11 months after the events of Arc 4.5...
? POV
"Osprey, what are you doing over there? Get over here to properly guard Lugnica's borders!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming..." Osprey said as he grudgingly trudged over to his post. "Seriously, Nagen, why do you nag me so much anyways? There won't be an incident like last time."
"Just because we're not back at that Vollachian border fortress does not mean that you can slack off! In fact, it's even more dangerous here, considering that this is a gathering point of all four countries!"
"Ya, but will there be another Cecilus Segmunt running past this particular fortress? No! So relax, Nagen, it's not like we will have a country attacking us or something..."
"Oh, ya? Then what is that in the distance?" Nagen said with urgency as Osprey looked at a dust cloud in the distance.
"No way... is that a... mabeast horde?" Osprey gasped as he spotted a rock covered pig, and many other ones surrounding it. The weirdest part was... there were people riding it as they came into view, with saddles on their back.
"Mabeast horde? Are you serious?" Nagen said as he took a closer look at what he just told his comrade to observe, and shock expressed on his face. "Tell all units to engage and be ready to fight! If we're unprepared, we might actually die to all of them! The amount is insane... almost as if someone was coordinating them..."
"Hey, look!" Osprey said as he noticed a boy riding a ground dragon in front of the mabeast horde, seemingly trying to escape the impeding danger behind him. "We gotta help that kid!"
"You serious? Osprey-"
"Nagen, we can't leave a kid like him out there alone, you know! I'm going to rescue him."
"Osprey, you can't just-" Nagen started, but Osprey was already off. Sighing, Nagen followed his comrade as they went outside the gate.
"Hey! Kid!" Osprey yelled out to the boy on the ground dragon, who looked quite unfazed at what was happening behind him despite having a mabeast horde right there. Osprey didn't know if this kid was sleeping, but upon closer inspection he realized he wasn't, and the boy was waving back with glee.
Osprey would've yelled 'Kid what the hell are you so happy about' if he didn't hear the kid shout back once his voice was in range.
"Hello! Is this the border fortress I've heard about?" The boy said with a carefree spirit as he halted his dragon, and got off it as the mabeast horde suddenly stopped behind him as Osprey and Nagen looked at the situation with shock, their mouths agape.
"Y/N nii-chan! We can stop now, right?" A blue haired girl who popped up from one of the mabeasts said to the boy as he gave a thumbs-up back, and the girl nodded as she started to speak with the mabeasts, before they went away as if obeying her.
"Anyways, sorry about that commotion that I caused." The boy said as he bowed and apologized, but Osprey was still processing what just happened and didn't hear a word. "We should probably switch to our second method of transportations when we're in the vicinity of cities and dense areas of populations, check..."
"Excuse me, but how..." Nagen was also at a loss for words as he looked at the retreating mabeast horde, then back at the boy and his other companions, who showed up out of nowhere.
"Oh, the mabeast horde? Sorry about that. You see, they're a really useful and efficient type of transportation, and it would be a waste to not utilize that when one of my companions happens to have such a neat divine protection... isn't that right, Meili?"
The girl named Meili, who was supposedly controlling the mabeasts, gave the boy a bright smile as a sinister presence loomed over them. A woman in black and purple walked over to the young girl, and patted her on the head. "Meili, I know you're all powerful and stuff now, but please don't overexert yourself, okay?"
"I will, Elsa-nee. Don't worry. Besides, Palmyra can heal me if I do happen to be tired, right?"
The blue haired girl raised a thumbs up to a mage in the corner, who gave a slight nod back.
Now that Osprey noticed it, this group is quite strange.
A girl who can control mabeasts, a woman with insanely sharp knives as if she was an assassin who the little girl calls her sister. Next, we have three girls who seem to be also part of the group but each have their own characteristics. A mage, a girl wears a visible bracelet who doesn't have any other weapon, and an elf with a very intricate-looking staff. There's also an ominous girl floating back there was well. Then, we have the assassin girl in red hair with Kararagian weapons. What the hell is with this team of misfits?
Not to mention the boy, who Osprey assumed was their leader.
He had three swords strapped to his back. Very interestingly carved swords indeed. But three swords? How the hell are you supposed to hold three? Dual wielding was possible and not unheard of, but this dude...
Not to mention the three Great Spirits around him. It's already rare enough to see a corporeal form of a Great Spirit, but this guy has three just hanging around him normally? Unbelieveable...
"Ehh... I know you seem all powerful and all, but please do not bring mabeasts within the vicinity of fortresses again, okay?"
"Ah, I see. I'm really sorry about that." The boy apologized immediately, before forming a giant carriage-like object right in front of him as he constructed a vehicle that Osprey has never seen before. Is he a genius at magic as well?
"Anyways, Priestella is over there, right?" The boy said to Osprey as he pointed towards the north, and nodded.
"You're off to Priestella? Have a safe trip then." Osprey said as he did a knight stance before giving them a wave, and the boy headed off.
"Osprey... that boy..." Nagen said as he walked up to Osprey, who looked at him, dumbfounded.
"Huh?"
"HE HAS WAY TOO MANY GIRLS WITH HIM! UNACCEPTABLE!"
Timeskippu*
Y/N POV
Ah... it was nice to see that they're guarding the border well. I didn't have any plans to go to any other countries yet, but that can be arranged for later if time and other things allow it...
Meili sat happily in Elsa's lap while Fulgenta pulled our reinforced carriage, which can be pulled manually or move by the help with a steam engine.
Yes, we have a steam engine.
I unlocked Titanium in the past few days, and the things I can make with the awesome material is just endless. I even made a new pair of glasses for myself, which I thought was quite cool.
The steam engine was pretty easy to make. I've seen a diagram of it before and I understood it's basic components, which is basically just using the built up water vapour push a valve that would move the machine. By using some nice fire stones that I managed to stabilize, our carriage vehicle was a go.
Halfway there, I switched Fulgenta out, and had the carriage move on its own with the engine. Fulgenta was tired since she did carry me for a few days now, so she slept in the back wagon prepared for her as I ruffled her fur slightly, soothing her into sleep.
Sphinx decided to once again attach herself to me as a sign of affection, and this time I accepted it, somewhat. I held her in my lap as I told her stories while she listened intensively.
Elsa was knitting dolls for Meili in the back, Omega was reading a book that we found somewhere, Yae was sleeping, and Colette and Palmyra were chatting about the new stuff they learned recently.
With those antics continuing for a while, we eventually reached the Water Gate City of Priestella.
"Hello, please identify yourselves." The border checkpoint guard said to me as Fulgenta glanced at him a bit menacingly, causing him to flinch. Calming my ground dragon down, I showed a letter of the various guilds of Lugnica's support on my travelling. After taking a look at the contents, his eyes lit up as if I did some divine miracle.
"You're... the Liberator? Please! Come in right now, sorry for my attitude back there! I am a huge fan and I'm amazed by your actions. Can we perhaps chat sometime?"
What is this fanboy attitude? The hell?
Okay, I knew I made a name for myself since it was quite necessary for the events in Arc 5, but to think that it spread so far...
"Sure." I maintained my calmness, and spoke to the guard cautiously, somewhat. "What's your name? I'll be sure to remember it when I have time."
"Oh, my name is Inkal, Liberator-san. See you around, then!"
After leaving the excited guard behind, we ventured into the streets on our carriage. Due to its exotic looks, I was approached by many merchants, but I just told them that this was a new prototype of the carriage. "The rest of the information resides with Russell Fellow, leader of the merchants' guild. I have been informed to not leak any details, sorry."
Hehe. Special Tactic: Responsibility Diversion.
Isn't that just pushing your responsibilities away?
Ah! Chid-chan! Please notify me next time before you engage in mental conversation with me, that scared me a little.
That... scared you? You're exaggerating...
No really, I was indeed a bit spooked.
You're lying, Y/N... hmph...
Aya... don't get all worked up over this, okay? I'll go buy you some new novels to read here, Chid-chan, so cheer up!
Really? I thought you were out of money by donating resources?
Nah, I obviously had my own private stockpile, you know?
"Come on!" I said as I hoisted Omega onto my shoulders, giving her an elevated view of the city as Sphinx struggled to not hit Omega out of jealousy. Seriously, she's a real vinegar pod. Chinese reference if you don't get it. (A/N)
With the two elves latched onto my body, I walked into a bookstore near us to take a look. I left Omega and Sphinx for them to wander around a little, and I little did I know, I ran into someone I recognized.
"Oh? It's you, Y/N-san!"
A familiar voice rang out from the back of the store, and I turned around as I faced a person that I once rescued from a village.
Flashback*
3 months before current time...
I happened to come across a young girl as we were travelling past a village, and she hopped on our cart with urgency as she looked at me, pleadingly. "Please... save us."
I was genuinely confused since the village didn't seem to be on fire, but the girl seemed distraught enough for it to seem like a serious problem. "Lead the way." I said to the girl. "Don't worry, we'll save you. But first, can you explain what happened?"
The girl went on an explanation about how the thieves took over her village, due to the fact that one of her relatives violated a deal with them. They were going to massacre everyone in the village and plunder their resources. Sighing about humans and their overboard actions, I advanced into the village as I faced the leader of the thieves.
"Huh? Who are you? Scram now if you don't want to die." The guy said with arrogance as I let out a laugh at his ignorance.
"Bruh, seriously? It seems that against a person like you, I don't even have to move."
"Sphinx."
The moment that name was uttered, a geometric algorithm was implanted into the dirt, immobilizing all the thieves in the area as Yae jumped up and knocked every single one of them out.
"There was no need for killing, so we could just tie them up and notify the knights." I told Palmyra, who nodded as she set up the flare that I used to contact the knight order.
"People of the Syrulian Village! Do not worry about the thieves as they're bound with strong ropes infused by mana. I have sent out a notice to the Lugnica Knight order, so do not fret."
"Please, mister, tell me your name before you leave!" The girl who notified me about the situation before held my arm.
"My name? It's Y/N L/N. I'm a Liberator."
Present
"So, Y/N-san, what brought you to Priestella?"
"Well, Kitia, to be honest, it was more like fates beckoning. However, I did have something to do."
"Oh? What could you, a Liberator, have business in the city?"
"Well... do you know of the Royal Selection Camps?"
"Royal Selection Camps?! Don't tell me, Y/N-San, you're friends with them?"
"Quite good friends, in fact. I could take you along as well."
"Heh? Surely that's too much..."
At this perfect moment, Sphinx and Omega returned from the books, carrying a small load as they noticed Kitia.
"Y/N, who's this?" Omega said as Sphinx gave her a glare as a sign to back off, but Tia just smiled back at Sphinx.
"This is Kitia. You guys might've forgotten about her, but she's from one of the villages we saved a few months ago." I explained, and Sphinx suddenly gasped.
"I see, so this is why I'm getting bad vibes... she held your arm before as well, did she not?" Sphinx said as she observed with suspicion, and I sighed.
"Sphinx, why are you so hostile to everyone who does that?"
"Because you're mine, you know?"
Heh?
Huuuhhh?
Omega and Kitia looked at her confusingly since she said it a bit quietly, but I heard the messsge loud and clear, so I proceeded to pat her head.
"Don't worry, Sphinx, I'll be sure to spend some along time with you during the city trip, so don't worry."
"Okay then..."
Now that that problem is sorted out, we bought the books and met up with the others at around dusk, before I went and picked a nice inn for us to sleep in. It was a big day tomorrow, so obviously preparations are needed.
Timeskippu*
3rd Person POV:
The sun shone on the Water Gate City of Priestella, illuminating the city of canals.
However, unrest and conflict was already rising in the hotel that the Royal Selection Camps stayed in.
The reason for that is...
The last candidate, uninvited to the party, Priscilla Barielle, has entered the stage.
Along with her knight Al, and the man who supposedly follows her.
Heinkel Astrea. Vice-captain of the Knights of Lugnica.
"You shouldn't pretend, father. It's already too late to make amends." The man said towards the Sword Demon, who looked at him with an indescribable face.
"And you, Reinhard." The man said towards his son. "The Astrea family is mine to control. And I do not support you. Not. One. Bit.
"Commoner?" Priscilla spoke, suddenly surprising everyone in the room as she looked slightly annoyed.
Heinkel responded casually. "Yes, Lady Barielle? I'm in the middle of a conversation-"
"Silence."
With a swift slash of her fan, Heinkel fell to the ground as he turned unconscious. The action shocked everyone in the room as they struggled to process what just happened. Priscilla continued to kick the fallen body, and drew a dark, red blade out of thin air as she begun to swing-
Before she could or before her knight could stop her, a pink haired boy ran into the room with fear in his eyes, apparently shocked by something. A noise then sounded throughout the corridor.
Priscilla paid no attention to the noise nor the boy for this particular moment. Subaru, who was watching this entire situation, was not really able to sit still any further. His rage that has been pent up towards the arrogant woman was going to be unleashed as he grabbed his whip and was about to strike until a swish was heard.
A sword, wickedly gleaming, flew through the entrance and embedded itself with such force that it lifted the table cloth with little effort. It landed right between Subaru and Priscilla, where the future conflict was going to take place.
A hand, purple and blackish in colour, came through the doorway. However, this fact was unbeknownst to most, except for Subaru. He immediately recognized the entity: an Unseen Hand.
The hand grabbed the sword as it swished back into the corridor, where footsteps were heard. The sword stabbed itself into the ground near the door and the hand rested there with it. A boy with features almost anyone in the room could recognize came through, sighing as he suddenly saw his sword, and looked at the thing Al would call the Sun Blade.
"Ah... so that's why Zeam went haywire as soon as I entered the vicinity... an equal was spotted. Then again, the Yang Sword... it really is it, isn't it?"
The boy's confusing phrases did not shock the room, but rather, it was the presence of himself. He held two other swords in his hands: A gleaming white one and and a pitch black one, both radiating ominous energy.
"Oho? This is quite the gathering, is it not? Looks like I came just on time. Or perhaps I was late to the party?"
"Nii-chan!" Felt exclaimed with happiness as she recognized the figure and Subaru sighed in peace as he sat down.
"Welcome back, Y/N."