...This was suspicious at a glance.
If it were really something that clearly benefited our side, she could have just said it outright. The fact that she claimed she could only reveal it to Ria and no one else already made it far too suspicious.
Given Viole's usual personality, the normal thing for her would have been to spill everything without hiding a thing.
But Ria's choice was to accept.
I sent her a [Thought Communication], telling her this didn't seem like a good deal, but Ria answered with one of her own, saying she knew Viole's methods well enough, so I didn't need to worry.
In the end, after accepting Viole's condition, Ria rose up with her into the sky, high enough that neither Chronoa nor I could hear them, and was now listening to the details of that deal.
"...Are you really okay with just waiting like this?"
Chronoa, who had kept her mouth shut ever since we arrived, finally spoke with an uncomfortable look on her face.
On the way from the Jura Great Forest to [Ruberios], she had been giving off an aura like she disliked Ria or felt wary of her, but it seemed she was still worried, since we were traveling together.
"It's fine."
Of course, like Chronoa... no, even more than Chronoa, I was worried about Ria.
How could I not be, when this involved not just anyone, but the woman I loved?
Honestly, I wanted to fly up to where Ria and Viole were right this second.
And yet, paradoxically... because this involved Ria, my lover, I could also say it was fine.
"Ria is a wise and powerful demon. Even if her opponent's brains or strength are equal to hers, or even greater, she never allows herself to lose."
A demon who was proud yet battle-loving, relaxed yet elegant.
There were many titles that suited her, but if I had to choose just one, it would be "fervor."
Even in something like conversation, which had no direct connection to battle, if it contained anything that could decide victory or defeat between herself and the other party, even indirectly, she was the kind of demon who gave it everything she had.
"If it's Ria, she'll decide that whatever choice benefits her is the winning one, and she'll calmly choose it. In some situations, her pride as one of the [Primordial Demons] or her compassion as Ria might get in the way, but in this situation, those weaknesses won't matter."
The one Ria was speaking with right now was Viole. In other words, someone on her level.
So there was no need for her to insist on her pride as one of the [Primordial Demons], and since she knew exactly what Viole was like, there was no reason for her to show sympathy either.
"Setting aside pure force, when it comes to a conversation where intelligence is what matters, there probably aren't even ten people in the whole world who could be favored to beat Ria."
Against opponents like Milim and Veldora, the gap in raw power was so large it wasn't even worth comparing, but in terms of intellect, they would never be able to beat Ria.
"......Blanc... no, you really trust Ria a lot, don't you...?"
Chronoa's tone shifted, becoming Hinata again, just like it had in [Ruberios].
I hadn't expected someone with so little interest in other people's relationships to ask something like that, so I gave her a faint smile and answered.
"Of course I do. She's not just anyone. She's my lover."
"...Right... I guess."
Hinata nodded with a bitter expression.
With her head hanging low like a cat that had fallen into a well, she looked strangely pitiful.
Hinata was always quiet and cold, so seeing her give off that kind of mood... suddenly made me feel like I was the one in the wrong.
"......"
Thinking I needed to change the subject if I wanted to change the mood, I recalled what had happened earlier in [Ruberios].
"...Come to think of it, thanks for helping me when the [Thunder Emperor] was pressing me for answers. If you hadn't stepped in back then, things could have gotten pretty dangerous."
The matter of my Hero's Egg was a secret known only to Ria, Guy, and my servants, including Rain and Misery.
In other words, it was one of the most important secrets I had, something no one from any other faction knew.
If Luminous and Sylvia had found out about this Hero's Egg, the position I'd barely managed to keep balanced would have dropped straight into the weaker side all at once.
For now, it was a secret that absolutely had to stay hidden.
"......It's not a big deal... I just helped because you looked uneasy... so you don't need to thank me that much."
"No. Help is help. I'll definitely repay this debt later."
"...Do whatever you want."
Changing the subject really had been the right call.
The dejected atmosphere Hinata had been giving off until just a moment ago improved in an instant.
She said I didn't need to thank her, but the faint smile lingering at the corner of her mouth made it obvious she really was feeling better.
She's surprisingly weak to praise.
Even after living at least hundreds of years inside Chronoa's body, Hinata still reacted in such a very Hinata-like way.
And my conversation with her went on, like a fire that had suddenly flared up.
It continued until Ria and Viole came back down.
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