Lodend Mountains, Norlangarth

"Seems the cave is quite peaceful, for being an open entrance to the Dark Territory. Whoever watches over this place is doing a good job."

"There wasn't a Clamp Cluster inside either," Tiese notes. "At least not of a size you described in the Southern Corridor. That does line up with the report that the area has been relatively peaceful."

"That's right. Still, I want to get Medina's report as well. Good chance she sent the wayfarers out to do some additional recon. I think Eydis and Alice may have looked around too… Maybe we should have brought Sortiliena."

"You could have invited Liena yourself," Ronie says teasingly. "Maybe next time, hm?" I stop walking and turn to Ronie with a raised eyebrow, causing the girls to laugh at my expense. Sighing, I continue walking back to Rulid Village, spotting Medina up ahead outside the northern entrance. We head her way and she spots us before we get close.

"Jaymes, Tiese, Ronie."

"Hey, Medina. We're back. The girls and I checked out the Northern Cave, it's clear. What brings you here?"

"That's good to hear. As for me, everyone was waiting at the village, so I came to see what was taking so long. Plus I was waiting for a scout to return after I made them do some recon."

"Is that so?" From within the village comes Alice and Eydis, the former speaking her mind. I hear the disdain in her voice but nothing more comes of it. More interesting is the people following the Integrity Knights.

"Alice, who are they?"

"Wayfarers. They're under our protection."

"Is that so," Medina says, "With those numbers, they could hold their own in a fight."

"A fight? Do you intend to convert them as well?"

"I was hasty last time. But this time, I'll implore them after we talk. Alice, I know more now that I've collected information in this village."

Alice frowns. "There are things these people would like to do that suit them better. Your way of doing things isn't completely wrong, but speaking to them has made me realize they do not wish to be soldiers."

"Is the protection of Rulid not essential to our survival?"

"If you conduct your touch on them, they will become obedient soldiers or scouts. However, I cannot agree with forcing them to fight if they have other wishes. And not one of them said they wanted to be someone's puppet."

Medina tightens her fists and glare at Alice. "It seems you really don't understand the situation, after all."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"HQ is short on manpower, nobility is uncooperative, and guards are unreliable. We require more able-bodied fighters to deal with the beasts. Perhaps they are puppets in a way. However, the fact remains that wayfarers become precious allies thanks to my touch. I can order them to act as scouts on behalf of the ACTF!"

"Order them, you say? Whatever happened to 'imploring' them? You seem to have changed your tone rather quickly... We require additional personnel to investigate the disappearances. Medina, please leave these children as they are."

Tiese returns to me after meeting with the wayfarer scout Medina was waiting on and delivers to me his message. Sighing, I intervene in this annoying argument. "The wayfarers have discovered new intel in their investigation. Children are disappearing in villages south of here. You can thank the wayfarer for it, Alice… Eydis, have Selka have her father take care of them. Medina, take Tiese and Ronie with you, get prepared to move out tomorrow." Those orders leave me alone with Alice for the time being, and I try my best to retain a neutral face as I turn to her.

"Jaymes, you must--"

"I don't care for your opinion, Alice. If that's how you feel, that's how you feel, just like how Medina feels is hers. Yes, you may have a point, but so does she. You saw it yourself, uncooperative nobility despite their skills. We are undermanned despite being a force for the four kingdoms, so we have to rely on volunteers. Even in our own group, the seven of us can't do everything. We're the only two who can cut the Clamps, yet we can't be everywhere in the Human Empire at once. They can cut the Clamps, fight the beasts, and aid us in our investigations. That is invaluable to us right now."

"Yet--"

"Yet you are right, they have wishes of their own before Medina brings them under her control. I'll take that into consideration in the future… Go back to camp, ready yourself as well."

"Greetings."

"Hey there, Jaymes."

I blink about six times in disbelief at the two young girls in front of me, yet it does not make them disappear at all. They're actually here, the trainee Integrity Knights twenty-eight and twenty-nine, Linel and Fizel. "What are you two doing here?"

"We just finished a mission to slay some beasts in the area with our boss here."

"Boss?"

It was an order meant for me alone," the seventh Integrity Knight, Deusolbert, says as he approaches us, "but before I knew it, these two tagged along."

That's right, the girls are under apprenticeship to Deusolbert, though his stoicism provides no information on how he feels about it. Being in his position with Tiese and Ronie, I wonder how he's doing with the job. "Looks like the apprenticeship is going pretty well for you guys."

Deusolbert grunts. "Relatively speaking. I believe you may have it better."

"Oh, hey," Fizel interrupts, "what's up with those disappearing kids? Made any progress? You stuck? If the investigation has hit a dead-end, we can lend a haaand…"

"What are you the two of you on about? We are to return to HQ at once."

Deusolbert is ignored by the girls as the soft-spoken Linel presses the topic. "We heard the Norlangarthian Guard is practically useless against beasts."

Fizel nods. "We're good hunters, and make even better spies, since no one suspects children!"

"As much appreciated that help would be, I think we can manage."

Fizel pouts. "Come on, we'll be super helpful. Let us go with you!"

Deusolbert sighs. "Do not trouble Jaymes further. There are other matters that require our attention."

"Norlangarth has plenty of beasts! We can wipe them out on the way."

"No."

"Party pooper."

"Well, even if he says no, there are other ways we can join them."

"That's true… Okay, let's do it."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. We give up trying to help investigate the disappearing children."

"Let's return to HQ, Boss."

Deusolbert looks at the girls in unease, then seemingly relents as he faces me. "Jaymes, forgive the intrusion, but would you allow us to accompany you? I'll endeavor to ensure these two do not become a burden."

I chuckle lightly. "Very well. I trust your word, Deusolbert."

Fizel smiles excitedly. "You mean we can tag along?"

"Reports of beast appearances in the north have been constant, so we must stay. We shall help Jaymes on her mission. Perhaps we will discover a hidden Clamp Core as we hunt beasts along the way. Moreover, this seems far safer than leaving you two alone."

"Thank you! Best boss ever!"

"That's our boss. I knew he would make the right call."

"Was that not your intention from the very beginning?"

"What ever could you mean? We just wanted to see our master in action."

"That's right! We had no ulterior motives whaaatsover!"

"Glad to have you three for now. We leave tomorrow at dawn." I step over to Deusolbert and give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Good luck with them."

Lockiss Rocks, Norlangarth

"This is the Lockiss Rocks," Sortiliena says to me as we come into a rocky valley outside of a forest. "This was once the seat of the Northern Empire, and if we go far enough, we can see the castle. But we don't have to go anywhere to see the Cathedral Cedar apparently."

"The former seat… The empires are run from the capital, right?"

"Mhm… Are you sure it's fine to leave the beasts to the knights?"

I take my sight to the battlefield below, where Alice, Eydis, Deusolbert, Fizel, and Linel ward off a horde of beasts a sentry called us to assist with. Eager to see Deusolbert and his apprentices in action, I offered the job to the five Integrity Knights. As such, they're making quick work of the frog-like beasts. "They're fine, unless you want to join, Liena."

"I am fine here, they have it handled, and I wouldn't want to disrupt your pride either. As a former master myself, I wouldn't want to embarrass you."

I scoff. "Didn't I beat you once?"

"Sure. Anyway, it seems the Clamps are thriving in this area. It's no wonder the guards have yet to prevail."

"Yeah." I take notice of the knights completing their tasks and begin to move my horse. "Now then, shall we continue to the village? Medina, spread the wayfarers out and have them dismantle the Clamps and beasts. The five of us will venture into the village and see what they know of the disappearances."

Minutes later, the four girls and I, joined by Alice and Eydis, enter the village. Not much activity is going around, but in the town's center is a group of people around a guard. They seem to be arguing, and Sortiliena leaps off her horse first to see what the issue is. "What's all the yelling about?"

One of the watching villagers informs us. "Well, some villagers got in a dispute with a guard."

Eydis sighs. "With a guard? Over what?"

"You haven't heard? Recently, a number of the village's children have gone missing."

"Gone missing… I bet it's connected to the incident we heard from the ACTF."

"Despite their efforts, the guard hasn't found the children yet, leading to unrest?"

"Not quite. The reason is a bit different. Actually, we've begged them to search for the missing children...repeatedly. But they turn us away every time...and the villagers have had enough."

Alice frowns. "Why would the guards refuse the villagers' request."

"I have a wild guess, but we need to stop the commotion before it gets out of hand." As we come close to the core of the problem, I can hear the issue being pressed by the villagers and the response the guard gives. As I guessed, he's noble-born (he calls them "lowly commoners") and much like the sentry we met the other day, it seems he doesn't much for the issue due to "time constraints" or something stupid.

"Pardon me," Alice interrupts, "but why don't we stop this argument?"

"Huh? Who the hell are you?"

"We're...swordsmen who are helping to exterminate the beasts in the area. We have heard the situation. Why not search for the missing children?"

"Children that get lost are the responsibility of their negligent parents."

"But there was one child alone that can't leave the village alone! It might have been the work of the beasts!"

"The work of the beasts? You dare accuse the guard of being negligent?"

"No! I would never!"

The guard scoffs and turns away. "Get out of my sight. I'll not waste time listening to those who slight us!"

"Then how do you feel answering to an Inte…" Eydis, despite her anger, stops when Alice takes hold of her shoulder. "Alice…"

"We can't."

"What?"

"You two have something to say?"

Alice shakes her head in response to the sentry. "No."

"How very cruel," I hear Medina say as she steps to my left side. "You call yourselves defenders of the Norlangarth Empire?"

"Medina, don't."

The guard perks up in our direction. "Did you say Medina? You mean the daughter of House Orthinanos?"

Medina nods. "Why do you know who I am?"

"My brother attended Swordcraft Academy. The issolent girl of House Orthinanos who somehow became an Elite Disciple. I would never forget the name of a cheating defect. Why are you even here? Now I have to breathe the same air as an Orthinanos!"

"I'll kindly have you retract your statement," Alice commands. "Medina became an Elite Disciple through her honest efforts and determination."

Sortiliena nods. "I attended the fight myself, she won fair and square."

The guard grits his teeth angrily. "Spar me, you pretentious cur! I'll cut you down where you stand!"

Alice looks around. "It is crowded here. If we are to fight, we must change locations."

"What?"

"Oh my. You aren't afraid of losing to some pretentious cur, are you?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous… I'm so busy, I don't even have time to waste on you! Whatever, I'll overlook you lot this time! You should be thankful for my patience!"

As the sentry walks away, Eydis turns on Alice. "Why did you stop me, Alice? If he knew we're Integrity Knights, we could have handled the situation!"

Alice shakes her head. "If I was still an Integrity Knight, I would agree with you."

"Was?"

"But if we did that, we'd be no better than the nobles that abuse their Authority."

"Abuse?"

"Yes, Eydis." Before Eydis gets more verbal with Alice and cause another commotion, I grab her shoulder and move her away. While Medina moves up to thank Alice, I pull Eydis aside.

"Look, I don't agree with the sentiment, but for now I agree with her methods. So, for now, unless the measures are dire, do not reveal your true identity."

Eydis sighs and relents. "FIne...but why would she say she is no longer a knight?" I have no answer to that, so I turn away to address the group.

"For now, our priority is the children. We'll leave the Clamps to the wayfarers."

"R-Really," one of the villagers with the guard earlier gasps in surprise. "But there are so many beasts out there…"

"You just leave that to us," Ronie says. "We need to hurry and find those kids!"

Tiese nods. "Either way, we have to root out Clamps in the area too. Two birds, one stone, right?"

"Th-Thank you so much! I'll quickly spread the word of the brave people willing to help us!"

As the villager runs off, Eydis rejoins the group and looks in his direction. "Okay. First, let's talk to some of the villagers and find out what they know."

"Right… Liena, Ronie, and Tiese, I'm going to give you the same request I gave Eydis. Don't use your title at all to get information, not now. For now, we're just swordsmen… All right, let's get to work."