Chapter 58 – Breakfast for them

Lloyd's POV

 By 5 in the morning, it was about to be sunrise, so me and my friends and subordinates went to Lewole on foot, with my country's army. We led the way so my childhood friends would know where to go. Despite the lack of sleep, we managed to stop my former kingdom's raid on Bewote with some difficulty. I was a bit tired, though, but I hoped a good breakfast would give me some energy. Also, we brought the captured Langton soldiers as prisoners of war. The number was 48. The path to Lewole was smoothly paved with cobblestone, one of the testaments of Wooda's hard work and determination. We walked as my country's soldiers made our prisoners of war walk with blades behind their backs. Then, by 6, we arrived there, one of the capital border gates. When they saw me as their leader, the Undead animal guards let us in, and into the capital we went. Once we marched into the city-like capital, many of the Undead animals looked at us. Some looked at our captured prisoners of war. Then, some of my citizens approached me and asked me how the situation in Bewote was because they had heard that it was raided by a human kingdom.

 "The raid has been thwarted," I declared in response.

I then looked at the prisoners of war behind my friends and subordinates. "Also, please treat them equally. They are just humans who were blinded either by hatred and greed or by fear and superstition."

My friends, citizens, and army understood my command.

My childhood friends from Langton, meanwhile, were amazed by how the capital is now more like a human town.

The other citizens had cheered for my successful counterdefense against Langton.

I was overwhelmed by their cheering and compliments as we walked along the main road that leads to the main administrative house.

 Then, at an intersection, I said to Xerxes and Sati, "You guys take care of our prisoners of war. Take them to one of our fortresses here in the capital. If the capacity is not sufficient, take the others to the second one." The fortresses I mentioned were built and commissioned by me a few months ago. Their main purpose is to store weapons and equipment, and they also functioned as prisons.

Third person POV

 "Got it, sir!" Sati responded with determined coolness.

 "You can count on my interrogation, too, master!" Xerxes added.

"Okay," Lloyd replied back.

And so, Sati, Xerxes, and their forces led the prisoners of war towards the capital's fortresses, which were both located in the north and west.

 At the same time, Lloyd, Zeke, Hale, and Zane led Lloyd's childhood friends into their home. At the main administrative house, Gretchel was worried about Lloyd's safety, and Westlan, Maria, and Laura tries to comfort her.

 "I hope he's fine…" she said to them as she sat on the couch in a sad mood.

"It's okay, we're sure that he will make it out alive," Maria replied as she stroked her back.

Laura and Westlan are sitting around her.

The birthday party from last night was still present in the dining room, albeit half of the food and drinks were consumed.

Then, Lloyd knocked on the door, prompting Laura to open it.

 "Oh! Lloyd-sama," she said to him.

"Hi there, we're back," Lloyd positively responded back.

"Good morning," Zeke added.

Lloyd's childhood friends are at the back, and they were a bit uneased by what their friend and his three subordinates would do to them.

 "How was the raid?" Laura asked them.

 "It's now been thwarted," Zeke replied back on Lloyd's behalf.

 "And they were scared of our attack on them!" Hale happily added.

Laura now gets it and was relieved to hear that. "Thank goodness, come in."

Lloyd and his three subordinates did so, and Lloyd gestures his childhood friends to come in.

They were a bit hesitant at first, but they eventually gave in and went in.

 Upon seeing that her older half-brother was okay, Gretchel got off the sofa and ran towards Lloyd, hugging him tightly while tearing up a bit. "Big brother…thank goodness, you're alive."

 "Yes, we did it, sis." Lloyd patted her back in response. "The threat is now gone, for now."

He and Gretchel then pulled back from hugging.

Maria and Westlan were happy to see that Lloyd and his subordinates had managed to make it out alive.

 "Thank goodness, Lloyd-kun."

 "I thought you were a goner."

 "Nope, we did it," Lloyd responded back happily.

Then, Lloyd's childhood friends looked at Gretchel and were surprised to see that she was with Lloyd, too.

 "Gretchel-chan?"

 "What are you doing here?"

Gretchel then saw them. "Camdeni-chan? Ivory-chan? Electra-chan? Gaia-chan? What are you guys doing here?"

Lloyd and his subordinates then noticed this as well.

 "No, what are you doing here?" the swordsman, Electra Bladesworth, asked Gretchel back.

 "I am now living here," replied Gretchel.

Ivory and her friends were a bit stunned to hear that.

 "You ran away from home?" the mage, Ivory Rotal, asked in response.

 "Yes, she did," Lloyd responded on his younger half-sister's behalf, "she couldn't handle our family's expectations on her. Plus, she misses me a lot."

 "Man, nobles really cared about keeping up appearances," Camden commented.

The healer, Gaia Fern, then nodded in agreement.

 "Yup, that's true," Zeke responded.

And then, Lloyd's childhood friends looked at Maria and Westlan.

 "Huh? Humans?" Gaia asked.

 "Yes, we are humans," Westlan replied back positively.

 "Woah, what are you guys doing here?" Camden asked.

 "We lived here now," Maria replied back.

 "These two are Maria Lestew and Westlan Braze," Laura said to Lloyd's childhood friends. "Maria is the headmaster of the first school in this country while Westlan is the owner of the country's adventurers' guild."

Camden and his friends couldn't believe what they had heard from the Undead lioness.

 "There's an adventurers' guild here?"

 "That was fast!"

"It was Westlan-kun's idea actually." Lloyd lifted his fingers for a few seconds, "and I only provided the resources for its constructions."

 "And we're the ones who came up with its system and ranking system, too," Zeke added as well.

Lloyd's childhood friends are very amazed to hear all that.

After that, Lloyd leads Camden and his friends to the dining room. There his childhood friends were stunned to see such delicious food on the table. Lloyd did this for them to eat because he had heard from Zeke that they were only fed with food scraps by Hertzel.

 "Woah, for us?"

 "So much food!"

 "Looks so delicious!"

 "Eat up," Lloyd happily said to them.