The Royal Tragedy

It was now 0930hrs. Delta-Squad were all prepared and suited up waiting outside of their outpost. Their new allies, Emeryn and Gen, were also with them ready to depart for the capital of Ustiria, Molden.

"So, these humvees you speak of. When will they be arriving?" Asks Emeryn wearing her glorious knight armour again. Compared to the rest of D-Squads LS4 battle armour. Her's was more elegant in design instead of the odd and weirdness they looked. If they had their helmets on, many would have mistaken them for demons. In addition, they were given earpieces that could allow them to communicate with one another. Emeryn and Gen were at first shocked when they heard voices coming from the earpieces. It was funny to the rest of D-Squad seeing their reactions. The two later got used to it.

"The dropship should be here any moment now to deliver them." Replies Chain. "Just you'll wait when you see them."

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Chain ignores Emeryn which annoyed her. As a knight commander, she was always respected and never had to wait for a response when she ordered for her subordinates reports. Even outside of her knight life, no one else had ever talked to her like that before.

Yet, there was this odd feeling inside of her. She didn't really feel that angry about it or was it just because it was Chain and that she felt comfortable with. Ever since that night where she showed a weak side of herself to him. Every time she remembered it, she tried to forget about it trying to forget that embarrassing moment.

Not long after that, the dropship was within range of the outpost where all of them could see it.

"Is that a dragon?" Asks Emeryn pointing at it.

"It looks more like a griffin." States Gen.

"That right there is carrying our rides ladies." Says Amelia.

As soon as the dropship got closer. They could hear the noise of its engines emitting from its four engines.

"Waah!" Gen was caught off guard from its loud noise and hid behind Krestechmer. He tries to calm her down by everything was fine.

"What kind of metal beast is this. How were you able to tame such a frightening monster?" Asks Emeryn with a curious tone as she inspects it carefully as it hovers in the sky above them.

"Nope, instead this thing was built by us." Hearing that from Chain, Emeryn stood there still processing what he just said. If what he claimed he said was true, what other things were they capable of. This now makes Emeryn believe that they do come from another world outside of Nenoria.

The dropship lands in front of them and opens its cargo bay. Two humvees reverse out of it.

"Those are our humvees." Chain points to their new transport. "4x4 wheel drive, armoured plating and a mounted turret." The dropship closes its cargo bay door and departs. Slowly ascending upwards and into the sky.

Gen was the most eager to get a close up look at it and touch it. She ran her fingers across its metal frame. She could tell the metal was refined thoroughly. Finely polished that she could see her reflection.

"Looks like someone's interested. I could teach you how to drive one of these someday." Says Kretschmer.

"Really?" Gen's eyes lit up when she looked back at him. Cute, cute, cute, cute. The word cute kept running in Kresthcmer's head until he was finally able to snap out of it.

"Yes."

Emeryn was still cautious of approaching it. Still feeling uncomfortable will the two vehicles in front of her. To her right, Chain notices how reserved she acts. This made him feel the urge to tease her.

"Don't worry Emeryn, it won't eat you."

"What!" Emery's voice sounded frightened when he said that.

Chain after saying that received a slap on the back of his head from Amelia. "Seargent Chain, don't scare her like that. Or do you want me to report to the general of your harassment?"

"I couldn't help it. Sorry Emeryn," Chain apologises to her, "Alright squad, Amelia, Emery and I will go in one humvee. Gen, Kretschmer and Sophia will go in the other humvee.

Everyone gets into their respective humvees. Chain would be driving in the front humvee while Kretschmer drives behind him. Both Amelia and Sophia mount the turrets and Emeryn and Gen sit in the front passenger seat.

With an incomplete mapping system installed on the humvee's GPS, they would have to rely on Emeryn's direction. Gen said that she's only been to the capital twice before so she didn't really know the way as much as Emeryn did but she wanted to help as much as she could.

When they started the humvee's engines, it startled Emeryn and Gen. It would be a long way for them to get used to their technology.

Emeryn told them it would take about two days for them to reach the capital from where she was first ambushed at the road by demons. If they were to travel by using horses.

Unbeknownst to their two new native companions, a humvee could travel MUCH faster than their typical horse. In reality, they were capable of reaching the capital in 5 hours. If they maintained their speed without encountering any troubles along the way.

When Emeryn and Gen heard what they told them, they couldn't believe it. Emeryn thought that her country's Griffin and Wyvern corps were only capable of travelling at such speeds. But Chain reinstated that they had other vehicles which were much faster too. Both in the air and the ground.

Emeryn thought deep down if her country were to ever go to war with the IFU, she imagined the land she was born on and would die for would go up in flames. Not even the whole of Usitria's army would be even considered a match for them.

Finally reaching the main road which leads to the capital, Emeryn was enthusiastic and had a hint of worry in her. She was relieved that she was able to see her parents and her Order again. On the other hand, she wanted to not get on the IFU's bad side and trigger a war.

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3hrs have passed. D-Squad was not that far away now from the capital. On a few occasions along the way, they passed some merchants or those who happened to be on the road that day.

Onlookers would wonder what they would be seeing. Some described the two humvees as loud metal beasts or wagons. They even saw people inside of it which made them even more confused.

"How are you two enjoying your first ride on a humvee so far?" Chain was wondering about Emeryn's and Gen's first experience in riding in a humvee for the first time in their lives.

Earlier, Emeryn was obsessed with her side door window. She found the switch and kept opening and closing. This continued for 5 minutes until Chain got annoyed as it was distracting him.

"It was fun until you told me to stop with my door window." Pouted Emeryn.

Gen replies over her the squad's channel with her new earpiece given to her so she could communicate with each other when in different humvees. "I find the cooling magic in this humvee very interesting."

"Remember what I told you earlier Gen," Kretschmer interrupts, "it's called an air conditioner or A/C for short."

"I too found it interesting." Emeryn joins in.

"Why so?" Asks Chain, curious.

"Back at my family's manor, we have something similar to this. We had it installed two years ago when it was first invented by a mage professor at the Ustirian Magic Academy. It cooled down the manor during the warmer days. I wasn't there when he first explained how it worked to my parents since I was busy with the Order but all I know is it uses mana crystals that produce cold air and it spreads around the place with pipes that enter each room or area so it cools it down."

"Hey Gen, didn't you say you went to that academy?" Asks Amelia as she got bored doing turret duty.

"Yes, I did. Although it was a few years back, I do recall hearing one of the Ice Mage professors having caught the attention of nobles and even the King and Queen themselves."

"What an irony. An ice mage invents something cold-related, who would've seen that coming." The rest of D-Squad chuckle at Amelia's joke except for Emeryn and Gen since they didn't know what an 'irony meant'.

"So, what do we need to know about the king and queen before our ambassador meets them." Asks Chain.

Emeryn's face suddenly frowned upon hearing Chain mention the King and Queen. "Did I say something wrong?" Chain asking confused.

"No, it's not your fault, Chain. They just didn't know Emeryn." Answered Gen. Gen somehow knew that Chain mentioning the King and Queen would make Emeryn upset and even the tone in Gen's voice sounded as she was upset too even though she was in the other humvee.

"Just last year, while the King and Queen were returning from their other estate, under the guard of the previous knight commander of the Order of Herleva, my mentor. Sadly, there was a heavy storm that day which caused a massive landslide that killed all of them. It took days to search for their bodies and a funeral was held. Thankfully not all was lost for the royal family with their only son not caught in that accident. He was invited to another noble's party so he couldn't come with his parents. Not long after that, the coronation happened with the throne passed down to him, now our King Jannaeus II of Ustiria."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." The mood turned cold after hearing that story. "You guys must have really loved your King and Queen."

"We all did, everyone in the kingdom mourned for them." Said Gen. "They were able to bring peace and prosperity to Ustiria during their reign which was sadly cut short."

"So what about your new King. How is he handling it?" Asks Kretschmer.

"At the time of his parent's death, he was only 16. Which makes him 17 this year. He had to carry a heavy burden at such a young age. Even though he was considered very young to be handed the crown, I have personally seen him work hard for this kingdom. Those days when I was assigned to guard his majesty, I would always notice how he never gave up his parents dream. The nights where we even forced him to have a goodnight's rest proved difficult since he would stay up all night working on official documents. Ustiria should feel truly blessed by Neneoria to have such a hard-working king." Says Emeryn with a tear rolling out in one of her eyes.

The squad remained silent after that conversation. They didn't know Emeryn and Gen's king was a young child who was even a proper adult yet had to bear such a heavy burden.

"Sarge!" Screamed Amelia. "2 Oclock, not far from us. I've spotted a wrecked carriage and some guys with swords. Doesn't look too good."

"It must be some bandits raiding a merchant. We have to save him." Says Gen over the squad channel. "It's common for bandits to raid merchants along these roads sometimes."

From a squad leader's point of view. The mission always comes first. But that Squad leader is now Chain. He puts other's before himself and tries to save anyone he can. That is what he believes in.

"Alright squad, lock and load. We're heading to that raid now." Chain proceeded to step on it which caused everyone in the humvee to jolt backwards a bit.

Chain knows there's a chance the bandits must have already killed the merchant, but if there's even a slim chance. He would risk anything for it.

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