I had seen the city of Sadera in both the anime and manga so I knew what to expect. That still didn't prepare me for the size of its walls and intricacy of its defenses. This was years before the military disasters inflicted on them by Japan so the Empire still had troops to throw around. Wyverns patrolled the skies and the walls were fully manned. Despite this it was a simple matter getting into the city.

The guards easily bought my story of being a wandering mercenary and Dora being my servant/apprentice. All we received was a few raised eyebrows at my strange 'staff' and armor. Other than that we were waved inside after paying the entrance tax.

Sadera's majesty didn't extend inside the city however. First thing that hit me was the smell. The combined stench of garbage and feces both human and animal assaulted my nostrils making me quickly turn on my helmet's gas mask. Dora who lacked any nose protection gagged at the stench.

"This city isn't as clean as Haven." she said side stepping over a brown puddle with a dead rat floating in it.

"Clean streets might not seem as important as strong walls or grand buildings." I reply "But you'll definitely notice if you don't have them."

Dora nodded in agreement and followed me through the tight winding streets to the location Dora specified or at least tried to. He was glad they had bugged the apartment Dora shared with the Pied Piper. Dora knew the name of the place and the district it was in but not small details like what street it was on.

Thankfully I had the Shadow Bats, the Empire's Intelligence division. They asked a few of the citizens that either been to Sadera or lived there. The Demi-humans were the most helpful. The tavern was called the Wasted Wyvern and both it and Bouro were well known to the Demi-humans in the area. The pig demi was rumored to have connections all over Falmart including in the Imperial Palace. He and the rest of the Haryo Tribe would make good Shadow Bats if I could bring them to my side.

We both entered the tavern to find the place mostly empty besides a few patrons. Bouro was nowhere to be seen. I walked up to the bar where the bartender, a four armed demi, was eyeing me with suspicion.

"What can I getcha?" he asked eyes never leaving me for a second.

"I'm looking for Bouro." I say

"Really? And just what are you looking to do once you find him?"

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

"Hmph. You're confident I'll give you that. He's in the back. Try not to end up dead. Hate to have your carcass stinking up the place."

I went to the door the bartender pointed out with Dora in tow. Upon opening it I could see it was a private meeting room of some sort. There was a table and some chairs with Bouro sitting on one of them a mug in hand. The thermal imaging in my helmet picked up the cloaked guards by the door. Bouro was certainly the prepared type.

"Word gets around." the pig demi said "Iron ships attacking slave convoys, strange soldiers in white armor with magical weapons, the entire city of Venezia conquered by those same soldiers using flying ships."

"You're well informed." I state simply

Ignoring me Bouro continues. "The one at the center of it is the Emperor of an unknown Empire. An Emperor who traveled all the way from Venezia to Sadera in order to find me. What I want to know is for what reason."

I slide Norra's letter over to him. "We found your Pied Piper on one of the slave ships we liberated. She wanted to get this to you and it was on the way."

"On the way to where exactly?"

"This one wanted to go back to her village and bring her family to the city." I reply gesturing to Dora who was trying to appear as small as possible.

"And?" Bouro asked.

"I also wanted to offer you a job."

"A job? And what exactly is the pay?"

"Everything you could possibly want. I know of your tribe and what you seek. There are no second class citizens in my Empire. If you join me you will become apart of a society where you'll not only be equal but one of its valued defenders."

I couldn't tell if my little speech was having an effect or not. Bouro still looked largely uninterested. He most likely doubted my claim. That was to be expected. This was the same Bouro who despite mounting evidence to the contrary still believed the Saderans would triumph over the JSDF. Ironically the Japanese probably would have given him territory of his own if he supported them but he was convinced Sadera was the biggest kid on the block. Period.

If he was allowed to see how powerful my Empire was I could sway him to my side. The Haryo Tribe could be a very annoying thorn in my side if they stood against me. I preferred having skills like that at my disposal.

"If you're still unconvinced I invite you to spend a few days at my capital. There you can see all that you could benefit from. Just come to Venezia and my soldiers will fly you over."

Other than an eyebrow rising when I said 'fly' Bouro still looked uninterested. "I may take you up on that offer but if that's all then take your leave."

"Thank you for your time." I say standing up and heading to the door. "I bid you and your two guards a good day."


Bouro was surprised that a mere human could see his guards. Only a skilled mage could detect a magical cloak and his guards, a half elf and half siren, were not pushovers. He took a peek at Norra's letter to see her appraisal of the situation.

To his surprise he saw a downright glowing appraisal from the usually cynical Pied Piper. While it was short and coded in case of interception he could easily see her admiration in the writing. She urged him to 'visit' saying that land could very well become their new home.

He was going to decline but Norra's letter made him reconsider if she was right and if the Emperor wasn't speaking out of his ass then this very well might be an opportunity they couldn't afford to miss.

"I might take him up on the offer." He mused.

"You should."

Swords from his guards were drawn and pointed at the source of the voice. Bouro allowed a look of surprise to grace his normally impassive face as he recognized the voice.

"Thalia is that you?" he asked

Whatever invisibility cloak she was using fell allowing him to see the half-elf half-warrior bunny that was the Haryo Tribe's greatest assassin. She wore a strange black and white outfit, on her arm was a gauntlet like the Emperor had, and she was without her favorite daggers but it was her.

"I thought you were dead." he said simply

"No. Not dead. Merely captured and enslaved. Spent several years as a plaything passed from male to male." she said nonchalantly

He raised a questioning eyebrow to which she replied. "No, I'm not here for revenge. I knew the risks going in. Besides, even if I was would you be able to stop me?"

His guards tensed up at the threat but he conceded her point. If she wanted him dead she would have killed him a long time ago. Thalia reappearing just as that Emperor left. That wasn't a mere coincidence.

Guessing his thought process Thalia smiled and said "I would be a poor Black Bat if I didn't look after my Emperor."

With the emphasis she put on 'my' her meaning was clear. That Emperor had gained Thalia's loyalty which was no easy feat. It took half a city, a small mountain of corpses, and fighting an apostle for him to gain Thalia's loyalty for the first time. Just how had that human managed that?

"It was nothing extravagant in case you're wondering." She said idly rubbing the metal tube on her belt. "He set me free, brought me to his capital which is paradise for us Demis, and allowed me to continue my craft in addition to giving me better tools in which to do so."

She pulled the tube from her belt and pressed the side. Instantly a blade of red light erupted from it.

"This is a 'lightsaber'. It is a blade capable of cutting through anything with ease. Stone, metal, people… You can imagine how useful such a weapon could be to an assassin."

She pointed to her clothes. "This suit allows me to turn invisible undetectable by all even if they used magic and leaves behind no footprints."

She tapped the gauntlet she wore. "This a Pip-boy. It has maps, allows me to communicate with our forces no matter where I am, and…"

There was a slight crack as a dagger appeared in her hand which she twirled with practiced ease. "It is able to store anything I want inside of it. Food, armor, weapons. The only limit is what I could physically carry."

If he was intrigued before then he was certainly on board now. While he no longer had Thalia's loyalty he both knew and trusted her to an extent. She didn't waste her time with lies or subterfuge. If she told you something she was being completely honest. First Norra and now Thalia. This new Empire just might be worth his time.

"I do hope you decide to join us, Bouro. I hate for us to be enemies. You know what I do to enemies... Now if you don't mind I have to catch up to the Emperor. Captain Rex would be furious if he knew I let him out of my sight."

Thalia went over to the door disappearing as she did so. Just right before her head vanished she smirked at him before leaving him and his guards to their own devices.

"Go and get Celosia and Ajax." Bouro told one of his guards. "Tell them to prepare for a long journey. We're going to Venezia."