Episode18(S1-13)：JUDGMENT

The Dragonutes, gathered so tightly that the floor is obscured, are all poised in a state of alertness. Some glared at Alpina with claws, some with fangs, and some with weapons in their hands.

“Hou, interesting. You guys still defy me in this situation?”

“Even if we are wrong, we cannot just sit there in the face of The Devil. You will be held captive by us.”

“You guys are going to capture me, not kill me?”

“We know that The Sons of God cannot be killed. If that were the case, we would like to banish you immediately, but we cannot let you go unchecked. Above all, I am concerned for the safety of my son. Therefore, until this matter is concluded, you will be held in custody.”

I see," Alpina turned around and looked at Quon. Her eyes, smiling, were filled with curiosity, and she was scattering a look like a pretty girl of her age.

“You've been very quiet. This has some bearing on you, doesn't it?”

“Yes. But I've got you. As long as we have a contract, what better security than this? Or would you prefer I didn't trust you?”

Good grief," Alpina said with a wry smile. However, behind the expression on her face was joy, and for that moment, she was not The Devil, but a girl.

“You continue to impress me. Is this a result of our relationship, or is it fate brought about by 10,000 years of time? Either way, it seems to me that the best is yet to come.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

What does a story 10,000 years old have to do with me? I'll ask her after .......

With a question mark in his brain, Quon doubts Alpina's words. But to rack one's brains for an answer that will never come, is like scratching an algae in a bottomless swamp. Knowing that it will never be beneficial, Quon temporarily abandons his thoughts.

Well," Alpina turns to Alfred once again. She puts one hand on her waist, and the hem of her skirt sways glossily. Her snow colored feet shine in the melting-snow color by the light of the candle. The deep sapphire-blue color mixed with the color of her shoulder-length, glossy-black colored hair gently ripples like her heart and accentuates her appearance as an exceptionally beautiful girl for The Human of her age.

“You will restrain us, will you not? We will not run away, we will not resist. You will do as you please.”

Alpina glares at The Dragonute, showing her position as a superior person without regret, with a ruthless pressure and a difference in rank in her words and actions. Quon also follows Alpina's example and stands beside her, maintaining his composure. He glances at Nana with high hopes for an impossible future.

“Lord Alpina ...... Mr. Quon ......”

Covering her mouth with her hand, Nana mutters their names in a muffled voice. The emotion behind her words was either anxiety or despair that Alpina and the others had made such a mess of things. Quon hopes it is the former.

“Seize them both and put them in jail!”

The two are then restrained by The Dragonute again. They are led out of the mansion. The Dragonutes in the hall disperse, leaving only Alfred and Nana in the hall.

“Father, what does this mean⁉”

Nana is indignant and crowds Alfred. Her face is so evil that it belies her dainty appearance, as one would expect from someone of The Dragon's blood. However, just as Nana is The Dragonute, her father Alfred is also The Dragonute. Her awesomeness is of little use to him, and Alfred exhales a sigh.

“Nana. Why are you so devoted to The Devils? Are you brainwashed after all?”

“No, sir! Why do you cling so tightly to the word brainwashing? Do you have any proof that I am brainwashed?”

“That's because you don't know the history of The Devil. They are inherently horrible. They are the rare murderers who play with The Human Child's soul under the guise of a contract.”

Alfred stands up. Then he speaks over his back to admonish Nana.

“You should rest now. We the entire tribe will rescue Lace.”

Alfred leaves the room. Nana is left alone in the room, devastated by despair and disappointment. Sadness and fear well up in her as she dreads the retribution that may be coming, for the fact that she has done so much worse as a punishment for the benefactor who saved her.

I have to do something about it. ......

Nana stands up. She had no time to be troubled, no time to regret, no time to be devastated. She set out to meet Alpina and Quon.

On the outskirts of the town of Cars Amra. A solid stone building on a steep rock face is a prison for criminals. The Dragonutes, who are few in number and strongly united as a group, do not commit many crimes against each other, so the building has long since become a mere shell, but for the first time in a long time, the building's presence was causing a stir. The atmosphere of surprise and terror increases the inaccessibility of the prison.

Quon and Alpina are locked in such a prison. Although they have been released from their physical restraints, this solid structure is not likely to be easily shattered. Even so, this is only at the level of The Human Child, which is not much of a threat to Alpina who is The Sons of God, or to Quon, who has received a portion of their power. Nevertheless, they were brought here because this is the most secure place in Cars Amurra, and they declared that they would not resist.

“...... So what are you going to do now?”

“What are you talking about?”

How easygoing is Alpina, who smiles in a matter-of-fact tone of voice? Or does she have the courage to take pleasure in everything that happens to her? Either way, Quon, more than aware of the trouble she is in, lets out a sigh, leans against the wall, and crosses her arms.

“It's just a matter of time. You'll get out of here anyway with your help, and it won't hinder you from helping Nana's brother. But what about after that?　The relationship between The Devil and The Dragonute could end up in the worst possible way, but is that still okay?”

When they saved Nana, they turned around and called them kidnappers and imprisoned them. Anyone can see that even if they had saved the wraiths, there is no chance that The Dragonute would have changed their minds. Rather, they should be more concerned about a decline in their confidence in the fact that they left the prison without permission. It was an event that could have a negative impact on both the relationship between The Devil and The Dragon and between The Human and The Dragonute, and it was something that could not be ignored.

“No matter how much we theorize and explain, it is futile to say anything to someone like that lord who has already reached a conclusion. Besides, no matter how much wrongdoing we two do, it will not affect the social structure of The Human Child. In the first place, The Devil itself is an uncertain entity in the current earthly world. No matter how much noise we make, they can't make my existence public, can they?”

And besides," Alpina adds. She crossed her arms, leaned against the wall, and looked up at the moon wheel through the window grille near the ceiling. It looked like a fantastic work of art, and it would be no wonder if it were displayed as one of the paintings.

“The Dragon has not been wiped out. If you go to the Dragon cities in The Dragonic Vein, you will find tens of thousands of them still living there, but they are unaware of the existence of The Dragonute. If they knew, they would not have left the existence of The Dragonute alone. Therefore, no matter how bad the relationship between The Dragonute and The Devil, there will never be a scratch on the relationship between The Dragon and The Devil.”

So," said Quon, letting out a big sigh. He hadn't slept much yesterday, partly because of the incident back home, and he'd had a turbulent day. He felt as if he had moved more than ever since he was born. It was no surprise, then, that a strong sleepiness overtook his rational mind. He crouched down on the spot and looked up at Alpina with dim eyes.

“When do we leave? Do we run away now?”

“You look sleepy, Quon. Yes,......, even though we can afford it, it's not good to leave The Dragonute called Wraith alone so much. But I have no problem with that, but you are at the end of your strength. Let's rest here tonight and leave at dawn tomorrow.”

The Human Child is inconvenient," Alpina sneers at her, to which Quon also smiles back sleepily. Behind his smile is either annoyance at her carefree look, or envy at the difference between the two species.