Chapter Sixty-Seven: When Trouble Breaks Out in the Backyard, Why Not Start with Two Games of Gwent?

"Dragan, welcome back."
Ruby greeted the branch that floated lightly onto her head. The constitution of those from other worlds truly was extraordinary. After such a long period of treatment and nourishment, Ryan's mother was finally able to leave intensive care, and Dragan had at last regained his freedom.
"Enough with all that chatter. Come play a few rounds of thrilling Gwent with me!"
Dragan didn't dwell on having saved someone unimportant. If Ruby asked, he'd do it, that was simply the nature of their friendship. But to assume the great Dragan spent all his time watching risqué films would be a grave mistake. He had even developed a competitive online game mode to battle Ruby, and the two could happily duel away an entire day when bored!
"To celebrate Dragan's return, why don’t we have a barbecue instead?"
The green-haired princess seized the opportunity, and in an instant, a large lobster appeared by her side—at least as big as the last one, if not bigger. Ever since tasting it before, she’d been craving it. Passing by the palace kitchen today, she saw the ingredient and exercised her royal privilege to claim it.
"Nana, were you always like this?"
While Ruby handled the ingredients, Tinastra pulled Magiuna aside for a chat. She’d wanted to ask for some time, but only now found the chance, free from distractions.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Magiuna yawned. Suddenly, a bizarre weed sprouted from the ground. Without another word, she froze it solid with a cascade of icy arrows.
"Tch, more trash."
The sorceress cracked open the weed's head, finding nothing but a tattered sock. Scornful, she incinerated it with a fireball.
"So, were you always someone who’d bother with monsters like that? And you’ve been smiling so much lately. In all the years I’ve known you, I can count your smiles on one hand. Did he change you?"
"Changed me? Maybe. You know Ruby—he’s so stoic. If I never showed any expression, we’d just be a pair of stone faces. No one wants to see that, right?"
Magiuna was well aware of this. If even slow-witted Tinastra noticed, of course she’d realized it. She didn’t deny that meeting Ruby had changed her; perhaps this was her true self, after all. Sometimes, she wondered.
When she glanced at Ruby, he seemed to sense it and beckoned her over. As she approached, he skewered a piece of grilled lobster and placed it in her mouth.
"Me too!"
Seeing this, Tinastra felt as though something warm had been stuffed into her own mouth. Unable to describe the odd sensation, she strode over to stop Ruby—only to have her own mouth filled with meat as well.
Just as they were about to start eating, two dark shadows vaulted over the courtyard wall. Each streaked toward Magiuna and Ruby with astonishing speed. Caught off guard, Magiuna managed only to raise a sturdy earthen wall before herself and cast a magic barrier by Ruby’s side. But to her surprise, the assailant shattered the barrier easily and tackled Ruby, sending them both rolling across the grass.
"Found you, Ruby!"
Velloxis, pinning Ruby down, was overjoyed. She’d always found Ruby at the cottage, never realizing how happy it could make her to seek him out herself.
"What are you—?"
Seeing Velloxis’s face, Ruby was puzzled. It wasn’t even the scheduled monthly bath day. Still, curiosity aside, he helped her remove the grass tangled in her hair and asked,
"If you’re asking why I’m here, it’s because I need your help. If you want to know how I found you, it’s because the black dragon’s sense of smell is the keenest among all dragonkind."
"Don’t make me sound like a dog!"
Morse hadn’t been as lucky as Velloxis to land on a human cushion. He’d collided headlong with Magiuna’s earthen wall. Though not bloodied, he was none too comfortable.
"Hello, Morse."
"Hmph."
Morse gave a grudging acknowledgment to Ruby’s greeting, but his attention was locked on the grill, clearly interested in the aroma that had lured him here.
"It’s just in time for a meal. Why not join us?"
Two dragons, guests in their own right, were naturally invited by Ruby to dine with them. Tinastra, somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, had hoped to maintain her royal composure and eat with knife and fork. But seeing the dragons’ utter lack of restraint, she realized that if she hesitated, she’d not even get a sip of soup.
While Tinastra battled for food, she noticed Magiuna had little appetite. She barely ate, lost in gloomy thought, and was even unbothered when Morse addressed her as "my wife."
Magiuna was wrestling with herself. Why hadn’t she managed to protect Ruby just now? Instinctively, she’d protected herself first, but she’d failed him. What if those shadows had been deadly arrows?
At first, she was angry with herself for letting Ruby down. Then she questioned why she cared so much. Wasn’t it natural to protect oneself first? Could she really be the sort of person who, when danger struck, would put Ruby’s safety before her own?
No, that was ridiculous. They’d only known each other three months—who would risk their life for someone they’d known such a short time? But if not, then why couldn’t she shake this restless unease? The thought left the sorceress so troubled she couldn’t eat.
"Velloxis, come with me a moment."
After dinner, Ruby gestured for Velloxis to follow him inside. Tinastra glanced at the still-pensive Magiuna and dared not speak.
"What do you want?"
Obediently, Velloxis sat in the chair, violet eyes shining as she watched Ruby kneel before her. She knew this was someone who would never hurt her.
"Your steps are off. You’re injured, aren’t you?"
Ruby lifted her right foot and pulled up her purple skirt, revealing a blood-streaked wound on her calf, still exuding a faint chill.
"It’s nothing—just a scratch."
Velloxis dismissed it. For a dragon, such a wound was superficial. Were it not for the troublesome ice magic lingering in the cut, it would have healed already.
"Many grave illnesses begin with a neglected scratch."
Stubbornly, Ruby shook his head. With Dragan back, he had plenty of medicine on hand. He took out a healing salve and began to apply it.
"Ruby, what am I to you?"
Velloxis suddenly asked. Ruby’s hands paused as he seemed to ponder the question seriously.
"I’m just the trouble you bathe once a month. Why help me at all?"
When she received no answer, the dragoness pressed further. As she said, apart from their monthly meetings, they had little connection. But she couldn’t settle her restless heart without asking.
"Because you helped me."
Ruby answered swiftly and finished dressing her wound.
"Even if dragons and humans are supposed to be enemies..."
Velloxis’s body seemed to lose its strength; she slid softly from the chair, collapsing against Ruby, her voice barely a whisper.
Bang!
The wooden door slammed open, banging against the wall. Magiuna strode in, brow furrowed.
"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this! I don’t know why, but if I swear it to myself, I won’t feel so awful—Ruby! From now on, I promise I’ll always protect you first!"
Ignoring the dragoness, Magiuna hurled a high-level petrification spell at her, seized Ruby, and gripped his shoulders with unusual seriousness.
"All right,"
Ruby nodded reflexively. After all this time, he still couldn’t decipher Magiuna’s patterns. Here she went again.