Chrys also felt a conviction when she heard Sol Noctis speak.

If the dream she had were truly a nonsensical and random dream, his reaction wouldn’t make any sense. Just as she hadn’t revealed everything about her dream, it seemed that they, too, were hiding something.

Time holds a myriad of possibilities.

Just before this conversation took place, she assumed the Twilight time to be the ‘time that would never happen,’ but now, seeing Sol Noctis’s attitude, even that assumption seemed to be wrong.

‘What kind of possibility could that be…?’

Assuming Axen Arc, who was already a disliked figure among the devilkins and had plenty of grudges, death was plausible. Sol Noctis’s recent attitude made him seem like someone who might raise objections against the Parent Tree if something happens to his siblings, for sure.

But Naskan…

‘Dawn will imprison me…?’

As Naskan mentioned, he was always flustered whenever he saw Chrys, so it was an unimaginable situation.

If only that were the only thing he had to worry about, it would have been better.

It could be accepted as a declaration of war by the Parent Tree on the entire divine realm. This was because the Parent Tree had a clear opinion about the ‘cause of the rift.’ It was the calamity of the world that everyone was trying to resolve and the reason for the establishment of Sedition by the three powers.

And this was also the cause of the truce.

“This fairy keeps saying ‘let’s see, let’s see,’ and keeps making funny remarks.”

Seeing Naskan getting angry like that, it seemed like he also understood its importance. No matter what Naskan said, it felt like a bomb about to explode. Chrys tensed up.

“Why do you think you’re suitable to be the father?”

“…Heh?”

Suddenly, the topic went off course, and amidst Chrys’s confusion, another spark flew between their gazes.

“It would have been nice if you had participated in the selection; constantly calling yourself a father is an excessive assumption.”

“No, wait… guys.”

“Of course, I am suitable. Chryselua liked that I raised my siblings well.”

“Chrys didn’t even know your siblings existed until she came here!”

“So, now I’ve scored more points, haven’t I?”

“You crazy fairy! Having children is not a score, it’s a family!”

“Chrys likes pure ones.”

“Hey!”

She yelled as she couldn’t bear to listen to it anymore.

“Can you please stop that damn pregnancy talk? You’ve been going off-topic since earlier!”

All three men flinched and shrugged their shoulders.

“What’s more important, the possibility of war happening or my pregnancy?”

“Obviously, you are important!”

“Aren’t you too indifferent about the pregnancy from the start?”

Axen Arc squinted one eye without responding.

‘Ah, d*mn it…’

In the midst of the Great Rift and all, this situation felt like a disaster.

“I understand what Chrys is saying. We need to decide our position here.”

“Yes… that’s right.”

Surprisingly, Axen Arc had been making sensible remarks since earlier, and she nodded as her tension eased.

“To say that Twilight is a disaster, I can only feel that it’s nothing more than a plausible justification. Honestly, who would take it seriously? I can only express that the divine tree is senile.”

In reality, the assumption that war might break out was not particularly unusual among fairies, dragons, and devilkins. It became even more prevalent after the alliance of the Spirit Realm and the Divine Realm successfully expelled the devilkins.

Since the union of the three powers was broken, it was expected that the alliance of the two powers would also break eventually. Even if the spark of that division had just ignited, it wouldn’t have been surprising.

What mattered was, as Sol Noctis had mentioned, what justification would be put forth before the war.

After the visit of the Twilight Dragon Chryselua, a rift appeared in the Spirit Realm.

The cause of the rift was the Twilight Dragon Chryselua. If the Parent Tree claims so, the blindly obedient fairies would follow, and the dragons of the Divine Realm who love the twilight would not just overlook it.

“Anyway, there’s no need to ask. Whatever the tree says, I’m on your side.”

“He’s making unreasonable claims, and as long as I’m sane, there’s no reason to follow him.”

The Divine Realm’s Naskan stated the obvious, and Sol Noctis seemed indifferent, as long as he and his siblings were safe, regardless of the Parent Tree or anything else.

Actually, in this group, the opinion that mattered most was Axen Arc’s.

“I think there’s something much more important than that.”

As he had been speaking seriously from earlier, Chrys became tense.

“What is it?”

“I would appreciate it if the selection criteria were made clear.”

She was momentarily stunned, unable to utter a word.

“…No, is that important right now?”

“Since we’re all in the same boat and there’s nothing we can do, it seems best for us to handle it among ourselves.”

“That’s right, Chrys.”

“Hmm… hmm…”

The guys who seemed ready to tear each other apart were surprisingly in sync with each other when it came to this matter.

Chrys felt a restraining sensation but couldn’t withdraw any further. What happened to these guys? Instead of being concerned about war or rifts, they seemed to have a profound interest only in the matter of pregnancy.

“No, is selection that big of a deal? Just find someone around with decent qualifications.”

“What makes ‘decent qualifications’?”

“Well, um… A good husband material. A good father. Something like that, the usual stuff.”

“Are you serious?”

“Uh, well…”

Although Chryselua muttered those words in a somewhat embarrassed manner, it ignited a desire to win.

❖

— Twilight is guarded by Dawn.

It was a saying Chryselua heard from an early age.

From her first memory. Always the Dawn Dragon and the Lord of the Divine Realm, Kiscrios, were there to protect her.

Kiscrios took Chryselua around every corner of the Divine Realm because she was unable to be active due to her frequent illnesses. Soaring high in the sky, Kiscrios showed her the sky and always made her look down from high places.

However, whenever the sky turned pale, Chryselua was always melancholic.

The Lord said to her,

— You are the most beautiful light. The most beautiful light we need to cherish.”

Why was this seemingly useless twilight considered the most beautiful light? Was it just something a mother would say?

During such ponderings, the Lord brought a small Fawn from somewhere.

Even though it was the first time she had seen a dragon of her own age, Chryselua didn’t feel particularly happy.

Golden eyes that looked at her with curiosity, exploring as if filled with interest. Since the first time she saw Naskandeolux, she had felt an indescribable discomfort. It was as if the melancholy she had felt so far had materialized into a tangible sensation.

If the Lord were to disappear in the future, this little dawn would protect Chryselua.

❖

“Twilight is guarded by Dawn.”

Chrys suddenly snapped out of his old thoughts. Why did an old memory come to mind all of a sudden? It was because Naskandeolux mentioned that phrase.

“So it has been predetermined since ancient times. The best guardians with the optimal conditions.”

“Hmph. That’s ancient history. Rumor has it that there’s no successor to the Divine Realm’s Dawn now.”

“Anyway, it’s about proving your abilities from now on. Chrys also said that’s important.”

“Being a father with parenting experience is more suitable than someone like you.”

“…Hey guys, do we really have to do this now?”

No one responded to her unheard words. They just stared at each other as if competing.

Chrys gave up on getting an answer and focused on the situation that had occurred. To explain the current situation was simple.

__