Lola was dreaming again, and in the dream, "she" seemed to be confronting a malevolent dragon.
If the many fiends and spirits of the world had already made people realize what a giant beast was, then the body of a true dragon, stretching hundreds or even thousands of meters, was redefining the word "grandeur."
Obsidian-like dragon scales covered its entire body, an imposing frame brimming with power; a true red shimmer flowed between the gaps of its scales, flickering like a breath.
Eternally burning embers spread across the pitch-black dragon wings, continuously dripping sparks like blood. These flows of fire, mixed with sulfur and lava, fell to the ground, splashing up terrifying heatwaves.
Merely by perching on the mountain peak, its downward-looking crimson gaze and shadow were so heavy and oppressive they made it difficult to breathe.
The surrounding mountains were submerged in blazing lava, and the dense forests melted under the flowing flames, evidence of a great battle that had taken place.
Countless broken parts of frost-walkers were soaked in the magma; even alchemical shells of the titan level were piled into mountains beneath the dragon's feet.
More humans had been turned to charcoal and ash here, with no intact tissue to be found except for bone meal.
Every gust of hot wind, mixed with sparks and embers, blew like the aftershock of a storm, and the air seemed permeated with dry sparks.
The princess of Midwinter was also exhausted, her pure white hem stained with dust, kneeling on one knee, no longer possessing the strength to resist.
Yet even the dragon that had caused such horrifying destruction and slaughter had paid a price.
A river of black-red blood flowed from one of its hollow eye sockets, while the gouged-out dragon eye floated quietly above the magma.
The dragon stared at her, its voice carrying a mocking tone: "Heh, hahahaha... well done, son of man. You actually managed to take one of a dragon's eyes."
"Such courage and strength are worthy of praise."
Moving slowly, its draconic pressure beat against the shores of her mind like an invisible tide, growing heavier as the dragon approached.
"Thump—thump—"
Lola felt "her" heart letting out a heavy, overburdened sound, the heart-wrenching pain intensifying with each beat.
"Praise? Did you really think I would say that?!"
The dragon slammed a claw onto the cracked earth and roared: "You ignorant, senseless fools! You filthy, shameless pests! You loyal jailers of this cage!"
"I wish I could kill you all! Kill every last one of you!!"
How could one describe the wave of sound that came crashing down?
It was the whistle of the atmosphere being torn apart, the roar of a surging tidal wave, the vibration of the earth's mournful wail...
None of these seemed to fully capture it; even knowing this was an illusion of the past, Lola felt like she was about to suffocate.
Suddenly, the radiating draconic pressure retracted completely, and the dragon, which had been in a rage just a second ago, immediately became calm.
Slowly extending its sharp claws, the fallen dragon eye floated up, wrapped in magic and woven into a new form.
"But I will not kill you, I cannot kill you. Therefore... I shall grant you a curse, a gift. O son of man, you seem quite satisfied with your own beauty. That is not wrong; your beauty has indeed brought you the favor of fate. But if you think you will obtain happiness because of it, you are gravely mistaken."
"I will make your beauty the source of your pain. From this day forward, you shall repeat the tragedy of mutual fratricide. This will not be eternal, but it will certainly be long enough—long enough for you to hate fate itself!"
"Heh, hahahaha!"
Under the true dragon's transformation, that dragon eye became a full-length mirror with an obsidian frame, falling from the sky.
"Clang!"
"!!!"
The crisp sound of the mirror shattering startled Lola awake from her dream.
What met her eyes was not the earth scorched by dragon fire, but a bedchamber filled with a faint fragrance, while she herself lay resting on a chaise longue.
"I saw that scene again..."
Lola pressed her hand to her forehead, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she let out a long sigh.
That was not a dream, of course, but a memory fragment of the first princess of Midwinter.
Although the first princess's memories had been fragmented with each generation's division, some memories would be passed down no matter what.
The melody to soothe a machine spirit was one; the battle with the dragon was also branded into the soul.
Lola rose from the couch, pulled back the gauze curtains, and stepped out onto the castle's small balcony.
The royal capital of Midwinter was situated in a beautiful river valley; the dwellings of the capital were dotted between clear lake waters and waterfalls.
Through various magical facilities, halls and towers were built in unbelievable places, displaying an imagination that could be called wild and unrestrained.
This ancient capital city, even in its architectural style, was incredibly similar to that of the elves—or perhaps, all ancient kingdoms with long histories were like this.
Even though almost the entire territory of Midwinter was covered in snow, the royal capital still maintained a climate similar to autumn or winter because of the queen's protection.
Lola stood on the balcony for a while, letting the cold wind clear her head, which had grown heavy from the nightmare.
A moment later, there was a soft knock on her door, and a maid walked in.
"Your Majesty, this is the daily briefing, along with a letter sent from the front lines by the prime minister."
She carefully placed the briefing on a small round table near the door and then waited by the side.
In the Midwinter royal family, there were no close attendants who personally served the royals; due to the unique nature of the curse, the queens and princesses of past generations did not really need personal servants.
Lola crooked her finger, and the briefing flew into her hand.
It was a letter written by Arcturus, reporting to her the events that had followed.
This included the day after her departure, when Selena caused a massive rout using an unbelievable "curse," and his intention to mobilize more resources, even including the armies of the vassal states, to reorganize the defense line.
The prime minister also mentioned the crushing defeat of the grail knights; the Lady of the Lake, who had extended a helping hand to the kingdom, seemed very angry. She proposed to mobilize another grail knight order, determined to wash away the disgrace.
In the letter, Arcturus vowed to the queen that he would defend the capital with his life and stop Snow White, preventing Selena from approaching Lola.
Various matters indicated that the scale of the war had expanded; one might think they were fighting a war of national extinction.
In a sense, however, that was indeed the case; matters related to the dragon's curse were the top priority for the Midwinter Kingdom, directly tied to the survival of the realm.
"I understand."
After browsing through so much shocking news, the expression beneath the queen's veil showed no sign of emotion. She folded the briefing, held it aloft with an invisible warlock's hand, and said calmly: "Reply to Arcturus. I approve of his plan. Let him do his best."
"Yes."
Taking the letter, the maid respectfully exited the room.
Lola rested for a short while before getting up and entering the inner chamber of her suite.
There, Faust lay quietly on the soft, large bed in the center.
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