"Happy Eve of the First Moon!"

A traditional holiday recognized in the western parts of Virdis, finally here on the dawn of a new year. Though there were many Foresters outside of the western half of the region that didn't celebrate the year, they recognized the significance of celebration.

Today was the 31st Winter Moon, and the final day of Year 907.

Melissa rounded a table joined by her closest friends: Pandora, Marie, JoJo, Lillia, Lucient, Wyatt, Avel, Ragger, Kenny, and Adenine. She handed them tankards of hot chocolate before sitting down between Marie and Pandora. She raised her own tankard and smiled. "I hope you all enjoy!"

Adenine smiled back. "Why, this is mighty kind of ya, Melissa. Ya made this yerself?"

Melissa giggled bashfully. "Lambert may have helped with the second batch. I wanted to do something special for the holidays. My mother, father, and I would spend the day together with specially brewed hot chocolate and watch the snowfall. Of course…" She frowned into her tankard. "Father and I have not partaken in tradition in a very long time."

Marie patted her shoulder. "Well, we're happy you're sharing your traditions with us." She clinked her tankard against Melissa's and took a sip. Melissa smiled a bit.

Lillia sipped hers, then said, "We have a celebration for this in the Algus Kingdom. Krigernatt!"

Lucient tapped his chin. "Krigernatt. Ah yes, a holiday celebrating the fallen warriors who served in honor of the kingdom. Because of Algus' warrior ancestry, celebrating a new year also means celebrating the new warriors who will serve the will of the king."

Lillia nodded. "The priests take part in Krigernatt to honor the names of the warriors who fell during the year. We say their names and give a speech of their finest achievements in and out of battle. A warrior's duty may be to protect their home, but they also serve the community so that it may continue to shine."

"And here I thought all warrior-based kingdoms were purely bloodthirsty," Ragger teased.

The Meowstic rolled her eyes. "Algus respects the title of warrior unlike the brutes of New Chariot. Dying in battle is the greatest honor of our kingdom! Only warriors who die valiantly in battle shall ascend and be immortalized by the Swords of Justice, the greatest warrior gods of all time."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a waste of good muscle. I wouldn't encourage such brazen attitudes. I would want as many of my evil soldiers to survive to prove how unstoppable my armies are. I wouldn't allow a single one to die on the battlefield, not even from the dreaded common cold!"

Marie smirked. "You're quite the taskmaster, Pan."

Wyatt gulped down his entire tankard of hot chocolate and sighed. "Well, regardless of how we celebrate the final day, we're all going to have fun today."

Avel nodded. "He's right. Jason told us in advance that there will be a special raid on Verde Kingdom to celebrate our hard work over the year."

Kenny signed, "It'll be good practice for me since I'll be taking my Greenwood exam in a month."

"I still can't believe they're letting a little kid run a squadron of thieves," JoJo, transformed as a Teddiursa, said. "Either the Foresters have low standards for leaders, or I shouldn't be sitting so close to this kid."

The Cubchoo smiled innocently at her, wagging his tail.

Ragger punched into his palm. "The bros are right! We get to hit up the kingdom and trash it! Maybe I'll get to tangle with some strong knights!" He turned and grinned at Melissa. "You should know the stronger ones. Tell me, who should I be looking out for?"

The Buneary didn't make a peep. She hid her face behind her ears as she stared down into her tankard. Her friends looked around at each other, picking up on the uneasy tension coming off of Melissa. By now, they've known the rabbit long enough to sense when she was feeling anxious about something, and it didn't take a genius to understand the root of her sudden shyness.

Marie hooked her arm around Melissa and asked, "Nervous about returning home?"

Melissa nodded. "A little. It will be strange breaking into my own castle. It has been over eight months since I last set foot in Verde. I worry my disappearance has rattled the staff, especially my dear nurse."

Pandora shrugged. "Eh, if it makes you feel better, that's not the worst your vanishing act di—" Marie whipped the Growlithe with her hair. "Ow!"

"Huh?" Melissa mumbled.

"Ignore her, hon~!" Marie exclaimed. She poked Melissa's cheek. "It'll hurt at first, but all the more reason to keep moving forward. You're a bright-eyed young woman with a dream to renovate the depravity of this world and bring it back into the shining golden age in your visions. How you go about that, I don't know, but enough hard work will make your dreams a reality."

Lucient nodded. "She's right. You worked the hardest out of all of us to get to where you are now. As long as you keep marching forward, you'll never lose your balance."

Wyatt grinned. "It would be nice to see a better version of Virdis."

"Assuming such a thing is possible," Avel grumbled.

"Aww, don't be like that, bro."

The Shellder shrugged his shell. "I'm just saying, Melissa has her work cut out for her. I mean, how do you even start mending the rift in Virdis? That kind of thing can't be accomplished with a winning speech and cute smile, and especially not with the backing of an infamous group of thieves. You would need the support of a greater force to accomplish any sort of radical change."

Melissa frowned. "True…" She glared for a moment, then shook her head. "No, you are all right. I just need to keep putting my best foot forward. If I can pass my heist exam, it might help clear my head."

"There you go!" Wyatt cheered.

"Speaking of, what is yer heist proposal?" Adenine asked.

Ragger smirked. "Oh, get ready, it's a doozy."

Melissa blushed awkwardly. "Heh, perhaps I will explain another time. It has only been a few days, and I am still stunned Jason agreed to it."

Lucient crossed his forelegs. "Well, we know you'll be bringing along four other Foresters."

"Two rookies, and two additional members, plus the heist overseer," Marie explained. She smirked. "Word around is that Jason will be overseeing yours."

Adenine's eyes widened. "Ye're kiddin'!"

Melissa gasped. "Marie, where did you hear that?"

Marie chuckled. "I have my ways."

"Jason's never overseen a heist before," Adenine continued. "Yeesh, whatever ya suggested must've been mighty big bag of nails."

Lillia tilted her head. "Alright, so if Jason's assigning two rookies to you, have you decided who you want your two additional recruits to be?"

Melissa scratched her chin. "Still thinking that one over, though I have a rough idea of who I want to bring along. I have about three months to plan the heist."

"That should give you plenty of time to look over the ins and outs," Lucient said.

Melissa nodded. "Hopefully."

Their heads perked up as a horn sounded through the fort. They spotted the Foresters gathering onto the main platform, where the stage was being set up. It was time for Jason's announcement before the heist.

Melissa chugged down the last of her cocoa and wiped her face. "Alright, I can do this." She tried to stand, but Marie grabbed her arm.

"Mels, you know you don't have to take part in the raid. It's completely optional," Marie said. "Jason would understand, especially after what you and the others went through."

Melissa smiled and shook her head. "I know, but…" She gulped and shook the shivers out of herself. "I have to at least try. I need to be brave and stand up for myself." She then chuckled sheepishly and tapped her fingers together. "Plus, I want to raid my old room and get my dresses back since I could not bring them with me."

Pandora smirked. "Fair enough."

"You losers have fun," JoJo said, raising her tankard.

Melissa smiled. "Thank you, JoJo. Come on, everyone." Lillia, Lucient, Ragger, the Good Brothers, and Kenny downed their drinks and followed the Buneary down to the main platform.

Adenine swirled her tankard around and frowned into it. "Hey, girls?"

"Yeah?" Marie, JoJo, and Pandora answered.

"Is it just me, or does Melissa seem to be actin' a little…off?"

Pandora shrugged. "How so?"

"Ah might just be imagin' things, but Ah could've sworn she has been grippin' into her uniform a few times. Is she feelin' alright?"

"I didn't notice anything," JoJo mumbled before slurping down her tankard.

Marie and Pandora shared a worried look with each other. Adenine was clearly picking up on the same troubling issue they were. Though Melissa hid it well, she did seem a bit unfocused the last few days. They hoped it would clear itself up in time, that maybe Melissa was still shaken by the loss of her locket. Maybe when she started planning for the heist, she'll be back to her quirky, semi-confident self.

Hopefully.

Melissa and her friends made their way through the crowd of Foresters and found their way upfront. Melissa smiled upon spotting Leon at the front and squirmed her way over to join his side. "Hi, Leon."

The Aron shot a glare at her before looking back at the stage. "Hmph."

"Uh…" She giggled nervously and tapped her fingers together. "I would have invited you for hot chocolate with the others, but I could not find you. I promise we will share a cup next time, though."

"Hmph."

"Oooookay. Good talk!" She sighed and drooped forward. Lucient gently patted her back and offered a smile.

The crowd soon quieted as Jason walked upon onto the stage, joined by Blitz and Jet, the latter having recently returned from his dispatch mission. The neutral glare on his face was a vast improvement over the typical scowl he wore. A welcomed relief for everyone.

Jason stepped onto the podium and cleared his throat. "Quiet down, everyone. Can I have your attention, please?"

The chatter vanished, and everyone gave their undivided attention to their Pikachu leader. Jason nodded at their cooperation, cleared his throat again, and spoke:

"As you all know, today is the Eve of the First Moon, a celebration to reflect on our achievements in the last year. I think most of us can agree this has been the most interesting year for the Foresters. A lot has happened in our tightknit group. Big changes to the system, and quite a number of scares from out activities." Jason crossed his arms and sighed. "Though I was hesitant to include you all in our findings against Last Autumn, I'm happy to see your training has kept you on your toes in these strange times.

"Between the invasion on Snowbound Village and our recent lockdown scare, the Foresters may end up pushing operations in a new direction to combat a sinister threat unlike before. We're still in the dark on a lot of details, but your continued cooperation has allowed us to fight back and stay strong. We're truly grateful to have such dedicated thieves in our presence."

The crowd raised their fists and cheered, jumping up and down. Jet's famous scowl returned when he yelled, "Oi, knock it off! You'll send this whole effing floor plummeting to the ground if you keep jittering like a bunch of caffeinated Snorlax!"

The crowd suppressed their cheers and planted their feet firmly on the floor. Jet sighed, then gestured for Jason to continued.

He nodded and resumed his speech, "Of course, I think most of us will agree our most shocking development was the conclusion of a surprise member. Not once did we expect our group to be intercepted and graced by the presence of royalty. How about a round of applause for Princess Melissa Penworth, or should we say our resident crackpot, Harlow?"

Mock cheers and whistles sounded off around Melissa. Though mostly in good fun, Melissa groaned and covered her reddened face with her ears while her friends laughed at her expense. It almost sounded like Jason meant it in jest, too. She could even see Jet on stage trying to hide his laughter.

Jason suppressed the smirk dancing on his lips and clapped to get everyone's attention back onto him. "Alright, we've embarrassed the princess enough. Point is, after the long year we've been subjected to, I think one last raid for the year will get those spirits rolling. A classic Forester raid to swipe the riches of the capital and distribute the wealth to the lesser villagers neglected by King Penworth's lackluster rule."

"YEAH!" the crowd cheered. Melissa, again, covered her face and whined from secondhand embarrassment.

"Of course, there's a dual-part to this operation," Jason continued. "As many of you know, we sent one of our own to spy on the happenings of Penworth castle and keep us informed. Now's the time to extract her while we still can, and this raid will serve as a necessary distraction to keep the knights occupied."

Melissa perked her head up. She almost forgot there was a mystery thief swarming around in her castle. How had she gone so long without learning the thief's name, though? Hmm, I wonder if it is one of the maids. She smiled and shook her head. Nah. If there were a spy in the maid staff, Sadie would have sniffed them out a long time ago.

Jason raised his fist. "Let this be a final mark for the year, and the greatest raid to end all others! The new year approaches, and I sense great change in our future. The time for the Foresters to take an active approach and suppress a forgotten force of corruption once and for all. Are you ready to raid the capital of Verde Kingdom and remind the king who we are?"

"YEAH!"

"Are you ready to show Virdis that we are not to be trifled with? That we are the unstoppable spirits of this forest?"

"YEAH!"

"Are you ready to take on Last Autumn and end the thirty-year nightmare of their return?"

"YEAH!"

Jason slammed his fists down on the podium. "Then grab your gear and get ready! We leave in one hour! By our return, we shall make off with our riches and the return of our dear ally, Sadie Mailet!"

"YEAH!"

"Yeah!" Melissa cheered, getting sucked into the hype.

The Foresters dispersed and made their way back to their huts, leaving behind only Melissa and her friends. Melissa jumped up and down, pumping her fists in the air.

"I feel great!" Melissa exclaimed. "It may be my castle, but I will not let my doubts shackle me. I will steal as much as I can and prove I am an excellent thief!"

Lillia grinned. "That's the way to it, Melly." She patted her shoulder, then left alongside the others to get their gear.

Melissa stayed behind a bit to soak in the excitement and to catch her breath. She felt a little doubtful the last few days, but perhaps the raid was what she needed to get herself together. She hadn't actually stolen much in a long time, so it would be good practice to put her improved sticky fingers to the test.

She nodded confidently and marched off to her room. "Getting my gear~! Getting my gear~! Oh, I am getting my gear~!"

Then, like a tower of plates crashing down, something jolted to the surface of her mind and froze her in stunned shock.

"…Wait, Sadie is the mole?!"

Luna shut the castle doors behind her after returning from her parents' place. With it being the Eve of the First Moon, Luna wanted to pay her parents another visit before she had to get back on duty. She had another reason to pay them a visit, but she put it to the back of her mind for now. She had to continue her rounds around the castle, then meet up with Matthias regarding the search mission for Sir Gerard.

She marched through the castle halls, sword gripping at her sheathed sword. She passed by the cleaning maids as they hurried around, hard at work as usual. She opened her mouth to bid them a good afternoon, but stopped and observed the state of the hall.

With only so many occupants roaming the halls, the castle hardly needed anything more than a routinely dusting and the occasional cleanup. To Luna's surprise, there was a lot more than just a simple cleanup at work. From the walls to directly under her feet, the entire hallway was doused in a bright red stain. It soaked into the walls, the cracks in the floor, and the hallway rugs. Judging by the state of the stain, it dried considerably some time ago.

"What the what?" Luna gasped. "Is…Is that—"

An Aromatisse maid turned to Luna and shook her head. "Never you mind the stain, Lady Luna. It is not blood."

Confused, Luna approached the stained wall and sniffed it. "Cheri juice?"

The maid sighed. "An entire barrel's worth, too."

"How the heck did this happen? Did someone on the cooking staff go on strike?"

Aromatisse shook her head again. "It's quite the puzzler, but Gustavo swears no one on the cooking staff came up here with a barrel. Though, when we asked, he did mention a supply of cheri berries went missing last night."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "How…strange."

"It is. We had to get everyone down here to clean it up. It's going to take us hours to get these stains out."

"But why would anyone…" Luna trailed off as she looked around at the maids. As the Aromatisse said, just about every maid was in fact in the hallway cleaning the catastrophic spill. She recognized a handful of them after her initial inspection of everyone's quarters.

All but one, however, were present.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Well, if you'll excuse me…" She shuffled away from the maids and let them get back to work. She turned and marched down the hall, making a left.

Luna darted straight for the female staff wing and kicked open the bedroom door. "Ms. Mailet. May I have a word?"

As Luna suspected, Sadie was the only maid not cleaning up the mystery spill. In fact, the chatty Audino was still in bed, nodding her head in rhythm with her humming. Her uniform was a mess, too. Crinkled skirt, missing apron, and her bonnet was draped over her eyes like an outlaw's ten gallon hat.

Feeling ignored, Luna approached the maid's bedside and ripped the bonnet from her face. "Ms. Mailet!"

Sadie blinked her eyes open. "Eh, wazzat?"

"Sadie!"

"Eh?" Sadie faced Luna and smiled. "Oh. Hello, Lady Luna. To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

Luna crossed her arms and glared. "Why aren't you attending to the spill in the hallway? According to one of your coworkers, all maid staff are supposed to be cleaning the mess."

Sadie yawned and turned onto her side. "Nah. They can handle it without me. This girl needs some shut eye."

Luna's glare deepened. "And did you sleep in your uniform?"

"I had a long night. Didn't bother changing."

Luna looked up and down the uniform again, then said, "Very strange that the apron you're supposed to be wearing over your uniform is missing."

Sadie turned back around and smirked. "Well, look at that ego. You're assigned to settle a little mystery, and suddenly our female knight is a master detective. Brilliant observation, Lady Luna. Or should I call you Dame Luna? A shame no one actually addresses you as Dame despite being a knight. Then again, you are something of an anomaly of knighthood—"

"Stop changing the subject," Luna said.

"Who's changing what now?"

Luna shook her head. "I just find it peculiar you're not wearing your apron, or the fact it's nowhere in the room from what I can see. Unless you're willing to procure it from somewhere I can't see, I have to assume it's either in the wash or been disposed of."

Sadie sat up and smirked. "Now, why would I do such a thing?"

"Who knows? Though, I know it's hard to get stains out of white. Red juice stains, for example."

Sadie closed her eyes and chuckled. "Oh, that's funny. That's real funny. Are you accusing me of that big ol' mess? Is that what this is about?"

Luna's glare dipped lower. "Perhaps."

"You really are something of a detective, aren't you? A crackpot one, at least." Sadie shook her head. "But please, what reason do I have to cause such a mess? It's a funny enough prank on my coworkers, but too much of a hassle to put up with."

"Then why was a barrel of Gustavo's cheri berries stolen from the kitchen?"

Sadie shrugged. "Someone got hungry, I don't know." She cupped her hand around her chin. "You might be looking too deeply into a problem that isn't there."

Luna shook her head. "I'm not letting you talk your way out of this, Ms. Mailet."

Sadie smiled. "What a shame. Talking's what I'm good at." She snapped her fingers and leaned back on her backboard. "I can't offer an alibi because I don't have one."

"You admit that?"

"Loud and clear." She grinned at the Snivy. "But consider this, my friend. If you want to solve a mystery, you need to ask yourself questions. For instance, why would anyone steal a barrel of berries? Why would they cause such a mess in the hallway?"

Luna shrugged. "To cause a commotion?"

"Or a distraction." Sadie fell into her pillows and reached at her ceiling. "Think about it. The mess is so bad that all the maids had to corral into that one hallway and clean the spill. Even better than the knights, there's always a maid on duty inspecting an area. We maids like to gossip, so we're pretty good at picking up figurative dirt."

"What's your point?"

Sadie smirked. "Word around the corner is that our elderly guest has been awfully chummy with the prisoner downstairs."

"Elderly…?" Luna's eyes widened. "Ydalyn? The Inteleon?"

"That's the one." Sadie folded her arms behind her head. "And it's the strangest thing, but I could've sworn they've been talking to each other like they're old friends. Weird."

"Old friends…" Luna suddenly shook her head and glared at Sadie. "Wait, no! I'm not letting you talk your way out of this interrogation!"

Sadie rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself, but I had nothing to do with the cheri berries. Ask Ydalyn if you want."

"H-Huh?"

"I saw her last night. And she works in the kitchen." Sadie chuckled. "Feel free to get a second opinion on your hypothesis. And while you're at it, perhaps get a statement about what I just told you."

Luna glared at the Audino a moment longer, then slowly backed away toward the door. "I have my eye on you, Ms. Mailet." She grabbed the door handle and closed the door behind her.

Sadie shrugged and rolled herself out of bed. "As will I, Ms. Freia. As will I."

She stretched her arms, then whipped the blanket off her bed. A hole was cut out through the mattress with a barrel sitting snugly inside. Inside, and for Sadie's eyes only, was the torn mattress padding and a stained apron.

Sadie pulled a note out from behind her back, a note she received a few days ago, and glared at it. "Because I need to make sure any information you think you know never leaks out to the public." She tucked the note away, then started to wrestle the barrel out from its hiding place.

After Luna closed the door, she marched down the hall and turned a corner. Just as she was out of sight, a pair of yellow eyes opened up beside the door. A shimmer of light refracted off the transparent body accompanying those floating eyes. If one were to look really hard, they could've made out the crease of shimmering light below the eyes. One could even call this crease a smirk.

"You're a cold one, Sadie Mailet. Well played. I suppose I'll need to return the favor."

The invisible figure slithered away. Once she donned a fresh pair of clothes, she had to spread word of a certain treacherous Audino to some knights.

Ivone, the Corviknight knight, clicked his metallic talons against the hard stone floors of the castle as he performed his rounds. His steely red gaze examined every corner with a keen sharpness, easily able to pick out the slightest movement should it cross his vision. The knights had to all step up their game with the many blunders that befell the castle.

Ivone stopped to the sound of feet tiptoeing behind him. Though subtle, it didn't evade his attuned ears. He turned with a sharpness on par with his personality, but relaxed once he recognized the face. "May I help you with something. Ms. Ydalyn?"

Ydalyn curtsied to the armored crow. "I am merely on break, my good sir. I hope you don't mind my wandering of the halls."

Ivone shook his head. "Do as you wish."

"Oh, thank you kindly." Ydalyn tucked her hands behind her back and followed alongside Ivone as he resumed his rounds. "A beautiful day, is it not?"

"I suppose."

Ydalyn took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm happy that the Eve of the First Moon is upon us. A new year, new possibilities."

"I suppose."

She slithered around the crow and smiled at him. "Pardon me if I am annoying you with my talking."

"I don't mind."

She nodded. "Good, good. I understand you have a job to perform, and I would hate to bother you if it were an inconvenience. I'm just a poor old woman, down on her luck, but blessed by the kindness of your king. I haven't lived this well in years. I've truly appreciated my short time here."

Ivone snorted. "Sounds like you plan on leaving."

"Oh, perish the thought. I am just speaking my mind." Ydalyn giggled. "Plus, I've gotten well-accustomed to the traditions shared among the staff. I've been introduced to the rousing world of gossip, you know. Juicy stuff. Care to hear some?"

"No."

Ydalyn smiled. "Word around is that you've had your eyes on Sadie Mailet recently. In fact, all the castle guard seem to. It's…tantalizingly strange, if you ask me."

"Classified information."

Ydalyn pouted. "How cold. So, so cold." She hooked her tail around Ivone's neck gently. "But what if I told you I have some information on Ms. Mailet that the knights overlooked?"

"We are well-aware of Ms. Mailet's mischief around the castle. It's hardly a criminal offense."

A smirk stretched over the lizard's lips. "Not even if she has ties to a criminal guild?"

Ivone stopped dead in his tracks. Even with his armored body, Ydalyn could tell her confession left the crow completely rigid. Right as he turned and faced her, Ydalyn causally leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and a smug grin on her lips.

"What…do you know?" Ivone asked in a gruff tone.

Ydalyn turned away from the armored crow and crossed her arms. "Enough. Just enough. Ms. Mailet is a shifty young woman. I understand, as I said earlier, that you have suspicions of her activity around the castle."

Ivone narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps."

"You assumed the prisoner in the dungeon was the true culprit. You have enough evidence to suggest he's got a murky past as well. Forgive me if it sounds like I'm throwing around accusations, but are we certain Theobald didn't have a partner involved? A partner that he willingly covered for? Is it possible the reason Theobald hasn't admitted to anything yet is because he's, in fact, not the one who orchestrated the kidnapping of Princess Penworth?"

The armored crow ruffled his feathers, grinding their metallic hides together and making an irritating grinding noise. "She is the only maid the princess had a close connection with."

"And that was the basis of accusation for her tutor, correct?" Ydalyn pressed. "I'm just saying, but are you positive you cleaned her room out during your initial search? You are the authority of this castle. Smash everything in that room to pieces if you must. It's not like she'll raise a complaint against official business of the royal family."

Ivone remained silent, turning his gaze to the floor.

Ydalyn shrugged and turned away. "Well, I just came to offer my two cents. If you ask me, a lot of folks in this castle love their secrets. If you have suspicions of Ms. Mailet, throw caution to the wind and jump on that instinct." She rounded the corner down the hall and left.

Ivone looked up at the ceiling and glared. He always had an inkling of suspicion regarding Sadie's snooping around the castle, but never had the conscience to act in haste. Though, if Ydalyn claimed there was something worth investigating about Sadie…

He flapped his wings and darted down the hall. "I better round up Jakke and Nathaniel first."

"You are leaving again?"

Roscoe inspected the carriage parked outside his castle to make sure it was up to code. A couple of knights aboard their steeds stood by the carriage, ready to escort the king safely to his destination. He wanted everything to be perfect for his next trip, though his advisor, Ortwin, had concerns with the king leaving once again having returned barely a week ago.

"It is only for the day, Ortwin," Roscoe said. "I have to take care of one final piece of business in Marshland Village."

The Noivern leaned forward on his twisted cane and said, "Your Majesty, the villagers may not be receptive of your visit after you were exposed. They've voiced their complaints about the high taxation before, but they never had the misfortune of saying it to your face. If you return to the village like this, they'll fear the worst."

"Let them fear, then." Roscoe adjusted the cufflinks on his sleeves. "This is for the good of the kingdom, Ortwin. You know this."

Ortwin frowned. "Yes, Your Majesty, but I've had time to reflect on my thoughts. Are we really going through with this? Will the people accept this change? Will they accept him?"

"Let them riot if they have a problem." Roscoe glared down the path leading out from his castle. "If something happens to me, I need an heir to take over in my place. We have already lost a princess. Should the people lose their king, they may lose hope."

Ortwin closed his eyes and sighed. "But will the boy be able to take up responsibility? This is not only going to be a huge adjustment for us, but for the boy, too. He isn't royal blood."

"I recall you saying something similar about the New Chariot Empire and its practices."

"I would hardly call the empire a sensible comparison for royal etiquette, though."

Roscoe shook his head and opened the carriage door. "I need a new heir, Ortwin. It's for the good of everyone."

The dragon frowned. "Forgive me for asking, Your Majesty, but is there perhaps another reason you need an heir? I don't mean to intrude, and you are correct that it's for our benefit that we acquire a successor for you, but why have you been pushing so hard for this?"

Roscoe gripped the edge of the door, standing in silence. He sighed through his nose and lifted himself into the carriage. "Because I do not want to go with the alternative path."

Ortwin's eyes widened. "A…Alternative path? What do you mean?"

"…" Roscoe pulled himself into the carriage and grabbed the door. "I will return by sunset. Take care of my duties until I return. Driver, to Marshland Village!" Roscoe closed the carriage door.

Ortwin stepped back as the carriage and the knights pulled away from the castle and sailed through the front gate, racing out onto the kingdom streets. He rested on his cane, puzzled by the king's last statement. An alternative path, he said. What could such a statement mean?

"My king," Ortwin whispered worriedly. "What dealings plague that mind of yours to speak such words with utter contempt and dread?"

The afternoon had arrived over the Forbidden Forest. Over the walls of the kingdom, activity bustled as Pokémon started on their daily routines just as any other day. A certain atmosphere of excitement followed the chatter in celebration of the holiday. A new year, a new start.

And a final raid for the year.

Jason crouched onto a branch, peering up the imposing size of the capital's wall. Behind him were the Foresters who volunteered to take part in the raid, and he could feel the excitement boiling inside their nervous, yet joyful jitters. A chance to steal priceless goods and foods for their own celebration back at base. Though the raid had a dual purpose to serve, Jason allowed them to fantasize about partying.

He felt movement on his branch and turned to see Jet. "Well?"

Jet pulled his hood down and nodded. "They've beefed up security on the wall. Getting through the stealthy way won't do us good."

Jason nodded. "Right. So, it looks like we're going in loud."

Jet pulled out his scalchop. "I'd be happy to lead the charge."

Just then, Blitz dropped from the trees and landed between the two. "Everyone's prepped and ready. We can move at any time."

Jason nodded. "Good, then—"

"Although…" Blitz added, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"Hmm?"

"I think Harlow might be a little…broken."

Jet glared. "Broken? What do you mean broken?"

Blitz pointed up. They followed his gesture and saw the Buneary hanging out a few branches above them alongside Lillia and Lucient. They were keeping her upright so she wouldn't fall over. As for Melissa herself, she seemed lost in space, staring at nothing with a thousand-yard stare.

"Sadie is the mole…Sadie is the mole…Sadie is the mole…Sadie is the mole…" she muttered over and over, her voice carrying disbelief and bafflement.

Jason squinted. "Did…Did no one tell her who the mole was?"

"Nope," Blitz said.

"She's been with us for eight months, and she's only now figuring out who our mole was?"

Jet crossed his arms. "She's remarkably tactical when she needs to, but no one said she was bright."

Jason facepalmed. "Ugh. Give me a moment." He jumped onto the tree trunk and scaled up to Melissa's level. He hopped onto the branch and took hold of her from Lucient and Lillia. "Mind giving me a moment with her?"

Lucient nodded. "She's been like that for over an hour."

"It's kind of freaking me out, and that's saying something," Lillia added. They shuffled away to give Jason and Melissa some space.

Jason sighed, then turned Melissa around, who still seemed lost in her own head. "Harlow? Harlow? Melissa?" He frowned as she continued her endless mumbling. He sighed. "Sorry." He raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

"OW!" Melissa shook out of her trance and held her stinging cheek. "Ow, ow, ow!" She glared at Jason. "Rude! You do not just strike a lady, you know!"

"I'll try and remember that." Jason crossed his arms and raised his brow. "So, I take it you're still in shock that Sadie Mailet is one of our allies."

Melissa frowned, then looked away. "I feel like a great big idiot."

"Can't be helped. Sadie's remarkably talented at lying. You couldn't have known—"

"No, not that." Melissa sighed and massaged her arm. "Actually, thinking it over, it would explain Sadie's brazen behavior a lot better. No way someone like her was raised in any form of refined climate. I just cannot believe she was a Forester. My best friend." She frowned harder. "Supposed best friend, at least."

Jason frowned. "Ah. That's what this is about."

Melissa nodded and meekly hung her head.

Jason sighed and massaged his nape. "Sadie was ordered to keep an eye on things for us, especially once your father started getting into contact with the Senbo Kingdom. We weren't sure how long those negotiations would go on for, so it has been a while since Sadie was last with us. Over two years, at best."

Melissa sighed. "And she got close to me to scoop up some dirt. Great. Just great." She pulled her legs up and hugged them. "Another pawn…"

Jason narrowed his eyes at her last comment, but decided to brush it off for the time being. He touched her shoulder and said, "Melissa, if you think Sadie's been pretending to be your friend, you're far from the truth."

"What do you mean?" she mumbled glumly.

"Thing is, Sadie didn't want to associate with you at all."

Melissa's head perked up. She looked at Jason in disbelief. "Eh?"

Jason smirked. "What? We're Foresters. We hate the nobility, remember? Last thing she wanted was to deal with a spoiled princess."

"I was not…that spoiled," Melissa mumbled sheepishly.

"And I know for a fact Sadie wouldn't have wasted her time hanging out with you, even if it was for vital information. No, I'd say she genuinely likes you. She caused a stir at the castle just to break you out, right?"

Melissa blinked, then turned to the castle wall. "I…guess that is true."

Jason patted her shoulder. "Listen. Since you wanted to break into the castle anyway, how about I escort you over to make sure you get in safely? You can meet with Sadie at the pickup point, and you two can catch up on your way out. Sound good?"

Melissa blinked again, then smiled. "I would…like that, yes."

Jason nodded, then jumped off the branch to join up with Jet and Blitz again. Melissa leaned over the branch and watched him land with a befuddled look in her eyes. She could've sworn she saw a brief flicker of a smile on his face, but she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not.

"What was that about?" Melissa looked up as Lucient and Lillia rejoined her. Lillia looked down and added, "Dang, I've never seen Jason look so soft and kind before. It was freaky."

"Very rare glimpses of such a face," Lucient said.

Melissa looked back down at Jason as he conversed with his two co-leads, then smiled. A warm twinge of red danced on her cheeks. "Rare, but all the sweeter."

Lillia glanced at Melissa, then grinned cheekily. "Melly, are you blushing~?"

"EH?!" Melissa jumped to her feet and hid her face. "N-No! Stop staring at me like that! It is nothing—" Thankfully, the conversation dropped dead as Jet whistled for everyone's attention.

"Alright, listen up, Foresters!" Jet yelled. "We'll be met with some interference by the patrol unit on the wall. Leave the fighting to the senior Foresters while the rookies go on ahead and commence with the raid. We're going to overrun the capital and pick the rich clean. When either Jason, Blitz, or I give the signal, immediately retreat to the wall and disappear back into the forester. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the Foresters yelled.

"Then show us your training, and let's make this the best of our last day of the year!"

"YEAH!"

Jason flexed his fingers and squatted down on the branch. "Foresters! Let's hunt!" He sprung off the branch and dug his claws into the wall, gripping into the weathered grooves and cracks. Once he found his handhold, he scaled up the wall like a hungry Pachirisu.

Melissa gasped as everyone around her leapt at the wall, clung into it, and followed Jason up. She covered her head as Lucient and Lillia leapt past her and joined after the others. Seeing she was falling behind, Melissa scrambled into her uniform and pulled out the hand-sized gauntlets with claws resting in the palm. After strapping them on, she leapt at the wall and dug the claws in.

She scrambled to find a groove in the wall, but then sighed in relief when the claws hooked into a crack. She shook her nervousness off and climbed up the walls with the others. Her excellent hearing informed her a fight had already broken out up top.

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.