Chapter 27: Information Not Owned

"..." Vesta led Nio to a room to talk, setting her shield aside. Sitting on the sofa, she just looked like a cute little girl, which was a bit disconcerting for Nio, who ironically also just looked like a cute girl dressed up as a dragon.

"So... you want to leave, is that it?"

"Yes, that’s exactly it, Nio. I detest some people in this place, and the fact that I have to see them because the island is stalled is even more frustrating. Everyone is very agitated, and on top of that, the servants are afraid about their future."

"Whether the island is flying or not isn’t just linked to its locomotion, as you obviously know, but it influences how everyone encounters each other on this island. Besides... people like Azalea are disgusting. That woman isn’t even the worst, and it’s already bad having her roaming around off her own floor."

"I really need to get out of here, even if just for a week. I can’t stand that woman!! I can’t stand all the women with bizarre personalities who live in this place!" As Vesta complains about this, Nio thinks the same as her. There are too many problematic people on this island, which is precisely why she left the palace.

"Vesta, you can’t leave. You’re important for the palace’s defense. You’re literally our shield! If the palace is ever attacked, it’s usually you who jumps into the assault and absorbs the most damage." A powerful Tank like Vesta is vital for the defense of the palace. ℴ

"We can’t risk having you away."

"B-But Nio!! If it’s about Typhon—"

"What did you say?" When Vesta mentions the name of Nio’s wife, Nio immediately fixes her with an extremely serious look.

’She said her name... but my NPCs shouldn’t know her...’

"Well... I know Typhon is a problem, and that if she showed up, I’d need to be at the ready! But Nio, what are the chances of her appearing now?" Vesta looks at Nio’s cold expression and thinks that maybe she’s asking too much, while Nio is serious because her NPCs know about her greatest enemy.

’They shouldn’t know, especially Vesta, who is literally the NPC I talked to alone the least...’

"Who is Typhon? In your view, who is this person? And what is she when weighed on a scale side-by-side with us? Let’s see what view you have of my wife."

"...? She’s your wife, and she’s our enemy, right? Since she wants to destroy the palace and everything you built." Vesta says what Nio already knows, but Nio wants to know how far her knowledge goes.

"Where do you know her from?"

"Nio, are you alright? It’s obviously from your wedding. We were there. You invited all the apostles, and there was that whole incident with the island."

’Incident? Wedding? What the hell is she talking about, my god!! I never even made a wedding event! And since when does the island have an incident specifically on a wedding day?’ Nio is distressed by this, because her NPCs have a piece of history she never even put into them.

"My wedding, right... You know, Vesta, I trust you a lot, so I’m going to tell you a secret... I slept too much during the whole part of the island’s journey to this new world."

"And I’m still a bit drowsy, so I’m distracted. I remember little of the wedding because I was ’nervous,’ if you know what I mean. So, could you tell me from your perspective?" Nio tries to choose words that don’t give away she knows nothing, but that don’t make her seem like she has no memories or doesn’t remember anything about it.

"Of course. Your wedding was quite a... memorable event." Vesta begins to recount her perspective to Nio, who listens attentively.

...

...

...

"Nio, you seem nervous." Vesta speaks to Nio, who has an extremely dark expression on her face in her wedding dress. She gives a weak smile as her eyes dart everywhere, as if searching for a predator.

"J-Just nervous about the wedding, h-hahaha... I-I mean, it’s been what? Like 100,000 years? T-Typhon is quite... persuasive... It’s our wedding... s-such a joyful day..." Nio’s fake smile is very convincing, but so exaggerated it makes her discomfort clear.

"...It’s a wedding to your greatest enemy. It makes sense to be nervous, you don’t need to—" As Vesta was speaking, Typhon appears behind Nio, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you two talking about here?" Typhon asks politely, but her gaze is as if she’s evaluating Vesta, like she’s looking at a mere insect flying too close to the girl who, tonight, will be hers after years of chasing her.

As Nio thinks about what to say, Typhon takes a lock of her hair and smells it, blushing with an expression of pure satisfaction.

"You smell so good..."

"T-Thank you... V-Vesta and I... w-we were just talking about h-how wonderful the honeymoon will be. It’s just girl talk t-to calm the mood." Nio lies quickly, which makes Typhon smile.

"How nice that you’re looking forward to our wedding night, where we will finally be completely each other’s. It’s been many years of intrigue. It’s great to finally get married and fix everything, don’t you think? And who would have guessed that I would only need to threaten to collapse the entire Greater Existence around us and kill myself, taking you and all of creation with me."

"If I’d known it was that easy, I would have said so sooner." Typhon’s calm and extremely honest statement about such an absurd thing is disconcerting to anyone nearby who hears it.

"Anyway, I have to prepare the final touches for the ceremony. You look adorable all dressed in white. Tomorrow I will make a true woman of you, and I will love staining the sheets red with you." Typhon speaks, kissing the back of Nio’s hand politely with a bow, then promptly leaving.

"Ah... and Golem... I suggest you be careful what you do. I don’t want my wife’s dress getting dirty... or I’ll have to take measures..." The look from Typhon makes Vesta shrink back in a way that even an irritated Nio never managed to achieve. As Typhon’s footsteps recede, Vesta opts to move away out of love for her own life.

"S-Sorry, Nio, I have to go be with the others. I don’t want to keep the bride." Vesta quickly dodges this problem, preferring to observe the wedding from afar like everyone else, while Nio looks purely disappointed at having no one to annul this marriage.

...

...

...

’What the hell is this? W-What a terrifying threat! And 100,000 years? Is Nio that old?’ Nio gets confused by the story she hears. She continues listening to Vesta speak but is distracted by what she’s already heard.

She never defined an age. She only defined that Nio was already a dragon who had reached adulthood, but the exact number was never said, so she can’t complain about the "real" age she ends up having.

But what bothers her is the absurd threat, the very existence of a wedding party, and the fear that even Vesta noticed she had at that moment.

’Nio herself is afraid of Typhon...’ Nio feels her wings and tail curl inward a little as she thinks about this.

"Vesta, enough. I hate talking about that extremely fake, polite woman." With a sudden surge of anger she doesn’t understand, Nio gets up and walks out the door without explaining herself.