AN: Here's chapter 2. Took earlier than expected.

TheScottishlad: Thanks for the review, man. Your review gave me more than a few ideas for this fic. About Bill being in here, he wont be appearing in the story, I'm afraid. Unlike Nick who got teleported before the bombs could kill him, Bill actually died, and his corpse was left in The Passing. Also, about 'Beth', she'll definitely be appearing again. I plan her to be one of the recurring characters. Thanks again!

Guest, Fluffypoochi: Thanks for the reviews, my dudes. Hope you stay for the ride.

Let's get this over with.

Chapter 2 - The Capital

Ken, The Grand Cathedral - Noon

Celestine gracefully walked along the halls of the venerable castle-cathedral as her followers faithfully followed her every step. She looked just a tad bit tired from all the meetings she had gone through the day, and she had wanted nothing but to take a bath and relax in her room all day. Being the high queen was not at all an easy task. Especially when in the middle of a war. Still, she had to endure, for the people of the kingdoms, for the people of Eostia.

Celestine Lucross was an extremely beautiful woman. Possessing silky, long blonde locks that went down to her feet, and a bosom that most women would be jealous of, and men would lust over. She wore a figure-clinging, almost transparent robes that fully accentuated her almost ethereal beauty. She also had a pair of long, pointy ears, as one would expect a member of the elven race possesses. She looked and seemed like she embodies the concept of innocence and pureness. Most people who have seen her personally had claimed that she was the most beautiful being they had ever seen in their lives, which was a claim not at all exaggerated.

She was a high-elf, some would could her the Arch-elf. The absolute pinnacle of the elven race. She sits at the top of the conceptual pyramid. She was what every female, human or elf alike would strive to be like, and very few men in the world does not have the desire of bedding her.

As a high-elf and the Goddess Incarnate, she commanded unparalleled magical and divine prowess. Only rivaled by the queen of the monsters herself, Olga Discordia. She governed with authority and benevolence in equal amounts, choosing to rule as a leader instead of a true queen. She was considered as the wisest amongst the kingdoms of Eostia, having knowledge and wisdom that most sages of the world would grovel over just to hear from her. As such, she was truly deserving of the praise, love and worship that she gets from the citizens of Ken and Geofu.

The Grandmaster of the Dawn Templars, Claudia, watched with the alertness of a hawk as the Goddess Incarnate strode towards her throne, and stood beside the high-queen when she sat, like an ever-watchful guardian.

The Knight eyed the high-elf. "How goes the visions, your Holiness?" She asked.

The Goddess Incarnate smiled at her loyal servant. "It is going quite well, Claudia. In fact, one of my visions shall soon come true."

Claudia raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? Which one is it?"

It's not very often that the high-elf would share her visions. But sometimes, she deems it necessary to inform them. Confidential knowledge are sometimes shared among the Shields, if only so they can help make true of those visions or avoid them depending on the vision. Some visions were positive, but some visions were dire. For this reason, the Shields had suggested that Celestine should share some of her visions so they can offer help however they can. The Goddess Incarnate agreed with their sentiment.

The elven woman, still seated on the throne, looked at the knight beside her. "The one of the white-garbed stranger." The Goddess said in an almost hushed voice.

Claudia looked at her, eyes narrowing slightly. This particular vision had always been one that she was most wary of. A complete stranger would soon come to meet with the Goddess Incarnate. With information that basically amounts to nothing in regards to the subject apart from the most basics, there was no way to determine whether or not that this stranger was a threat. Should the possibility that the stranger was indeed a threat, then she would dispose of him with cold and merciless brutality.

"I see. Then what do you suggest we do, your Holiness?" Claudia asked. Knowing the Goddess Incarnate, she would very likely welcome this stranger, even knowing the dangers this action would pose. The high-elf was kind, almost to a fault. And it was Claudia's greatest fear that this kindness would soon turn against her. This was a cruel world, brimming with deceit, malice and treachery. Kindness would only go so far until it crashes down on you like a mountain. And her Holiness knows this. She trusted the Goddess with her life, but that did not mean she had blindly agreed to every single decision the high-elf had made. Regardless, she would defend the monarch even if it came down to that. If worse comes to worst, she would protect her Holiness even if she were to go against the world itself. Such was her creed as a Templar.

The royal looked at the knight, her expression pleasant, as if something had gone to according to plan. "Worry not, Claudia. We do not have to do anything. Lovely Alicia is bringing our guest here as we speak."

The knight templar's eyebrows scrunched, "I see." She said quietly. Her thoughts were far less calmer than her mouth.

'Fool! What do you think you're doing bringing an unknown, potentially dangerous stranger so easily like that!?' she screamed internally.

As a Knight serving the Goddess Incarnate, she should have had more competence in her job, befitting of her station. The many times that Claudia had the pleasure of seeing the girl in action in the short time that she had been under her command, she was the perfect knight, full of dedication and commitment to her work. Bringing this man just like that was entirely uncharacteristic of her. She should have been more professional than that.

At the very least, she should have injured the man to the point he can't move a single limb, or knocked him out, or poisoned him with something non-lethal. Anything that might prevent a potential attack against her Holiness. But now, it was too late.

'I'll be disciplining that girl when she gets here.' She thought harshly.

Her internal ire must have surfaced on her face, because the high-elf noticed. Celestine offered a gentle smile. "Relax, Claudia. I promise you, that our guest will not attempt to harm me." She looked at the knight in her eyes. "And besides, if he does try, you will be there for me, will you not?"

"O-of course, your Holiness! That is without question." She replied immediately.

The blonde elf smiled, satisfied. "Then we have nothing to worry about, do we?"

The Templar noticeably relaxed, but apprehension still lingered in her eyes. "No. No, your Holiness."

The high-elf relaxed on her seat, slouching slightly. "Claudia, I want you and the girls to get along with our guest." She said, causing the knight to frown. "I know with absolute certainty that he will play an integral factor in this war. In ending this war." She had seen it in her visions. And she would trust her visions, divinations from the Goddess herself.

"If you say so, your Holiness." She replied, still uncertain of what to feel about that. Every single vision and divination had been proven true so far, so she would trust her in this one as well. She can only hope the pattern does not break.

Eostia, en route to Ken - Early Afternoon

The trip to the city of Ken was relatively pleasant to Nick's standards. It was peaceful, no orc or goblin attacks to mention. He had plenty of rest, and the girls had been suitably accommodating of him. Offering him refreshments and snacks, and acting chummy with him. Seeing as there was no real reason for him to act like an asshole, as the guys back home put it, he reciprocated their attempt at being friendly in his own way. By alternating between indulging their attempts at conversing with him and ignoring them. The Alicia girl's reaction had been quite funny when she had tried to interrogate him, her questions falling on deaf ears as he closed his eyes and hung his head low, pretending to be fast asleep. Her expression had been shocked, appalled, angry, on the verge of outburst, murderous, and barely subdued desire to rip his face off with her teeth, in that order. Prim, the pink girl, occasionally had to hold her back.

Yeah, this was him being 'not an asshole'. After all, they had no right to make demands when they would have been subjected to fates worse than death if it wasn't for him. This knight girl was much too demanding for his liking. She was like a petulant child, throwing temper tantrums when things don't go her way. He was starting to have a creeping headache.

Alicia abruptly stood up, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Y-you insufferable man!" She yelled. "Answer my questions right this instant or so help me-!"

The smaller girl with the pink theme had to hold the blondie back. "A-Alicia, my cousin, please… you need to calm down. Being rude to our savior is unbefitting of a royal knight!" She admonished. The older girl looked at her, her fierce expression wavering.

"B-but Prim, he's-!"

"No buts…!" The little princess puffed her cheeks adorably. A rather cute attempt at being strict. For her childish appearance, she acted like the older of the two. Nick decided he liked the girl. She reminded him of his niece, his sister's kid.

"F-fine…" The knight sat down, embarrassed at having to be scolded by her innocent cousin. That didn't stop her from maintaining a harsh, withering glare his direction though. At least she'd shut her mouth for the mean time.

Nick looked at the pink-themed girl. The girl blushed when their eyes met, thinking she got caught staring at him. The man acknowledged her. "What's your name?" He asked.

The smaller girl slightly widened her eyes, realizing that she has yet to introduce herself to her savior. "A-ah, of course! Where are my manners…" She started. The girl stood up from her seat and bowed politely. "My name is Prim Fiorire, good sir. An heiress to Ur's throne, and a loyal servant of the Goddess Incarnate." She smiled at him. "For saving my life, as well as Alicia's and the girls', allow me to reward you as well."

Nick barely hid his surprise. He had known the smaller girl was a noble of some sort, considering her attire, mannerisms, and her way of transportation. But he didn't expect her to be that high in the royal ladder. He had just saved two future monarchs in one day. Finally, his luck was beginning to show itself. If only it had shown itself much earlier.

Alicia did not like this man, she had decided in earnest.

She sat there across the man inside the carriage, crossing her arms. Her lips curving downward in a deep scowl, and her brows slanted down giving the princess knight a rather intimidating look. If glares could kill, the man would have already died a thousand times. Her purple glare stuck to the man as if he had committed an unspeakable crime against her.

The insufferable man sat there, cradling one of those strange, metallic weapons in his arms. His face remained stoic, even as he rode with not one, but two princess knights. Such utter disrespect! Most other commoners would have groveled beneath their heel right this moment, but not this man. This… ignorant lout!

'Just you wait, I'll definitely teach you a lesson in royal etiquette.'

Still, his lack of proper mannerisms notwithstanding, she would not dare deny the fact that he had saved their lives. At this, she was truly thankful. The man, Nick, had practically given them another chance at life. Spared them from a horrible fate by the orcs' clutches. And she would not fail to reward him greatly.

The man was strong, extremely so, despite looking like a normal civilian with weird clothing. Having the ability to literally wipe a small army of orcs just like that was very impressive. And as much as she would like to deny it, he was beyond her in power. This man was somehow more powerful than a princess knight personally employed by the reincarnation of the Goddess as one of the Shields, bulwarks that protect the kingdoms. It was an odd feeling, to be inferior to someone she had just met. Someone who was clearly not a knight, much less a knight of the Royal Order. It was enraging to think about.

More powerful than you? More like you're not even comparable to him.

A treacherous part of her mind corrected. She was soundly beaten by the orcs despite her best efforts, and she had plenty of support during the battle. The fact that she had fallen, in turn subjected those under her command, and her younger cousin to untold suffering by the orcs was utterly unacceptable. Compared to her, Nick basically breezed through all the orcs without trouble using those strange weapons of his. She was weak, and she had to accept the reality of it in order for her to grow stronger. As she was now, she would be nothing but a liability to those around her.

The knight princess shook her head. No use in being negative now. She'll just get better, then. 'I'm just going to have to train extensively from now on.' She thought to herself. Perhaps training would reduce the gap. Alicia huffed under her breath. She would consider this as merely a challenge. A challenge that she plans to overcome.

The older knight princess inspected the man in front of her with eyes of scrutiny. Immediately she noticed that the man was, well, a looker. If he was in her age group, she would have had no trouble seeing him as a potential consort. He looked like royalty, perhaps a prince or a duke, just without the attitude of one. If he was a noble, then he was the most uncouth noble she had ever met. He was quite a bit older than she was, most likely in his thirties. He wore clothing that's design was quite unfamiliar to her, some parts of it stained red, likely blood. Perhaps a traveler from the other continent? She also noticed the large knife hanging from his hip. A peculiar shaped weapon to be sure. He very much look like the term 'combat ready' in the purest sense.

Overall, he was a warrior, much like she was. Although lacking in proper equipment and armor. She chuckled quietly at herself for criticizing the man's lack of armor, considering she lacked proper armor as well. The irony was not lost on her.

Armor has been one of those things that female knights have significantly reduced, preferring more mobility than actual protection. Their Knightly order preferred speed over durability. Which was why their knights, including her, lacked armor in places that armor would traditionally be worn on. Preferring to wear plates on the shoulders and arm, parts that were very useful for cutting, and in turn vulnerable to cutting.

"U-um, mister Nick?" Prim spoke up shyly, her eyes glued towards the long, metal weapons.

"Just call me Nick." The man said. "Adding 'mister' in there sounds like I'm old."

"O-oh, ok then…"

"But you are old, are you not?" Alicia quipped. Her purple eyes shone an amused light and a smirk graced her lips when the man turned to look at her with a scowl of his own.

"I'm 35. That's… not old" He said, slightly pissed.

The blonde girl deviously smiled at him. "Of course, whatever helps you sleep at night, old man."

The man sighed exasperatedly, looking at her with an expression of irritation. "Ugh, alright then smartass. Geez, kids these days." Nick said, withdrawing from the exchange.

This earned yet another victorious smirk from the blonde one. Cheeky kid.

The pink-haired girl watched their interaction, looking a bit clueless. She continued still. "U-um, then Nick, what are those weapons called?" The younger princess asked, pointing at the weapons in question. Her bright blue eyes twinkled with curiosity, like a child.

Nick glanced down to the desert rifle that rested on his lap. "They're called guns." He began. He wasn't an expert on these things, so he's just gonna leave all the complicated details out. "Essentially, they're weapons that shoots pointed, metallic cylinders from its barrel…" At this, Nick pointed the gun towards them to let them see the gun's exit hole. Alicia and Prim looked closer, both showing faces of curiosity and interest. "…at extremely high speeds, so fast that it can instantly reach a target from decently long distances." Of course, he didn't know the numbers and calculations and whatnot. "As you saw earlier, this thing can kill orcs easily." He said, patting the instrument, as if it's a pet.

Alicia's eyes narrowed at the weapon. 'Kill? The more accurate term would be 'slaughtered'. Those orcs stood no chance. Their skulls and been rendered beyond recognition, with some having completely missing their heads. This was a brutal weapon if she's ever saw one. A very powerful and impressive tool, indeed. If their army had such a tool, this war would not have lasted as long as it did. Swords, bows and sorcery were good, but evidently not good enough to win the war.

'Perhaps he would be willing to allow the kingdom to reverse engineer it?' She mused, a hopeful glint shining in her violet eyes. Such a tool would be most useful in many fronts of this war. Long-ranged weaponry far more powerful than the bow and arrow would be a fantastic asset. They would be able to defend themselves better against the greenskins, and they would save more lives. Long-ranged ambushes would be executed far easier, and the war would be generally fought at a much safer distance than melee combat. They were slowly and slowly losing this war. The Black Dogs, no matter how good they were, were merely human. Vault was only human. They could not and should not rely on the mercenary group for the entire duration of this war. They needed something, anything that might change the tides to their favor. And this… this just might be it!

With those weapons in their arsenal, anything would be possible!

Still, she was getting far ahead of herself. There was still no certainty that Nick would be willing to help out. Something told her that those weapons were special to him, similar to how she treats her golden sword as if an extension of herself. She would have to work hard in order to convince the man to reveal the secrets behind those weapons. The kingdoms just might see the bright light of a better future.

'Perhaps if I seduced him?' She mused internally, the notion leaving a frown on her lips. Although the thought of selling her body disgusted her to the utmost degree, she would gladly do it if it meant winning the war. Still, it is not as though she would be doing it with a disgusting, ugly old noble, or those greedy nobles that has always chased her skirt, and asking her hand in marriage so as to strengthen their houses. Nick was an attractive man, that she could admit. And he didn't particularly care of her status as royalty. If it really did came down to it, she would lay in bed with him.

"So, is it similar to a bow?" Prim asked. Nick prevented himself from sighing. Since when did this become lecture?

Regardless, he answered anyway. "In concept, sure, in that they shoot from a range. But guns are far more complicated in terms of mechanics, maintenance and usage. Guns are generally far more destructive than bows and arrows as well." On that, Alicia agreed. That was for certain, with what she had witnessed earlier. "They are also much harder to produce, since certain tools and materials are essential to do so. Not to mention they're quite expensive. I really doubt this world has any means to make these things." Unlike his world, in which guns were produced, shipped, and bought on a daily basis, this place, he assumed, was completely ignorant on guns. He doubted a world bereft of knowledge on this level of technology could produce a handgun, much less a rifle.

Two things that Alicia had noticed in Nick's explanation on those weapons of his. He assumed that the kingdoms have no such methods to produce these 'guns' since they're conventionally more complicated than the bow and arrow, which was an assumption she did not subscribe to. The kingdoms, especially the kingdom of Ken housed some of the most intelligent and educated people on the continent. Many of them are considered geniuses by the general masses. To top it off, the kingdoms also housed the best weaponsmiths in the continent. Some of which had produced weapons that has achieved greater heights in the hands of warriors and braves. She severely doubted that they could not replicate these tools, regardless of their supposed 'superior' and complicated mechanisms.

Also, what did he mean by 'this world'?

Alicia smiled as she looked at her younger cousin. Prim had intensively listened as Nick explained. She was always an inquisitive one. She was as curious as she was innocent.

"T-that's amazing!" The girl spoke up excitedly, her eyes twinkling. "C-can I hold it, please? Just for a short while is enough for me."

Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then shrugged. "Why not." He said, before handing the rifle over to the girl. The survivor had to resist a smirk as the girl noticeable wobbled in place as the weight of the weapon settled on her, making her almost sink to the floor.

"W-whoa. It's… a lot heavier than it looks…" The pink-haired girl muttered in astonishment as she plopped down on her seat.

Nick watched in amusement as both princesses tinkered with the rifle, looking remarkably like curious children. Kinda reminds him of his first experience with a firearm. He watched as the pink one handled the rifle, supporting the gun with a hand at the chin, and a finger on the trigger. Predictably, Prim's form as she held the gun was worse than Rochelle's when the woman had held her first rifle. It was kinda cute.

'Adorable.' Nick thought.

*BA-BANG!*

The trio inside the carriage, as well as all other knights outside flinched at the loud sound.

Nick's eyes were as wide as saucers as he looked at the two bullet holes on the carriage's wooden wall less than two inches away from the left side of his head, a sweat running down his cheek. Gulping a lump in his throat at the realization that he had almost died, again. All because his stupid ass let a kid borrow his guns.

Alicia looked at the bullet holes inflicted by the rifle, and then towards the rifle's muzzle, and then to Prim. Her mouth agape.

"Wha-?" Was all she could utter.

The pink-haired girl's eyes were wide, mouth slightly open. She looked like she had been frozen over inside a glacier. After a moment of her just freezing there, the girl slowly, almost robotically lowered the rifle. A sheepish expression framing her features.

"Hehe… O-oops?"

Celestine glided across a place she was ill-familiar with. Her form not touching the ground, floating as if a spirit. It was a city, she assumed. It was a bizarre place, with extremely large, tall buildings of glass and metal. Metal carriages littered the streets as ash fell from the heavens. Houses and establishments burned bright, flames engulfing their very foundations. The scenery she had found herself in was of utter chaos. Feelings of hopelessness, grief, madness, death muddled her mind. She clutched her head and muttered a prayer to the Goddess, as fresh tears stained her cheeks. This place, wherever she was, was a dead one.

She glided aimlessly in the streets, hoping it will lead her somewhere better. Around her were bodies, many of them. Young, old, children, men, women, so many of them. Then she saw… a man? No it was far too pale to be a man. Its mouth, neck, and the upper part of its clothes were bloodied, as though it had very recently dined on something very much alive. And then she saw a woman. She stood there, holding a small tool that she held in both hands. The tool looked to be in the shape of an 'L', gray in color and metallic. The woman pressed something, and the metallic tool exploded. The deathly pale imitation of a man staggered as something that came out from the metallic tool hit him squarely in the chest. But it wasn't enough. The pale, sickly man dashed towards the woman. Celestine had widened her eyes in shock and fear, and immediately had to close it as the scene in front of her unfolded. The man pounced on the woman, and then bit her in the face, his bloodied teeth digging in the flesh as if they were mattress foam. The woman screamed horrifically, hauntingly as the pale man ripped her face off her skull in one vicious wrench. The woman was dead in an instant as blood pooled beneath her still twitching corpse.

The scene would for a long time, be a source of nightmares for the high queen.

She continued on, gliding just above the concrete as she beheld the carnage all around her. Corpse after corpse, victim after victim, monsters, infected, death, virus, famine,

Death… Death, everywhere she looked.

She floated and floated, and after a while, she had reached a bridge. It was an impressively large structure, far beyond anything she had ever seen. She passively glided towards it, feeling as though she had something she must see on that bridge, but she was not quite sure what. Her heart told her so, and so she did.

It was there that she had seen him.

The man held a deep scowl as he felled the undead. No, just sick humans. They had been humans, but a sickness had struck, turning and mutating them into rabid monsters with a taste for human flesh. She watched in morbid interest as the man blasted his strange instrument in front of a horde of infected humans, utterly decimating them. The man looked unfeeling and emotionless as he killed his way through the dangers he was faced against.

Celestine had to correct herself. The man had killed, but only to defend himself. These former humans had been turned into mindless beings that were constantly lusting for uninfected flesh. It was completely… justified. She didn't approve of killing, and never will, unless her hand was forced. It was why she despised war, and wanted to end it as soon as possible. Because war devoured lives just as a glutton would a plate full of food. But if she was in that man's place, she would have killed to survive as well. And seeing what these people had become, it would be far better for the world if they were no longer amongst the walking.

The queen of the elves observed him. This was the man in her visions. Her visions had been either vague or blurry. But in this dream, she could clearly see him as if she was actually there. He wore white and blue clothing, and looked quite young, at least as compared to one as old as her. With short, black hair and neatly shaven jawline. His clothes had been stained red by the blood of the infected. There, he stood above a mountain of corpses.

Seeing him in action was a rather surreal and awe-inspiring sight.

With him stood three other individuals. Each holding weapons similar to the one that the one in white was holding. They moved with desperation and resolve. Moved with perfect teamwork. They mowed through the horde of the infected like they were grass. She could feel their desire to survive, to push through, to persevere. They were the most fearless of humans she had ever seen, and she had seen many a brave men and women in her life. They moved and trudged through their path like soldiers. They overcame every obstacle with smiles. It looked to her as if they have no fear at all, or at least incapable of feeling the emotion of fear. If she was in their shoes without sorcery of any kind, she would be fearing for her life in every second of her waking life.

The scenes changed, and the Goddess Incarnate heaved a massive sigh of relief as the scenes she was witnessing started to melt away. The flames, the upturned metallic carriages, the disease-stricken humans, the four survivors and the bridge all melted away into a dark void in the corners of her mind. She sincerely prayed to the Goddess that she would not remember many of what she had seen when she wakes up from her slumber. And so she closed her eyes, letting the dream sequence take her consciousness to wherever it wills.

The next scene was most unusual and unexpected, to say the least. She woke up seated on her reclining chair, like one of those afternoons at the cathedral when she had done her work much earlier and had nothing to do but relax for the rest of the day. Unlike the previous dream, this one did not have frightening scenes and events happening all around her. Just a somewhat normal afternoon at Ken. As far as the Goddess Reborn could see, she was at the balcony of her room at the cathedral, overlooking the beautiful scenery of lush forests, mountains and rivers.

The dream made her feel at ease. It was as if all her problems, her responsibilities, her burdens... everything, just ceased to be. It felt so homely, and comfortable. It was an admittedly amazing feeling. She felt good, very good. It was almost addicting.

She stood up from her chair and walked towards the balcony railings. She glided a lithe hand across the marble railings and touched it, feeling its cold surface on her hand. It had always been a mystery to her how her visions, at least those that manifest as dreams, can allow her to feel objects as if they were real. She could even feel the temperatures and textures, and see details just as clearly as in the waking realm. It was quite odd. Although considering it was the all-powerful Goddess that gave her such an ability, she supposed she should not be surprised.

She took in a lungful of fresh air (once again, she had reminded herself that it was a dream), and exhaled softly.

A noise that sounded like the clicking of an opening door was heard, and she looked behind her. Beyond curious as to who she will meet within this dream of hers.

Who she met was even more bizarre and unexpected.

Celestine, the high queen, widened her eyes in shock when an elven child came into view. It was a girl, maybe at the ages four or five. Her hair was exactly the same shade as hers, platinum blonde, going down just barely to her shoulders. Her skin was fair and flawless, exactly the same shade as hers. The child's face also resembled hers, but there was just a tad bit of difference. Her eyes were deep gray, instead of bright green like hers. She wore white, silky robes, fit for a child her age. On her right wrist was a strange, bracelet-like device of golden color. She was small, and so very adorable. And she had to stop herself from dashing towards the small child and take her into her arms in a hug. That would likely to terrify her instead.

For some unknown reason she felt a strong connection with this child. Like they were connected more than blood, connected within the spirit. Like they were family.

'Family.' The term was almost alien to her. She was without a family for so long that the term almost held no meaning to her. Still, it was one of her dreams. To create a family of her own. To live a life of peace, to live with a husband she dearly loved, with a child of her own. She wanted this more than anything, and yet… she was the high queen. She would consider the future of the kingdoms a priority even above her own dreams and desires of life. The dream of having a family of her own… was basically an impossibility.

A sad smile graced her lips, which then quickly evaporated into a thin, passive line.

She looked at the child, not certain on how to interact with her. Not certain on what to do next.

"Mommy!" The child suddenly squealed, jumping in place.

Celestine on her part, prevented herself from falling face-first onto the floor due to the shock that came after.

"Wha-!?"

The small elven girl ran towards her and gave her a tight hug. Celestine allowed herself to lower to her level to reciprocate the gesture. Contrary to the calm persona she had tried to establish, her mind was in total disarray.

What did the girl mean by 'mommy'? Who was she even? Was she a relative that somehow for some reason she didn't know about? No, that can't be right, those that share her blood was no longer amongst the living. So who was this girl? Why does she look like her? Why did she refer to her as 'mommy'? Where did she even come from?

So many questions!

Celestine had never felt so lost in her life as she was right this moment.

"I-I… what?" She muttered incoherently, utterly befuddled and confused.

The queen broke the embrace, gently pushing the girl just enough that she could look at her more clearly.

"Er…" She murmured hopelessly, unable to speak her words. The child noticed this.

The small elf girl tilted her head, an action that almost made Celestine squeal just from the sheer cuteness of it. The child adopted a questioning look, a small finger to her lips.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" The small girl asked, she sounded worried.

"Err… it's nothing, baby." She said, wholly unsure if she had even said the right words. "Mommy is just… a bit under the weather today." Celestine offered a gentle smile at the girl, which the girl returned with a smile of her own. Once again, the queen had to restrain herself from smothering the child in a bone-crushing hug.

She willed herself to calm down, so as to think carefully.

So she was currently in a dream sequence, a dream which was the manifestation of one of her visions. A manifestation of something that is to come in the future. Most of her visions were a certainty. In that there was no way it was not going to happen. Her visions always came true one way or another. They weren't exactly pin-point accurate, but they came true all the same. Establishing that, she knows that this was indeed a vision, given to her by the Goddess herself. Given the fact that the child looked like a spitting image of her, and that she called her as her mother, this very obviously meant one thing. She would very well become a mother in the future. She honestly had no idea how to react to that realization.

For as long as she could remember, she had given on up on her dreams, but now…

Her mind and heart told her to be happy by this. She would achieve her dream in the future. She would create her own family and have a wonderful, adorable little daughter that she was beginning to become rather attached to.

Still, another part of her screamed that there was a price to pay for such a future. She was sure that her dream of having a family was not possible, she had responsibilities as the high queen after all. Did this future mean that she had failed as the queen? D-did the kingdoms fall?

That certainly cannot be it, right?

Celestine shook her head, forcing such grim thoughts away. She cradled the small child on her arms, stroking her hair with her free hand. The girl leaned on her, an expression of satisfaction present on her cute face. The elven queen looked at her fondly. This was her child, and yet she doesn't yet know what her name was. She supposed she should just ask, this was just a vision anyway.

"Baby, what is your name?" She asked.

The child looked at her in childish amusement. "Mommy, you silly! My name is Clara, remember?"

Celestine smiled, squeezing the small child's plump cheeks. "Clara, huh… Yes, of course I remember my baby's name." The queen played along, nuzzling her nose against the child's.

"Then why did you ask for my name, Mommy?"

The woman paused for a moment. "Hmm, maybe because I just wanted to hear my baby's name?" Celestine replied.

The child, her daughter, Clara, beamed a smile at her that utterly melted the elf queen's heart. And she took the girl in a hug, her body moving almost automatically.

'This is my daughter, my precious child.' She declared in her mind.

The queen's mind was full of nothing but happiness. The feeling of having a family, was enthralling. The feeling of her daughter's warmth, brought her unexplainable happiness that was welling up from inside and threatening to burst out of her. Any thoughts about the previous dream all but gone away.

This was her dream, and she would be sure to make it come true.

The queen carried the child to her reclining chair, and she sat on it, the girl settled on her lap. "Clara, will you do me a favor?"

The child looked at her curiously. "What is it, Mommy?" Clara asked.

"Can you… tell me about your Daddy?"

The City of Ken - Afternoon

What Nick definitely didn't expect of the capital city of Ken were the gigantic, formidable wall encircling the whole of the city. It was, well, massive. Well, seeing as it was the capital city, he supposed such large walls would help impede any and all security breaching attempts, and very likely will also protect the city from an invasion of monsters.

They stopped briefly at the gates so that Alicia and one of her commanders could converse with one of the guards. The guards at the large gates signaled inside for the gates to be opened, and they entered the city.

Nick watched the city from within the window of the carriage.

The difference between a minor village like Maple village and the capital kingdom was immediately apparent to him. There were no dirt roads. The roads were made of stone and granite. The houses were made primarily of bricks and some other materials, with wooden houses being quite rare. Nick saw gargantuan fountains with intricate designs, he saw numerous large statues of a feminine figure all over the streets. He saw colorful banners being hanged or displayed overhead. And he saw large plazas filled to the brim with people of all kinds. He saw humans, elves, beast kin, and halflings. Such a diverse pool of people with varying beliefs and philosophies. Living peacefully with each other without conflict. It was quite a sight to behold. Although it was clear to him that the city was mostly populated by humans, as they were far more common to see as far as he'd observed.

Towards the distance, Nick could see the gigantic structure that looked like some kind of fantasy castle-church hybrid. It dwarfed all other structures around, and it had more designs than all other buildings. Which means this was an important building, likely the most important in the whole city itself. He assumed this was the monarch's place or something along those lines. It's definitely quite an impressive building, to be sure.

"Now, Nick…" Alicia started, he turned to look at her. "I know quite well you're an insufferable oaf, but do try to be at your best behavior when you meet the Goddess." She gave him a glare, making him fully aware of the consequences should he do the opposite instead. Disrespecting the high queen was an action that was tantamount to suicide. The queen herself may forgive you, but her subjects were another matter entirely. Celestine's loyal guardian, Claudia made sure that any and all such disrespect to the Goddess will be met with lethal retaliation.

The former con man shrugged. "Sure, whatever." The man drawled. It goes without saying, but he was completely surrounded, and deep within their territory. Of course, he wouldn't do anything that might put the ire of a royalty on him. He wasn't stupid.

In fact, he wanted nothing more than to have this monarch as his ally or something. Nothing better than a powerful friend in an unknown land.

Alicia on her part, couldn't believe that the Goddess Reborn herself had personally requested for the knight princess to bring the man to the cathedral so she could personally meet him. The high queen had talked to her through telepathy, an ability of the Goddess, saying that she wanted to meet Nick. That was such a bizarre request, that she couldn't help but scoff at the ordeal. Alicia roved her eyes over the man as he was too busy looking out the window. She snorted at the sight of him. What's so special about him anyway, that the queen had personally requested his presence? He just looked to her like a slightly civilized brute. Granted, the man has looks, and he was strong too with those guns of his, but that's about it. In terms of sheer potential, he wouldn't even come close to the leader of the Black Dogs, Vault.

"Oi, I can hear your thoughts from here, you know. Don't insult me too much, will ya." Nick's deep voice interrupted her thoughts, causing the blonde knight to widen her eyes. The man smirked at her reaction.

"You know you're way too easy to read." Nick said arrogantly. "Better work on that, girlie."

"Tch!" The girl grumpily looked to the side in an attempt to ignore him. He was unexpectedly perceptive, this man was just full of surprises. With a tired sigh, Alicia stroked the soft, silky strands of Prim's rosy hair as the younger girl slept. The girl was using Alicia's thighs as a makeshift pillow. The knight smiled fondly at the girl as she murmured something incoherent in her sleep. The poor girl must have been tired, she had gone through so much today.

The rest of the trip towards the Grand Cathedral had been in pleasant silence.

Ken, Grand Cathedral, Courtyard - Afternoon

"Man, it's been too long since I've been here!" Luu-Luu exclaimed happily as she plopped childishly down to one of the comfy chairs. The little girl casually hefted her giant axe that she had slung on her back, and then leaned it against the edge of the table. Luu-Luu's appearance was that of a child's, but being a halfling, she was far older than she looked. She was the muscle of the group, preferring to join the fray with a heavy, two-handed weapon, which she can easily handle without issue. The halfling possessed strength far beyond that of humans'. Her physical blows alone can render entire houses to rubble with but a single punch. She was the most physically powerful, an attribute the Goddess Reborn had deemed worthy to be a part of the Seven Shields. The little halfling wore a large green beret atop her light-orange short, curly hair. She also wore a long green cloak that covered her entire body. The cloak was the sole material that covered her body, as nothing lies beyond it. The girl was practically naked save for a tiny plate on her crotch to hide her private parts and a pair of white stockings. Not that the girl cared for her lack of conventional clothing though.

Befitting her childish appearance, the halfling was the most childish and carefree of the group. She maintained a child-like persona at all times. Some people had claimed that they had seen Luu-Luu's real personality- that of a cruel sadist. But some were quick to deny this, saying that Luu-Luu's child-like attitude and mannerisms were indeed genuine. Of course, nobody truly knows but the halfling herself, and some of her closest companions. Not even her fellow Shields know for sure. And she would like to keep it that way. Her childish persona had proved time and time again to be a valuable strategic asset in battles, as often times Luu-Luu would manage to beguile her enemies into thinking that she was a mere child, which naturally would result in the shameful and humiliating loss of the opponent. Underestimating a halfling, especially one with Luu-Luu's caliber of fighting prowess was always a terrible idea. She was utterly short-tempered and quite prone to violence. Always picking to fight than to negotiate. Regardless, she had a strong sense of justice. Considered an established hero by many, she was quick to defend the innocent and condemn those that do evil. Most people that met her adored the little princess knight.

The little halfling's magenta eyes twinkled excitedly at the sight of cakes and teas, neatly placed on the marble table for them to enjoy. Luu-Luu wasted no time and immediately dug in.

"Luu-Luu, you've been here just a month ago. That's pretty recent." Maia piped in, watching in amusement as the halfling practically inhaled the cakes. Her smile was gone and was replaced by an expression of concern when Luu-Luu had almost finished her portion and was starting to reach out for hers. "H-hey, don't go taking my food like tha- hey!" The little halfling didn't seem to hear her, or just didn't care, as she continued devouring the ones that weren't on her corner of the table.

It took more than several minutes until Luu-Luu finally got sick of the sweets and had settled to sipping her tea. Maia sighed in exasperation. Luu-Luu was a handful as always, she just wished she had polished her table manners. Not likely to happen though, which sucked.

Maia was a female warrior, a mercenary of great skill and talent. Maia excelled in warfare and military-style combat. Being widely known as the 'Queen of Mercenaries', she was a warrior that was far more skilled and physically stronger than most male mercenary of the Black Dogs, only surpassed by Vault himself. She was a swordswoman, and was known as such. But being a mercenary, she employed and incorporated guerilla warfare and dirty combat tactics into her skillset. She can fight fair more often than not, but she majorly preferred a fight in which she has the advantage at all times. The use of deceit, mental attacks and dirty fighting were her favorite tools to employ. Fighting fair wouldn't matter when you're dead, as she always said. Of course, this wasn't to say that she was weak with the sword. In fact, quite the contrary. She was generally considered as one of the most skilled swordmaster in the kingdoms, only surpassed by Alicia and Claudia. She was also quite adept in assassinations and espionage, talents that Celestine had deemed most useful in the alliance's favor. She was considered as the rebel of the group. The bad girl, per se.

The mercenary wore a one-piece, orange-colored clothing that covered her torso, and dark blue, tight-fitting spandex on her lower half. She was an extremely beautiful woman, proven to be very popular with the men, more prominently with the Black Dog members. She possesed relatively short hair in the darker shade of pink. The woman was armed with two swords hanging down each side of her hip. She was as intimidating as she was pretty. Her crimson eyes were in equal amounts of beautiful and cruel.

"So..." Maia began, wanting to begin their impromptu meeting. "What did you call us for, Claudia? I don't suppose we've been called here to eat snacks?" The mercenary queen said, her eyes hovering over towards the commander of the Royal Order.

Claudia sat there, eyes closed as she relished the taste of tea. The knight commander was a woman of beauty and grace. With wavy, light brown hair tied in a bun, and fair, flawless skin that is covered very little by the silver bikini armor she wore. She wore large shoulder plates as if they mere fabrics, being able to move about the battlefield, run and fight at full speed.

There was really not much to be said about the woman's strength and skill apart from what's already known by the general public. She was the strongest knight in the kingdom of Ken, and likely in all of the kingdoms as well. Her strength and sklll knew no equal. She was widely considered as the strongest of the princess knights, and that was without question. She was widely known as the woman who single-handedly destroys entire camps of orcs, and would leave none of them alive. The brutality of the deaths was such that she had made quite a name for herself amongst the monsters and humans alike: The Valkyrie. Those that see her fight would forever sing songs and tell tales of her strength and power. Some considered her a monster in the guise of a beautiful woman, and they would not be that inaccurate. She was a living legend, an apt description.

The woman put the cup down, and looked over at the two members of the seven princess knights. The commander of the knights was only able to call Maia and Luu-Luu, as Kaguya had something to take care of in her own kingdom of Thorne. Luckily enough, Maia was already in the city, staying at a local inn at the town center, while Luu-Luu was always willing to pay a visit. Celestine was still in her deep slumber, as she rested in her room. The high queen was one of the topics she wanted to discuss with the girls. Particularly, in regards to one troublesome vision.

"You know I'm not one for fruitless meetings. Of course, I called the both of you here for a reason." The knight commander said, her blue eyes glinting a serious light. "I called you here to discuss about a certain topic. One of utmost importance."

Maia leaned forward, interested. "And that is?"

"That is her Holiness' most recent vision." She replied with apparent distate.

Luu-Luu raised her brows in curiosity. "And what exactly is wrong with her Majesty's vision?"

Levantine looked at the halfling, her features an impassive mask. "There is nothing wrong with her vision per se. It is the vision itself that I am worried about." The knight commander sipped at her tea, then continued. "Her latest vision involves a stranger in white garbs, a man. And she wants to meet this man at the earliest opportunity." The knight's voice was calm as she informed her fellow Princess Knights.

Maia and Luu-Luu still did not see the problem with that. So, the Goddess was to meet a man, so what? Claudia was notorious for her over-protectiveness towards the Goddess, and she was an extremely cynical individual, a bad combination indeed. Her loyalty to the Goddess Reborn would often cloud her sense of judgement. It's quite likely that this was just Claudia's cynicism and distrustful nature speaking.

"And what is so bad about the Goddess meeting a single man?" Maia asked, her face was that of genuine curiosity.

"We don't know just how dangerous this man is. He could have the potential to harm the Goddess. It is imperative that we determine his strength and skill." The commander of the Dawn Templars replied.

Maia's and Luu-Luu remained impassive. "And what if the guy turned out to be just a merchant or something?" Maia queried.

"Unlikely, her Holiness herself had said that this person is an integral key in ending this war." Claudia's words was something they did not expect to hear, if their surprised expression was anything to go by. "So, I believe that this individual is strong. At least as strong as a Princess Knight... or even as strong as I." Claudia growled out, her eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

Claudia looked at them, and thought their reaction was entirely appropriate. "It's just as I said. The Queen herself said this man is a major factor in ending the war against Garan."

Maia's incredulous expression had eventually lessened, "Then should we not... you know, be unfriendly with this individual?"

Luu-Luu's childish face adopted a stoic mask. "Indeed... If he's as the Goddess says, then we should not antagonize him, no?"

Claudia merely sipped her tea, "I'm not saying we should antagonize him. Her Holiness herself had requested we should treat him well. I'm merely saying that we should determine his level of strength, skill and power. I am requesting that either of you should fight him in order to accomplish such a task. Should you do that, we would be able to determine if he has the potential to be a threat to the Goddess."

Maia adopted a thoughtful look, her head leaning on a hand and her elbow on the table. "So, why don't you do it then?" The queen of mercenaries asked. It was a legitimate question. The Knight of Levantine was a battle enthusiast, the stronger the opponent the better. It was quite unusual for her to be passing away the opportunity to fight such an individual.

Luu-Luu laughed, her small head whipping upward exaggeratedly. "Fool! Do you really think that poor man would survive a fight against Levantine the Berserker?" She said with a large smirk, "He would die before he can fulfill his role in ending this war."

Claudia coughed, appalled that the halfling saw her in such a violent light. "W-well, I do believe that I am not nearly that bad. But it is the right answer nonetheless. I don't want to fight him for fear of going overboard, and well, actually killing him. I do agree that I tend to get... over-excited at times when in the heat of battle."

Maia smiled heartily, "Well alright, then. I'll do it." She said. She was admittedly curious just how strong the guy was, considering the Goddess Reborn's vision. She hoped he was at least competent in battle. Fighting such an opponent would prove to be an interesting prospect. A man had never beaten her in a fight before, other than Vault, of course. She was interested how this one would hold against her.

Luu-Luu looked down at her tea, her features weary. "Well, I would very much like to spar with such a character as well, but I'll do it some other time. I'm not really in the mood to beat up some poor sap today."

Claudia merely nodded, agreeing.

The mercenary looked at the knight, "And when will he arrive?" She asked.

"They should be arriving after an hour or so. Prim and Alicia is escorting the subject as we speak." She replied.

Maia raised a questioning brow at that, "So Alicia is with him and has not murdered him yet? I think that fact alone means that he is worthy of trust, no?" She said with humor. The halfling stiffled a laughter at the mercenary's joke, and Claudia could only roll her blue eyes.

The knight commander wished it was truly that easy to trust someone.

Nick prepared himself as they came closer towards the large cathedral grounds. He hoped that he at least looked somewhat presentable. The survivor checked his suit, sleeves, his pants, and grimaced when he noticed some parts of his suit was stained red with dried blood. That's going to be a bitch to clean later.

He was about to face a royal, and he was hardly prepared for it appearance-wise. His suit was cool and all, but it's not exactly suited for a royal meeting, especially when it has blood stains on it. Well, he'll just have to hope that the royal doesn't mind too much. Woudn't want to embarrass himself in front of so many important persons of interest.

"We're almost there. Prepare yourself, Nick." Alicia said.

The survivor nodded. "Ready when you are."

The blonde knight smiled. "Very well."

And with a deep sigh, Nick could only hope for the best.

AN: That's gonna be it for now.

Just a bit of filler for Nick's arrival at the city, as well as setting a plot point.

Thanks for reading!

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