An Approaching Summoning

The Forest, a few hours later.

"… So yeah, that's what happened." (Alicia)

"I see…" (Ignis)

Currently the four girls, Alicia, Ignis, Vera and Osha, were sat around a small campfire that they had made. Ignis and Vera were both sat opposite facing Alicia and her new friend.

Alicia had just finished telling her two Knights that about what happened after the fight and how she came to meet Osha. She then told them Osha's story, with her permission, and how Alicia ended up being tackled by the naked Osha.

Since then, Ignis and Vera had got out a blanket for Osha to wrap around herself until they managed to get some clothes for her. While Alicia was telling Osha's story, Osha spent the entire time clinging to Alicia's arm and seeming to hide slightly behind her.

"… What a sad tale…" Ignis began to say, but she was quickly interrupted by Osha…

"It's okay! I am not going to be sad anymore! I am going to make my parents proud and not worry them!" Osha shouted quickly, displaying the most energy Ignis and Vera had seen since she had joined them around the fire.

Ignis was briefly shocked, but then smiled, got up and walked over to where Osha and Alicia were sitting.

"Hehe… indeed you are a brave girl." Ignis ruffled her head which surprises Osha, but it felt nice so she closed her eyes and let it happen.

Alicia smiled at this development, but then looks over at Vera who seems to be just sat there staring at Osha. She looked rather empathetic at first, but after Osha looked like she cheered up, she started to just stare at the Alicia and Osha's linked arms.

"Vera?" Alicia says, which gets Vera's attention…

"Hah! Yes, my Lady?" She was caught off guard my Alicia's voice and returns to her usual overly polite tone and prince like aura.

"What's wrong? You were just staring at me and Osha?" Alicia asked with a confused head tilt, which Vera thought was very cute.

"Haaah so adorable��� Ahem, I mean it's nothing at all Lady Alicia." Vera says in a nervous voice.

"WOOOOOW! She really calls you *My Lady* big sis! So you really are a queen!" Osha shouts in a surprised tone like she really did not believe Alicia when she told Osha she is a Queen.

"Hmmmm… I suppose that's fine. And you! Of course I am a Queen! I would never lie!" Alicia turns her attention from Vera back to Osha.

Ignis moves back next to Vera and whispers in her ear…

"You really need to learn to control yourself…" Showing a tired expression.

"Wh-What are you talking about Ignis?" Vera replies shakily, knowing that she has probably been found out.

"Haaaah, just because Alicia has a new friend does not mean you have to get super protective of her every time." Ignis says with a sigh.

"… I can't help it, it's in my nature." Vera says with her head cast downwards.

"I know, but you don't want a repeat of the time with the maids, do you?" (Ignis)

The maid's incident started when Alicia first got her personal maids assigned to her. Vera got very protective of Alicia, always glaring at the three when they got close. Eventually though, Alicia realised what was happening and gave Vera a telling off which then led to her making Vera spend a day getting to know the three maids. Luckily, Alicia's tactic worked and the four became friends, though the thought of letting Alicia down still haunts her to this day… even though it was not a very stern telling off.

"Ngh… yeah you are right…" From that moment on, Vera told herself she has to make an effort to get to know Osha in order to not feel like she has to protect Alicia from her.

"Oh hey! Where is that Lizardman that we saved from those humans?" Alicia asked while looking round to make sure she hasn't just missed him and been ignoring him, that would be a bad start to a negotiation.

"We carried him up here to our campsite, then not long after some lizardmen came charging out of the bushes at us. They thought we had captured him for food. Tch, the idiots they called us *evil beings* as they attacked us." Ignis' lips twitched with anger as she remembered what happened the day before. Seeing that, Vera then took over telling the story…

"Anyway, around 8 warriors tried to attack us to try and get their chief back. Kaal, that is their chiefs name by the way and the one you saved, was unconscious so couldn't help us convince them. Thankfully, we are a lot stronger than their warriors and we beat them back quite easily, maybe the training with Lady Alicia and Lady Petra has helped us stronger than I originally thought."

"Hehe, is that soooo… Then maybe we can all spar together even more when we get back home." Alicia says with a wide evil looking grin on her face.

"…" Vera realises that she has just stoked the flames of battle that are constantly slightly burning. She looks over to Ignis who is making an angry face at Vera for starting Alicia off.

"… Once we had defeated the lizardmen, we finally managed to calm them down and explain what happened. Not long after, Kaal woke up and we discussed what we were trying to do but that Lady Alicia was not here yet, so negotiations would have to start when you arrived." Vera tried to blow past the fact that she and Ignis would be in for even more tortuous sparring once they got back, and just finished her report of what happened.

"So yeah, that's what happened. Right now, Kaal and his people are staying next to the stream that runs down from the mountain range. We can head there now if you want?" Ignis finished the last of the important info they had and asked her Queen if she wanted to start negotiating immediately.

"Naahh, we'll go tomorrow. No point in rushing it and trying to negotiate when we are tired." Alicia says while stretching her arms up.

She then gets up and goes to find somewhere to lay down. Once she finds a place, she lays on her back…

"Okay guys, can one of you take the first watch cause I am absolutely beat-urghh!" (Alicia)

"Hehe! I want to sleep with big sis Alicia!" (Osha)

Osha had come bouncing over as soon as Alicia had laid down and landed butt first on Alicia's stomach, knocking all the air out of her.

Osha then began to cuddle into her as she had done before when they were in the cave. This time Alicia kept her spirit armour on, to avoid a situation like what happened in that very cave.

Alicia was completely stuck as Osha gets comfy on top of her, and quickly begins to nod off. Then something happened she did not expect…

"Huh? Vera?" (Alicia)

Vera had come up to them both and stared down at them with a slight blush, she then lays on the ground right next to her and taking Alicia's arm to cuddle it. Alicia could feel Vera's rather big breast as her arm was cuddled between them, which made Alicia blush herself. Though she soon knew why Vera was acting like this…

"Ju-Just for tonight… I was worried about you my Lady, so please…" Alicia looks at Vera's pleading face, and completely caves to her. Her beautiful face with a slight red blush covering the cheeks and her gorgeous green eyes seemed incredibly eye catching tonight.

"S-Sure, no problem." Alicia says, stuttering her response.

Alicia had become a lot better at talking to women since coming to this world and becoming one. The only girl she really talked to in her old world was Maya. But she was not used to girls asking her stuff like this, so her heart was beating like crazy.

"You two… having a moment like this in front of me while having another girl on top of you Alicia… Hmph I refuse to be left out." Ignis says, with her own face sporting a bit of crimson on the cheeks, as she lays down at the only side of Alicia that was left empty. Again, Alicia's arm was taken and cuddled into Ignis' modest sized chest, flustering Alicia even more.

"Wha-What is going on?" Alicia became increasingly confused as everyone began cuddling the small Alicia, who is buried in people at this point.

"Haaah, hehe fine... Thanks for trusting in me you guys." Alicia said as she accepted her current situation and calmed herself down.

"Hehe no problem at all, my Lady." (Vera)

"Hmph, of course we trust you, we're your knights." (Ignis)

They had a giggle and then all went to sleep, with Alicia napping and waking herself up periodically to make sure nothing dangerous was in the area by enhancing her senses.

---

Kingdom of Gimic, City of Palme, Palace Courtyard.

A cool wind blows through the courtyard as a number of young knight recruits swing their blades in synchronisation.

"Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!" (Knight Recruits)

"Come on! I want to see more power in your swings!" The knight instructor shouted as he sees a few of them slow down.

One person was leaned against a stone pillar watching the training...

"Haaah, I suppose it doesn't matter what world you are in. Young men and women are still trained to go out to fight and kill for the sake of leaders who have probably never experienced battle." A scruffy man in an old yukata says, in a lazy but rather sad tone.

There was no one else around him, he was just musing to himself and thinking about the past. That was until...

"Daichi." A soft voice calls out to him from behind, there was no need for him to turn round however, he already knew who the voice belongs too.

"Yumiko." (Daichi)

Once she had let him know it was her, Yumiko began to approach him and walked to his side. Daichi did not turn to look at her and just continued watching the knights training.

"You are here again?" Yumiko asks in her usual tone which lacked emotion.

She begins to watch the training with Daichi for a little bit, before turning to look at him with crimson red eyes.

"Yeah. The sound of sparring and training makes it feel just like home." Daichi finally replies to Yumiko's question, sensing her slight annoyance at not getting an answer.

She turns back to look at the training, her eyes following their movements and judging their form and potential.

"Sounds tough." (Yumiko)

They spend a while watching the training in silence before Daichi finally breaks it…

"Where's Rock?" (Daichi)

"The usual. He is down at the stables. Tending to the horses and other animals. It has a calming effect on him. Similar to you being here." (Yumiko)

The three of them often do their own things when they are back at the castle, using different hobbies to keep themselves distracted.

"I see… good." (Daichi)

They return back to watching the sparring in silence for a little while…

[Most of them will probably die before they can make a name for themselves… Just like he did…] Daichi thought to himself, his mood starting to grow dark as his memory begins to replay in his head.

"Daichi." Yumiko senses this and puts a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"… Sorry." Daichi murmurs quietly and turns to face her for the first time since she arrived, giving a weak smile as he does.

"It's fine. Kalman says that the King is going to perform the summoning soon." Yumiko acknowledges his apology, then moves onto another very serious subject.

"… Did you find out how many they will summon this time?" Daichi asks, closing his eyes and readying himself for an answer that will surprise him...

"Yes… They said that Dragon blood is much stronger than the blood of the royals… The number will definitely tip the balance between countries…" Yumiko says with a complicated look on her usually emotionless face.

"Just tell me Yumiko…" Daichi says still with his eyes closed.

"Okay. They say that the amount of heroes summoned with the Dragon Blood… Could be around 100." (Yumiko)

Daichi's eyes flew open in surprise, he turned to look at Yumiko to make sure it was not just some bad joke. But she just nodded. He then closes his eyes once again and sighs.

"… Things are going to get busy."