Arena Twenty-Five: Buried Grudges V

"Just six thousand?"

"Mhm."

"That's..."

"Extremely low, right?"

Anastasia smiled as she pulled her hair behind her ear.

"Anyhow, the other squads are participating, so I have been told to stay put for now."

"Hm..."

I nodded, still somewhat shocked. The number of Elliots we had were much smaller than I had thought to be before.

"So I have more time to spend with you."

Anastasia suddenly added slyly, blushing.

"A-ah, yes. That's true, isn't it?"

I smiled at her, my mind still confused.

"By the way, who are the other squads?"

I decided to steer the conversation back.

"There is the Medusa squad from the Empire, then the Crusader squad from the Theocracy, and finally the Eagle squad from Arzen."

"Is the Medusa squad strong?"

"Of course. They are our second strongest squad."

Anastasia seemed proud, but I couldn't help but worry. Phoenix was apparently the strongest squad, yet they had so many problems.

Anastasia's mental state, Phillip's oddly maniacal attitude, Felicia... Where even was she?

I decided to ask that directly.

"Where is Felicia, by the way?"

"Hm? Ah, she's in the imperial castle."

"What... ? Why is she there?"

"What do you mean by why? She is a princess. Of course she will be there."

Anastasia dropped another bomb nonchalantly.

"... What."

...

"Princess Felicia Von Emerald is entering."

The majestic doors opened wide, and an extremely well-dressed Felicia entered the hall.

Her long white gown wrapped around her lower body, her chestnut hair was decorated with gold and silver, and the white bodysuit wrapped around her upper body gave her a majestic yet practical look, highlighting her career as an Elliot. Her childish face was quite serious as her golden eyes gazed at the man sitting on the throne at the end of the hall.

She didn't spare a glance at the nobles on both sides of the path.

She soon reached the end of the path and kneeled.

"I have returned, Your Majesty."

"Welcome back, my daughter."

The current divine emperor, Christopher Von Emerald, nodded and acknowledged his returning daughter.

His long brown hair fell down his shoulder, and his sharp face was a sharp contrast to Felicia's childish face. His body was robust, indicating his strength as a man in his prime.

His eyes were golden, just like his daughter.

"I am back, mother."

Felicia then turned towards the woman standing beside her father, who smiled gently.

Felicia's mother, Ruby Von Emerald, looked quite happy to see her daughter. Felicia had taken her father's hair and eyes while she had taken her mother face. The empress then looked at her husband, her raven hair shaking ever so slightly.

"I have heard that the Phoenix squad has been told to step down from the next battle?"

The emperor asked as he gestured his daughter to stand up. It was an indication for her to be more casual.

"Yes, father. Due to the recent clash between Anastasia Valentina and Phillips Winchester, which led to them both being suspended, we were severely undermanned and had to step down."

"Hm... Are your friends alright?"

Christopher asked while frowning. He had already gotten the report, but he wanted to hear the news from Felicia nonetheless.

"Yes, due to the intervention of the technician Arnold Tilgen, none were injured."

Hearing the name Arnold Tilgen, the nobles started murmuring. They had heard how he had stopped Jeffery Valentina, and they had also heard how he defeated a high-ranking phantom, though that was with Anastasia's help.

"Intervention... You say? I would like to hear a detailed report in private later."

"As you wish, father."

With that, Christopher had evidently stated that it was a confidential matter. Understanding that, the nobles quieted down.

"You can go now. I am sure you are tired. Try to get some rest."

"Yes, father."

Felicia bowed and turned around to leave.

"You have a dinner arrangement with the Winchester family regarding your engagement, Felicia. Do not forget to attend. I am sure you will enjoy it."

"Yes, father."

Felicia didn't turn around, but the joy in her voice could be felt. She was looking forward to the dinner even without her father telling her to do so.

She was finally going to meet the man she loved, after all these years.

...

"A princess? What is a princess doing in a squad?"

I asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, because she has two older brothers who will become the emperor candidates, and her Regalia is a support-type, making her talent extremely rare."

"Support type?"

"Yes... Well, officially, there are no types among the Regalia. But we unofficially categorize them into battle types and support types. For example, Felicia's Regalia, Amaterasu, can jam enemy radars, making them blind. She can also boost her allies by giving them attack buffs using her skills. In exchange, she is vulnerable to attacks and needs a defender."

"And Arthur defends her, I assume?"

"Oh, you already know about Phillip's Regalia?"

Anastasia seemed surprised.

"Yes, Grey told me."

I waited for the counter staff who had come with our orders to leave before continuing.

"Mhm, Arthur protects Amaterasu while Helios fights. Anyhow, She still participates in dinners and tea parties on behalf of the princes. Her brothers are currently studying in Arzen. Once they come back, she'll commit fully to being an Elliot."

"Even so, a princess as an Elliot... Wouldn't it be a bad thing for the royal family if her mind gets destroyed?"

"Well, not really. As I said, she has siblings. She doesn't necessarily need to marry or give birth to children to preserve the royal lineage, not just yet. Though... She seems to be eager to do so."

"What do you mean?"

I asked, confused. Anastasia giggled and shook her head.

"It's a secret for now. Anyhow, her being a support-type also lessens the chances of her mind completely being destroyed. And besides, Elliots don't really fight until their minds get destroyed nowadays. Once the damage exceeds 60%, they are dispatched on other missions. Unless it's an extremely important battle, they don't join the arena. Of course, exceptions are there. Sometimes they suffer a blow that instantly destroys their minds."

"On that note, what's your damage percentage?"

I asked, curious. She had been fighting for five years before meeting me. She was part of the strongest squad, but that didn't exclude her mind from being damaged.

"Just 8%. Quite low, right?"

Anastasia asked, biting her sandwich gracefully. Only she could make such a casual act look so noble and beautiful...

Shaking my head, I discarded those thoughts and brought my mind back to the conversation.

"Yes, it's low... But it's still there."

"That's inevitable."

"I guess..."

I couldn't say anything but agree. I didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to agree that her mind being destroyed was a necessary sacrifice being made for humanity.

Anastasia, who didn't seem to notice my anguish, continued.

"By the way, apparently both Amaterasu and Helios are gods."

Anastasia said before taking another bite. Her words again froze me.

"Gods?"

I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Yes, supposedly both of them are deities related to the sun."

"And how do you know that?"

"The Regalia tell us that. We don't set the names, you know. We don't pick the Regalia, they pick us."

"So... Your sword, Helios, claimed to be a god of the sun?"

"Yeah, it's in my title too."

"Your title? I thought it was 'Rusted Blade'?"

"That is my nickname, not title. My title is [Wielder Of The Sun God]."

"That's quite a heavy title."

"True."

Anastasia laughed and took a sip from her drink which came with the order.

I also dug in my food. For a few moments, we ate in silence. Then a question popped inside my mind.

"What does Arthur mean, then?"

"Arthur is apparently the [Wretched King Of Knights]... At least that's what Phillip's title says."

"Oh..."

The name didn't bring any good memories to me.

"And Noir's Regalia is called Yurei, don't know his title though."

"Wait... Who is Noir?"

I asked, surprised. Anastasia looked at me like I was joking, then introduced him to me.

"Noir is the fourth member of our squad? Ah, you haven't met him yet, have you? He is on a recon mission under the orders of the emperor. You'll be able to meet him once he comes back though."

"Oh... I see..."

Well, it was kind of my own fault for not realizing it before. Each squad had five members, so including myself, I knew four. There was bound to be another member.

But then...

"Wait... Who was the fifth member before me?"

Hearing my question, Anastasia became stiff. Then looking down, she muttered.

"It was Ray... But... She is dead."