of hope.

Adularia, however, did not reciprocate with joy. In fact, it was just the opposite.

Corundum slid his hand across her cheek in concern. “Adularia, why do you look so sad?”

Adularia took his hand and looked straight into his eyes. “Corundum. That method won’t be necessary. I will accept death. This is the way of the world.”

“Why?!” Corundum screamed, his voice echoing throughout the room.

In the midst of this, Rin flew around Seraphie and declared, “I’m against that method too. Or rather, it’s impossible.”

“But why, Rin?” Ruri asked. “There’s Seraphie-san, and she succeeded in performing it.”

“Leaving your soul in the world of the living carries its own set of risks,” Rin answered, tapping Seraphie’s astral body with her wing. “See this glowing spot?”

Just as Rin said, the area where her wing met Seraphie was shining.

Ruri nodded. “I can.”

“This, you see, is a sign that Light is protecting her soul.”

“What do you mean?”

“For starters, a soul is supposed to enter the circle of reincarnation once it leaves a physical body, but sometimes souls fall outside of the circle and remain in the world of the living. Those souls will gradually consume themselves until they ultimately disappear into the ether.”

“Huh?!”

The revelation caused not only Ruri to jump, but Quartz as well. Seeing as how he cherished Seraphie more than anything else in the world, he couldn’t keep his composure in the face of this news.

“Is Seraphie going to be okay?!” he asked.

“She is very lucky,” Rin explained. “Because of her many years trapped in the pocket space and being under Time’s protection, her soul has been preserved. And now that she’s out of the space, Light is guarding her. That’s why she can stay in this realm without her soul self-consuming or fading away.”

Quartz breathed a sigh of relief. Ruri was similarly relieved for the same reason.

“But that does not apply to the emperor. She doesn’t have spirits protecting her soul like Seraphie does. Making souls stay in the living realm unprotected is a fate worse than death. The death of the body means the soul will be carried over into the next life, but if it ceases to be, then things end there. There will be nothing for the next time. It essentially means complete termination.”

“No way...” Ruri was speechless at the prospect of that all-too-terrible future.

“That’s why I wouldn’t recommend that method to anyone.”

After Rin’s warning, no one present even dreamed of suggesting that they try to preserve Adularia’s soul. Corundum was left numb and exhausted.

As everyone stood at a loss for words, Adularia broke the silence by calling out to Corundum. While it was hard for her to even speak, she managed to voice her thoughts.

“Thank you, Corundum. Oh, how lucky I am that you love me so very much. Decades have passed since I became emperor. Thank you for walking this path with me.”

“Why... Why are you talking like those are your final words? Please, stop...”

“I love you. And I always will,” Adularia said, her lips curling into a blissful smile.