34 The Red Moon And The Big Bad Wolf

he end of the week arrived smoothly for Ira. He ran some "errands" with Harper, and Charles dropped off the prosthetic. On the other hand, the week went by a bit more hectically for the Kingdom. Those who previously eavesdropped on Lance's party began spreading information on Ira. By the end of the week, anyone who boasted a position of power knew that Ira could be identified quickly by his black hair and yellow eyes. Though the Intelligence director already knew what Ira looked like, they had to temporarily change their plans after confirming he was the strongest Mercenary.

As for Ira himself? He sat at the dining table on the first floor of his house, and of course, Harper sat next to him. Currently, he was reading the black book; it was apparent that the sigil of two wolves on his left hand were seals of some sort and he wanted to find a way to remove the next one. Other than annoying whispers only Ira could hear, the book didn't yield much, for now. With a wave of his left hand, he put the book away. Harper's head was on the tabletop, showing she was busy napping. Ira reclined in the chair and closed his eyes.

"Keeper of the third moon."

He said under his breath as he seemed to be searching for something. Deep inside the emptiness consciousness, there was a small, spherical, red stone. It began growing and growing until it could no longer be called a rock. It grew so large it was evident it was the moon. Ira tried to interact with it, he didn't know what it would do, and the boy he would meet during bouts of unconsciousness wasn't forthcoming with information.

Ira continued concentrating on the moon and all of a sudden it began spinning very slowly. He could feel it activating; it began to exert its influence, he could feel his body showing some small signs of change. Not just him, Harper immediately shot up and stared at Ira. She felt something was happening, her blood seemed to stir, and the source could be traced to Ira. One of the three circles on her forehead turned red in color. It wasn't just Harper who felt it, within the Capital all beastkin and even dark elves could feel something strange, and no matter where they were, they all looked in one direction.

Eventually, the feeling stopped as Ira opened his eyes. Traces of red could be seen at the edge of his yellow irises. It faded, restoring his original bright yellow eyes. Under the influence of the third moon, his irises seemed to change to a red color, similar to the boy. Ignorant of the phenomenon he just caused Ira smiled at his discovery.

He began putting two and two together, as he pulled out his status card.

Name:

Ira

Rating:

S+

Growth Capacity:

SS+

Bloodline:

Unknown

Blessings:

Unknown, Keeper of the third moon (Ulta Majoris)

Mana Capacity:

Low

Passive Skills:

Supernatural: Strength, Agility, Reflexes, Senses, Regeneration, Endurance

Predatory Instincts

Kinetic Vision (Inactive)

Greater: Metabolism, Beast Manipulation, Night Vision, Physique

Self-Adaptation

Temperature Regulation

Aging Immunity

Bloodline Resonance

Genetic Mutation (Inactive)

Lunar Force Empowerment

Partial Lunar Force Control

Advanced Swordsmanship

Expert Martial Arts

Primal Awareness

Active Skills:

Short-Range Teleport, Call of the Third Moon (Inactive), Run Amok (Inactive), Nothingness(Sealed), Matter Alteration, Gravitational Alteration, Quickdraw

"Partial Lunar Force Control."

He couldn't help but chuckle excitedly. If there were three moons, did that mean the Lunar Force was split into thirds?

"What was that, Ira?"

Harper asked with scrunched eyebrows.

Instead of answering Ira looked at the three circles on her forehead. Traces of red could still be seen on the highest one. The red circle seemed to measure 17 millimeters, while the second was around 8 millimeters, and the final was 4 millimeters. If that was representative of the original sizes of the moons, did that mean he held a majority of the Lunar Force?

"You'll see soon."

Ira said while almost trembling in excitement. He looked towards the front door and stood up.

"Go grab the arm."

He said as he walked to the front door. He opened it just in time to see Samantha's hand in the air, behind her stood Lance's party. They visited throughout the week for details about the wedding and the exact time to go.

They all wore dark colors, the girls, Samantha included, all wore midnight blue sundresses. Lance and Gerald both wore a black tail coat, white button-up, black trousers, and black shoes. Gerald's suit looked a bit funny on him, considering he was 6'5 and 275 pounds. It was a miracle the suit fit at all. Everyone looked at Ira strangely, he was underdressed, to say the least. Noticing their expressions, Ira spoke up.

"They should have something for me to wear when I show up."

He shrugged. Harper came out of the house with a box in her arms. Inside was the prosthetic Charles worked on. Ira grabbed the box with his left hand and stored it away.

"We have to make a quick stop first."

Ira grinned as he led the group away. Their destination, towards the deeper part of the commercial district.

......................

Under the guidance of Ira, they arrived in front of a large smithy. Around twenty Dwarves stood guard outside of it, each dressed in thick armor with either an axe or a hammer at their sides. Above the smithy was a broken hammer insignia which almost made Lance and his party stop in their tracks.

"You do know where this is, right?"

Lance looked at Ira curiously.

"Yup. I just need to grab something."

Ira responded. As they went towards the smithy, the Dwarven Guards grew cautious and shouted.

"Halt!"

Two Dwarven Guards blocked the way. After they had recognized Ira, they eased up.

"It's just you, Go ahead. No entry for your friends though, Tel-Goron doesn't like strangers in his smithy."

The Dwarf made way for Ira and Harper. Lance and his party couldn't help but be even more surprised.

"Tel-Goron!"

Gerald shouted in disbelief. Samantha's brows raised, she seemed to have heard of him before.

"Isn't he a famous blacksmith?"

She asked after she remembered a few details.

"That's an understatement. Any weapon Tel-Goron makes can cause an uproar. He rarely sells, and when he does the price is too high for ordinary people to even think about."

Lance added as he watched Ira and Harper walk into the smithy. Tel-Goron, a great Dwarven Blacksmith, not even at the height of his years. He was in his 40's and already was deemed as a genius by the Dwarven clans. He roamed from region to region looking for inspiration; he felt as if he had more to gain. The Dwarven clans supported his decision and allowed him to move under the stipulation of an armed escort at all times. So how was Ira familiar enough with him to walk into his smithy?

A few weeks ago, Tel-Goron was attacked by a squad of would-be kidnappers. Something that was more or less normal for him, the criminals were easily killed until "accidentally" fired a crossbow bolt toward Tel-Goron, Ira "appeared" at the right time and blocked the bolt before Tel-Goron was killed. Tel-Goron and almost all Dwarves took debts seriously, so when he "coincidentally" ran into Ira in the Capital, imagine his surprise.

In reality, that never happened. The "errands" that Ira and Harper ran were nothing more than him looking for a blacksmith to melt down the statue and make a sword out of it. After hearing about Tel-Goron, Ira found his smithy. Waited for until night, when most of the Dwarven Guards were asleep, and instructed Harper to fiddle with their memories. It wasn't difficult since the attempted kidnapping was an experienced shared by all the guards and Tel-Goron himself. All she had to do was weave Ira into their memories, so to speak. The hard part was getting them all together; Ira had to knock out the stragglers and avoid killing the ones that attempted to fight back.

Ira was more than impressed with her illusion ability and asked for an explanation, but Harper wasn't a scholar. She could only describe a pile of napkins stacked on top of each other, pouring enough juice to stain all the napkins, but not soaking the napkins thoroughly. Though it was simplistic Ira understood it a bit better. If she overdid it, they would either go insane or realize it's a fake memory.

While Ira and Harper walked deeper into the smithy, he contemplated finding someone to train her in magic. He'd most likely have to pay for it though, seeing as most mages would probably have a higher resistance to illusions.

They passed dozens of weapons lined up, some unfinished some looked to be complete. Further, in the workshop, a short, stocky, bearded man, wearing a brown apron and some worn leather boots, polished a dark gray sword that sat on a table next to a saber and some armor. It was Tel-Goron, he looked up and smiled upon seeing Ira.

"You're the talk of the town these days."

Tel-Goron smiled amicably; he had a deep and gruff voice that filled the room. Harper's eyes briefly flashed blue; she made small repairs to the illusion she placed in his mind.

Lies can easily be unraveled by finding out new information, and she actually could feel the illusion slightly weakening upon mention of Ira's name being spread in the rumors. Luckily, it was too weak to cause any harm, and she just tampered with his memories for good measure.

"I've noticed."

Ira returned a friendly smile as he went to examine the weapons. Tel-Goron stood next to him and began explaining the details.

"Your weapon is a typical longsword, so it's a bit longer than the silver bastard sword you use. Needless to say, you can use either one hand or two, especially in your case. I should also mention the sword is far denser than normal, it's a bit of a bitch to use for anyone accustomed to lighter swords, I'd say it weighs between 15 and 16 pounds. The saber, on the other hand, is as light as can be, weighing in at a half pound. Also, both weapons have black leather scabbards."

Tel-Goron explained as he looked at Ira with questioning eyes. Ira noticed it and was prepared to knock him out at the first sign of trouble.

"That metal statue you provided is unlike anything I've seen before. It's too easy to change the hardness, flexibility, or weight just by adding a few more metals. The Saber is made with Windsteel, which is usually put into throwing knives because of its lightness, but doesn't have a lot of practical use in swords. The Longsword is made from Great steel, which is used for heavy armor and heavy weapons. The metal you provided was a perfect bonding agent for both of the materials."

Tel-Goron began to go off topic as he looked on with admiration.

"Forgive me, I just wanted to know why you'd waste such a precious metal on a statue in the first place?"

Tel-Goron wanted to ask for larger supply to send to the Dwarven Clans for analysis, but he knew it would be impolite to, after all, he already sent a few tiny samples back after obtaining Ira's permission and he thought was already enough. After hearing his question, Ira relaxed, Tel-Goron was real close to being beaten half to death if he asked the wrong question.

"I found it like that."

Ira raised his hands defensively.

"I see."

Tel-Goron took it as Ira not willing to speak about the source of a precious metal, so he did not pursue the matter. Instead, he changed the subject.

"With the leftover metal, I made a few pieces of armor, like you asked. I have a set of lightweight armor with female specifications. This was also created with Windsteel, the total weight of the armor shouldn't be more than ten pounds, but should protect just as good as any armor weight ten times that amount. I've opted not to create some parts, leaving a chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, and a tasset belt. If you find a bit more of that mystery metal, I'd be more than happy to make something for you or Harper there."

Tel-Goron smiled widely, as he finished his explanation on the armor. He wasn't lying about being more than happy to create some more. He was excited to see all the possibilities of the mystery metals, he felt as if he just touched upon a small trace of what it could its become.

Ira waved his left hand and collected everything on the table except for the longsword. He undid the scabbard holding the silver bastard sword and stored it away, equipping the dark longsword in its place.

"Thanks a lot, Tel-Goron."

Ira smiled brightly as he patted the scabbard.

"Don't mention it. I owed you after you saved my life. Now if that's all, I have the strangest craving for steak."

Tel-Goron waved his hand with a smile. Ira shot a glance at Harper upon the mention of steak. It seemed she accidentally leaked in her own desires with the illusion, but it was something small, and there wasn't really anything to be worried about.

After a few more exchanges of words, Ira and Harper left. Lance and his party noticed Ira had a different weapon. As Ira led them away from the smithy, Gerald spoke up first.

"Did Tel-Goron make that for you?"

He whispered with a careful look.

"Yeah, he kinda owed me a favor. I'll tell you about it some other time."

Ira said casually as he shrugged. Lance and his group had dozens of questions, but they saw Ira was unwilling to talk about it. They soon arrived at the Capital gate and saw a carriage with the Thynne Family insignia. Ira recognized the driver and nodded before he climbed in. Harper hurriedly climbed in behind him and sat next to him. Samantha followed behind and sat next to Harper, and finally, Lance's group made their way in.

The carriage had more than enough space to accommodate everyone. The carriage quickly departed.

..................

Inside of the Thynne Family Manor. Avery was in a large room, standing in front of a tall mirror. Several servants and assistants stood near the door, and behind Avery stood Lauren and Casey.

Avery wore a long, black, sleeveless, high-collared, gown with dark gold embroidery. On her head was a small dark golden-winged circlet. Lauren and Casey wore similar colored dresses, though they had less embroidery and they weren't dressed in any circlets.

"Have all the arrangements been made?"

Lauren asked the assistants.

"Yes, Ma'am. Everything is in place for the ceremony."

One assistant immediately replied.

Lauren nodded in response and smiled. Casey moved closer to Avery and began fixing her hair.

"Gather everyone in an hour, he should at least be on his way by then."

Casey said as she grinned at her daughter. The servants and assistants bowed and left the room.

Avery's face held its natural expression of indifference, but if one was to look closer, there were signs of anticipation in her eyes.

"Avery, you should go select a dagger."

Casey said as she finished with Avery's hair.

"Yes, Mother."

Avery responded as she turned around and walked to a nearby table. Rows of small sheathed daggers filled the whole things, some looked very intimidating in appearance, and some looked exquisite. Various unique designs and carvings were on each of them. Avery's hand hovered over the table as she evaluated each one. There was one particular dagger that caught her eye. An Ivory Dagger with a Wolf's Head carved into the pommel. It seemed oddly fitting, given Ira's mysterious lycanthropic bloodline and his behavior overall. She picked up the dagger and unsheathed it. The stainless steel blade had a bright shimmer that was pleasing to the eyes. Avery placed it back into the sheath. She turned around to face her mother and grandmother.

"This one will do."

Avery smiled faintly.

..............

A few hours later, Ira and his "guests" arrived at the Thynne Manor in the early evening. Ira and the others stepped out of the carriage, and the first thing he noticed was a large group of servants and assistants. The second thing he noticed was the colder temperature, winter would make itself known in a few days.

"Hello, If you and your sister could follow me please, the guests will be escorted to the banquet area."

A female assistant bowed lightly as she greeted Ira. A few other representatives went to accompany Samantha, and Lance's group to the back of the Manor.

"Come on, Harper."

Ira smiled as he followed the female assistant into the Manor. The inside was mostly empty, except for servants, cooks, and attendants who were still moving back and forth.

The attendant showed Ira and Harper to two rooms.

"Your clothes are inside."

The female attendant gave a bow before turning to leave.

"Wait. There should be a girl named Amy here with Aldis. Can you give her this."

Ira waved his left hand and produced a plain brown box. The female attendant was surprised to see something appear from thin air, but she didn't let it show.

"I'm not sure if she is here, but I will look for her."

The attendant took the box, that was heavier than it looked and left. Harper stood in front of the door to the adjacent room and looked at Ira.

"Go get dressed, kiddo."

Ira said as he entered the room for him, Harper nodded and went into her room. After a few moments, Ira stepped out. He wore a black, dark golden trimmed shirt with a mandarin collar. On top of the shirt was a black suit jacket with a dark golden trim around the jacket cuffs and the lapel. Also, he wore black trousers and black shoes. Harper walked out shortly after him dressed in a matching black sundress. A few attendants made their way to Ira after seeing him emerge from the room.

"Sir, shall we tidy your hair?"

An old male attendant asked. Ira looked at Harper who in turn looked at him. Her own hair was very wild at the moment, and he was no different.

"Get someone to braid her hair, and I guess I need to brush mine."

Ira responded with a shrug.

"Yes, Sir."

The senior attendant left to retrieve a brush, while the female attendants moved to Harper, and began braiding her pale blue hair. They quickly finished, leaving Harper with one long braid that hung to the middle of her back. Ira gave her a thumbs up, and she giggled in response.

The senior attendant returned with a brush and a hand mirror which he gave it to a female assistant. She walked over to Ira and slowly reached for his hair, seeing as she decided to brush his hair for him, Ira didn't show any resistance. His wild hair began to be tamed by the brush strokes, the female attendant slightly blushed as she stood close to him, the other female attendants looked a bit jealous.

If they could impress him and get a proper evaluation, their status may go up within the Manor, seeing as they were extended family. They would never think to attempt to seduce him though if they tried, it was highly possible they would be murdered by a Valkyrie or even Avery.

After some more brushing, the attendant stepped away and held up the hand mirror. Ira looked at his hair which was now brushed into place, he ran his hand over it and shook it a little, undoing a bit of the brushing. Having his hair wild was a bit of personal preference, he wasn't a fan of the nobles with orderly hair, but he somewhat understood the need for it in situations like the one he was in.

"I'm ready now."

Ira smiled at the attendants, a few blushed even more until the older male attendant coughed meaningfully. The Thynne Family was no place with those who grew overly ambitious.

"Right this way, Sir."

The senior attendant led Ira to the back of the Manor, outside there was a large gathering of people. The luxurious tables were set up in the same order as the previous banquet except for a band of musicians and a small table with two seats in the central spot where the Valkyrie table was. The currently empty, Valkyrie table was moved to the side and out of the way of it. While the change may have seemed small, the symbolic nature of it wasn't. It showed the ones gathered just how much the Valkyries valued Ira. The Valkyries would change their mind for no one except one of their own, and that was only if the Matriarch was the one to change her mind.

Ira noticed a circular marble platform stood a few feet off the ground, on top was a stone block with a metal bowl on top of it. That was most likely where the ceremony would happen. He turned his head and saw Aldis sitting at a table with Amy and a few other people. Amy smiled gratefully at Ira as she waved her prosthetic arm. It was better than she could have asked for, though it would take some getting used to. Ira just nodded with a small grin as he walked to the top of the circular stone platform. Harper was led away to sit with the females who had yet to awaken, technically after the wedding they would be sisters in law. Seeing Ira take his place on the platform, the musicians began softly playing music. A combination of a violin, a piano, a harp, and a flute were all played in a soft harmony, coupled with the setting sun, it made for a tranquil scene.

Soon an attendant signaled, and the music was played even lower. The sounds of tandem footsteps emerged from the Manor. Avery was escorted by the Valkyries, who stood on both sides of her. Lauren and Casey stood on her left and right respectively. Many people were shocked upon seeing Avery in a dress, her beauty was indescribable, even to those who grew a bit numb to the attractiveness of others after seeing the Valkyries. Even Ira was stunned, though he couldn't imagine Avery in a dress so that only added to his surprise.

Avery was escorted to the circular platform, and all the while she had a grin, the ones who had never seen her smile couldn't help but look again. As she took the platform, Ira showed a beaming smile. Causing some of the females present to stare at him a few moments too long. Lauren followed Avery to the platform and stood behind the stone block which was placed between both of them. In one hand she held a long white ribbon, and in the other, she held an ivory dagger. She put the ribbon in the bowl and began to speak.

"The bond between the two of you shall be recognized in blood, Avery."

She unsheathed the dagger and nodded toward Avery, who in turn raised her hand over the bowl.

"Ira, I'd like you to slow down your regeneration for this."

Lauren said, he raised his hand over the bowl and nodded in response.

Lauren raised the dagger and cut deeply into the palms of each of their hands, while neither of them flinched. The blood dripped down quickly and dyed the white ribbon red. When the ribbon was entirely red, Lauren waved a glowing hand over both of the wounds and easily healed them, she then placed a hand over the metal bowl.

"Fire." She chanted softly as a small flame filled the bowl, instantly evaporating the blood and even turning the metal bowl to a bright red color showing the metal was almost at its melting point. Strangely, only the red ribbon remained untouched. When the fire stopped, Lauren retrieved the red ribbon.

"Turn and raise your arms toward me."

She said with a smile. Both Ira and Avery turned their arms toward Lauren, she began tying the red ribbon around both of their wrists, leaving a little room in case one of them would accidentally move their arms too far. Usually, after the ritual, it would be resistant to breaking after the ceremony, but Ira seemed to defy the very word "usual."

"And with a kiss, the ceremony is complete."

She finished tying the ribbon and stepped back. Avery and Ira turned toward each other and did as instructed, though neither of them was unwilling. They moved closer and gently kissed under the gaze of the ones attending. The music began playing louder as people rose to their feet and began clapping. Ira chuckled happily, while Avery had a full smile. They walked down the platform and went towards the small table set just for them. After they sat down, those attending the wedding finally ceased their clapping and sat down too.

The music continued to play as servants brought out dozens of carts full of food and began serving the guests. They went to Ira and Avery first and then the Valkyries, before serving everyone else. Lauren and Casey walked to the table, Lauren held a bottle of wine, while Casey held four glasses. Casey placed them onto the table, while Lauren began pouring the wine.

"Thank you...Uh, when does the ribbon get taken off?"

Ira asked curiously as he and Avery picked up the wine glasses and began taking a drink. Lauren and Casey had given meaningful smiles. Lauren had spoken before she and Casey sipped the wine.

"With both of your combined efforts, you'll be able to remove the enchantment tonight."

Lauren smiled meaningfully.

Ira almost choked on his glass of wine, causing the three women to laugh softly. Lauren filled both of their cups again before walking to the Valkyrie table. Casey looked at both of them and spoke.

"When all the guests have their cups filled, you two have to toast."

She turned and joined Lauren at the Valkyrie table. A few minutes later, everyone had their cups filled and looked toward the table. Ira and Avery stood up, raising their cups with them. The guests raised their cups in response. Avery and Ira tapped their glasses together and began drinking, the guests followed their actions.

After they had sat down again, Ira smiled.

"Let's eat."

He said enjoying the moment.

In the same row Aldis sat in, Eric was present. After interrupting the banquet last time to suggest Avery marry someone else, he was "lightly" punished by his mother, Judith. Though the word "lightly" rarely applied to anything the Valkyries did, as he was forced to spar with sisters and female cousins for a few hours, which couldn't be called a fight by anyone with an ounce of sympathy.

It was evident the beating only furthered his humiliation within the family as if it wasn't bad enough he already heard that Ira was the strongest Mercenary in the Kingdom. Currently, his guild master, the former number two in the Kingdom, and former classmate of Avery Thynne, Carter, sat next to him. Eric always sought validation from his mother and the other Valkyries, but he knew where to draw the line. He wouldn't be so dumb as to make a scene and attempt to bother Ira. Even if he were that dumb, he would be incredibly lucky to not be killed by Avery on the spot.

"I hope to be able to talk to him at some point, but I doubt today is the right day."

Carter said as he sipped his glass of wine.

Carter was a man in his twenties with a short beard and a crew cut to match. It was evident he was in shape as he had a visibly healthy body, but a gentle and heroic face. In his guild, Smallthorn, Carter always gave off an older brotherly temperament. It would seem like he was a bad person based on the way Eric tried to suggest him as Avery's marriage partner. The truth is, he never asked for that, Eric took it upon himself to suggest the wedding, to gain prestige within the family.

At first, Carter wasn't mad, he didn't even know who Ira was and only mentioned having a one-sided crush on Avery while they were in the Capital Academy together at some point to Eric. He knew she didn't even know who he was and most likely still didn't. The moment he heard Rhys was replaced by Ira, and after confirming it was the same "Ira" Eric mentioned before, he began to get upset.

It wasn't that he was scared of confrontation, it's just he didn't know what type of person Ira was, and his whole guild could be put at risk. To make up for his mistake, Carter made Eric bring him to the wedding so he could apologize and explain himself, but it would seem he lacked the chance at the moment.

Carter took another sip of the wine in his glass.

"Guild leader, I'm sorry."

Eric apologized with clenched teeth.

"It's fine. I'm sure Ira is a good guy, he probably won't hold a grudge over something so small."

"But Guild Leader-"

"Call me Carter, and like I said, it's fine. Worst comes to worst I'll give him a fight, but if he's anything like Rhys I'd be better off apologizing."

Carter's eyes showed unwillingness at the mention of Rhys. He had attempted to get her to join his guild by winning in a fight against her. To this day Rhys has never been associated with a guild or partner, so it's safe to say he lost. The truth of the matter is he nearly lost his life, luckily Rhys didn't talk about it.

"Guil...Carter, you really think he's stronger than Rhys?"

Eric asked with a little bit of suspicion.

"I'm willing to say yes, but I don't know just how much."

Carter finished his glass as he looked at Ira and Avery. If he was honest, Avery looked even more beautiful than she did when he first saw her in the Academy. Deep down in his subconscious, a small amount of envy formed, especially noticing that Avery smiled when she was with Ira.

"I need another glass."

Carter raised his cup and called to a nearby servant.

While the wedding banquet went on, a situation was quickly forming on the Eastern Border of the Kingdom.

..........

A large rock crashed into the walls of the Eastern Valley Fortress. The reinforced stone cracked and shot debris at soldiers on the wall, most were left with light injuries, while three died on the spot.

"Someone get on those fucking catapults and return fire!"

Commander Belmond roared his commands as he looked over the ramparts, the Diavol weren't stupid, they sent a few small squads to scale the surrounding mountains, and a few messengers were caught and tortured, after learning they were going to ask for reinforcements, the Diavol stopped being cautious and assaulted the Fortress. Currently, 2000 Diavol soldiers were attacking the fort, while the others were making preparations, they decided to siege in waves. 2000 attack, while the other 8000 rest. Such a tactic didn't offer those in the fortress much respite.

"AAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

One of the three giants yelled as it slowly moved toward the fortress. Dozens of arrows and boulders fired onto the walls in a steady rain.

"Lieutenant Commander, get oil in the moat for fuck's sake!"

Commander Belmond yelled as he manned a massive ballista. Veins appeared on his neck as he lifted the 150 pound bolt and loaded it by himself.

"I'm on it, Commander!"

The Lt. Commander responded as he ran to the Fortress steps and descended to the lower levels. With a loud snapping sound, the bolt fired from the Ballista flew towards the single Giant and bore into its shoulder.

"AAAAAARGH!"

The Giant recoiled backward from the pain and nearly fell. The formation of 1000 archers didn't falter as they continued to rain down on the fortress periodically. Large wooden shield-like barricades sheltered the soldiers from the relentless arrows, but not everyone could be so lucky as nearly a dozen soldiers were the recipients of the arrow rain. If things couldn't get, any worse 2 siege towers were assembled and were being pushed toward the fortress.

"Load the explosive jars and fire the fucking catapults you bastards! So help me, Gods, if any of you fucking miss! You better show those fucking assholes what you're made of!"

Commander Belmond nearly turned red with his vigorous screaming, his temperament served to inspire some of the soldiers, they knew the Commander was usually lax when it came to Fortress rules, but he had a hot temper. Although his verbal abuse never transcended into physical, and he even knew some of the soldiers personally.

"On it commander!"

A few men responded in tandem. They waited for the rain of arrows to finish before running to a nearby Catapult covered with a tarp. One of the men pulled the tarp off, while another assisted with prepping it. Two others moved into the fortress before returning with a large circular shaped wooden container. Inside were small black metallic orbs, each filled with explosive powder which was also known as Demon's Dust, for it's highly volatile and reactive nature.

Another large boulder crashed into the fortress walls, and one unlucky soldier was completely obliterated, while the stone fell into the fort and crushed a catapult below. By now the arrow rain lessened in the two areas where the siege towers prepared to be stationed, they were directly over the moat. The Giant with the shoulder wound also recovered as he stepped forward and reached over the wall. One of his feet was placed in the canal, his lack of intelligence prevented from noticing the danger that came with it.

"We're ready, Commander!"

The explosives were loaded into the Catapult and ready to be fired.

"Destroy that siege tower!"

Commander Belmond drew his Greatsword and pointed at the tower. At the same time, the Lt. Commander was under the fortress uncorking half of the oil barrels and flooding the moat with a black substance. The Giant grabbed a random Soldier and crushed him into a meat paste, before eating him.

The Catapult fired the explosive into the closest siege tower and It quickly caught on fire, a few pieces of flaming debris fell into the moat below and much to the Giant's surprise it caught fire.

"AAAAAAIIIIIIIEEERRRGH!"

The Giant wailed as it went out of control and began running away from the Fortress walls and straight into the crowd of soldiers. Of course, they could do nothing but be crushed under the hectic footsteps of the Giant. They scattered and caused others to panic, disrupting the rain of arrows.

The second siege tower was now in place as a wooden bridge extended from it, and around twenty Diavol came charging out.

"Soldier, get me a belt of explosives!"

Commander Belmond pointed to a nearby soldier as he rushed to meet the Diavol with a group already engaging them.

"Sir!"

The soldier quickly ran off.

"Get down!"

Commander Belmond yelled as he joined the fray, the soldier immediately ducked low while he swung his sword.

"Arc Slash!"

He swung his Greatsword fiercely before the Diavol could react, beheading four on the spot. He took no rest as he deployed another skill.

"Full Charge!"

He turned his sword horizontally as one hand gripped the blade. He charged forth and pushed three Diavol to the edge of the ramparts as he roared.

"Fuck off!"

He forced the three off the wall, and they fell into the fiery moat below with horrid screams. Seeing the Commander take down seven Diavol easily the soldiers shook off their fatigue and fought off the remaining thirteen.

"Commander! More incoming!"

The Lt. Commander yelled as he rejoined Commander Belmond and pointed downwards. The Mages had long since pacified the Giant and the soldiers retook their formation and began to climb the siege tower intent on joining the fray.

"I got something nice for those bastards!"

The Commander gave a haughty laugh as a soldier returned with a belt of explosives and handed it to the Commander, who tied it around his arm.

"Lt. Commander, Take over for a second!"

Commander Belmond rushed into the crowd of Diavol that were fighting against the soldiers and kicked one of the Diavol in the stomach causing him to lurch forward and kneel. In a moment of inspiration, Belmond stepped on his shoulders and leaped forward onto the head of another Diavol, causing the Diavol, not strong enough to support the mass of a large human with his head, to break his neck. Jumping from the Diavol's neck, Commander Belmond grabbed onto the wooden bridge connected to the siege tower.

"Crazy bastard."

The Lt. Commander mumbled under his breath as he watched Commander Belmond's strange tactic.

Commander Belmond climbed up and was met with three Diavol who made it up to the siege tower bridge.

"What are you looking at!"

He roared angrily as he swung his sword and cleaved the closest one in half. The two didn't waste time as they began swinging their swords. Commander Belmond shifted the sword to receive the incoming blows.

"Hah!"

He yelled as he forced the pair of Diavol back towards the wooden staircase. Suddenly he tossed his Greatsword toward them, they easily ducked and mockingly smiled at Commander Belmond who was also laughing for some reason. They looked down to see an explosive belt tied to the sword and when they looked up, Commander Belmond was already running away.

The second siege tower erupted in smoke as it snapped in half and those who were climbing the wooden staircase were killed. A massive explosion happened behind Commander Belmond as he leaped off the bridge and onto the fortress. Just as a soldier was at the mercy of a Diavol blade, the Commander landed on the Diavol with a flying knee and saved his life. Commander Belmond grabbed the back of the Diavol's head and placed his heel on the back of his neck.

Commander Belmond ripped his head off with a loud yell as the fortress wall seemed to descend into silence. He looked on as blood dripped down his face, at some point he appeared to have received a head wound, but he didn't even notice.

""""""WOOOOOOO!"""""" The Soldiers who witnessed Commander Belmond's display were spurred into action, they would make sure they survived long enough to tell this story to their Grandkids.

The Diavol remaining on the wall could do nothing as they were more or less stranded and lost morale before they were killed by the relentless soldiers.

"LET'S FINISH THESE BASTARDS AND GET A DRINK!" Commander Belmond yelled as he tossed the severed head over the wall and picked up a sword from the deceased Diavol.

""""""Commander!"""""" The Soldiers cheered as they hurriedly began returning fire onto the Diavol formation. Commander Belmond smiled as he turned to the Lt. Commander.

"Lieutenant, who were you calling a crazy bastard!" Commander Belmond chuckled as he then turned to see the Diavol temporarily retreat. They would most likely spend the rest of the day tending to the wounded and reorganize the formations, giving the soldiers in the fortress some much-needed rest.

"Commander Belmond." The Lt. Commander was in no mood to smile at the moment, he realized the Commander was pushing himself to make sure morale didn't drop. Sensing what he was going to say the Commander shook his head.

"If I didn't show I'm willing to die, how could I ask these men to lay down their lives?" Commander Belmond smiled as he placed his hand on the Lt. Commanders shoulder.

"Now let's get a fucking drink before those roaches come back!" He laughed as he went towards the fortress steps.

"Crazy bastard." The Lt. Commander shook his head before following behind him.

............

In the Kingdom's easternmost province, a haggard soldier charged into the Governor's office. He was the last surviving messenger, after escaping an ambush set by the Diavol by diving into frigid waters and was carried down a river, he finally made it to Greensborough. The province sitting on the eastern border.

"Hey! What happened?!" The Governor's guards ran over to help the soldier up as he was nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

"Diavol...Invading...Need...Reinforcements...They...Had at least...Ten Thousand..." The fatigued soldier passed out as soon as he relayed the message.

"Hey! Someone go inform the Governor!" The Guard yelled as he picked up the fatigued soldier and went to find a healer.

Less than an hour later a message array, usually used to send job requests to the Mercenaries Union, was used to send a reinforcement request to the Kingdom's Military Center.

.............

"...Your Majesty." General Holchester coughed as he kneeled in front of the King, after expending his life force, his health deteriorated.

He also dropped from an S status rating to an S- and to the dismay of the best healers, he was expected to drop to A+ by the next year. Though he was resilient to last this long, his only hope of healing his lifeforce would be through sap from the Ancient Tree of legend. An Elven myth told the story of a sentient tree that existed since the conception of the world and in fact, was the first tree to ever grow. The legend said that the sap had mythical properties and could heal or empower even the weakest of people if they earned its blessing.

"General Holchester, what's the situation?"

King Windsor ignored the General's cough and spoke solemnly. He did notice the General's deteriorating health, but the General was reluctant to talk about it.

"Your Majesty, the Diavol launched a surprise siege and attacked the Eastern Valley Fortress, they are currently still defending. The Governor of Greensborough sent a battalion to help support, but the estimated amount of Diavol is around ten thousand."

General Holchester reported.

"I see, it would seem they are bent on taking it this time. How long would it take to recall our large force from up north and assist with the defense?"

King Windsor asked.

"Your Majesty, it would take a week at the very least. The teleportation arrays can't support hundreds at the same time, and then there is the need to power it with mana crystals." General Holchester responded.

Another man who was kneeling next to General Holchester decided to speak up. It was the director of the Kingdom's Intelligence Organization, that "technically" didn't exist, Director Samuel.

"Your Majesty, I'd like to suggest we put out a Mercenary request. There is a new Mercenary at the top of the list that we've had eyes on for a while, he's the same we suspected to have a connection to the black pillar incident. He goes by the name of Ira. If we could get him or anyone from the top three to assist we'd have more than enough time to gather enough manpower to defend the fortress." Director Samuel spoke slowly, the Diavol's ambush could be blamed on his lack attention.

Although the Diavol were extra cautious and he probably wouldn't have caught the traces of a siege, the responsibility still fell on him.

"Then let it be done, we'll set the payment at 150,000 Gre for assistance and 50,000 for each significant merit. Also, allow them to use the Capital's teleportation array to get to Greensborough. Have the Union Leader hold a briefing for the top three by tomorrow and Director Samuel, I'll need a detailed report on that boy by the end of the week." King Windsor ordered.

Hearing about a boy with a connection to the black pillar gave him a strange feeling, deep down he felt nothing good could come from that boy's assistance, but he didn't show it on the surface.

General Holchester and Director Samuel bowed before leaving the King's Hall.

"Your Majesty, if that boy was involved with the black pillar incident maybe we should-" Minister Rubin started.

"Rubin, if he's as sharp as he's made out to be, not many people could restrain him. We'll manage the situation as it comes." He stared off into the distance as he tried to shake the creeping feeling.

................

Meanwhile, the wedding feast continued in good spirit as the sun was nearly gone and gave the sky a color alternating between a soft orange and a dark blue. Those who knew the truth about Ira were more than happy at the marriage. Even Lauren was excited to see what the Valkyrie bloodline would produce when mixed with Ira's blood. Though she would refrain from pressing the matter until Avery's bloodline was active, which she guessed to happen during the middle of winter, she could push it further if a conflict were-

"Grandmother, a large conflict has occurred on the Eastern Valley Border."

A Valkyrie whispered to the Lauren after receiving the news from an attendant. Lauren smiled as she sipped from her glass.

"Perfect. We'll discuss the details tomorrow."

She was filled with elation for what was to come. She had a new ability that began to develop, it was something akin to noticing what she called the sparks of war. She could tell something big was going to happen and when it did, the Valkyries would use it to grow. She turned to a nearby attendant and sent a signal, in response the attendant walked over to Ira and Avery who were in the middle of a conversation.

"I could definitely win in a fight against you now."

Ira said a bit proudly.

"Until my bloodline awakens, I'll refrain from indulging you."

Avery retorted.

"So when it does, try not to lose again."

She added on, causing Ira's eyebrows to twitch. He was reminded of when they decided to see who could kill the most when the assassins attacked. He unwillingly had to accept his loss.

"Ah, that reminds me. Do you remember when I first got into the Capital and you loaned me some money?"

Ira asked with a grin.

"I faintly recall that, yes."

She said as she finished her glass of wine.

"Well, I did say I would get you something."

Ira waved his left hand and produced a Saber in a black scabbard and gave it to Avery.

"You did say that didn't you."

Avery received the Saber and evaluated it. It was so light she thought it would be too fragile to use, but she could also see that it was firm and the edge was sharp that it would probably cut through most things with little to no resistance. She handed the Saber back to him so he could store it.

"There's some armor too, but I doubt this is the best time to pull it out."

Ira chuckled as he received it and waved his left hand over it.

"Thank you."

Avery said cooly. Her reaction would appear unenthusiastic to those who weren't familiar with the Thynne Family, but Ira could tell she was sincere.

"Don't mention it."

Ira tried to wave his right hand but forgot the ribbon connected them. He laughed as he accidentally caused Avery's arm to wave, she began to laugh softly.

"E-Excuse me."

A purple haired attendant with brown eyes spoke up and interrupted them, causing Avery's smile to immediately fade. The attendant bowed and handed over the Ivory Dagger.

"F-For t-the clothes. The feast isn't complete u-until you two leave first."

The attendant's hands shook as she handed over the dagger to Avery, who received it with a curious glance.

"Clothes?"

Ira asked as he watched the interaction take place.

"How else would you get your shirt off with the ribbon connected?"

Avery explained.

"Oh."

Ira said in response as he finished the rest the food on his steak. All of a sudden he looked up.

"Oh!"

He chuckled in realization. The female attendant began to blush as she was partially embarrassed, she knew the implications behind the dagger.

"It's a part of the ceremony is it?"

Ira asked as he finished his glass of wine and stood up.

"A metaphor most likely. Shedding your former selves, joining as one, something along those lines."

Avery once again explained as she stood up with him. The attendant stood to the side and was wondering why they were so casual about it. Was she wrong to be the only one embarrassed by the situation?

As Ira and Avery began walking, everyone's eyes landed on them. Lauren and the other Valkyries raised their cup toward them and made the last toast.

"Good Health to you."

She said as she finished her glass.

"""Good Health to you."""

All the members of the Thynne Family repeated the line, the other guests were caught off guard a bit, but still toasted.

A few attendants stood in front of the couple to escort them inside of the Mansion. Among the guests, those who were slightly embarrassed were Amy, Samantha, Lance, Sarah, Valerie, and Zella. They knew what was next after the marriage and they were even more embarrassed as they unconsciously pictured it. Gerald just had a friendly smile as he finished the wine and turned to face Lance and the others.

"Don't be perverted guys."

Gerald made an uncharacteristically accusatory joke.

"Hey-"

"That's-"

"We didn't-

"It's not like-"

"Why would-"

They all spoke at the same time causing themselves further embarrassment. Harper looked unaware of what was going on and watched Ira leave. Seeing Ira and Avery enter the Manor, Lauren stood up.

"I thank you all for coming. The servants will escort you around the Manor as to not disturb my Grandson in law and his wife. If I don't call for the families again within a week, you are all free to return to your respective provinces."

When she said "Grandson" the pride in her eyes was apparent to everyone. It showed her actual grandsons the favoritism she had for Ira, seeing as she rarely showed such feelings for anyone that wasn't a Valkyrie. Slowly the guests began leaving, except those who lived in the Thynne Manor. Samantha and Lance's group started moving but stopped when they noticed Harper staying there.

"Are you waiting for Ira?"

Samantha asked with a smile. Harper nodded in response as her legs swung back and forth.

"Well, Alright I think-"

"Harper."

Lauren's voice interrupted Samantha. Harper stood up and ran over to the Valkyrie table, her long braid bobbed back and forth as she ran. Samantha smiled again as she left with Lance and the others.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Harper asked as she looked up at Lauren who laughed lightly.

"You can call me Grandmother."

Lauren placed a hand on her head. Her current mood was one of jubilation, so she didn't mind showing a little more affection.

"Y-yes, Grandmother."

Harper didn't know much about the Valkyries, but she knew they rarely smiled.

"I may decide to personally train you soon."

Lauren showed an angelic smile that was absolutely stunning, but to Harper, it looked like the smile of a monster.

"Y...Yes, Grandmother."

Harper's face looked pale, the training with Avery was horrible in her opinion, but compared to the stories she heard Ira tell her about the Valkyrie training it was a walk in the park. Seeing her reaction, Lauren guessed what she was thinking and laughed, but she didn't offer any words to calm Harper down.

.................

Inside the manor, the attendants led Ira and Avery to her room, the curtains were down, and no light from the outside poured in at all. Only a few candles just barely lit the large room.

"Should you need anything, a few female servants and attendants will be on standby."

An older female attendant familiar with such practices said in a formal tone. Usually, a few servants would be present on wedding nights, but Ira warranted special attention. Lauren took note of his supernatural endurance during training and decided should he need additional..." assistance," the attendants and servants should be more than capable.

Ira nodded with a smile as Avery shut the door.

"You know-"

Ira began talking but was interrupted by Avery who started kissing him, with Ira showing absolutely no rejection, they both moved to the bed as their breathing became louder.

Avery drew the dagger and tossed the sheath away into a corner, and immediately began cutting off Ira's clothes. Ira kicked his shoes off and instead of waiting tore her dress with his bare hands. The breathing grew increasingly louder and louder until a sudden soft moan and a brief moment of silence. The red ribbon slid off as the sound of breathing, and constant moans filled the room.

Outside of the room, the female servants found it hard to sit there with straight faces. About three hours later the sounds quieted down just as it became night. The servants were preparing to switch shifts when an older female attendant appeared.

"It's been three hours, are they finally-"

Before she could finish her question, the sounds grew louder and interrupted her. The three stood in an awkward silence, that wasn't so silent before the older attendant spoke up.

"You're free for the rest of the night, make sure you're back in the morning with breakfast."

She smiled as she turned to leave.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Yes. Ma'am."

Both of the servants bowed lightly before leaving, the very "active" couple to their own devices.

.............

The next morning came with a distinctive knocking.

The attendants, who were also Avery's extended family, would serve breakfast to Avery every morning that she stayed in the Manor. After they knocked they would usually hear Avery say "enter," but after a seemingly eternal silence, they knocked again.

"Enter."

Finally, Avery answered, and they pulled a cart into the room. There was an additional attendant with a few female servants. They looked at the wild scene of in front of them. The clothes Ira and Avery wore the previous day were all but torn to shreds. Avery sat up and stretched her whole body, today her muscles seemed extra tense. The servants began collecting the scraps of the clothes to dispose of.

"Hand me the ribbon and the sheath."

Avery said as she stood up, she was currently wearing a black brassiere and black underwear as per usual. A servant picked out the red ribbon from the tattered pile of clothes and then retrieved the sheath from the corner and handed it over to Avery. After receiving it, Avery placed the items on her vanity before she walked over to the food cart and lifted the top to the tray and began eating like her following her daily routine. At that moment Ira abruptly stood up and stretched, and to the surprise of the people in the room, he was completely naked.

Ira rotated his shoulders with a yawn and walked over to the tray seemingly unbothered. He saw the three extra plates on the tray and seemed to know they were for him so he also began eating.

"Miss, Your bath is-"

The attendant came out of the bathroom and was struck speechless, much like everyone else in the room. Avery finished her food and nodded.

"R-Ready."

Realizing it was impolite to stare, the attendant averted her eyes.

Avery said nothing as she walked to the bath, but not before showing Ira an inviting grin. Ira hurriedly finished his food as he followed behind her and closed the door.

The speechless attendants and servants had given each other looks of confirmation before they began tidying up the room, the sheets that held a distinctive crimson stain were removed and replaced. The attendant began to speak when-

"Woah, that's cold!"

A loud laugh could be heard from the bathroom. Silence returned, albeit briefly as the loud sound of water splashing once again stunned everyone. Ignoring the increasingly loud noises coming from the bathroom, the servants completed their duties and left, only leaving the attendants who couldn't ignore the sounds if they tried.

After what some would consider an abnormal amount of time spent in the bath, Ira and Avery emerged together with wet hair. Thankfully, Ira stepped out with a pair of black pants on. Avery went to sit in front of the vanity as the two attendants went to brush her hair.

"Ira, could you bring the Saber over here?"

Avery asked indifferently.

Ira appeared next to the attendants brushing Avery's hair, startling them, they quickly adapted and resumed brushing. He waved his left hand and passed the Saber to Avery. She silently accepted it and then grabbed the red ribbon, before she tied it around the handle of the Saber. Ira chuckled as he watched her tie the ribbon. An attendant went to hand a hair tie to Avery when he finally spoke up.

"I like your hair like that."

He shrugged as he went to sit on the bed. In response, Avery raised her hand to stop the attendant from giving her the hair tie. Avery stood up and walked over to the closet retrieving a gray jacket, a white button-up shirt, a pair of black pants and black leather boots.

Avery continued getting dressed while Ira waved his hand and dropped a pair of black leather boots and a black shirt onto the ground. The door opened, and a female servant spoke.

"Miss, someone is here to see your husband."

The female servant reported dutifully.

"Are you ready?"

Avery asked as she finished putting her clothes on. Ira smiled and put his shirt on.

"Yeah."

He stood up, and they both exited the room.

............

The first thing Samantha noticed when the pair came down was that both Avery and Ira had wet hair. She tried to keep her professional temperament and refrain from letting her mind wander. As she set on the couch, she turned her eyes to the papers in her hand.

"Oh. If it isn't my Handler, Samantha."

Ira hopped into the chair across from her as he rested his legs over the armrest. Avery sat next to him and evaluated Samantha, she wasn't jealous of suspicious of her, she wanted to see if she was worthy enough to handle Ira's affairs.

"Y-You have a request from the Kingdom."

She said as she handed over the papers, but they were intercepted by Avery. Ira didn't react much, he just pulled a pastry from thin air and ate as he waited.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

"There is a siege at the Eastern Valley Fortress. They want you to attend the conference with the other two Mercenaries later today. The payment is 150,000 Gre for assisting and 50,000 Gre for each notable merit."

Avery said as she read the papers. She then handed the papers back and looked at Samantha while laying her scabbard across her lap.

"What makes you qualified to be a Handler for my husband?"

Avery spoke as she waved a hand to a servant, indicating she wanted something to drink.

"Well...I..."

Samantha stumbled on her words. Frankly, she was intimidated by Avery, although there were some ruthless people at the MU, they never resorted to violence. As far as she knew anyway, but Avery struck her as the type to use force if necessary.

"What I mean to say, Samantha, is that any one of the members of my extended family could easily find a place in the Mercenaries Union and serve as his Handler. I'm inclined to believe even the least qualified would be overly qualified when compared to you."

Avery said emotionlessly. The servant returned with three cups of tea and set them down on the coffee table before stepping away..

Ira kept eating pastries unconcernedly as he grabbed the teacup and washed them down. Samantha, on the other hand, struggled to find an answer and was visibly nervous, she even unconsciously sent a few glances to Ira as if to ask for help. Avery took a sip of the tea before speaking again.

"That look in your eye...It's a panicked look, and it shows that you're weak. I've only said a few things, and you can't maintain your calm. How could I expect you to serve in his best interest if you can't stomach a few words."

Avery's face remained cold as she spoke pragmatically. Truth be told, Avery approached every situation with logic and reasoning. Her emotional spectrum was very low, other than the Valkyries and Ira, no one could expect a shred of positive emotion from her.

Samantha took a deep breath and spoke with conviction.

"If I should fail in my duties even once, I'll resign immediately, and you can punish me however you see fit."

Samantha said as she put up her best professional manner. Avery sipped her tea and let silence engulf the room, the silent pressure was disturbing to Samantha, but she held on.

"I guess that's acceptable. I'll personally kill your friends, family, and anyone that shares the smallest relation with you, and once they are all dead then I'll finally kill you, should you cause him any undue harm."

Avery placed the cup down and stood up as she fastened the brand new Saber to her waist.

"I'll be in the carriage, Ira."

Avery left after causing Samantha to be visually disturbed.

Ira stood up soon after and spoke to Samantha.

"Cheer up, Sammy. I'm sure she wasn't serious."

"You think so?"

Samantha asked hopefully.

"Yeah. How impractical would it be to kill anyone who shares any relation to you, I'm sure Avery would just stop after the murder of your family and friends. Maybe she'd kill the friends of each of your family members, but I'm sure she'd get bored after that."

Ira said assuredly as he placed a hand on Samantha's shoulder, which visibly shook. She wouldn't allow herself to regret her decision as it was too late for that, all she could do now was give it her best and hope Avery doesn't kill her in her sleep.

"Harper!"