Leca and Mia were summoned together.
The king's condition had suddenly worsened to the point he could no longer move.
Only Jakiel and a few other ministers were present in the conference chamber.
"We've received a report that you two stayed in Nakil."
At Jakiel's words, Mia blinked. Was that the reason they had been called?
"That's true, but… why does that matter?"
"For what reason did you go there, and why did you stop by the nearby nomadic village?"
"Leca was attacked by monsters on our way back from Muria. He was in no condition to travel, so we rested in Nakil for a while. That's all."
"Did you receive treatment for his injuries in the nomadic village?"
"No, we stayed some distance away from the village. We only entered because we heard the sound of people crying."
This time, Leca answered. The corner of Jakiel's mouth lifted slightly.
"Are you aware of the recent events that occurred there?"
"…I've heard a little."
At Leca's reply, Jakiel lifted his chin high.
"Those who were once your comrades are now all dead. Most of the villagers are dead as well. I'm asking if you can think of a reason, since you visited the place."
A foreboding sensation crossed Leca's mind.
The strange smell in the air back then. The red-tailed meteor he and Mia had seen while camping.
"There was a strange scent in the air. We saw a red meteor… That's all."
"Hoh. A scent in the air, you say?"
Jakiel exchanged glances with the other ministers. One of them spoke up.
"Roland is currently analyzing the soil samples brought from Nakil. Let's wait for the results."
Jakiel stroked his beard again and asked,
"Were there already people who had died in the village at that time?"
"Yes. We were told an infant and a pet had died… but that was all. It wasn't a situation where people were dying en masse."
"Then it couldn't have been the stench of decaying corpses. How ominous."
At Jakiel's remark, another minister asked,
"What do you mean by that?"
"That scent might have been from the red-tailed meteor."
"Hoh. A meteor leaves behind a scent?"
Another minister nodded.
"The red-tailed meteor is said to be a harbinger of disaster that appears once every five hundred years. When it streaks across the sky and crashes to the ground, it supposedly brings with it a gunpowder-like scent—and a curse upon the land."
One of the ministers frowned.
"Isn't that just superstition?"
"Well, that's the problem. We can't dismiss it as mere superstition."
Jakiel responded gravely.
"Every time the red-tailed meteor has appeared in Sibareth over the past fifteen hundred years, calamity followed. Fifteen hundred years ago, the kingdom's most prized treasure was stolen by a demon god. A thousand years ago, we were subjugated by Naizman."
"And five hundred years ago, a massive famine claimed the lives of one-third of the commoners."
Another minister added.
Mia listened to the story with a sense of unease and then asked,
"If the questioning is over, may we return now?"
Just then, Court Mage Roland entered the chamber.
"I've come to report the results of the sample collection and analysis."
"Oh? What did you find?"
Roland didn't respond right away.
He looked around the room, then fixed his gaze on Leca and Mia. Mia felt uneasy and met his eyes.
"The substance detected in the soil had already lost its original properties. It was difficult to determine its nature. After much effort, we were able to identify only one component."
With that, Roland looked at Mia again. She began to feel genuinely uncomfortable.
What's with this old man? What's his problem with me again? What's his deal?
"It was Febirstorm, a poisonous herb that grows only in Muria."
"What?"
"Is that true?"
Mia looked around in disbelief. Everyone was staring at her.
"I have no idea what that is. I've never even heard of that plant's name before!"
Leca joined in.
"Febirstorm doesn't only grow in Muria. When I was a child, my aunt grew it in Naizman. It can be found in other regions as well!"
"Hoh, well said."
The black diamond on Jakiel's staff flashed.
"Just as you said, Febirstorm grows in Muria and Naizman. It once existed in Sibareth, but it went extinct long ago. Currently, ninety-five percent of that poisonous herb is found in Muria, and the remaining five percent grows in Naizman."
"So what exactly… are you trying to say?"
Leca's eyes blazed with fury. Jakiel replied with a smug expression.
"Don't get so worked up. I didn't accuse you of anything, did I?"
"You're clearly suspecting us right now!"
Jakiel clicked his tongue.
"I merely stated facts. That young lady returned from Muria, and you—whose homeland is Naizman—accompanied her to Nakil. After your visit, Febirstorm was discovered in the soil there. So tell me—how should we interpret this?"
"I'd like to say a few words, if I may."
Mia managed to calm her rising anger and spoke. Jakiel nodded, giving her the floor.
"To prove what you're claiming, you'd have to establish that we were the only outsiders who visited Nakil. Isn't that right?"
"..."
Jakiel and the other ministers silently stared at Mia.
"If you had a CCTV—no, or I don't know, a crystal orb or something—and it showed that we were the only ones who went in and out of that place, and then the foreign substance was detected… then maybe you'd have a case. But it's not like the land is off-limits. Anyone could've gone there at any time, couldn't they?"
"…That's true."
One of the ministers replied.
"Then how would we know whether someone else went there and left the substance behind? For all we know, one of you old men could've gone and tried to frame us—"
"How dare you! Watch your tongue!"
A minister shouted. Mia gave a slight shrug.
"Why? Did I strike a nerve?"
"You insolent—!"
"Enough. Silence, all of you."
Jakiel raised his staff to settle the tension between Mia and the ministers.
He spoke again, slowly.
"I understand what you're saying. However, even if Nakil isn't officially restricted, it's rare for outsiders to enter. That's why this has become such an issue."
Mia scoffed through her nose. What, do they think she's stupid?
"If people rarely go there, it makes it the perfect place for someone to sneak in and do something bad."
"My, what a deep understanding of a criminal's mind you seem to have, young lady."
One of the ministers sneered.
With the king absent, it seemed no one felt the need to maintain decorum anymore—harsh words flew freely across the room.
At that moment, Roland, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"I'm not saying you two deliberately did anything in Nakil. Of course not."
"Then what are you saying?"
Mia asked with clear displeasure. Roland responded calmly.
"Febirstorm is a plant with powerful toxicity, even from a single seed, petal, or fragment of leaf. I'm merely suggesting it's possible you unintentionally brought traces of it back with you."
"Febirstorm alone wouldn't be enough to kill so many people,"
another minister added.
"Maybe one or two."
Roland nodded.
"My hypothesis is this—these two may have unknowingly brought back several plant traces from Muria, which then interacted with one another once in Nakil. And that may have triggered the incident."
"That's absurd. You're saying something that coincidental actually happened…?"
Leca bit his lip and objected.
Just then, a minister who had been silently observing them with pity finally spoke.
"Besides the red meteor and the scent, was there anything else unusual? Did you see anyone other than the nomads?"
"We saw Julius."
Mia answered flatly. The ministers' eyes widened in visible surprise.
"His Grace, the Grand Duke?"
In truth, Mia had said it with full calculation.
For some reason, Julius seemed to be on her side lately. If she invoked his name in this hostile situation, he might help resolve it somehow.
"Yes. He was with Gaia."
"And what business did His Grace have there?"
Mia shrugged.
"I didn't ask, so I don't know. He was with us briefly and then healed Leca's injury before leaving."
The ministers exchanged glances.
The conversation had suddenly veered into entirely new territory. Julius had never mentioned meeting them in Nakil.
"Well, perhaps His Grace was surveying the region," one minister said nonchalantly.
Everyone agreed to that.
It wasn't unusual for Julius, the future king, to be in any part of the kingdom.
"You may both go now. You are to remain under probation until summoned again. Especially you—"
Jakiel turned to Mia, his voice cold.
"Since you are soon to become queen, you must now be especially mindful of your behavior."
Mia suddenly felt her chest tighten.
"…So I really am going to become queen? Just because I passed the Trial of the Unicorn?"
Jakiel furrowed his brow.
"The second rite of passage still remains. But since you completed the first successfully, the second should not be too difficult. That is what I meant."
Leca looked at Mia unconsciously.
Lady Mia… truly becoming queen… Lady Mia, becoming Julius's wife…
Suddenly, a fire seemed to ignite in his chest.
He clutched at his heart—
And at that moment, the door to the chamber opened.
"To think such an important meeting would be held without me… you've all gone too far."
A scent of roses.
Dazzling golden hair that lit up the room, a tunic of pure white—
It was Julius.
He strode confidently into the chamber.