[OP: ]
"It is nice to meet you again too, lady Ivy. I believe you have been well?" Eon rarely ever had an annoyed expression but right now, he was annoyed at her smile, and Rein was squeezing his hand so tightly that he knew it was going to get crushed soon.
He might be annoyed at the presence of this person but, it was only because of the happenings of the past few days and how she practically invaded most of their private moments and asked for his weed-, that fertilizer.
She was a Druid, a creature that can travel through all the plants present within their territory.????????????????????????????????.????????????
The two couldn't have any comfortable lone time with her interference and she just feigned ignorance when she appeared out of nowhere just when they were getting cozy.
'And thankfully she didn't approach us when we were inside the academy, or else I would really have had to take serious actions.' Eon was at least relieved thanks to this.
She didn't leave them even when they were in their own dorm house, so she was obviously being a little too much.
And the queen knew of this fact already, so this was the first matter they had to resolve right now.
[ "Ivy. Why are you so interested in that substance that you would even hinder them when they are going to sleep?
I know you too well to wrap my head around this indecent behavior of yours." ]
They were in the nest of the blue bees, the somewhat mascots of the grand academy of Hope, and, this place was no less than a castle of its own.
Though not as grand as the academy castle, this place was as big as some large estates or smaller castles, which definitely was a grand size for a honeybee nest.
But it was a much more amazing place from the inside and the grand chamber of the queen they were in was also a phenomenal place.
And they were before the queen, the ruler of the garden of this academy, a creature with so great powers that even Eon couldn't see her screen without her knowing.
She was a unique creature and even a Druid like this lady was nothing more than a child before her.
[ "Pardon me for my poor use of language, my queen, but the reason for my unsightly behavior is only the freakin amazing smell of that substance and the fucked up effects it had on one of my attendants.
She practically became an entirely new person one day, and though the creatures that usually accompanies her said there were no great incidents aside from these two giving her a strange-looking drug that she took with her won will, a desperately mesmerized will, which must have caused her to be like that.
However, the changes were too drastic, and though not in any negative way, they did affect her whole persona so any Druid like myself would be curious about such a potent yet natural substance that could cause such drastic yet mostly plosive changes.
I have a trivial request for them, my queen. A trivial request. I just want a little of that substance and I-" ]
"I can't do it."
Eon cut her off mid-sentence and looked directly at her in the eye.
"I know you are curious, but I cannot give you my fertilizer."
She was surprised how he just outright denied her even before she had finished her statement.
And even the queen was a little surprised but at his reaction, and the look in his eyes, a smile was painted on her face.
[ "But, I'm just asking for a little bit of it. Not much, even less than the amount you gave to my little attendant." ]
She was a Druid and in her entire life, she had never begged for something like this. And it was also the first time in her life that she was so sternly denied like this.
Usually, it should have made her angry too, but she wasn't angry.
In fact, for some reason, she couldn't be angry before him even if she wanted to.
He had something special about him, something more special than his partner, but however hard she tried, she couldn't pinpoint what that strange thing was.
"I can't, lady Ivy, please try to understand.
It is not something that should be shared with anyone, and I know you will know the components of that mixture just with a little fraction of it.
It was a mistake from my side that I gave your attendant that thing but in that moment, there was a member of my house being practically assaulted by her and the creatures with her.
My house member made a mistake, I acknowledge that, and he was punished so I never asked for compensation from you but, at that moment, to save him, I had no choice but to do something.
I didn't know the effects of my fertilizer on the plant-based creatures then, but I know now.
I did some tests and reached the conclusion that that thing is definitely not safe for plant-based creatures and it can be more of a poison than a simple hallucinogen.
It was fortunate that I only gave your attendant a very small dose of it and she still went through the initial phase of that drug's effects.
If she had taken even a few milligrams more, then not only would she have died, but she would practically have turned into a dangerous carnivore, had gone berserk, and could have been a threat to not just us and the garden but also the students and the academy.
I'm not ready to take such risks again, and besides, my partner has a very strong oppressive reaction to that substance so I can not give it to you or any other soul even if I wanted to."
His voice was strong and stern. And he meant those words with his whole heart.
Even if he put everything aside, if his won fertilizer fell into the wrong hands, it could be used against her. And even though he had done his best to help her build tolerance against it and anything similar to it, he couldn't take any risks.
His behavior right now was surprising to them both, but to Rein, this was pretty familiar.
If anything, they were before the queen so he was behaving well, and if this was some other place, she knew stuff would have happened and this matter that could be solved with peaceful means would have been stained with bitterness.
[ "The boy has a solid reason and will to back up his decision, little Ivy. So, I won't be forcing him. If anything, I think you should be punished for letting your subordinate hurt a student of this academy.
Have you apologized to him yet?" ]
The queen had a human like face but big eyes like the bees, and it was still pretty easy to tell she was upset right now.
The way she looked at the Druid was definitely not just some simple gaze. She was looking at her with her authority concentrated on her, and she defiantly was striking, so, it was easy to tell just how great pressure she must be feeling from her.I think you should take a look at
But, the Druid maintained her form and expression and simply bowed to her.
[ "It is my inability that I failed to properly teach a subordinate, my queen. I have made a mistake and I apologize to both of our guests for my actions.
I knew the incident that happened back then but not the fact that she had hurt a student.
I ask you to please forgive me. I will come to that boy when he is in the right environment and apologize too.
And please also pardon me for hampering you.
I won't be asking for the fertilizer anymore, so please overlook mine and my subordinate's insolence." ]
She was saying that with a normal voice but both of them could feel that even someone like her wasn't strong enough to stand against the queen properly.
"As long as you know your mistakes…"
Eon didn't actually have a grudge against her or anything like that. She had just annoyed him too much to earn those previous reactions from him.
A grudge from Eon and Rein would be the last thing anyone in the world would want to have, but there is still a while before someone who can actually earn their grudge appears.
[ "They forgive you but the matter that you, someone that oversees one of the larger parts with most of our flowers made a mistake like this doesn't sit well with me.
Your subordinate's mistake is your mistake. And you have to take the punishment." ]
The queen was strict with all four of her overseers and they knew this fact quite well.
A mistake is punished, and the intensity of any punishment depends on the seriousness of the mistake.
And her mistake, her attendant's mistake, was obviously no small thing even if she had a very solid reason to impulsively act like that.
[ "I will gladly accept the punishment." ]
Her voice sounded better than before so it was possible that the pressure that was so concentrated even the two of them couldn't exactly feel it must have lifted from her.
Eon and Rein didn't mind her punishment in the slightest. Rein even wanted her to be punished. As severely as possible at that.
She was totally angry at how she even popped up in their bathrooms twice and how she tried using her to persuade Eon.
She liked her before but not so much anymore.
So, this punishment was definitely what she deserved.
[ "Alright then. Your supply of nectar, ashes, and carcasses will be halved for a month. Maintain the quality of the garden and greenhouse however you can." ]
[ "…?! My queen-" ]
[ "It is a punishment. And I have said it already." ]
The punishment was too severe. Not having the materials she had just spoken of meant not having enough nutrients to maintain many of the unique plants.
She would have to use her power constantly if she were to maintain them and keep them safe for an entire month without those necessary supplies.
It would use up a great amount of her energy and she would weaken a lot after this punishment.
But… she had no say in this. Even if her life is in danger, this was a punishment and she will have to see it through.
[ "Yes… my queen." ]
The queen was strict. She was looking at her with a disappointed gaze. But there was a smile on her face as she thought about everything that was hoping on right now.
[ "You are dismissed then." ]
She waved one of her hands and the druid, after looking at her with a little bit of hesitation and looking at the two of them with a little bit of reluctance, bowed to her queen and vanished in a nearby flowerpot just like she had come here.
Their first matter had ended and how the queen was even more interested in these two people.
[ "Alright then. Let's move on to the next topic." ]
"Yes, your majesty."
She was smiling at them, particularly at him.
Their first matter had ended and now, it was time for the main thing he was here.
And she had a little idea what it might be, but she was still looking forward to how he persuaded her to give up on it.
"I have a trivial request, your majesty."
However, even though her guess was right and his end goal was actually 'that', who started negotiations for something they didn't need for the next three years even while knowing it would bear no fruits?
Instead…
"Just a trivial request."
He was ready to spend those three years getting so close to her that she would happily hand over her most prized possession even without him asking for it specifically.
That was how he was gonna play against someone that had lived as long as their headmaster. And he was confident and what he had planned…
[[ "Bastard." ]]
