Chapter Text
"Hmm?", Yona questioned as Lone raised her head toward Zeno. "You want to go to Kuuto?"
"Yep"
"It's unusual for you to suggest a destination", Jae-Ha let out. Which was true.
They all sat around a fire, Yona and Lone the only ones with a cup of tea in their hands.
"You three still feel sluggish, right?", Zeno asked the other three dragons.
"It's true, I'm not feeling my best", and Lone felt sad that he did not tell her that before, even when she knew she would have said she didn't care only because she was scared to show affection.
"Being near Hiryuu Castle will take care of that", Jae-Ha and Ki-Ja were surprised.
"Um... I'm still trying to get my head around this. Why does being near the Castle restore the Dragon Warriors?", Yoon asked.
"The Dragon Gods gave Hiryuu Castle a powerful blessing. There's a mausoleum inside consecrated to the Crimson Dragon King's soul. Right, young lady?", he asked Yona.
"Huh? Yes"
"Back when the priests were being driven out, the mausoleum was in danger... but even Yu-Hon couldn't lay a finger on the mausoleum of the Crimson Dragon King"
"So you're saying it has the power to heal us?", Ki-Ja wondered.
"Right", Zeno confirmed.
"Huh? Hold on- does that mean we're going all the way to the Castle?", Yoon asked, surprised.
"No, no. Being somewhere near Kuuto will do fine", Zeno reassured.
"That mausoleum...", Yona thought. "My father used to take me there quite often"
"What was it like?", Ki-Ja asked.
"It was dedicated to a spirit, but it wasn't scary at all. I always sensed a kind of warmth from it, oddly. When I was little, I loved playing there"
'Come to think of it... one time... I took Soo-Won there with me', she recalled taking him by the hand, recalled her father's arm stopping him, but not her. She recalled the hateful eyes he had. "You are forbidden from entering this place", he had said to Soo-Won.
"Yona?", Yoon called and Lone frowned as she looked at her best friend.
"Oh... N-nothing. I want everyone to get better quickly, so I'm in favour of going there"
"Then, it's decided", Yoon let out. "Let's head out tomorrow"
'That's a pretty old memory. Father almost never got angry. I didn't expect him to say such a thing. When Soo-Won was scolded and I wasn't, I was so sad. But Soo-Won didn't seem to resent it. He never went near the mausoleum again. I wonder why father refused to let him go in...?'
Kuuto - Castle Town
A bar where informants gather
"Ogi", when he didn't answer, he kept on. "Hey, Ogi!"
"Mmph?"
"You've sure been glum lately", he didn't say anything. "Can't say I blame you", again, no answer.
"Leave me alone, will you?"
"You don't have time to mope. Haven't you heard the rumours flying around Kuuto? After the peace summit that just went down... Everyone's talking about how Princess Yona, who no one's seen since she vanished from Hiryuu Castle, was instrumental in solving things without bloodshed. We already knew that much, but now people are saying that the legend of the Four Dragon Warriors might actually be true and that the mysterious woman that fought in Sei and earned herself a name also fought in Xing. They were at Princess Yona's side when she descended upon Xing"
"'Descended upon'?", Ogi said aloud, in a murmur.
"Apparently, her red hair symbolizes the Crimson Dragon King or something. Anyway, the rumors correspond with the sightings during the battle with the Fire Tribe and the drugs problems in the Water Tribe. You should get back in touch with the real source of all this -- I bet you'd pick up a lot of valuable information"
"Ogi!", a man called as he ran in. "The person you're waiting for is here!", Ogi straightened up as he jolted around, alert.
"Hi, Ogi", Lili greeted as she entered the bar. "How've you been?"
"You...? I wasn't waiting for you!", Ogi announced, overly deceived as he slumped back down on his table.
"That's just rude. What's going on? Who're you expecting?"
"Not important"
"Hmm... isn't that hairpin better suited to a young lady? You're into that? Actually wait. That looks familiar", she grabbed at his hair and looked more closely.
"OWW!", Ogi let out.
"Where did you get this?!", she shouted.
"H-Huh? It was a gift. It suits my hair"
"In what world would anyone give a flower hairpin to some scruffy old man?!"
"A world full of all sorts of people!"
"There's no way some commoner would have something so expensive. This... this is... her hairpin!", Ogi looked surprised.
"Oh, I get it. So you know Her Highness? I guess that's not surprising. You know his Majesty, after all"
"Was she here?"
"Yeah. She traded this for my help"
"Does... His Majesty know... that you helped her?"
"I served as a go-between. But Won never showed up. Actually... I doubt... he'll ever come here again", Lili didn't know what to say. She crossed her arms over her chest, erasing any emotion from her face.
"I've invited him to come with me several times... but he keeps refusing"
"Haven't there been time when you didn't hear from him for over a year?", Ogi's man wondered.
"Yeah, there have. But this is different. I had the feeling... that if I helped Yona, I'd never see him again. I pretended not to know who he really was... but once all this happened..."
'Princess Yona is a thorn in the current regime's side. It wouldn't be strange at all for me to be killed for helping her'
"...he severed our relationship... to protect me"
"Or you're not useful to him anymore"
"Let me have my dream!", his punch landed harshly on the table. "I know it's the right move, for his sake. But I've known him since he was this tall", he said, gesturing at a small height with his hand. "He was such a cheeky, annoying kid. He's all grown up now! Everything interested him... but he never talked about himself. I'm worried about him"
"Say, do you have a buyer for that hairpin?", Lili asked.
"Not yet"
"I'll buy it from you, then"
"Seriously?"
"But I don't have any money with me right now, so hold on to it for me. I want a small discount too"
"What?! I thought you were rich!"
"In exchange, from time to time I'll tell you how His Majesty's doing. Information has a prince, right?"
"Heh... true, that. Information requires something of similar value", Ogi said as he slowly took out the hairpin from his hair. "All right. I'll hold on to this. Thank you... Young lady..."
'Your Majesty... you've done some cruel things for the sake of this nation... but there are still people... who love you so much'
Lili was walking, unbothered as she noticed Soo-Won's presence. He was walking, underanged by anything. He didn't seem to realize her presence as she followed him.
'His Majesty? What's he doing?"
He opened the door to a room and he made his way in. He walked down the stairs and stared at everything that lay before him. He lit a candle or two and didn't realize he wasn't alone until Lili spoke up.
"Wow. I had no idea all of this was below the throne room"
"Gah! Lili?!"
"You're usually so observant, but sometimes you're utterly oblivious"
"You venture to too many places without permission"
"What a solemn spot. What is it?", she said, ignoring him.
"It's a mausoleum that houses the soul of the Crimson Dragon King"
"Right under the throne room, huh? The Crimson Dragon King... he was like a God to our nation, but how strongly he's believed in varies from tribe to tribe. The Water Tribe worships the Dragon Gods, you know"
"When there were priests in the Castle, there were many believers among the Sky Tribe"
"Did you come here to pray?"
"Hardly"
"Then what brought you down here?"
"I was prevented from entering before, so I wondered what it was like. This is all it is ....?"
He stood before the crest in the back room and stared at it, unfazed, unimpressed.
Saika Palace
"Tae-Jun! Do you... have any idea what you've done?! A flare from Saika Castle is a signal that the Kai Empire has invaded! We've received no such reports from the border!"
"N-no brother! I saw them! The Kai Empire army is headed this way!"
"How exactly did you see them?! You were in the castle!"
"One of my men saw them!"
"All your men do is work the fields! Hiryuu Castle has asked us repeatedly for an update on the situation. The flare caused chaos for the Sky Tribe army before their battle with Xing! The Fire Tribe has already lost the other tribes' confidence thanks to father's rebellion. If we have yet another scandal, you and I will have to atone for it by slitting our bellies! Saying you thought you saw them but were wrong or that you shot the flare by mistake won't cut it!"
'That's exactly what I was thinking of doing!', Tae-Jun internally cried. 'According to reports, war with Xing was averted. Princess Yona accomplished her goal. My part in it is finished'
"B-brother!"
'How do I spin this?"
"My men work in the fields as cover while they keep an eye out for enemy activity! They are an elite squad maintaining the peace in neighbouring areas! They carefully monitor small spots that are easily overlooked but are vulnerable to invasion!"
'I should stop, but my mouth keeps digging me deeper!'
"So tell me where the incursion is happening!"
"Um..."
' Just this once, Kai Empire... could you invade just a tiny bit?'
"Re-reporting, Sir!", one of the Fire Tribe General's men said.
"What is it?!"
"A message from the Northern-most town in our territory! The Kai Empire has crossed the border. Our lands are being invaded!"