Arc 2: Noble City XIII

Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihon-koku Shoukan, as they belong to their rightful owners.

Arc 2: A City, A Diplomacy, A Dragon

Noble City XIII: Aftermath III

The Sirens had gone off.

They knew it...Everyone in the Garrison knew it.

Something was happening or had already happened.

"Dammit! Why are they not responding!?" One of the supervisors had already cussed out the rest of the men, who trying to figure out a small but major problem.

The Manacom devices, which they considered state of the art weren't even helping they were the ones giving headaches.

The first siren was a false alarm since not a single enemy had turned up.

Then another siren went off and this time the source of it came from the fields themselves.

It had been several hours since the last message was given by Captain Julius, who was supposed to be leading Maihark's Wyvern divisions toward the so-called battlefield.

No one had turned up.

Many highly trained wyvern riders totalling more than a hundred did not make their presence known.

The issue was enough for anyone to go tense.

An awkward silence had taken over.

They were in the middle of assuming if this was a mass defection of soldiers or even worse...a massacre.

That's when General Nou entered the scene.

A thin middle-aged man who had been the overseer and governor of the Ejei Garrison for many years.

He was put into a situation with which he was unfamiliar.

"What's happening here?." Those were his first words.

"Can please tell me why we are not receiving or detecting any magical essence from our reinforcements?" Even he was baffled.

The rest of the men in the control room were in a hurry to get back any contact with them.

"If I remember, the beacons from Maihark had been lit..." General Nou remarked before adding." And it could only mean one thing."

His mind was approaching the possibility of invasion.

However, the idea itself was absurd since Maihark had withstood the test of time and was never fully attacked ever since the last great war had ended.

Yet the mystery remains.

The general sighed as he looked towards one of the knights.

"Any news regarding Maihark?" He asked, taking another puff from his pipe.

The knight simply shook his head.

"Not yet sire...We are still tracing any source of magical energy."

"Then have we sent any scout or messenger to the city as an alternative?" The General asked yet again.

"We are going to..."

The older man could sigh in return.

It was indeed making him frustrated and worried at the same time. He could feel the cold sweat as his patience was running thin.

The room was still in a chaotic mess since everyone was trying to do everything in their power to get in contact with both factions.

They were all in that state until something unexpected had arrived.

"Sire!" One of the knights yelled out.

General Nou was the first one to turn towards the source...

The tower's window where a certain white medium-sized gull with a scroll hanging on its neck stood.

"A messenger bird?" The man muttered aloud.

The rest of everyone just froze as if they had seen a ghost.

General Nou, being the nearest, approached the gull at the window to take the scroll.

The scroll itself had a plain dark brown reddish outer cover and a certain seal embedded in the middle.

When he recognized the symbol, his eyes widened, and he became even more desperate, taking the scroll and opening it right away.

He was the first one to know the contents and an unexpected revelation.

"What!?" He exclaimed.

"Maihark has been invaded!?"

He announced to the rest of the knights present in the room.

As he read further, the story began to seem more and more outrageous.

An Aerial Invasion was more believable...

Yet a dark shadow of creatures roaming and terrorizing the city was impossible.

Amongst all that, a gigantic dragon-like beast wreaking havoc was already questionable.

General Nou's mind became conflicted.

He wanted to know the current status of the heads of the kingdom.

The superiors and the Prime Minister.

Were they dead?

Then in the midst of that the Manacom tubes...all of them came to life at once as the voices emerged.

One knight came into the scene by bursting to the door and spoke.

"General! We receive reports that the entire wyvern reinforcements had been wiped out."

Another report which came from the Manacom tube confirmed some of the claims.

The Noble city had been besieged by a massive but unknown wyvern force, which now had been repulsed by the city's defenses.

The man's pride was hurt.

He couldn't believe all these reports arriving at this moment.

As time passed, a sense of embarrassment began to weigh heavily on him. He couldn't help but feel that they had let the kingdom down, having failed to offer any aid to the main capital during its hour of need. The realization of their inaction, despite the desperate calls for help coming from the capital, was a difficult pill to swallow. He knew that they had to take action quickly to rectify the situation and make amends for their past inactivity.

At this rate, could there still be redemption?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So this was a usual scene after a battle had ended or perhaps a war.

The destruction of the eastern district was a testament to how a conflict could ruin any place.

Ine was unfortunate enough to witness every single of it and yet, she couldn't believe everything was over just like that.

A blink of an eye.

The young female captain walked along a street surrounded by rubble as she observed groups of constables searching through the area for survivors or any signs of life.

From the other side, groups and volunteers from other allied kingdoms were assisting the poor people caught up in the chaos, while healers were brought in to treat the injured.

Even though the terrible weather was gone, the sun shining upon them, and a sense of peace was present, the results were there to remain.

Ine's heart was crushed because she couldn't help other than witness multiple scenarios while being injured on her own accord. Despite many people telling her to rest at the new temporary camp, she wanted to help with recovery efforts, and in the back of her mind she thought about the rest of her family.

She wandered off again finding herself in a more lighter scene within what used to be a street market.

Surprisingly, there were people.

Merchants and Owners who were trying to find what was left of their businesses.

It did make her a bit amazed that these people whenever in troubled times, still cared for their businesses, so they never showed a sign of halting their search.

The young captain was suddenly reminded of something because of this.

A certain item that she risked her life to protect not long ago.

"The crystal..." She muttered to herself.

It was at the same time...that an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Well...This is what we get from all these crappy fights?"

It was a woman's voice...a pretty blonde one to be exact.

Ine looked to her right and was a bit startled to see the mysterious person just beside her.

The woman herself was munching what appeared to be a stick of three fried squid balls as she casually observed the surroundings and showed no signs of either worry or sympathy.

The blonde woman returned a gaze that included a smirk.

"And who are you?" The female knight, who was now puzzled, had no words to say but this.

The blonde woman just slightly laughed.

"Just call me Elrena." She simply said, while giving a wink.

Ine slowly nodded, still a bit unsure.

For the blonde, she continued to eat her snack as she shook her head in amazement.

"It's amusing to see that people would still find the time to sell snacks like this at the Western Gates," Elrena remarked.

It was a huge crowd to which she had never seen before, wanting to get the last of any food available.

"And now some of them are going back to their homes," she said, as Captain Ine looked at her again.

"As if all of these had not transpired."

"Do you have a home here?" She then asked.

The blonde woman halted for a while before shrugging.

"Not that I remember...Besides, I know where my home is..." She explained.

"I just don't know how to find my way back."

The wind grew stronger in the area where the two were currently standing.

Ine felt the mystery surrounding the blonde.

And before she could say anything about her, the latter broke the silence.

"Let me guess, you are looking for something?"

Her words brought her back to her original purpose.

"Uhhh, Yes...I am looking for a-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a certain familiar voice called her name.

"Captain Ine!"

The sound of horses halted for this moment.

The young woman widened her eyes to see a familiar face in the form of one Yuji Takamori.

"Sir Yuji! You're alive!" She rushed towards the man, who rode alongside a group of young female knights.

And she too noticed the bunny woman.

"Ms. Parna...You're alright as well."

The writer tiredly smiled." Yeah, we've been through a lot..." He simply said, before pointing toward his new companions." But thanks to these lovely knights here, we didn't have to walk a long journey."

"Who are they?" Captain Ine asked.

A brief moment of silence went by.

"They are a diplomatic envoy from a small kingdom caught in the middle of the mess...if you know what I mean..." He gave a grin.

She nodded in response, and she wasted no time asking that certain question.

"Sir Yuji, do you know what happened to the artifact?"

She had to relay it in some form, only to receive silence from both him and the bunny woman.

"It's a long story...but it is best if I tell you later somewhere private." He explained.

"And by the way...where's the nearest place that we could help treat our injured?" He added.

Ine widened her eyes." The City Hall in the Western district...Everyone is there..." She replied with a bit of excitement.

"Minister Kanata and the cabinet members are safe..."

"And what about the other diplomatic envoys?" Parna then asked this time.

"They are there and as well as your friends..." She added." They are all waiting."

Her words at least placed hope and relief for the rest, especially the two, who worked hard to save their lives back at the palace.

"Could you please take us there?" Hamilton then spoke.

Ine nodded and smiled.

Elrena kept her eye on the Rose Knights, specifically a certain unconscious redhead.

Amused to see that the latter was still here until now.

"So that's the famous Princess Pina..."

She could sense that mysterious power from within.

"So it's true all along..."

XXXXXXXXXXX

The City Hall, a grand edifice that stood tall and imposing, had become the hub of activity in the bustling metropolis. The once-empty streets surrounding it had been transformed into a teeming mass of people, all eagerly flocking to catch a glimpse of the important figures of the Qua-Toyne Principality. The city had been abuzz with excitement ever since the leaders of the Principality had relocated their base from the hilly terrain of the Guest Palaces to the more accessible and flat grounds of the main city.

It was vibrant and lively as before the whole fiasco had begun.

At some point, the people, mainly the merchants resumed their businesses as if nothing had happened and customers started to flock in once again.

A semblance of normality had been restored in some form.

Yet the main highlight of the scene came from the grounds of the city hall as there where most of the Principality's allies settled down, including the certain envoy from Alnus Hill.

The bustling scene was filled with an array of characters, including mighty warriors, armored knights, sharpshooting archers, fierce tribal troops, and representatives of various races. The city of Maihark had never witnessed such a diverse gathering of people from outside of its walls. As the groups of adults mingled, children also joined in the festivities, playing and frolicking around the area. The air was filled with the sounds of laughter, chatter, and the clanging of armor, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

With joy from the outside came a little bit of seriousness within.

The city hall's meeting hall has been once again opened and the negotiations resumed as before.

A lot of deals were made in a shorter period as the diplomatic relations were immediately and formally established.

Nothing could have been too surprising for the cabinet members as many of the representatives pledged their support for the Principality and of course the campaign towards a peaceful end to the conflict of Rodenius.

The last batch of the envoy was none other than the otherworlders from beyond the Gate.

This time included more representatives which came from their reinforcements.

Minister Kanata had his smile towards them, especially the American and Japanese representatives.

"I am glad that you are alright..." He remarked.

The halls were still filled with awkward silence.

Tanaka was the first one to break it as he chuckled.

"We are also glad sir." He replied." And we are happy that everyone is..."

Then Representative Diane spoke.

"Yet, we still can't believe that we survived all of that mess..." She remarked, with a smile this time around.

Minister Kanata smiled back.

"Well, it's great to hear it." He replied while examining the documents one last time.

"I supposed the last thing we need is an ink to seal this alliance."

There were no more long cuts or extra sentences.

It was finally official.

For the first time, both worlds had officially established connections and ties.

Lieutenant Brian, who stood alongside them sighed in relief.

"Finally!" He reflected on what appeared to be a long ordeal fraught with trouble and shenanigans.

He then felt a hand placed on his shoulder as Carl went up to him with an encouraging smile.

"About freaking time!"

As a result, the witnesses which included the cabinet members, guards, officials, and the diplomatic envoy applauded a small but historic moment.

"For Rodenius!" One of the cabinet members exclaimed in excitement.

"And to end this conflict."

Minister Kanata didn't want to be in tears at this moment. He looked around and felt a strong sense of optimism and excitement for the future.

His eyes fixed on a small Principality banner and he took a deep breath.

"We did it! Father...We restored hope."

Although, in the back of his mind, there was a certain person that he had been wanting to meet once more.

A certain redhead to whom he owed his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After all that everything they went through.

The struggles.

The near-death experiences.

The battle for the fate of the city.

And the stress of trying to survive.

They were all together again.

Recon 13...Except for the American rangers, all main groups found themselves amid a semi-celebration just outside City Hall.

"Can't believe that I am going to say this but...I Miss you guys!" Kurata was so into his emotions that he almost hugged every member of the team.

Well...as matter a of fact the majority of the recon members felt as if they had been into one big reunion considering that it had only been several hours since they were all separated.

""Wow, Shino...You all looked like you had killed some dragons out there," Private Daisuke said, laughing.

The black blood stains of the dragon-like creatures were still visible on some of their clothes.

The young woman cringed slightly before rolling her eyes. "Yeah, tell me about it," she responded, glancing at Higashi before turning to face the Otaku soldier.

"Dammit, Kurata, please don't tell everything that happened," she said to herself.

However, the latter did tell them something.

The more bold parts of it.

"We road a cart all the way through and me and Shino learned how to ride a Chocobo!"

"That's so cool!" One of the Recon members remarked.

"Wait, what happened to your LAV?" Wataru asked.

"It kind of died down along the way because of powerful magical shenanigans." Higashi simply explained, joining in and revealing more secrets.

Shino could only shake her head in response. In addition, they have to find a way to get that LAV back to their camp.

"Oh, didn't I tell you guys that we faced giant monsters?" Kurata added again.

It was hard to believe but there were reports.

"You mean those black dragons that we kept hearing about from the locals?" Wataru then asked.

This time Tomita stepped in.

"Yes, they are all true...and it's not just them but there's even a bigger one." He explained.

Hitoshi then added." Yeah, around 50 feet." He then said." Not just one but two 50-foot dragons battling to the death."

The rest of the recon members were overcome with surprise and disbelief. Moreover, both of those teams were in the middle of fighting the mysterious shadow creatures.

Their story sounded too farfetched to begin with but considering that this is a fantasy world...anything can happen.

"So what happened to those dragons?"

The young man then scratched his head.

"Uhmmm, we don't know at this moment." Higashi then said, before adding." We all know the bad one got destroyed by some loud blast which we also don't know where it came from."

"Could it be one those magical thingies?"

Sergeant Kuwahara sighed." According to Captain Itami, it was the work of the F15s."

The rest of them widened their eyes.

"Really?"

The old sergeant simply nodded.

"Yes, he and Lieutenant Carl were the ones responsible for directing the target towards whatever beast you said was in ground zero." He explained.

"Damn... Itami-san was working behind the scenes." Kurata was a bit impressed with his fellow Otaku.

The rest of the recon members assumed that their captain was caught up in the chaos, but it turned out that he was actually there to help and solve the difficult situation in a very unique way.

Sergeant Kuwahara then sighed.

"So enough about that...What's new with you guys?"

He was hearing a lot of stories such as as someone dying and being brought back from the dead by mysterious forces.

There was a brief moment of silence that went by before fast footsteps could be heard.

At that moment, Hitoshi was about to share something with everyone, but he didn't get the chance because a certain cat girl arrived.

"Guys! Where the hell have you been?"

It was Selina as she leaped towards Tomita and Hitoshi and gave both men a big quick hug.

The other recon members were surprised upon seeing the cat girl entering their conversation out of the blue.

"Selina-chan!" Kurata exclaimed with joy when he saw the cat girl, and greeted her in the best manner he knew, only to be ignored by her.

"S-Selina-san...you can stop hugging us now." Hitoshi managed to let out a few words.

The cat girl realized this as she quickly let go of them before proceeding to relay her message.

"Is this your entire group?" She then asked.

"Well, just a part of it...Why do you ask?" Tomita then said.

At the same moment, a group of Demi-Humans donning a similar outfit as the cat girl emerged from the crowds.

A wolfman, a tall female ogre girl, and a fox girl.

They approached the recon members as if they were still hesitant to do so.

"Hello, we are from the Inn where Selina works and we wanted to know if the rumors are true." The Wolfman, on the front, then stepped forward and said.

"Rumors that you all came from the world where our boss used to live before he came here."

Everybody was overcome with confusion.

Sergeant Kuwahara gave a puzzled face." Your boss?" He asked.

They nodded in response.

"Yes! One of our fellow staff members saw your people arriving with these horseless carriages and flying iron wyverns." The Fox girl then explained." When we told our master about it...He immediately dismissed it and didn't want to talk about it."

"We suspect that he is avoiding it and we wanted to help him in some way."

As they continued to explain, the rest began to understand the gist of it. Their mysterious boss is from their home world.

"An Isekaid character..." A wide-eyed Kurata muttered aloud in realization.

Then Sergeant Kuwahara broke the silence.

"Okay, we understand but may we know the name of your boss first?"

All the demi-humans nodded and said in unison.

"His name is Master Gordon Ramsay, the fiery Chef of the Orient, and apparently, he is also famous in your world."

Upon hearing it, Hitoshi could only cringe at the introduction but felt excitement afterward since he was the one to meet one of his idols personally not long ago.

Selina, on the other hand, gave an annoyed face.

"It's Chef Gordon Ramsay now nya!" She corrected them.

As for the rest of the recon members, their reaction was another complete silence as they were all trying to figure out if the name did ring a bell.

Until all of them said in unison.

"Gordon Who?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was in that same cart that Lelei chose to stay for a while, although outside of it she sat down on the small stone bench.

After what was the longest hours of her life all she wanted to do right now was to rest. Her eyes kept on the children as they were now happily reunited with their parents.

It had been an hour since they all arrived at the Western district, the same time as the other groups.

After the intense battle, it was a great relief that both the families of the children and their own had made it through unharmed.

The teenage girl wasn't alone as Tuka, Aldon, and Sara sat alongside her bringing in some snacks provided by the Men in Green.

"They call these Twinkies..." Tuka explained as she gave them each.

By the time both the elf boy and his cousin took a bite, they were overwhelmed with amazement.

"Hmmm, this is delicious!" Aldon had remarked.

"Well, the children kept asking me for more," Sara added, a bit annoyed at that moment.

"I am glad I could break from babysitting."

Aldon laughed." You did a good job there."

Tuka smiled as she then looked towards her friend.

"Are you alright, Lelei?" She asked.

The latter simply nodded, giving a small smile of her own.

"Yes..." It was a simple word yet there was more that she wanted to say.

Her mind was telling her about a certain item.

She just couldn't express it.

"I'm just glad it's all over..." The blue-haired teen finally let out more of her thoughts.

Tuka smiled and sighed in relief.

"Can I ask, why isn't Lelei being hailed as a hero right now since she saved everyone?" Aldon, in a joking manner, remarked.

Sara rolled her eyes.

"I think you mean everyone...Not just her..."

It did cause laughter between Tuka and her cousin.

Lelei could only give a small smile because she was too tired to fully engage in the conversation.

She rested and only listened.

As did her mind which gave her several thoughts to ponder.

Yet, it was another event where she had to show her full effort to defeat a greater evil.

Many saw her as just another ordinary person caught up in the chaos, but those who had known her for a short or long time saw her as something special.

A prodigy.

However, those same few people saw her as a feat that no ordinary mage could.

It was unfortunate that not everyone got to witness it.

She couldn't imagine how much recognition she'd get. Yet, deep down, she wanted it to happen so that she could demonstrate to everyone that anyone can achieve what she had accomplished.

And amongst all that make her master and sister proud.

Yet in all of that... something was still bothering her mind.

How many times she tried to forget it,

Then she moved her eyes towards a certain direction...and that was the time she was greeted by an unexpected person.

It was subtle, but amongst the moving crowds, she recognized him.

"Marcus..." She muttered under her breath.

The man's spirit still lingered even after his demise during the destruction of her former village.

He had this distinct devious smile on his lips as if he relaying a certain message.

"It's not over..."

She heard a faint voice that whispered into her ears.

At that moment, she fully remembered her main goal. The one that she spent most of the time researching and finding the key to ending this conflict.

The True Secrets of Sadera

She wanted to stand up and approach the man yet the voice of her friend halted.

"Lelei!"

Tuka had called her out followed by being tapped multiple times by the shoulder.

She returned to her senses and looked towards the opposite.

"Hey, isn't that Uncle Hodor?" Aldon's voice rang through.

The teenage girl recognized the name.

"Who's the other one with the beard? A well-known mage perhaps?" Sara then remarked.

Upon seeing the individuals who entered the scene, Tuka immediately burst from her current position and rushed towards her father.

Lelei, on the other hand, enlarged her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing in front of her.

Wasn't the old man supposed to be assisting the Men in Greenback at Alnus Hill?

She stood up and stared at her mentor, who gave a small smile.

"Lelei," Cato called out to her name.

At that point, the emotions started to kick in, and unbeknownst that a tear fell from her eye.

Not more than a second the blue-haired teen found herself rushing towards the man she already considered a father figure in her life.

Cato was taken by surprise when the young girl quickly went up to him and gave him a tight embrace.

From there...she continued to sob as a part of her dearly missed the old man.

She did understood why he came here.

The older mage sighed.

"I know it must have been a surprise for you". He explained." But I just could not get myself away from this feeling of dread recently."

He went to all lengths just to find a way to get here.

"I apologize for not arriving on time." He added, feeling a bit guilty from within.

"But thank the Gods that you are alright."

The old man closed his eyes as he returned the embrace.

Hodor and Tuka, who was beside him could only smile at the heartwarming moment.

Maybe just for now and even for Lelei, there won't be a reason to dwell on the problem of saving the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So these healing potions are not healing potions?"

Albrecht was rather impressed by the mysterious but unique substances that these Men in Green possessed.

Many had already been applied to his existing wounds throughout his body through a small soft cotton ball. By then those wounds would soon be patched up by bandages.

The teenage adventurer had been spending his day at what appeared to be a healer's tent and it was not just him but several people with similar injuries being treated as of the moment.

The red cross symbol of the healer's tent had already been etched into his memory.

In front of him was a beautiful tall young woman and from a nearby corner, his draconian friend was observing the whole scene taking place.

"There...I guess we are done here." The tall woman in a green outfit remarked.

The boy grinned." Thank you! Ms..."

"Mari..." The woman smiled back, as she placed the box of first aid kit on the table.

"Ms. Mari...You are a great healer.." Albrecht complimented her." I could already feel my wounds closing." He chuckled.

Upon hearing it, Giselle slightly cringed.

Mari kept her smile." Well, you would have to wait days for them to take effect." She explained." And... in our world, we call those Anti-septics."

The boy blinked a couple of times struggling to comprehend the word.

Mari sighed but smiled." Well, it's just healing potions but well-researched."

"Oh..."

The young woman then cleared her throat." Well, my friends told me that you were the one that saved them not too long ago from those dragons."

Upon hearing her words, the memories began to return.

Albrecht scratched his head and forced a grin." Well, I sort of did but not without the help of the big merchant and his endless supply of weapons and Materia." He explained.

Speaking of him...Where was he all this time?

Mari continued to listen to the boy's account. She was waiting for that certain detail that some of her fellow recon members were telling a while back.

"And the next thing I knew everything became dark for me..." He then added." Then I woke up again and this green essence was surrounding me."

"Hmmm, what was it?"

"Sooner than later...I found out that it was the essence of the fabled Promise Land...

Mari raised both eyebrows." Promise Land?"

She had been hearing that from the locals, especially, the elven refugees ever since she was assigned to aid them.

The boy nodded." Yes, according to legend, the Promised Land is a mystical place that people go to after I pass on and I heard in some stories that you could go there...Alive."

There was a moment of silence that took over.

Mari glanced at the Apostle of Hardy, who tiredly gave her a look.

"Then besides that...There was this beautiful woman that greeted me..." He then explained, adding more details to her appearance.

"Brown hair, fair skin, and she was just beautiful!"

This got Giselle's attention, raising her head for a little bit.

"Long Dress."

Albrecht widened his eyes in surprise, looking up towards her.

"How did you know?"

Mari was both intrigued and shocked. It was too difficult to lie at this point since her expression was pretty much obvious.

"Well...I guess I could say that I also had a similar encounter with the woman that you are describing."

"It's a long story but I kind of met her in a church."

"Did she say something to you?" She followed up her question.

The boy nodded." Yes, I was able to converse with her and she told me that it wasn't my time yet and I had the choice of whether to enter the Promise Land or not."

He then glanced at the Draconian Apostle.

"I chose to go back."

Silence followed for a brief moment.

"What about yours? Did she tell you anything, Ms. Mari?"

She tried to remember and the next thing she knew was a small pain in her head.

"No, she didn't say anything to me but she did relay my information...I don't know but I think she gave me visions or memories..."

It was too tough to process since the visions were just too overwhelming.

By the time, the boy raised a hand

"Hey, I think we should tell this to the Oracle herself." He suggested referring to a certain person.

"Rory-san?"

The boy nodded. "I know, she could help you with these visions."

"Maybe she could-"

*Smack*

At that very moment, Giselle had enough as she stood up and brought a fresh dose of discipline to him.

"Okay, that's enough." She relayed her words in a very polite manner." I believe Ms. Mari has still people to attend to." She smiled calmly.

To the young woman who blinked a couple of times as she didn't expect that a little argument with occur between the two.

Almost as if they were siblings.

As she watched the latter drag the boy outside of the tent, her mind went back to pondering if she really should take the advice given to her by the boy.

Not long after she sighed...thus grabbing the walkie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was in the outskirts of the western district that she found it a fitting place for an important conversation to be held.

Rory was keenly aware of the potential consequences of bringing the Flame Dragon out in public. The mere sight of the legendary creature could incite fear and chaos among the masses, especially given the recent memories of the enemy beast that had laid waste to the land. The dark dragon, in particular, was still fresh in the minds of many, and its terrifying legacy loomed large over the hearts and minds of the populace.

Most of them didn't even know the existence of the Northern Mountain Dragon communities.

However, she found herself very amused that some groups of constables and healers acting as rescue teams were in the area and the fact that they didn't even mind the red dragon's presence.

The young lady took a deep breath and smiled as she looked towards the latter.

"So what now?"

It was just a simple question directed to him.

Everything that they had planned for and the expected outcome...It was all over.

Luscious was caught off guard and found himself staring in stunned silence. The lady apostle's words had left him feeling a bit unsure of how to proceed. Despite his attempts to gather his thoughts, he couldn't shake off his confusion and was left feeling somewhat lost.

Then in an unexpected response, he gave a small smirk.

"People have wasted their time and risked their lives in search of the crystals." He remarked, looking towards the landscape of ruins.

This was often the result.

"It's a shame that I became one of them without even realizing it."

Rory took notice of that slight guilty expression, which reminded her of the boy she once knew a hundred years ago.

She knew that the young man would never keep secrets from her, there was a reason why he wouldn't tell her the truth.

Then it finally came.

"So you wanted to know why I did this?" He asked.

Rory, felt surprised by his words as she simply nodded.

Luscious gave a small sigh.

"It wasn't just me that is searching for the crystals." He said." Probably most of them have bad agendas." He then added." That is the reason why Sadera had launched that invasion in the beginning."

"To find that crystal."

Rory nodded." So invading Qua-Toyne was only a second objective."

The young man slightly smiled.

"Yes, just a bonus achievement if you were to ask me."

"Then why go to all lengths to capture the Flame Dragon?"

"To stop wyvern invasion?"

The silence continued for a brief moment.

"I wasn't fully responsible for the idea." He explained." I merely acted on behalf of it."

The young lady gave a puzzled look. She always thought...the latter often creates his plans to begin with.

"I was under the direct orders of her Highness...Queen Tyuule." He simply said.

Rory's eyes sharpened as her suspicions were confirmed.

The leader of the bunny warrior tribes still lives despite a well-known story that she had died fighting alongside her people in the last battle that took place in the northern regions.

"Why did you choose to go with that plan?"

"Because I believe it was the only way that the invasion would fail." He replied, a bit bitter in his words." Though, It would sacrifice a lot of lives in return."

At this point, the young lady felt like slapping the man on the cheeks.

She knew he was smarter than that.

"Then the dark crystal surprisingly took a life of its own and from there...I did not know what to do."

It was an unexpected turn of events that left him clueless for the first time. However, he had his suspicions regarding the artifact itself.

Rory then spoke.

"This always bothered me since but how did Sadera acquire the dark crystal?"

"The one that you used before."

Luscious remained quiet for a few moments before saying.

"I don't know..."

His words were genuine.

The Oracle of Emroy felt surprised by his response.

What does he mean by that?

"They didn't tell me everything as they were very cautious of relaying information...Though, I did not completely believe them and I attempted to find out more about it and..." He trailed off his words.

"Their truth is not the real truth out of hundreds."

Rory simply nodded." So a decoy masquerading decoys."

"They are clever than I expected." The young lady gave a small chuckle.

The mysteries of Sadera remained.

For how long they will keep that secret?

How long will they continue this conflict?

Then in that moment, She smiled at the young man.

"Then we could work together..."She said.

"We could find out the truth and end this once and for all."

For a considerable amount of time, she had harbored suspicions that the empire was not as it portrayed itself to the world. Despite projecting an image of a mighty kingdom that had vanquished all other kingdoms in the continent in terms of military might sway, and alliances with far-off lands, she could sense that something was amiss beneath the surface.

There was something else entirely different.

Only a handful of people tried to find out the truth and most of them never came back.

The Apostle of Emroy knew that her childhood friend was one of those people who was close to finding out the truth.

As she stood there, gazing at the young man who stood before her, she suddenly realized that this was a unique opportunity. An opportunity to share with him her belief that there was no need for conflict to protect and preserve this beautiful land. And more than that, it was a chance to heal a deep wound that had been festering within her for far too long. With a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts and prepared to speak her truth.

Luscious turned toward the vast landscape as if he were attempting to escape her words. However, in a surprising move, he spoke.

"Rory...I know you needed someone that could understand you...and people to look up as a family." He said, before adding." You are very lucky that you have a lot of loved ones that will help you this time."

Rory was left slightly lost for words as her mind began to replay the old memories, especially, a certain memory that left her a small regret until to this day.

"Please...you don't have to do this!"

"We have no choice at this point...It's either he dies or not."

She remembered that day...

The day when she found herself having no power to save him from a blessing that would turn into a horrible curse someday.

The day was the young man left his humanity behind him.

Unbeknownst to Rory a tear fell from her eye...For the first time, she felt an emotion that she never thought would come back.

At the same time, she didn't realize that Luscious had approached her and by the time she came back to her senses, she found the young man pulling her into an embrace.

Rory widened her eyes in surprise.

Luscious, on the other hand, felt mysteriously compelled to do it. He was also clueless regarding it as he thought that his human feelings had been gone for a long time.

He turned back once more to a still-shocked apostle but before he could do it, he gave the young lady a smile for the first time.

As if to tell her that they will be crossing paths once again.

By then, the young man disappeared in front of her as per the magic he had cast.

The wind grew stronger at this moment.

In the middle of that silence, Rory felt hope that the old luscious was still there in him.

Her lips curled into a smile as a response.

Although, before she could say or think of anything, a certain voice interrupted her moment.

"Ms. Rory, Do you copy? We kind of need your presence here right now."

"Important meeting and stuff."

It turned out that the Apostle was carrying her walkie-talkie the entire time, and she assumed that the guy was attempting to speak in a sophisticated manner only to fail at the end.

As a result, her moment was ruined, and she displayed a comically annoyed expression.

"Ugh...Party poopers!" she muttered aloud, picking up the device with no regrets.

She took a deep breath as she pressed the button.

"Yes Dear, I will be there, Thank you for informing me." She forced a smile throughout the time before letting out a sigh.

Indeed, some things are not yet over, including completing her remaining tasks, which she was obliged to carry since she was already an integral part of the coalition.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A lot of things had already happened in the past hours.

Would she ever get the rest she deserve?

That was not the case for her.

Pina wasn't sure if she was still living in a dream...

She remembered losing consciousness due to a risky move she had made.

She knew she was falling and she knew she was going to die.

Yet she was still here...but not in a place she was expecting.

As she gazed upon the vast ruins of the city, everything seemed eerily familiar, and yet she couldn't quite place it. Even though it wasn't Maihark, her confusion only deepened as she realized that this was once her home, and yet it was now unrecognizable, a mere shadow of its former self.

She found herself walking along that very path in which that fateful event had taken place.

Her surroundings were dead and a fog had filled the entire area.

Still, she could see the royal palace which had been her home for all these years, and in the very front steps of the palace stood a certain person that she recognized.

Her eyes widened in shock as she slowly approached the place.

"Mama..." Pina muttered under her breath as a swerve of emotions took in.

Tears began to fall from her eyes upon seeing a loved one that became the heart and soul of her family.

The woman stood there as she did not say a word but smiled.

At this time, Pina hurried her way towards her beloved mother in hopes that she could reunite with her once again.

"Mama!" She yelled out to the top of her lungs.

She didn't want to live anymore...

She had enough of the struggles that she was facing.

How hard she had wished that everything would go back to the old days.

She waited for the latter to speak and yet she never did.

The smile was still there.

"Please don't go!" Pina said again as she continued to beg.

And in that very moment, her world began to spin around as she was now being brought back to the real world.

She could still see her mother from afar and in that very moment, she heard her voice for the first time.

"Stay strong...I will always be there for you and your brothers."

Then in a flash of light, she was gone and replaced by darkness.

Pina's senses came back again as she could smell the scent of the room she was in.

Her eyes opened as she found herself in a different place than before.

"W-Where am I?" She asked.

Her vision was still blurry but she could see two figures looking down at her.

Then she heard the voices, still unclear in the first few moments but eventually recognized them.

"Hey...Pina?"

It was the young man's voice that she had heard before.

As her vision cleared...she saw the familiar man with round spectacles dressed in his usual green outfit.

"Sir Yuji..." Pina mentioned his name.

The writer had this big smile as he quickly went towards the still-sleeping girl, Hamilton, and tapped excitedly on the shoulder.

"Hamilton-san! Pina is a awake!"

The page jolted from her seat as she saw her childhood best friend finally conscious and automatically a wave of emotion overcame her.

"Milady!"

She exclaimed as she immediately moved towards the redhead and embraced her as if she hadn't seen her in a hundred years.

"You had me worried there!" She cried.

"I am glad you are alright..."

Pina was a bit taken aback but smiled in the end as she returned the hug.

"It's alright Hamilton, I'm here..."

She then glanced at the writer who smiled at her.

For sure she had a lot of questions in her mind.

"It's a long story...but to make it short. The dragon has been defeated and the day is saved." He tried to simply the story.

"What about him? What about..." She trailed off her words as she caught a glimpse of the bunny woman who had been sitting quietly on the corner.

Parna slowly nodded and gave a sad smile." That Wyvern rider you're talking about...He risked his life to defeat the beast."

Pina widened her eyes in surprise as she had never expected to hear those words.

The woman couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness, realizing that despite everything, the man had still managed to hold on to some shred of goodness. It was unfortunate that she wasn't able to witness the final act of kindness that he had performed, but she couldn't help but hope that it was enough to bring him some measure of peace.

"Parna."

Yes, your Highness?"

"Thank you.." She simply said." For everything..."

The bunny woman didn't expect that she would receive that kind of words but it did warm her heart in some way.

At that moment, the room fell silent as the door creaked open, drawing everyone's gaze toward a figure who was no stranger to them.

"Minister Kanata..." Pina was the first one to say his name.

The elf man himself accompanied by the Palace guards, smiled.

"Your Highness, How are you feeling?" He politely asked.

A bit surprised by his arrival, the teenage redhead composed herself once more as she gave a nod.

"Thank you for your concern Minister, but based on what I'm feeling right now..."

"I am fine."

She wanted to present that royal elegancy even though she was still in her bed. Even in her mind was telling her to prepare for this since this could be a very important meeting.

The elf man raised his hand." You don't have to rise..." He told her." You may remain there as I believe we are the ones that should be standing up here and giving our praises."

Hamilton couldn't resist.

"For what sir?"

He smiled." The diplomatic meetings with the other representatives have already finished." He then explained." We believe you are the last ones left."

Both girls widened their eyes in surprise.

The now-worried Hamilton then said." Sir, I apologize but we need to prepare for this..." She referred to their proposals, the speeches, and many more.

Prime Minister Kanata sighed." Like I said, you don't have to..." He told them again, and this time he glanced at one of the guards, who then gave him a scroll.

The elf man then presented the scroll and the girl immediately took it.

"Uh, Can I ask sir, but what's this for?" Yuji remarked.

There was a brief moment of quietness that followed.

He looked towards him and smiled.

Moments later, Hamilton burst into tears...

Tears of Joy as she couldn't believe what she had read.

The still speechless Pina gazed up towards the minister of the principality.

"We carefully discussed this during our meetings and as our final decision... We have chosen to honor your proposal and support your cause of bringing an end to this war through our efforts...Your Highness."

It was indeed a very shocking yet pleasing moment.

Yuji and Parna could only smile at the two girls.

"Lastly, and personally, I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude for saving our lives and the lives of the people in the palace."

Hamilton swiftly approached the Prime Minister and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"Thank you...Thank you...Thank you, sir!"

She couldn't control herself this time and even the guards couldn't do anything about that.

Minister Kanata returned the hug.

"It's alright Ms. Hamilton, we believe that you are the ones that will end Adem's reign of terror."

Pina, in the light of this revelation, could only smile as tears fell from her eyes.

"Thank you, sir, I promised that we won't disappoint everyone." She humbly said her words.

No ambitious promises and dreams.

Just a simple and humble gesture.

Prime Minister Kanata nodded.

"Well, take care for the time being as I have a crowd to address soon."

As he left the room along with the guards, Pina stared at the opened scroll she was holding.

Further inspection revealed that the scroll contents had all the signatures of the higher government officials above the official seal of the principality.

"Is this a dream?" She asked herself.

She looked up and saw the rest of the Rose Knight members who had entered the room and were overjoyed to see their captain finally awake.

She felt like she was in a dream as she struggled to grasp the reality of what had just happened. She had completed a crucial aspect of her diplomatic mission, and the magnitude of her achievement was still sinking in. The moment felt almost otherworldly as if she was experiencing something beyond the realm of normalcy.

Right now, she had every reason to celebrate and her lips curled into a smile.

Now the only question that remained in her mind...

Where does she go from here?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the confines of the now-empty meeting hall, the man continued to rage even more.

"How could this happen!?" He exclaimed as he threw the small cigar ashtray on the wall.

It was a scene that rarely anyone would expect to happen.

The group of officials responsible for overseeing the invasion witnessed His Excellency's furious and out-of-control behavior firsthand. His lunatic antics were on full display, leaving everyone in the room feeling uneasy and uncertain about the situation at hand.

A certain bunny woman stood among them as they were all scolded like children who made careless mistakes.

"What in the underworld's name happened to our wyvern forces!?"

"Sir I-" One of the officials attempted to speak.

"What happened to the land reinforcements that were supposed to be there to help them!?"

His voice echoed throughout the hall.

Now everyone was in a slight nerve to speak.

One of them gained the courage. "Your Excellency, they were on their way to the Noble City but they suddenly returned."

The man raised an eyebrow." Return for what?"

The commander of the Wyvern army you mentioned...He told us not to follow and only wait...and eventually we never heard from him again."

Adem gritted his teeth.

This time another raised a hand.

"Your excellency...that wyvern army are they part of the Parpaldian support as you mention-"

"Stopped asking ridiculous questions!" The man exclaimed to which the official immediately kept quiet with regret.

"Make sure to tell those Parlpadian officials to continue their support in our campaigns!"

"Persuade them...Be sure that the ties of both empires will remain strong until the end."

"Yes, sire!" All of them exclaimed in unison.

"We will rise again and regain what was lost!"

Then the man turned towards the bunny woman.

"You've done a wonderful job...Tyuule." He remarked before adding." The city is in ruins and that forsaken Elven Council is probably dead by now."

There was a slight smile from the man before it turned different.

"Is there any news regarding the artifact?" He asked.

This time she remained silent.

"Hmmm?"

Silence yet again though the bunny woman managed to gather the words she needed.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency, one of my brethren has contacted me that she now has the crystal and she will keep me updated regarding it."

The man stared at her for a few moments as he narrowed his eyes.

She will never lie to him.

"Good...however, that artifact in Qua-Toyne is the most sought, and with the dark crystal at our hands, we will be powerful enough to unite and bring power to the whole continent and that includes restoring your Homeland."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Tyuule remained in a neutral expression as she slightly bowed.

The man laughed as he clapped his hands together in delight.

"And you better not be siding with "Him." He then said." That young man has done nothing throughout his life and my actions will still be remembered by the people of Sadera."

"If weren't for me, you would still be trapped in that cellar along with your dear friend."

Tyuule could only nod as a response. She cared for that certain friend, who is now one of the palace maids.

However, deep inside she vowed to herself that someday this whole empire would crumble to the ground and she would be the only person to personally kill him and everyone responsible for taking everything away from her.

Her revenge will soon be felt.

CHAPTER END

AN: Hello there fellas!

So recently, I was kind of trying to find free time to write and finish the chapter, as it was a bit tough since real life was getting in the way.

This is the second to last chapter of the arc and the next chapter will be the final one. There were a lot of scenes that had been moved to the next chapter since I believe they did not fit with the flow overall.

In regards to this chapter, it's also a wrapped-up type of chapter as we get to see more of the aftermath of the battle.

The scene between Rory and Luscious is more of parting ways but will keep in touch scenario. But of course, they will cross paths sometime in the future.

Another scene is from Pina's dream which is about meeting her deceased mother between life and death and somewhere along the lines Pina has already hinted at that mysterious past.

Then we have Prime Minister Kanata officially establishing diplomatic relations with Earth's coalition forces and the rest of the allied small kingdoms as they unite to fight and end the Empire's reign.

Another scene here is where Selina and some of Gordon Ramsay's staff approach Recon 13 to tell them about their boss and his origins.

Then we have Adem ranting and praising people at the same time, which is how Lunatic of a person he is.

And of course...Tyuule, everybody is waiting for the appearance in the story, and that certain arc will soon arrive.

With that said, thank you very much for reading the chapter! Please forgive me for the occasional grammar mistakes, since English is not my main language.

I appreciate your time to give the story a chance :)