- Medovine: Lord? Did you say lord?
- Lu: Yes.
- Medovine: Then, you are the Steel Queen...?
- Medovine: Aha... I see! Oh my, Lord of Steel, how did you end up this way?
- Lu: I would rather not disclose how, at this moment.
- Medovine: Of course. I shall not probe any further. But my, what coincidence...
- Medovine: But why wouldn't you reveal your identity from the start? If I had known you're accompanied by Lord of Steel, I would not have bothered with the trifling assignment. Were you trying to make me out to be a fool?
- Lu: My apologies, we did not intend to deceive. There are things we wish to gain as well, so let's consider your request a part of a trade.
- Medovine: A trade? Ha, ha... Oh...
- Medovine: At long last, for an opportunity like this to come knock at my door... I suppose the gods did not completely forsaken me.
- Medovine: I have changed my mind. I will tell you everything I know.
- Ciel: (It seems the conversation will go on longer than expected, and yet still, there's no tea. There's even a teapot on the table.)
- Ciel: (It's probably because she has no servants that she cannot serve tea. Then maybe I should do something.)
- (CLANK CLANK)
- Noah: (What are you doing?)
- Ciel: (Ah, I was going to brew some tea. We're in the presence of three queens. It will be a shame if there's no tea.)
- Ciel: Ugh!?
- Lu: ... Are you sure that the Contamination has spread to the Red Demon Territory?
- Chung: Wait, what contamination are you talking about? We've never heard about anything like that.
- Ciel: ... They're probably talking about this.
- (DRIP... DRIP, DRIP.)
- Noah: Ugh... What is that?
- Medovine: It's waste filtered from the water.
- Chung: Why would you filter something like this? I mean what kind of water did you filter? The water flowing over there looks clean.
- Medovine: It's filtered from that exact water. Contamination exists in every corner...
- Medovine: If you want to know about the Contamination, I'll show you. Let me present to you my disfigured form...
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- Ciel: Are you... really a Dream Demon?
- Medovine: Yes. I understand you'd be startled as I do not look like what you know.
- Medovine: But this is the result of my efforts for eternal life. I understand it's shocking, but please, listen to my story.
- Medovine: ... A Dream Demon does not live forever.
- Medovine: In order to maintain my kingdom, I used Heart Cores to slowly transform myself. Like attaching a branch to a dying tree, slowly, step by step...
- Ara: You mean... like Ran...?
- Medovine: Do not compare me with that fool. I only wished to protect what I have claimed.
- Medovine: After transforming into a plant, I have put down my roots and bound myself to this land. My kingdom was eternal. But now...
- Medovine: Ah... Behold. My rotting flesh. My roots are damaged, my branches shriveled, and my leaves fallen.
- Medovine: Quenching my thirst with contaminated water, and covering my body with rotting soil... My ninth life is more wretched and is fading away faster than ever before.
- Noah: Ninth life... Ah...! I see!
- Noah: The nine Hearts of Gold was standing for nine lives...!
- Eve: So that's why you wished to commission a request instead of handling it on your own.
- Eve: You needed someone to do the work, since you are rooted to this land.
- Medovine: Yes. I am confident that I have done everything I could...
- Medovine: I tried to purify the land, and even tried to send gladiators to the Land of Steel.
- Medovine: I had great expectations for the fighters of Torta, but it must have been too much even for those rabid ruffians.
- Medovine: On top of that, the tranquil Abyss suddenly expanded. When everything turned for the worse, that's when you appeared.
- (... ... ... ....)
- Ain: We heard a ruckus and came back. Is everyone alright?
- Elesis: What's going on? We found something strange, is it because of this?
- Medovine: Huhu, Lord of Steel. It seems your allies are very capable...
- Medovine: Here child, give the apple to me.
- Laby: Huh? Ok, here!
- Medovine: Where did you find it?
- Laby: Laby followed the smell of an old tree. Laby knows how an old tree smells like from living in the Black Forest!
- Rena: Then, we followed where the energy was concentrated.
- Medovine: That's impressive. Now, witness this.
- (... ... )
- Medovine: This fruit... There's warmth. It's throbbing...
- Medovine: It's my body that's soon to be born to replace me.
- Ara: But it's mottled, like a diseased fruit.
- Ara: Is this the tenth...?
- Medovine: Yes. But there's no telling if this can actually grow up to adulthood.
- Medovine: Even if it does reach adulthood, with the Contamination, I must live with a sickly body.
- Medovine: And with that sickly body, I will bear fruit to a sickly fruit... and slowly wither away until I disappear.
- Medovine: It's strange... I am slowly dying surrounded by gold.
- Medovine: The air that I breathe, the water that I drink, everything that I take in is slowly suffocating me!
- Medovine: While some might envy the mountains of gold I possess, how can I be satisfied when all the gold in my palace cannot solve the one problem I have!
- Medovine: Lord of Steel! As the master of the Palace of Gold, and a victim of the Contamination, I, Medovine, ask you and your allies to find the cause of the Contamination and resolve it promptly.
- Medovine: I merely request what I believe I'm entitled to. If you must cling to the title of Steel Queen, if you must reclaim your lost throne and wear the crown once more,
- Medovine: Surely, you will take responsibility for the sins of your domain!
- Ciel: Why are you talking like it's Lu's fault? She doesn't have anything to do with it! That's...
- Lu: I accept.
- Ciel: Lu!
- Lu: But how can I trust your word? I need proof that the Contamination has spread all the way to the Red Demon Territory.
- Lu: I accept because your demand is reasonable assuming that what you say is the truth. Oh, and one more thing.
- Lu: If something happened in my land, that is something I must resolve as the lord of the land regardless of your request.
- Medovine: ... Head to Torta.
- Medovine: It seems they are still seeking for a way to get into the Land of Steel despite failing the mission.
- Lu: I see. Thank you for your assistance.
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