A New Path Set
As the girls stay awaiting the return of the Japanese, Rory had decided to head out onto the balcony herself since Pina had left. She allowed her halberd to lean against the wall and threw her legs off the side of the railing as she took in the sight of the city. They weren't so high up in the castle to get a bird's eye view, but they were high enough to look over the rooftops of the buildings surrounding them not too far off. She could see the day-to-day life of the citizens outside of the gated zone of the castle and wondered where they stood if they realized that they had visitors from another world. She watched the soldiers and knights mingling about down below until her eyes caught sight of an elderly man in a wheelchair being pushed by a woman in a red dress with snow-white hair, the both of them being escorted towards the castle's doors.
Rory subconsciously tilted her head as she gave the white-haired woman another once over to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, surprised to know that she too housed souls within her body. The woman had a strange blend of souls similar to the one inside Natsu, in the sense of being artificial, and dark ones like the one residing within Gray. It was strange to her since those souls all seemed to be tethered directly to the woman, none of them possessing free rein over her body rather she was the one in control. Such a curious thing to see and the Reaper was very curious what other oddities this world had to show her. While still taking the sight of the world outside, Rory hadn't realized that Tuka came beside her to center herself with the spirits of this world and get a better understanding of nature.
The elven girl took a deep breath and began to attune herself as she had done back home, allowing this world's magic to envelop her in assistance. When the first tendrils of magical power were felt, Tuka had been surprised by how prevalent and welcoming it was to her. She was so far away from the forest she had called home and those that were a part of this world and yet, it felt like she was right in the middle of its largest forest. It was as if it almost called to her and in a strange sense, she could hear the faintest sound of laughter in the air.
"A sapling has found a new garden it seems." It was an elderly voice that sounded full of life and Tuka looked around her to see if Rory had also heard the voice.
The Reaper was still engrossed by the sights and didn't seem to react in any visible way and the blonde elf decided that perhaps it was best if she did her centering while being guided. It wouldn't do her any good to start exploring this world's nature without really understanding the dangers out there. Tuka was curious now but decided that she'd hold off on that matter for the time being and went back inside to sit with Lelei. She wouldn't get the chance to really talk to the blue-haired girl at the moment as she was busy getting a lesson on how to use Magic Sense from Gray now that they had time to themselves.
"You got the basics down Lelei, but always keep in mind that Magic Sense is a double-edged sword," Gray advised as the young teen kept her focus on his words to the letter. "It allows you to ping a living object around you but it also means that, depending on how strong it is, it can pinpoint your location as well."
"Similar to how you used this ability and I had sensed your presence although I couldn't correctly estimate where your location was," Lelei recalled feeling a wave of magic pass through her from somewhere near the trees, but didn't have a real idea where it exactly came from.
"Bingo, now you're getting it. It's a neat skill to possess, but always be mindful of when and where you use it." Gray said as Lelei turned her gaze away swiftly, the ice mage taking a moment to remember what happened in the chamber.
"Question, what is this sensation that I've been feeling since we've arrived in Crocus?" Ever since they finished coming through the Gate, Lelei could feel strange magic trying to envelop her in a form of an all-consuming embrace. "It's this strange encircling of magic around my person."
"That could mean a few things; either the FEF felt that your magic should be monitored or the ethernano in the air is trying to help accustom you to our world's magic." Gray believed it to be the latter as he could assume the feeling the rest of them felt when they crossed the Gate was the same thing.
"What is ethernano?" Lelei wanted to know the terms they used in Fiore like the usage of lacrima and SE Plugs, so she was really curious to know everything she could.
"Ethernano is basically the magic particles that envelop Earth Land. To mages it penetrates us to an "origin" deep inside, binding us to the magic that surrounds us and grants us the ability to wield magic in the first place." Gray wasn't an expert on the concept of ethernano, but the simplest explanation that Ur had given him worked well to understand the basics.
"Some of the terms you used are unfamiliar and I wish to know more." Lelei said as this world's laws of magic were vastly different than of her own and it fascinated her to the concept of an "origin".
"Sorry to say, Lelei, but I'm not a scholar with all the information on hand," Gray admitted as he wasn't all that knowledgeable in the history of magic. "Maybe you'll get the chance to speak with someone who does soon."
"I look forward to the opportunity." The blue-haired teen responded as she wanted to discover more about magic, the Japanese giving her the means to improve her own and now she hoped the Fioreans would help her understand the essence of magic further.
Lelei went back to practice using Magic Sense, but her concentration was broken when the doors reopened, the Rose Order being the first to their feet in hopes that Pina had returned. Those hopes were dashed as the Japanese had entered the room and though still worried about their princess' whereabouts, the Rose Order was surprised to see that they looked relatively the same as they did when they left the room. It did make sense that they'd be fine given the fact that it was their people who caused all this to happen in the first place.
As they entered in, Itami scanned the room in search of Pina with no sign of the redhead within the room, he even noticed Rory out on the balcony on the first sweep. He wasn't so worried about the fact that he couldn't find her, he was just wondering where she had gone off to when they were asked to stay put. The rest of his team finally came in and the Japanese delegates took any available seat, but he had to quickly step aside as the Rose Order came at him. Turned out that Pina had just come back to the room not long after they did, which her knights seem to clamor in worry for how long she was gone for.
"We understand that adjusting to our world must take precedence so Queen Hisui has allowed you to explore the city of Crocus at your discretion. Though it must be noted that an escort shall be provided if you choose to do so," A maid said once everyone was within the room, although out of everyone present it seemed that the only ones who were excited at that prospect were the impromptu guests.
"Mr. Fullbuster, your guild master has arrived and is on his way to this parlor. He requested to see those of his guild that had returned at once." The lead maid added as the ice mage was actually surprised that Gramps had come all the way from Magnolia to see them. "Please, excuse us."
The team of maids bowed their heads politely before exiting the room, everyone simply curious about Gray's guild master, Kurokawa looking towards Itami for his knowledge about such a person. The lieutenant wasn't quite sure what she wanted from him until Kurata also gave him a look and it quickly clicked in his head.
"Can't believe we get to meet the man who runs your guild, Gray," Itami said out loud towards the ice mage, trying to explain the position as subtly as he could. "Must be pretty strong if all you guys follow him."
"That's not even the half of it, each guild in Fiore has master's that care about the guild but I think that none of them measure up to Gramps," Gray replied, just realizing that he didn't address him properly before they met him yet.
"Oh, so he's your grandfather then," Sugawara said as the others could believe that it was likely the case, though the delegate was met with a swift smile that led into a short chuckle.
"Nah, that's what most of the younger generation of Fairy Tail calls him. Just like how he sees the majority of his guild as his brats." Gray said as part of him was glad to see the old master once again, having the sense that it was an eternity since he last saw everyone back in Magnolia.
"Does your guild master train every member in your guild in their magic?" Lelei asked as the best representation of a "guild master" would've been the elders at Rondel who've taught many a wizard in their time.
"No, most of us already had mentors before joining Fairy Tail, but he helps teach us the nature of our magic and how to improve ourselves. Pointing the way for us, to put it simply." This was mainly the truth as the ice mage knew several mages who were taught by someone before they arrived at the guild.
"Interesting." Lelei simply said as she went back to practicing Magic Sense and the others had decided to return to previous conversations as well, except for Pina who decided to walk away from the group.
The interest for all the things new was there, but the redhead just couldn't really keep her thoughts on anything currently happening. It was just too much for her to know that every last little thing she had done since Italica was almost fruitless and that she was lied to for so long. Pina was a whirlwind of emotions that the last time she felt such a way was when she was defending Italica when she believed that everything was falling apart. She regretted believing those stories and yet, they seemed genuine in how they acted around her but it was just that; an act. Then there was this confusing stance she had with Natsu as he was still an individual for her to be wary of, but a part of her was grateful that he told her the truth before she might have been strung along.
"You okay, Pina?" Came the very voice of the person she was not willing to speak to at the moment, turning around to face the ice mage.
"Not really, there's plenty to take in and far more on my mind," Pina replied as she tried to focus on anything other than the young man. "Amongst it all, some truths have come to light."
"I could assume as much, given by the way you and your knights came back to us," Gray said but there was something else to it as Pina had a distinct look on her face.
"More than that, I've learned that you lied to me." This needed to be said, the less Pina needed to worry about meant that she could recoup on losses and accomplish more. "Natsu told me the truth about yourselves, pointing out that I was a fool for believing a children's story."
"Mr. Fullbuster, Ambassador Myu has asked for you to see her immediately." Gray didn't even hear when the lead maid had reentered the room, but things aren't looking great at the moment.
"Damn it Brandish, you and your terrible timing," Gray muttered to himself as the reason they've done well with Pina was for the idea of himself pretending to be a previous prince. "There's a reason for that, I can explain it."
"I rather not waste your time; the Ambassador is waiting and I know she isn't a woman to keep waiting," Pina replied as she wasn't willing to listen to half-truths at the moment, more so in her current state of mind.
Gray was conflicted as he needed to save the relationship the team had with Pina, but the redhead was also right as Brandish wouldn't let him hear the end of it for showing up late. Not to mention that the maid was waiting on him and he was starting to gain attention from everyone else in the room. Against his better judgment, Gray decided to leave with the maid to see what Brandish needed of him at this point. He just wished to know what possessed Natsu to come clean to Pina, especially when it was his idea in the first place.
The group watched the ice mage leave the room and wondered what was the reason behind the concerned look he wore, but it was short-lived as Lelei perked up and eyed the area against the far wall. She tilted her head at the two strong magical energies coming from the other end of the hall, most likely coming their way as Gray was leaving. She heard the creaking of wheels growing louder as a conversation in this world's tongue was taking place between an elderly man and a young woman. Before long, Lucy was standing before the open door as she presented the room, and following behind her was an elderly man in a wheelchair and a white-haired woman. Rory had recognized the two as they entered the castle, quite surprised to see how small the elderly man actually was.
"This is where we'll find them, Master," Lucy said as she looked into the room in the search of her other guildmates amongst the group from the other worlds, but found none of them. "Or so I thought anyway."
"It's alright Lucy, they'll wind up here in time." The old master said as he was met with fourteen faces looking at him curiously. "It would seem that we're meeting new faces today as well."
"Oh my, quite a number of new faces actually." The white-haired woman said as she wheeled the elderly man into the room. "So, this is the best time to use that new elixir Porlyusica created."
The group watched as the woman pulled out two bottles of fluid from a satchel on the wheelchair before handing one off to the old man. The Japanese were curious about what it was as they both drank the liquid and remained silent for a few moments before turning to Lucy. It was an interesting development as Lucy spoke a few phrases to the pair as they nodded their heads before walking further into the room.
"Good afternoon, my name is Makarov Dreyar; guild master of Fairy Tail." Much to the surprise of everyone, not only was the small old man the guild master that Gray talked about, but he was also capable of speaking Common just by drinking whatever that bottle had.
"And I'm Mirajane Strauss, a pleasure to meet you." The woman said as Rory drew a little closer since Mirajane was the one in control of the various souls.
They were then greeted from all around the room which started from the Japanese and ending at Lelei who was more than eager to ask questions about the two when it came to their magic. The blue-haired girl wanted to understand how Mirajane had this dark essence of magic within her but her personality seemed so uplifting. Curiosity was all-around concerning the two newcomers and Makarov was just surprised at the fact that an elf and demi-goddess were amongst the people that his children managed to befriend from across the Gate. The old master was readying himself for the questions they must all have, but he simply wondered when the other three brats would show up.
Gray followed after the maid, nearly passing her on a few occasions as he wanted to get through with this sudden meeting Brandish wanted to have with him as fast as possible so that he could get back to explaining everything to Pina. They caught plenty of leeway with Pina because he was pretending to be former royalty, an advantage they couldn't lose if they wanted to keep momentum in the Special Region. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he completely missed Brandish's personal quarters until he heard the maid called out to him to return, the ice mage feeling annoyed with how he was losing focus so much. Once he came back, the maid knocked on the door until they heard the green-haired woman's permission to enter and Gray came in on his own while the maid bowed her head as the door closed behind him. He took a few steps into the room before noticing the bikini-clad woman sitting behind a desk, numerous mounds of files around her as she was shifting through a small pile right in front of her.
"You finally showed up, there's plenty to do and I can't waste time." Brandish began before noticing that Gray was apprehensive, almost fighting the urge to leave the room. "What's wrong with you now?"
"Pina apparently knows I'm not royalty and seems to be stuck on the fact that I've been lying to her," Gray said as although the plan did seem to work, for the most part, Erza may have had the right idea on being skeptical of it working without a hitch. "I didn't get to explain myself since you so urgently needed to see me."
"You were kind of lying to her, to begin with, so I don't get why you're complaining about that now." Brandish said matter-of-factly, since that was the whole idea in general of lying to the princess. "But I can see how losing both the easy access you've all been getting and her trust would be problematic at the very least."
"So, what are we going to do about it?" It was technically Natsu's idea that they go through with it, but it was up to them to save it if he decided to tell her the truth.
"Nothing, that's what." Brandish said and found Gray's baffled face amusing as he registered her answer. "What's done is done, she knows the truth but the truth of the Empire's attack has hit her much harder."
"What do you mean?"
"Queen Hisui let her know how bad her people have screwed themselves and Pina's left with no other option than to listen to us. Why bother rubbing shoulders with her when she's learned that some mistakes are very costly." Brandish said she began reviewing a few files delivered to her, keeping an eye on the ice mage's reaction.
"So instead of seeing us as allies, she's been made to fear us?" Gray rhetorically asked as Brandish nodded at him, the ice mage lost for words on the new route they were taking.
"You can still try to be friends with her, but that puny princess knows her place when it comes to Fiore and its Queen." Dimaria snickered from her place at a nearby couch as Brandish continued to go through her files.
"Aside from trying to show her that we're tyrannical assholes, things won't look good for us down the line if fear is the driving force," Gray argued as fear lead people down paths of desperation and who knows what a desperate princess will do.
"A lot is happening behind the scenes Gray and your "friends" in the JSDF have something in mind for the Empire as well, we're just trying to keep ahead of the curve." Brandish said as she separated a few documents from her files, unconcerned with Gray's troubled face. "There's more than one way to conquer your enemy."
"Whatever it is, it still doesn't stop the fact that I've got to win back Pina's trust." The ice mage didn't even want to delve into the secret workings of government that were obviously way above his pay grade. "Which is harder now that I came to find out what you wanted to talk to me about over talking things through with her."
"Honestly, you don't need to worry about her anymore. I'm pulling you out of the frontline." Brandish would've done further searching for what she had in mind, but why go through the trouble of searching for a specific skill set when Gray could easily fill the role. "That's what I wanted to tell you."
"You're what?" The ice mage hadn't expected to be told that, much less for what the bikini-clad woman would say next.
"I thought you'd be glad to get away from all the chaos and battle, after all, it's not doing you any favors if you're always being fed." The green-haired expected as much when Gray's eyes shot wide at her words, but he should've known better given her history. "I know what you are and Bloodman showed us what's possible after so much negativity, so think of this as helping yourself."
"So, I'm going to be stuck looking after you, just like Goldilocks over there?" Gray complained as Dimaria growled at him for the nickname, though Brandish gave a small laugh to it.
"God no, you'd make Dimaria unbearable and I'd hate to be burden by that. No, I've got a task in mind for you that'll keep you busy since I'll be occupied with something that's come up." The green-haired woman said cryptically as she scanned over a document called Project Eclipse and another of Operation: Anima.
"And what am I supposed to do until you think I'm ready to take on this "task" of yours?"
"Do I look like your day planner? You're basically on leave at this point so head back to Magnolia for all I care, I'll call you back when everything is set for your next task." Brandish said as she began to shoo him out of her room with her hand, the ice mage completely confused with what was suddenly happening.
"What about the others?" Gray just couldn't believe that he was being pulled out of the Special Region, much less at the idea that Brandish had that kind of power to do so.
"Scarlet's needed to command the Special Forces, Twin Tail is the strongest healer in the FEF, the Dragon Boys are needed to beef up firepower and Lucy could just say that she's done and come back to Fiore." Brandish explained without even looking up at him, ticking off every last person that the ice mage could've been thinking of. "Your term for service was transferred to me and I manage it as I see fit."
"Congratulations, you've earned a break." Dimaria sarcastically said as Gray rolled his eyes at her and was once again motioned to leave by the green-haired woman.
"Well, shit..." Gray muttered to himself as he exited the room, at a loss for a clear argument that would always lead him to see Hisui who'd no doubt agree to Brandish's words.
"You know, he'll go straight to the Puny Princess to explain himself, right? Even when you told him it didn't matter." Dimaria said as she went back to playing with her knife, spinning it around her hand as Brandish continued to view through the documents.
"I'm well aware, Dimaria, but I've got bigger things to deal with, and caring about Gray's problem with other people's opinions isn't one of them." Brandish believed that it was so much easier not to care about them, that those who held only negatives against you would rather tear you down to their level than rising to yours.
"I guess you're right, Randi. A princess with barely any power isn't worth worrying about, so long as she gets the ball rolling then she has a part to play." The golden-haired woman said with a sadistic grin, though Brandish sighed to herself as it wasn't warranted since Pina will come out of this alive.
"Good, then let me finish going through these in peace." The green-haired woman retrained her focus on the recent results from R.D.L. about their current project, satisfied that they were making some headway although she wished they made much more.
"I decided to go with Laxus' idea of only sending those who first joined the counter-attack and that is why there are only seven members of Fairy Tail that are currently a part of the FEF." Makarov finished recounting why there was a limited number of Fiore's number one guild in the Special Region after Mr. Sugawara had asked him about it.
"And it's worked for the most part, the seven of us have done well and the other guilds are just as useful as us." Came the deep voice of Laxus as he and Natsu walked into the parlor, his imposing frame quite surprising to those in the room. "Guess they've been keeping you busy, huh Gramps."
"Great to see you again, Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed as he was glad to see the elderly master again. "And Mira's here too!"
"So it is true that all of you call him "Gramps" as a nickname," Itami said jokingly as the elderly man chuckled alongside him.
"Yes, they do but Laxus does so out of truth. He is my grandson after all." Many a head turned to look between the large imposing blonde and the small old man in the wheelchair, struggling to see the family resemblance.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Laxus said as he grew annoyed with all the sudden attention that they were giving him because of his relation to the old man. "Anyway, what brings you all the way to Crocus?"
"Warrod informed me that a few of you were returning to Crocus from the Special Region, so I came to greet you myself," Makarov said as it came as a surprise to even himself that Warrod had contacted him about their arrival instead of Yajima as he expected. "And was wondering if you were given time off to come back to the guild for a spell."
"Don't know about that, Gramps. I haven't heard anything about them giving us a break." Natsu said, even though he kind of came along on a whim to see the Princess learn the hard truth from Hisui herself.
"You can always ask Queen Hisui about that, I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving you a couple of days." Mira offered as it only seemed fair to her that they get some time to themselves back home after spending so much time doing who knows what across the Gate.
"Couldn't hurt to ask but you're the one asking Hot Head," Laxus said as he nodded his head towards everyone and exited the room, Natsu doing a double-take between the group and the blonde before following after him.
"What of yourselves? Are you going to stay here in Crocus or are you planning to explore more of Fiore?" Makarov asked as the three girls from the Special Region seemed eager at the idea while the others looked to be unsure.
"It would be quite the experience, but I'm afraid that we must focus preparations on a future conference with Queen Hisui," Shirayuri said as their attention had to be focused here with the Queen, especially after what they had to go through earlier.
"Though they must remain in your capital, we may be more at liberty to explore," Rory said as she pointed at Tuka and Lelei, they were guests after all and had no political dealings to attend to. "Pina could do with a change of scenery as well."
"I don't think I should be leaving any time soon," Pina said as she had the feeling that it was best that she remained available for Queen Hisui to call upon.
"I do, child, you've already finished your dealings with their queen so take this as another cultural exchange," Rory said as it didn't take more than one look at the princess to tell that she was ready to call it quits, something that the citizens of the Saderan Empire couldn't afford for her to do. "Best to explore Fiore, given that we aren't expected to return home for two days our time."
"Princess, she has a point as that equates to six days here." Hamilton said as she too felt that Pina would benefit from taking her mind off humiliation, for lack of a better word. "Perhaps we can understand more about the livelihoods of the common folk here while exploring."
"If the need to lift your spirits is required, I may have a remedy for that," Makarov said as he gave the redhead a reassuring smile, one that lightened Pina's melancholy a bit. "There's plenty of places to visit here in Fiore; the port town of Hargeon and Magnolia to name a few."
"I can already assume what's at Hargeon so what's in Magnolia?" Kuribayashi asked as it wasn't that hard to assume what you can find at a port town so she was curious about what made Magnolia special.
"The home of the Fairy Tail guild, of course," Makarov said with a proud smile on his face, a few in the group smiling in turn with the elderly man. "Can't be a good master if I don't promote my guild, can I?"
"Then it's in the hands of your grandson and Natsu to see that we get that opportunity," Rory said as she wondered how the two dragon slayers were going to fair with the young queen.
"Do you think it wise for them to travel halfway across the country?" Hisui questioned the two as Laxus explained earlier that it may be best to allow their visitors a reprieve.
"I get that it's a rushed request to make for the group that just arrived today, Your Highness, but it would do some good to allow them some freedom here in Fiore," Laxus replied since some leniency would help them keep a better image of their side, especially after the grilling Pina received from both Hisui and her council.
"Having them stay inside of the castle would make them feel a sense of imprisonment, but there is still the logistics of having guards set up for all of them." Hisui knew that it wouldn't be a problem to get soldiers to keep watch of them as they explored, but her council would make a fuss about giving their guests so much leeway.
"If you're really going to let them go, I don't see a problem of using Fairy Tail to watch over them." Laxus offered as it was his Gramps' idea in the first place and they'd more or less be around them for the majority of the time the JSDF and Imperials were exploring.
"Are you offering your guild to serve as the retainers for our guests and any subsequent repercussions that may come up of their exploration of Fiore?" Fairy Tail never failed to amaze Hisui, but she needed to make sure they were aware of what was going to be needed of them.
"We're Fairy Tail, if any damages are made then anyone could foot us the bill like usual. Looking after a couple of people won't be that hard, plus Gray's already tasked with watching over three of them." Jura had informed him about Gray's orders and if he can look after three girls, then Laxus could easily assign three other people to look after the rest of the group.
"Given how well the conferences I've had with both parties went, perhaps they would do well with some time to themselves." Hisui understood the stress that the Imperials were under and it wasn't hard to discern that the Japanese were now far wearier to them, so giving them time to adjust could help her kingdom's stance in the long run. "Very well, if they choose to explore the greater reaches of Fiore then they have my blessing to do so. Keep in mind that Fairy Tail will act as their retainers during any excursions outside of Crocus."
"Understood, Queen Hisui," Laxus said as he made his way towards the door, soon realizing that Natsu wasn't following behind him as he still stood before Hisui.
"Before we go, Hisui, I've got a question for you," Natsu said as Arcadios turned to look at him with a glare.
"Fairy Tail or not, I advise you to address the Queen properly." The Head Knight didn't want the lack of respect to be a constant thing with the mages as it would set a bad precedent if they did so when others were within the room.
"It's alright Arcadios, Fairy Tail has done plenty to help this kingdom over the years. Some leniency in private conversation is the least we can do." Hisui said as there is a lot that the royal family has to thank for when it comes to Fairy Tail.
"As you wish, Your Highness." Arcadios knew that the Queen held Fairy Tail in a positive light, but he simply wanted to make sure that everyone upheld the authority that the young queen possessed.
"What is your question, Natsu?" Hisui asked as the dragon slayer took a moment to think of his words, especially since he was struggling with several problems with accepting everything that's happened today.
"I'm wondering why you're putting up with the Empire?" He's been told so many times that this was the best option for everyone involved but why did it matter if they got involved with their politics? "We've got plenty of firepower in a handful of mages to finish off that filth if you just give the word."
"That's a shared sentiment within my court," Hisui admitted as there are without a doubt several people who believe that she shouldn't waste both their time and resources trying to fix the problems the Empire already has.
"Then you also have to see how right they are in thinking that," Natsu said as at least there were some people in higher positions that understand the fruitlessness of trying to play nice with those people.
"I'm not turning a deaf ear to their claims but there are alternatives in conquering a kingdom," Hisui said evenly as she paused to give Natsu a chance to think on her words. "Ignorance is bliss and with how we showed Pina the error of her Empire's ways, we have paved the path towards a swift victory."
"If that were the case, why hasn't Pina surrendered her Empire to you?" Natsu asked rhetorically as they both knew that the redhead had no real power aside from being a representative at most.
"Though convincing Pina of her Empire's war crimes may not seem like much at the moment, it has left the impression of what her people are like on the world stage and the dangers of making too many enemies can pose." An effect Hisui was assured had gripped Pina into taking account of the very future of what she could one day rule.
"But why bother scaring a princess when her Old Man hasn't seemed phased by all the bloodshed and death of his soldiers?"
"True, getting the Emperor to understand the folly of his rule would be a far better victory for us, but the good deeds the FEF have done for all species aside from human will rally them to our cause and soon the people will believe in us." Becoming a beacon of hope builds the trust the rest of the Special Region will give to them, a strategy that takes time but is bound to give results.
"Not to say you aren't aware, but the people of the Empire aren't the biggest fans of anything non-human," Natsu said as the Volraldens have told him so many stories of discrimination they faced in every town they went to for the jobs they took.
"A sad reality but it can help convince the common people of the Empire that we are not out to subjugate anyone and our cause is in the name of justice." If the FEF base can show anything besides the very advancements that it holds within its walls, Hisui could believe it could impress many with the fact that both humans and non-human coexist and work together.
"Playing the long con with all this political cloak and dagger stuff is super annoying! The direct approach can and will work so much better than playing these mind games!" Maybe it's because he never understood the other aspects of politics, but Natsu couldn't understand the need to bide time when there were so many assurances that they'd come out on top.
"I am aware that these tactics can become quite frustrating to deal with, but they are a burden to bear." Hisui had preferred this option once the reports had come in about the collateral damage that had been caused by the Empire and the many villagers who paid that price. "This will ensure that all avenues that present themselves are secured before they can catch us off guard."
"Besides making the public see us as good people; when it comes to Pina, we're also putting strings on her like a puppet? You know, since we're making her take responsibility for everything that's happened and I've learned that she'd do everything in her power to please us." That was a possibility that popped into Natsu's head since Hisui sounded like she had a few ideas of using Pina to help solve some problems in the Special Region.
"Far from that, what I'm trying to accomplish is very much the opposite." Hisui was surprised that Natsu responded the same way that Brandish did when she presented her plan to the green-haired woman. "She's acted as a liaison to her father in an attempt to express what she believed to be his will and today she took a stand to defend her people at her own expense. That stand was of her own will since she was very aware that her father would never bow down to another monarch."
"And that means...?" Natsu was with her for a majority of her words but wasn't really getting the picture that Hisui was trying to paint for him in the end.
"Simply put, Pina has taken charge of her destiny and has also taken the matter of this war into her own hands." Her actions had proved to Hisui that there was hope for them all yet, they just needed to push the barrier just a bit. "It's safe to assume that a third party isn't whispering into her ear and sowing the seeds of betrayal against us."
"But wouldn't that mean we're the third party? After all, we did get into her head after showing her all those awful pictures." Though he wasn't sure of his standing with Pina, it's a good thing that there wasn't someone manipulating her from the shadows. He's grown to feel sorry for people that ended up being used as a tool than being treated like people.
"Yes and no, Natsu. While we did impose ourselves on her with both force and horrible imagery, we aren't planning to manipulate the young princess for our own gain. Merely working alongside her so that a peaceful resolution can be made between the Empire and Fiore." It was a topic Hisui battled to ensure wouldn't happen as the very honor of the Kingdom would be questioned.
"That is to say that we'll monitor and be cautious of our new allies," Arcadios said as he felt that the Queen had accidentally implied that they'd take things at face value. "Do forgive me for speaking out of turn, My Queen."
"It's alright, but Arcadios does bring up a point that Brandish made abundantly apparent to us. It's one thing to keep an eye on Pina, but we must also be wary of the JSDF."
"What do you mean?" It was odd to think that the JSDF needed to be watched since he and the team have done nothing but fight by their sides for quite a while now. "They seem like good people."
"Whether or not they seem to be is of little concern when it comes to the fact that they have some sort of hidden agenda that Brandish has slowly uncovered. They are our ally for the time being, but we cannot afford to let our guard down." If anyone besides Brandish had told her that they needed to be wary of the JSDF, Hisui wouldn't have believed them but the green-haired woman was far more aware of subtleties than anyone she's known.
"This whole time, the FEF and my team have been in this fight all on our own?" Natsu understood that war was dirty, but it isn't helpful when you can't believe in your allies at such a time. "If they really have their own goal in mind, what would they want from the Special Region anyways?"
"Exactly what they're searching for remains to be discovered, but Brandish theorizes that it has something to do with the fact that the Special Region is some type of untouched realm with many opportunities springing about." From what Hisui was sure of with that theory is that JSDF was there to stay for longer than even her people had planned for themselves.
"We can't trust the JSDF apparently, we're tolerating Pina, so what the hell can we do!?" It seemed that what progress the dragon slayer thought they were making was slowly being whittled down to a halt. "Why should we continue playing at the long con if it obvious the ones responsible aren't going to do anything meaningful with the time they're getting?"
"I understand your frustration, Natsu, but our current approach will help prevent future problems. In Pina's case, there is no doubt in my mind that she'll have detractors on her mission for peace, and with them comes the shadow politics that'll work behind the scenes to hinder and ultimately stop any support that she'll receive." The power that surrounds a royal family has many risks and Hisui was far more aware of shadows lurking to undermine her when she started as Queen, so it was easy to assume that such things will come towards the redhead's way.
"Please understand that although your anger is warranted, it should no longer be directed at Pina." Hisui continued as Natsu looked at her with disbelief at her words. "Use your fury to aid her, to protect her against those who want to stop her progress."
"Why should I?" The Empire was always at fault and that meant everyone in charge of it was responsible, so why is it that he should switch his wrath from destroying the royals to protecting one of them?
"Because this war has always been the Emperor against Fiore, his actions led us down this path. Don't let the sins of the father burden the daughter."
Natsu took a moment to grasp her words fully and as he stood silent, Laxus had decided to bow his head to her again and lead him out of the chamber. Hisui's words left the dragon slayer with a thought that really was driving him in circles, more so than the fact that even she was telling him to go easy on Pina. It was as if the redhead was more of another civilian caught in the crossfire than the person who drew the blade in the first place and much to his chagrin, Natsu was slowly starting to see that.
"Hey Laxus, what do you think of Hisui's last words?" Natsu wanted some insight from another person and was even willing to get it from the tall blonde as they made their way back to the group of visitors.
"I think those are words to listen to, I can relate given to how much of an asshole my old man was." The blonde said as he thought back to Ivan and the way he mistreated him for years and well into the point when he got that dragon lacrima implanted in him. "Gramps never holds anything that my old man did over my head because those were his actions, not mine. The only ones I'm responsible for are the ones that I have done and will do."
"And Pina hasn't done anything to hurt us," Natsu said aloud, more for himself than a reply to Laxus as he thought back to everything that she's done in the past.
"That redhead has only ever tried to get on our good side from what I've heard and would rather be humiliated in front of a queen than to see her people get hurt," Laxus said as he just remembered that she was defending a city from allies turned enemies when the FEF first met her. "She's taking responsibility for her actions and by the looks of it, she's even attempting to take on even those of her old man."
"Huh, I guess she is," Natsu said in a confused tone, unsure of himself and everything that has presented itself in defense of Pina. "Let's just get back to everyone."