Is this one premeditated?

After passing through the barrier, we were carried into a building that looked just like the main hall of a shrine.

"We should be safe here… right?"

"Maybe. But knowing Tenshiki, he's bound to be persistent."

Youki and the attendant chatted as they laid us down on futons atop the tatami mats.

… Should I get up now?

I peeked open one eye… and locked eyes with the maid.

"… Um, you're awake, aren't you?"

"Hm? You noticed?"

"Well, yes… you were rather easy to carry, so…"

Apparently, someone who's truly knocked out is much harder to carry… Well, if I'm busted, I'm busted. I sat up.

"It looked like everyone had been drugged, so I figured I'd be better off playing along."

"I apologize, this was a failure on our part… Youki-sama, I think you should explain the situation."

"U-um, y-yes…"

Youki-chan lowered herself into a formal seiza position on the tatami.

"The truth is, there's a faction that argues 'sacrificing villagers is outrageous; we should just kidnap outsiders instead'… and the leader of that faction is my uncle."

"… And you let someone like that handle breakfast? Are you out of your mind?"

"Ah, so you heard that part too. Well, he was being so blatantly obvious that I figured he'd definitely try something… That way, even if he's my uncle, Father would have no choice but to punish him without mercy, right? If all it costs me is a bit of a scolding to flush out the rot in the village, I'll take that deal."

Oi, did she do this on purpose?

"So basically, your uncle slipped sleeping drugs into the food to offer our princess as a sacrifice to the dragon?"

"… That's correct."

"OK, understood. Totally unforgivable. Maybe I'll feed him to the dragon instead."

That uncle just made my enemy list.

"Still, I didn't expect the sleeping drug to work on Dragon-sama as well."

"Well, he had his body shrunk down, so maybe that's why."

"… Nah, I was faking it too, y'know?… I did yawn a little though… Getting my scales plucked surprised me. But well, that's par for the course at this point."

Oh, is that so? Arthur, still pretending to sleep, mumbled all that like sleep talk. Since it was in Draconic, only I could understand his "sleep talk."

Not bad, Arthur. You had me completely fooled. Could've told me, though.

"Anyway, is this place safe?"

"There's a barrier here that keeps men out. Originally, only pure maidens and the women who attend them are allowed inside."

"Sure, sure. And is this place actually safe?"

"… My uncle's faction includes women too, so I can't say it's completely safe."

Yeah, that figures.

"Well, we'll protect our princess either way. Setting that aside, I want to talk to the dragon as soon as possible. Where is it?"

"… Um, it's on the mountain beyond here. That direction."

Youki-chan pointed toward a forest and mountains beyond. This was already a hidden village deep in the mountains to begin with, but… I see, I see. Over that way, huh.

"Got it, got it. Then, mind if I go do a little scouting? I'll be right back."

"Eh? Oh, yes…"

I'll get this done before Dea-kun wakes up. That way, I can take my sweet time dealing with that uncle!

I'll make him regret ever messing with Dea-kun!!