87. Dragon Orchid

Phew... Back, at last.

Welcome back. I'm pleased to see nobody was hurt.

Thanks. And here are the spoils of war.

Here, you can give it to me. I'll get the Watchtower research team to look into it.

I can help! I'm super interested in what that book contains!

Hm...

Is everything okay? You look very thoughtful. You want to talk about it?

I've been thinking... What if... just say... the Dragon Orchid is a weapon that can make Echo Crystals disappear...

Then maybe we could use it to save Rayna? I can't stop thinking about it...

Oh, I see... Well, we don't know for sure if the disappearance of Echo Crystal particles is linked to the Dragon Orchid... but it's a possibility.

Right?

Well... I don't think it will be as easy as you think.

Why do you say that?

Lieutenant already said, the only thing that can save your sister is the Relic which is capable of material decomposition.

If the Dragon Orchid and Relic are somehow linked, then I guess it's possible...

However we didn't find anything definitive confirming a connection between the two in the book you brought back from the Archive.

I think it's probably best if you don't get your hopes up at this stage...

I agree. Right now, we don't even know what the Dragon Orchid can do, so using it on Rayna in the hope it will work is probably not the best idea.

And supposing the Dragon Orchid really is the Relic, I wouldn't advise it.

If the Dragon Orchid is capable of making things ''disappear'', perhaps it wouldn't just be the Echo Crystals that disappear, if you know what I mean... Who's to say, it won't make Rayna disappear as well.

Rayna... DISAPPEAR?!!

We can't rule out that possibility. After all, our understanding of ancient technologies is very limited.

Precisely. That's why I am urging caution. Can you see where we're coming from?

... Mm.

Don't overthink it. Why don't you go and spar with Taisei, to take your mind off it?

No, never mind...

Do you have a moment?

Chiraha? What is it?

The materials you retrieved from the Archive have been analyzed... I want to discuss where we go from here.

Come in, come in everyone... please take a seat Snezhana! Allow me to get everyone some tea.

Uh, thank you...Xen.

Okay, before we get down to business, there is someone I want to introduce you to.

This is Koyama Dosen. She travels a lot, raising funds for the Watchtower and gathering intelligence. She only just got back to Eastrise a few days ago.

Hello everyone! My name is Koyama Dosen. I am a merchant by trade.

I'm very pleased to meet all of you. If you want to buy something, just let me know and I will do my best to find what you want!

Merchant...? In that getup?

She looks more like an Onmyoji yinyang master than a merchant...

Ah... well... there's a very good reason for it...! Anyway, I look forward to doing business with you.

Dosen, why don't you tell us what you learned on your most recent expedition.

Yes, ma'am! Well, firstly... I discovered something about the activities of Rasparta!

(...! Did she just say Rasparta?!)

...to sum up, since assisting Yulia with her rebellion against Bifrost Industries, Rasparta has been lying low. On the surface nothing is happening.

But this lull in their activities indicates they are secretly rebuilding their strength, getting ready for the next big operation.

Wait, wait a second. Why are you even interested in what Rasparta is doing?

The events in Eastrise don't have anything to do with Rasparta, do they?

They certainly do. Raeon is a major client of Rasparta.

What? Are you saying Eastrise is just like Nebu? Rasparta has infiltrated their entire government...?

Things are not as bad as all that. The kid and Rasparta are nothing more than trading partners.

When Raeon inherited her mother's power, she was still very young and beset on all sides by enemies.

Not just other nations that sought to exploit from the rise of the Joint Council, but also enemies within Eastrise, such as the powerful Suzaku clan.

But the greatest threat was the power brokers in the Su clan, who had controlled Eastrise since before the Calamity.

To counter these forces and consolidate her own power, Raeon looked to a third party, Rasparta.

Thereafter, Rasparta provided Raeon with technology and intelligence in return for financial assistance and freedom of movement inside Eastrise.

She sold out her own country to protect her own position! Outrageous...

I know, right?... but both Chiraha and I agree there is more to this than meets the eye. Raeon could have other motives.

Other motives... meaning?

...the Ancient One. What I'm saying is, perhaps Raeon allied herself with Rasparta, to find a way to destroy the Ancient One.

WHAT?!! Are you for real?

Well, that's my fear. If the Ancient One does return, bringing destruction to the world, Raeon's ambition of establishing a great dynasty will never be realized.

From her point of view, the Calamity and the Ancient One are matters that must be addressed.

... If Raeon is determined to destroy the Ancient One... doesn't that mean she and Teslovik want the same thing?

So you want to betray us and join forces with Raeon? Well alright, that's one possible option.

Take along your sister, the Vessel, and tell Raeon ''Let's go and defeat the Ancient One!'' Knowing her, she'll take your sister and the Ancient One without a second thought.

Ah, foreign affairs are so complicated! It gives me a headache.

This just shows how masterful Rasparta is at infiltrating other nations.

Hm... Somebody needs to take them out. It would make life a lot simpler.

Jumping the gun a bit, aren't you...? Why is that your solution for everything?

Okay... Now let's get to the point of this meeting.

Our most pressing problem is, what are we going to do about the Dragon Orchid?

You said the materials from the Archive have been analyzed. Did you learn anything?

Yes. According to our scholars, the text is a compilation of Dragon Orchid legends made by a Church of Augustus missionary during the Middle Ages.

The key section, regarding the black dragon disc, was written during a visit to Old Eastrise. Comparing it to other sources, we are confident that the account is authentic.

Especially the parts about bathing in the light of the object, and giving the Emperor superhuman powers.

... that part sounded so fake to me.

Can I say something?! Can I say something?! I looked into the text as well...

The really interesting thing is, the ''superhuman powers'' they mention are exactly the same as Case powers!

But Cases came into being AFTER the Calamity. Don't you think that's really WEIRD?

Let's not worry about that for now. What we do know is the black dragon disc was a weapon used by the Emperor. That goes without saying.

The next thing we need to consider is whether or not the black disc described is, in fact, the Dragon Orchid...

I'll cut to the chase. In my opinion, the answer is ''Definitely''.

In terms of its exterior features and the fact it was a symbol of the Emperor's authority, they have got to be one and the same object.

Uh... in that case, can we just refer to it as the Dragon Orchid? Although I admit it doesn't sound quite so grand.

According to the text, the black dragon disc gives the Emperor special powers, right?

But doesn't the power we think the Dragon Orchid possesses involve the disappearance of Echo Crystal particles...? Which are two completely different things...

You make a good point... Then again... What are the chances of two such similar objects both with a connection to the Emperor appearing in the East around the same time?

I think the most likely explanation is that the black dragon disc, or Dragon Orchid, possesses hidden abilities we are yet to fully understand.

Indeed... and in that case, we ought to assume the two items are in fact the same thing and a powerful weapon to boot.

The next problem we need to think about is, what does Raeon plan to do with the Dragon Orchid...?