When they exited the Pocket Castle, Luka and his small group found themselves close to Port Natalia. As they made their way to the cave that would lead them to Port Marle, their heart tightened upon seeing the ruins of Luddite Village: As despicable as its inhabitants were, it was a grim reminder that even with his acquired skills and army, the situation could still worsen.

"Woah, so pretty!"

The only one who showed enthusiasm amongst the grim group was Lucifina-chan. The small seraph was wearing a concealment ring, as well as a set of especially tailored clothes that made her look like an upper resident of Iliasburg. She initially had spent a lot of time complaining about the constraints placed upon her, and trying to reassure her on their necessity to avoid attracting unwanted attention had only been moderately effective. The only reason that made her relent was the perspective to accompany Luka on his travel.

Airy and Freya were a little wary of their new companion. While they had no doubt that her loyalty and relation to Luka ensured that she'd be careful not to harm them, the bloodlust of the little seraph was scaring them. Even Freya held back on telling sarcastic remarks about the "family that solves everything with their swords".

They eventually reached the Marle Grand Corridor. Several bug like monsters were roaming around and eyed the company with preying eyes, but any of them that crossed the group's path scurried away upon seeing the Seraph's psychotic gaze that illuminated her eyes when she saw them.

As the group was making its way through the cave, Luka started to hear a familiar voice from afar.

"…That damn White Rabbit said she was going to Grand Noah, so we're going to Grand Noah!"

When he took the next turn in the cavern, he almost bumped into the group lead by Alice the sixteenth. The small Monster Lord was in deep discussion with her two new lieutenants: A pink slime bunny girl, and a small silver kitsune. Both small monsters looked unenthusiastic.

"But even if we reach Port Marle, we won't have access to a boat to go to Grand Noah."

"You just have to threaten them!"

"Bwuh?"

The trio turned to see Luka's group. Alice straightened herself and took a haughty tone.

"Well, if it isn't the Goddess's lapdog... She looked at the other persons that were accompanying the hero before scoffing. "She's not even with you. Is she lazying into the castle? Or did she abandon-" She brutally interrupted herself when she recognized Freya and Airy. "Elf Queen? Fairy Queen? You have chosen to accompany her as well?"

Freya grimaced. "It is a long story…"

She briefly explained that she was following Luka because he had freed her from brainwashing, all while carefully skipping over the stranger elements such as time travel. She also told that Luka recently had lost a childhood friend when exploring a Tartarus and that Ilias had consequently indeed abandoned him.

At the end of the short tale, Alice was wide eyed, while the two other monsters that were accompanying her were starting to tear up.

"I-. I Apologize. That was rude of me. I had no idea what happened." She looked down, ashamed.

Luka shrugged. "Thanks. But I must move on anyway. I can't afford to stay in a corner and mope any longer."

After a minute of silence, Alice spoke again. "Do you want me to accompany you? Since Ilias is no longer with you, I wouldn't mind coming with you."

Luka sighed. "Thanks, but there are some things that I would prefer to not get you involved in."

And I don't know how fast chaosization would spread should I change companion in the middle of my adventure.

"I see." Alice remained silent for a moment. "Well in that case, I wish you good luck."

"So we don't kill the Monster Lord?"

Luka turned to see Lucifina-chan holding her sword high in an aggressive stance while wearing a psycho smile. "No! We don't!"

Upon seeing the small girl, Alice recoiled in fear while her two companions started running for their life. "Who is it? Where did you find someone so crazy?"

"Nothing I could tell about her would make the situation better. Trust me."

Mostly because I don't know half of it myself.

"Well, then I confirm it's better if we stay far from each other. Farawell." She slithered at great speed toward the exit of the cavern, shouting at her new lieutenants to wait for her.

Luka sighed and turned his tired eyes toward Lucifina-chan. The disguised seraph looked around her, still smiling happily with her sword ready to strike.

"Did I do something wrong?"

An hour later, the group had finally arrived in sight of Port Marle. Luka discussed with the local Marine the possibility to get to cruise the sea to reach Grand Noah. Just like last time, a local seahorse girl who acted as a viceroy gave them a pass to go to the Marine Headquarters. As he saw all the identical seahorse girls, who were all dressed alike, eating like horses and lazying around, Luka felt sorry for Leviathan for a spare second. It looked like the Admiral of the Navy was surrounded by idiots for her mission of protecting the sea. Well meaning idiots, sure, but idiots anyway.

His thoughts wandered to his own companions, and he was happy for a moment, as he considered them superior to everything he could get on the continent. Well, some of them were pranksters, and others had needs that were extremely hard to fulfill. And some other ones were still downright cruel in spite of his best effort to make them socialize. And a few had caused quite the trouble back because of thick-headed actions -it was a miracle the castle was still standing after the giant's dance session-. In the end, he felt a certain kinship with the admiral of the navy.

Once he arrived to the small fortress that made for the Navy Headquarter, Luka didn't lose a second to make his way to Leviathan's office. The huge blue sea serpent told them that civilians couldn't cross the sea, no matter the reason. However, if he did some work for the marine, he would be considered an auxiliary unit and, as such, the restriction would no longer apply to him.

And Leviathan, as luck would have it, had a fitting mission in the form of minor troubles created by a supposed descendant of Queen Roza, the legendary pirate mermaid. Said descendant was leading a small mermaid gang called the Fishy Pirates, and while those were small fry, the Marine couldn't afford the manpower to get rid of them. Luka refrained from commenting on the sheer number of marines that were currently busy not giving a damn in Port Marle.

As soon as he got out, he got intercepted by a dog girl who brought him to a mermaid pirate hiding herself on a dock. She wanted them to meet the leader of the Fishy Pirates. On their way, Luka discreetly repeated to Lucifina that she shouldn't attack anyone on the boat, and that she should only fight to incapacitate and not to kill. Lucifina-chan repeatedly nodded, but the hero doubted she understood or even cared.

Aboard the MS Fish, the Fishy Pirates didn't make a good impression on Luka and his entourage: The captain's chair had been occupied by a vagrant nekomata, while the captain Bonnie herself was busy stuffing her face with fish. For a moment, he wondered why he had recruited them in the past, before realizing that the leader Bonnie had a certain charisma and that her support Ashel was extremely competent in managing the resources used by the Fishy Pirates. After listening to their pleas to join them, Luka answered that he would consider their opinion but needed some time. As they were back on the small boat that was leading them back to the Marine's headquarters, Lucifina-chan decided to remove her concealment ring and speed up the side quest in the fastest way possible.

That was only when Luka saw the ship sinking, clearly cut in two in the middle, that the realization hit him. He should have told the small seraph that they required this boad for transportation later.

The top of Mt Amos was filled with activity. Several angels had established a camp, raising wooden houses amidst the sparse vegetation that was present. Eden was ordering several angel soldiers to prepare a field to grow wheat, while a few other ones were working on building another house. At the center of the growing hamlet, Ilias smiled as she looked at the effort done by her subordinates. She was now surrounded only people that paid her proper deference, and it was about time. After a few minutes, Eden made her way toward her superior and kneeled.

"We have barely enough surface to grow wheat to sustain ourselves. Most of the mountain soil is hard and barren. Even using fertilization spells would barely help."

"Then they will have to toil harder. We will make do for what we have, for now."

She moved away slightly and gestured around her. "This place is considered the closest point to Heaven. I want its new design to make it clear that it is indeed as close to being in Heaven that one can be. For now, we have been forced to struggle by ourselves because people didn't properly acknowledge us." She chuckled. "They recognized the hero Luka and those who accompanied him. He stunted my presence and forced me to live in his shadow, just like those abominable monsters he accepts to share his bed with. But now that he's no longer there, we're finally free to grow by ourselves, and soon the faith in me will rise back to what it was and what it always should be.

"We will need time before we get the resources available to make this place as great as Heaven." Eden couldn't refrain from expressing her concern.

"Of course. We also need to invite people and share our wisdom with them. Then, they will spread word of this place and more people will come. Soon enough, they will sustain us and finally make this place deserve the presence of the goddess. Start on it as soon as possible."

Eden bowed. "Consider your will done."

As soon as her lieutenant left, Ilias entered the largest house with a feeling of satisfaction. This place was certainly not fitting enough for a goddess right now, but it was a good start, and, most of all, it showered everyone that the angels present on this earth didn't need those monsters. She lied down in her relatively luxurious bed, and, without knowing why, cried herself to sleep.

Thanks to the skills of Poseidon, Kraken, Zenovia and their follower, the MS Fish was operational again in the blink of an eye. Fixing the ship had required a lot of effort, and only Levia was still able to fight should an issue arise at sea. Once the group had made its report to the admiral of the navy, Luka made its way to the southern coast of the Noah region and started to make its way to the razed village of Finoa.

Everybody remained silent as they explored the burned ruins of the village. Soon enough, several other residents of the Pocket Castle joined them, including Micaela and Mephisto. All had a somber expression.

"This village counted seventy-eight inhabitants, ten of whom were monsters. It was barely a hamlet, and yet…" Mephisto groaned. "…It doesn't lessen the tragedy."

"They've been thorough, I can recognize that." Micaela moved a few cinders with her foot. "No building standing, a fire spell strong enough to reduce even bones to ash, and dispel spells to clean the lingering magic." She saw a chimney that had not yet fallen apart. She glared at it as if it contained a clue behind the fire, and, as if to defy her silent interrogation, the structure collapsed in a cacophony of broken stone. "And the youngest children magically appeared in Yamatai the next day?"

Mephisto nodded positively. "They didn't knew anything about what happened. Try explaining to a group of children that you don't know what happened either, before you learn that their parents are dead and their birthplace got razed… Luckily, all the population adopted them and gave them new loving homes. As to why Yamatai and not Grand Noah…"

Micaela analyzed the situation, carefully taking time to consider what she heard: This place hadn't been razed last time this adventure happened, and if Mephisto didn't hide anything, the only place where another abnormal event happened was indeed Yamatai, with the replacement of Tamamo by Astaroth. It was too early to point fingers, but not too much to eye someone suspiciously. The only way to know what happened exactly was to rewind time, and the sheer energy this required didn't exactly made it an option.

She heard a small sneeze, and could see Airy rubbing her nose. "Sorry. I accidentaly inhaled ashes."

"No information on your side?"

"Nothing useful, I can only tell you that the fire was definitively magical."

"Well, in that case, let's split back up. I don't feel comfortable showing myself in this region more than I have to, and I want to be well rested for Yamatai."

Luka acquiesced. He felt something wrong himself. But somehow, that feeling was more turned toward itself than his surroundings.

A few minutes later, Luka and his party was back on the road toward Grand Noah. They were walking on a road surrounded by forests when the sun started setting down.

"Alright, let's camp here for tonight."

"Yay!"

As Luka set up his tent, he observed Freya magically weave a thick hammock between two trees while the queen fairy made herself invisible amongst a few overgrown flowers.

He started preparing stir-fried vegetables in a pan, and was soon joined by Lucifina.

"Let me cook! It's the matriarch duty to make the meal for the family!"

Everybody shook their head left and right. They all heard about the incidents that involved her, the kitchen, twenty kilograms of steak and an onion. Luka started wondering how she ended up going from that reckless bloodthirsty attitude to the motherly figure that would teach him everything he knew about cooking. Well, if anything, she was the proof that people could change and acquire new skills…

The elf queen looked positively entranced by the smell, and the tip of her ears even fluttered a little bit. This didn't went unnoticed by the other party members, and she decided to bring on a new subject before they could start teasing her.

"So, tomorrow will be the day when we will finally fight at the colosseum. What are we expecting exactly?"

Luka continued stirring his vegetables as he answered. "A few fights. Several against low level monsters. Two against the top commanders of Grand Noah's army. Then the final against Alma Elma/Kyuba, then a surprise interruption from Granberia.

The Elf queen frowned. "An interruption… This is strongly irregular, and I'm surprised Granberia would violate the colosseum's rules just to challenge one of her fellow knight."

Luka grimaced. "Actually… Mephisto -the one still present in Grand Noah, not our- is using the competition to bait Alma Elma because she knew the succubus queen would show up for the final if I was there, as she did in true history."

"What?!" Freya was livid. "She's using the colosseum as a tool to serve her own plan?! How dare she?! She shall know the wrath of the Elven tribes!"

"Wait!" Airy called out to her friend. "With all the unexpected changes, do you think that they would still take the risk to put their plan into motion?"

Luka shrugged. "I don't know. I'm only sure that Alma Elma will still come."

Lucifina emitted a high pitched laugh that startled the three other party members. "They're so funny! Asking miss dragon to stop the Succubus Queen!" Still laughing, she threw herself at Luka, knocking the wind out of him. "Did she get teased? Did you enjoy watching it happen? Did it give you nice dreams?"

Luka realized what her not-mother meant. A dragonkin, weak to pleasure and whose attack could easily be dodged was the last opponent you would throw at a succubus. He would have to ask Mephisto more about it…

"No."

Lucifina-chan blinked twice before taking a scolding tone. "Don't lie to mommy! I will watch your mouth with soap if you continue!"

"Back on the point…" Airy slowly inhaled, still trying to get over the fact that she somehow ended up being the voice of reason in the group right now. "Do you really think Alma Elma will show up with Astaroth so close?"

"We asked her back at the castle. She holds this competition highly in her eyes, and wouldn't miss it for any reason." Luka poured the content of the pan into a large plate. "I'm more worried that we get to face more monsters than just Granberia."

Once Luka was done cooking the meal, the small party silently ate around the campfire. Everybody took a second to congratulate Luka for his cooking, and after training separately a bit, everybody went to sleep. Lucifina-chan surrounded herself with her wings and basically disappeared. Only a small ball of light was marking the place she was present a minute ago. As Luka lied inside his sleeping back, he took a moment to think about how much the events of the day…

…Hadn't shaken him at all. Seeing the boat getting cut apart like butter only annoyed him because they needed that boat. Seeing that burned place when he knew that it should have been filled with life hadn't gotten a single reaction from him. He hadn't spared a second thought neither for the poor mermaids pirates that could have been cut apart by his ally's recklessness nor for the citizens who probably died in a burning agony in this village.

Am I starting to feel indifferent to what's happening around me?

This question tortured him all night.