CHAPTER 1 :
THE MESSENGER OF RENAIS
After the Mad King's War, Ike was crowned King of Daein (much against his wishes, because the Begnion Senate thrust the throne to him). The Greil Mercenaries remained at his side; however, then-Princess Mist became the High Priestess stationed in the Palmeni Temple. Gatrie became the chief of the Palace Guard, and, as such, he could take on romantic relationships with any female courtesan he wanted. Shinon was assigned the lower city to guard, and Oscar became the commander of the Daein Royal House Knights, who were assigned to the Royal House. Mia still fights at His Majesty's side. And Soren? He was assigned to the Royal Library and was allowed to pursue his arcane research without any hassle from anyone (except perhaps for the King himself). Three years after the actual end of the Mad King's War...
Boyd and Rolf were on guard duty and they spotted a travelling mage flying a white flag. Boyd, at the gate of the city, spotted the peculiar man, who wore a white cape, despite his black garments.
Boyd asked him, "Sir, what is your purpose in this city?"
The unknown traveller replied, "I have a message to deliver to your King. Is he in residence in the palace up there now?"
Rolf also asked what is his name and what his job is. To this, the unknown traveller replied, "Pelleas. I have been sent here by the King of Renais, Fado."
Boyd told him that he doesn't know where he comes from, but Pelleas was allowed to enter the city, having to sleep at Calill's inn, with free bread and butter. However, he really wasn't interested in bread and butter. He went straight for the innkeeper's counter, with something important in mind. Pelleas asked her, "How can I get an audience scheduled with the King?"
Calill replied with a question, "Why is that so?"
Pelleas told her he came from another continent. Calill, puzzled by his answer, just asked, "Another continent? Weren't all other continents flooded in the Great Flood?"
Pelleas explained her that the "Great Flood" is just a myth. It is true that there was a flood but it did not completely flood all continents except for Tellius. Then, he told Calill, "I come from a Magvel beorc nation, on behalf of the United Nations. I came here to suggest that Daein joins the U.N. because of what the king currently does to protect laguz and the rights of the peasantry."
Calill, even more puzzled, asked, "And how the U.N. works?"
Pelleas answered, "As I know it, it is an organization dedicated to maintain peace and to protect the rights of humanity (beorc and laguz alike)."
Calill, with her mind cleared up, said, "Oh! I see that the gate guardians already scheduled an audience for you tomorrow. Their protocol demands that any diplomatic envoys, such as you, be received without delay. Unfortunately, since the King is asleep, it's scheduled for tomorrow."
Pelleas warned, with a solemn tone, "If your claims are correct, you also are a world-class mage… if the King accepts what we, the United Nations, have to offer, we have work for you."
Then Largo shows him the way to his room, which is nothing more than a normal bedroom with a cot on the side of the window. And a storage coffer, in which he stows his clothes, books, parchments and gold away, in a small leather pouch. He also thinks of the possible outcomes of the diplomatic meeting of tomorrow.
Breakfast was the time for the free bread and butter this inn was famous for. He ate three slices of bread before he went for the "long" march to the palace. Of course, as he booked for two nights, he left his belongings in his inn room. And Calill came along as well, because no one else could support his claims. Within the dark, smelly streets of Nevassa, they pressed on during an hour and a half to finally arrive at the gates of the palace, with a map of Magvel at hand. A Swordmaster came at the duet to ask what they are doing at the palace. Calill briefly recognized her because they fought alongside the Crimean army in the Mad King's War. Mia asked what their business in the palace was.
Pelleas replied, "I have a message for your King! I was sent here by the king of Renais, Fado!"
Mia, puzzled, asked, "Renais? Fado? What's this trickery? Your audience is scheduled in two hours. For the time being, please wait in the line."
Pelleas took his Renaisian standard out and the attention of everyone else in the waiting room was turned to the crest flown by this unknown nation. Everyone was genuinely curious about Renais and what happens there to need an urgent attention from King Daein at the other side of the sea.
Tauroneo asked, "You say that your kingdom has been invaded by an empire who summons demons to do their bidding? What kind of demons?" Pelleas answered that the demons the Grado Empire summoned were quite varied: Entombeds, Mogalls, Maunthe Doogs, maybe even Zombie Dragon Laguz!
Tauroneo, shocked, said, "Zombie Dragon Laguz? This Emperor Vigarde of yours must be crushed! I cannot stand what he does! That's even worse than Ashnard when he lived!" Pelleas replied, "We ask your King to supply laguz weapons, for we have no way to kill Zombie Dragon Laguz without these special weapons." The guards then brought and announced the diplomat to the throne room, who was lavishly sculpted and also had a red carpet leading to the actual throne.
Gatrie announced, "Your Majesty, the Renaisian diplomat has arrived."
Pelleas bows and kneels before the King, as etiquette suggests. Then he gets straightened up, and then the talks can begin. King Ike asked Pelleas what he came here for.
Pelleas told the King, "My kingdom at the other side of the sea, Renais, humbly asks your country to supply us with laguz weapons, since our country is being overrun by the forces of Grado! The United Nations need your help to fight the enemy back!"
Ike convoked the Kingdom Council. As for Pelleas, he was to remain in the throne room until the Kingdom Council arrives. The Kingdom Council is comprised of six people, and it is led by the King himself. However, when the King is not available, the Prime Minister, Soren, presides over the Kingdom Council's meetings.
Pelleas showed them a map of Magvel, who was quite detailed for the looks of it. (He points an area in north-eastern Frelia). This is where the United Nations have their headquarters, Onrac. An eventual army would be going out at sea for months, the Kingdom Council had to take a decision quickly.
Soren, perplexed, asked, "Magvel? But was it supposed to have been a victim of the Great Flood 600-odd years ago?"
Pelleas replied that the "Great Flood", as they say, only marked the moment where the people on the continents stopped inter-continental transportation by sea, because there was a terrible series of tsunamis at that moment.
Jill, seeing that laguz seem to be a controversial issue in Magvel, asked the ambassador, "How are laguz treated over there? Just hope the Magvel nations don't mistreat them."
Pelleas replied, "Grado mistreats them, Phoenicis just concluded an alliance with Jehanna, on the basis that Ismaire is a Branded. Unlike Misaha, she wasn't assassinated when her branded heritage was publicly revealed."
Tauroneo asked the white-caped man, "Tibarn? Since when Tibarn has allied with a beorc nation from another continent?" Pelleas then said it began five years ago.
Ike asked everyone in the Kingdom Council where did they stand. Tauroneo accepts that Daein joins the United Nations; Jill said that, for the laguz rights in the world, it was in Daein's best interest to fight with Renais. As for Soren, his interest in this affair is purely economical; he also told that Daein will gain a benefit if it fought alongside the United Nations. However, Jarod objected that the United Nations had nothing to offer to us… except in a case of victory. Mist, the King's sister, accepts. Ike announced that the decision is taken and Daein joins the United Nations.
