The sun shone brightly through the canopy.
The wind blew faintly, carrying a chill spring breeze.
The verdant flowers seemed to reflect only a bright specter of life itself.
Children's squeals filled the air as they ran around with seemingly living plants.
A red-haired girl with a smile as bright as the blue sky above laughed, trying to outrun a child-sized cherry with legs and a face.
On the side, a white-haired boy with the white and gold clothes of a fallen clan seemed to be in a staring contest with a myriad of giant and sapient hornets and mantis.
A bit to the other side, perhaps a bit more reserved, a young girl with faint blue hair, wearing the dark and gold of the newly formed Gishki, stood side-by-side with a walking piece of cliff, who seemed to be watching over the children.
Naturia forest.
A name known by all, the place where the sacred tree resided. A forest full of life and happiness, inhabited by peaceful beings born out of the forest itself.
It was a place where the siblings had come to see as a sort of playground.
The world might've just left a period of incessant and violent wars that seemed to consume it in its entirety, and a lot of people died, with tragedies that reached even these children, but some happiness still remained.
Even when it all had been lost, even when the aftermath was a sordid affair, a beautiful and happy life was still within reach. Even if it was muddled by the darkness of the past.
And so, those children that had been scarred by the deaths that surrounded them found some small joy in life.
All… except for one.
A small girl with pink hair, her body draped in the clothes of the Gishki, something that she still found ill-fitting.
She stared ahead awkwardly, completely uncomfortable with what happened in front of her.
She had allowed herself to be dragged out to that place, but the thought of living fruits and insects and rocks sent her mind reeling.
Young as she might've been, her mother had spared no short amount of resources to drill into her head everything she should know and how she should behave.
And for all she knew, this scenario in front of her was… blasphemous, just as much as the thought of a 'Sacred Tree'.
The girl was young, and she didn't understand why things were the way they were, nor why things were meant to be 'blasphemous'. She knew the words and their meanings well enough, mind you, but the true meaning behind them had yet to be comprehensible for her young mind.
So, all she could ever do was follow what her mother had once told her and deny such things, without really knowing why.
She well and truly wanted to do something about it all, but… Miss Noelia, what she could only describe as a noble woman, had saved her, had been so utterly kind to her, there was no way she could do anything when the woman asked her not to.
Yes, she still remembered, the woman looked at her with those tired eyes that held so much grief, and like a kind mother asked her if she could stand all of the things happening that she did not agree with, if only to make her happy.
Louise… did not know how she felt about that woman, but she was sure of one thing… she didn't want to make Miss Noelia sad.
Of course, just because she was ignoring it all didn't mean she wanted to be around it, or even enjoy things surrounding it.
But then Emilia asked her to come play with her 'siblings' with a pretty smile, and for some reason, she found herself unable to say no.
She felt like that behavior was something her mother would be mad at, but when she remembered Emilia's smile when she said 'yes', Louise could not bring herself to feel ashamed.
After all, as long as she didn't interact with them, everything would be fine…
"Ah~ you caught me!" With a cheerful smile, the young girl threw herself in the dirty grass, the small cherry following along.
The short game of tag came to an end filled with laughter.
Louise watched ahead, telling herself she would never behave so uncouthly—
"Hey, hey, Louise, come join!" The red-haired girl called with a beautiful smile.
"…" Louise looked at the girl, a complicated expression upon her face. "…no…" her voice came, almost inaudible.
"No…?" Emilia tilted her head with a frown. "Why not?"
"…" Louise averted her gaze, looking for some sort of answer to give. "… because… rolling in the ground is beneath me…"
"But I'm above you, and I'm rolling…" Emilia's answer carried no malice, only confusion.
"…" Louise was rendered unable to answer.
It was true. Noelia was the leader, and Emilia her only birth child. In other words, Emilia was Louise's superior in every sense of the word.
A fact that would give Louise no lack of vexation in the future, but Emilia was superior to her even in height.
"And…" she muttered. "I shouldn't be playing with talking plants, I can't see how they should exist!" She proclaimed loudly, having suddenly found some courage in those familiar words and ideas.
"…" The small cherry frowned in sadness, heartbroken at the girl who denied its existence.
"Louise, that's not nice!" Emilia proclaimed.
"But it's the truth!" Louise continued, unabashed.
"Then what about pink hair?" The grumpy boy in the side chimed in, still not averting his gaze from his little staring contest. "That shouldn't exist as well. Even in the ice barrier, with a lot of people with red and white hair, no one with pink ever appeared."
"Ugh…" Lousie recoiled, the child completely unable to rebuke that argument. "That is…"
Busy as she was talking to Avance, she didn't realize the short looks exchanged between Ariel, Emilia, and the cherry, and the smiles that blossomed in their faces.
"Alright, Louise, you're in!" With a gleeful declaration, Emilia dropped the little cherry, and it immediately began running after Louise with a smile.
"Uh…?" Turning her head, the little girl saw her object of denial approaching her at what was, for her, frightening speed. "Kyaaaaaa!"
Immediately, she turned around and began running away.
Why was she feeling fear? It hadn't hurt her, it hadn't hurt her friends -siblings-, so of course it would do nothing now… right?
Regardless, when someone denies something's existence so doggedly, it is only natural that said existence becomes something of a living horror for the individual.
Try as she might, she could not evade the sense of horror that came from being in contact with it.
The wind blew across her face as she ran in circles, the thing pursuing her.
Her heart thundered in her ears, her blood flowed at ridiculous speeds, her lungs heaved for more air, her untrained legs burned with exhaustion.
It was then—
"Ah…" She tripped, and fell to the ground.
The adrenaline denied her any pain, but before she could get up and continue running—
"…"
The thing climbed in her torso.
Her fear reached a crescendo as it finally moved.
It was then… that it began to laugh, waving its arms in the air.
Soon, her friends -siblings- were laughing as well, some more than others.
And finally, as air returned to her lungs, and her senses became accessible to her, she realized there was a laughter that wasn't there before.
It was hers.
At the end of the day, laughter was infectious, and she was not immune.
She shouldn't involve herself with things that shouldn't be.
She knew this, so she would stop as soon as she could.
It was just… she couldn't find the time. By the time she was up again, the chase re-started, and she told herself 'in just a while'.
It seemed, though, as if that moment would never arrive.
Soon, that worry disappeared from her mind, which was completely consumed by the fun she was having.
She laughed with her siblings.
It was a beautiful day—
A loud knock on the door awakens me.
"Ugh…" My head is heavy.
The instant I'm brought out of my dreaming, I'm assaulted by sensations before I can even process what's going on.
My brain feels as if it's made out of lead. There's a weight on my chest, as if it has been drowned under an entire ocean. My limbs are rubber and my skin is parchment. My hair sticks to my back, filled with sweat.
The normal flow of air is interrupted, asphyxiating me. The sensation of the skin dulled, driving madness into my mind. I can feel the incessant exchange of information between my brain and body, the flow scorching me from inside my spinal cord.
The loud banging on my door continues. The sound reaches my eardrums like thunder.
"My Lady, please unlock the door." A now familiar monotone voice calls out to me.
I know who this is…
"An…celina?" I manage to croak out, my voice barely more than a whisper.
"It is me, My Lady." The banging stops. "Please, unlock the door, there are matters I must inform you of."
Somehow, she managed to listen to me.
"…"
— — — —I get up and walk to the door.
My arms ache, I'm not able to do as much as lifting a candle right now.
— — — —Bringing my hand up, I undo the standard lock in the Academy dorm's door.
Now that I think about it, it is rather weird. I don't remember locking my door last night… I just… remember wanting some time alone to read that book, the story is frankly addictive.
— — — —I open the wooden door. Showing its age, it creaks as it slowly gives way to the image of the woman outside.
"My deepest gratitude for allowing me entrance, my lady." With a bow, my maid enters the room and closes the door behind her.
We are left alone in the dark. The only nights coming in are the moonlight above and the fire from the many torches outside.
My head hurts, I want to go back to sleep. What time even is it? I ought to be mad about being awoken like this—
"What is the situation?" Mine is the voice that breaks the silence.
Without wasting motion or hesitating for a single second, she bows and answers.
"The thief, Fouquet, was observed heading to the Academy. Lord Wardes has set off with his knights to meet him in his path. He wished for you to be there to witness 'his triumphant return'." As if she was telling me it was going to be a sunny day, she gives me a report that the single most infamous thief in recent history is coming to attack the Academy.
"…" Fouquet, the Crumbling Earth. A petty and infamous thief famous for high-profile heists against nobles.
Now, Wardes has set off to meet him in battle, preventing a surprise attack in the middle of the night—
— — — — —Wait, none of this adds up.
— — — —Stop and think, do as that hateful woman taught you. Separate the problem into smaller chunks and begin solving from the simplest.
I take a glance at Ancelina. I can see it in the darkness. Her uniform is slightly ruffled, her hair barely combed and her face still marked by sleep, even if it didn't show in her expression.
It's safe to assume that she was woken up for the express purpose of dragging me around.
I tighten my fists and clench my teeth; righteous anger fills my body.
How dare that annoyance interrupt my maid's sleep? Has he forgotten his position? Does he have no sense of danger?
A silent voice from the deepest depths of my mind tries to tell me that as my fiancé, it wasn't out of the expected for him to do so.
I squash that thought.
He will learn to obey.
But before that—
"Ancelina, prepare me a dress, now." This entire situation is a senseless mess.
My steps echo through the dimly lit empty corridors as I walk into a speed that edges into a run.
As the daughter of the Vallière I cannot do something like be seen running among the corridors desperately, not unless every other noble is doing it as well. If I did, rumors of cowardice and lack of grace would soon begin to spread around my family's name.
Still, I walk as fast as I can, so much so that Ancelina is having trouble keeping up with me.
Although it makes me pity her, I can't simply stop and be considerate right now.
To begin with, there's no evacuation going on.
Fouquet is a thief, he is concerned about destroying the houses of nobles and stealing their belongings, not brutally murdering them… but that's only as far as we know.
An evacuation of school property, or at least having the students and commoner staff all led to a safe space should be mandatory. At the very least, that would, as far as anyone knows, prevent them from being harmed.
And yet, it is clear from the tightly closed doors in the corridors and the silent and tidy emptiness of the halls I walk that everyone is still sleeping.
Something must be happening to prevent them from doing so. I cannot fathom why they wouldn't, otherwise.
Then there is the manner Wardes reacted to the attack.
Prompting Ancelina while she helped me into the most mobile dress I had available revealed that he himself had alerted her.
Why? Why would he go out of his way to call her awake? Simply because he wanted me to witness? Why? Does he think I'll fall in love with him if I do?
If that's the reason then I must say he is even worse than I thought. Maybe he overestimates his abilities, or the way I look at them, but if he wanted to gain my favor he should've sent me flying out of here in an effort to secure my safety.
— — — —She would've cared.
There is something happening here. I need to figure out what it is.
For now, I must part from the assumption things are as I'm told they are:
Fouquet decided tonight was the night to attack the Academy, an overzealous fiancé wanted his little bride to witness a moment of triumph, and the Academy had neglected to evacuate anyone, perhaps to prevent panic and save themselves the political nightmare that would be having all of the nobles potentially annoyed or feeling unsafe.
Whether that is the sole truth or not remains to be seen.
Turning a final corner, I rush up the stairs to the roof of one of the six towers, the one from which they are overlooking the situation.
— — — —There's no need to stop and collect myself, I'm well used to this.
Without stopping, I walk into the roof— — —
The cold breeze of the night is the first thing that hits me. At this height, the bellowing winds are strong and mighty, as if mother herself was commanding them to be mildly aggressive.
"…"
I wash my mind away from the memories that are skirting around the edges. Grieving for my sins comes later, dealing with the 'now' is immediate.
The rooftop is laid out fairly simply.
A hexagonal surface with torches lighting it up on each corner, and a majority of the staff standing by the defenses of the wall, looking up at the horizon.
I waste no time and continue on my march.
Pat, pat, pat.
My silent footsteps are further masqueraded by the wind—
Yet, as if perfectly listening in to them, professor Colbert immediately turns toward me.
"— —Ah, miss Vallière, it seems the viscount's request reached you..." After a moment of glaring in surprise, he immediately softens, merely looking at me with a confused glance.
Following his cue, a few other staff members also turn to me inquisitively.
I don't bother reciprocating his softer tone.
Keeping my glare, I advance.
"Might I know the meaning of this? Why is no one being evacuated?! Does this place have no concern for their safety?!" Without giving them a single second of peace, I cut to the chase and vent out my anger.
Some of the staff murmur and make annoyed faces, but none of them sees the need to speak when professor Colbert takes it upon himself to correct that mistake.
"No, no, Miss Vallière, I assure you it's not like that—!" He desperately begins. "It is just…" He sighs. "I also tried to have the students and staff, however… Viscount Wardes has directly ordered us not to. And as a military matter, his authority slightly outranks that of anyone here."
Hearing that, my eyes widen.
Wardes did WHAT?!
"That is…" This is worthless. Thinking is worthless. There is a potential attack incoming and the people in here are sitting ducks. I'll just have them evacuated either way and throw around my authority as both a Vallière and his fiancée to deal with any fallout.
"Do not worry, miss Vallière." A severe voice reaches my ears.
Standing ahead of everyone with his eyes fully fixated ahead, glancing at something no one else could see. He didn't even bother turning around as he addressed me.
A willpower induced wind bellowed out of his form, the sheer magical power emanating from him being commendable. "As long as I breathe, there shan't be a breach to this Academy's security. That is my oath, as the Headmaster."
With complete certainty in his voice, headmaster Osmond shows just why he is the headmaster of this Academy.
"I see." While it is foolish to believe that a single person can protect us, maybe it will be enough with the griffon knights having previously dealt damage to Fouquet, if he manages to get past them, that is.
The wind bellows. The apparent conflict is happening in the distance. It isn't something I can glimpse with my current eyesight, too far away and shrouded by the night and the trees.
"What is the situation?" I ask professor Colbert through the corner of my eyes.
"Around an hour ago, a scout rider came running to the Academy with the report that a Fouquet approached with a giant golem of earth." He began. "After relaying all the orders, Viscount Wardes set off to meet him in combat."
"…"
And that is the second inconsistency.
Fouquet was a thief. Why would he make such an obvious frontal assault on the Academy?
"Are there guards making sure no one has invaded?"
"I wouldn't worry about that, miss Vallière." Secretary Longueville says from Osmond's side. "The headmaster has a ward that will alert us of anyone who enters and leaves the Academy's surroundings. Not only has no one entered or left since they entered in conflict, but Fouquet was also seen riding the golem's shoulder." Having said that, the woman smirks cruelly. "I wouldn't worry, there's no way that golem reaches this Academy."
"Indeed." The headmaster corroborated. "I can see a vague humanoid shape atop the golem's shoulder."
"You see?" She continues. "Besides, it would be impossible to control such a golem from a distance. You would need to be quite close. Fouquet is an eximious square mage who could control such a thing from a small distance, but even that thief would be unable to sneak in here while controlling it."
"…" I wonder… there's still something strange about all of this, isn't there?
In the first place… how do we know it's Fouquet?
The headmaster says no one has entered, and it seems like it would be impossible to sneak in while doing that, so I'll trust that it's safe for now and stay put.
"…"
Ancelina stays put behind me.
The wind blows strongly.
My head… feels light.
Ah… I see. Because I was awoken midway through my sleep, my brain hadn't disconnected from the part that it shouldn't be paying attention to, in the first place. This is probably why my body feels so awful.
Still, now that enough time has passed, it is properly letting go of it.
An explosive noise echoes from the distance.
I don't need to be told it's the noise of a golem falling to the earth.
The headmaster's sigh of relief tells me it is over.
Soon, the full squadron of griffon knights came flying in the sky.
"…"
When I blink, the scene changes and some of them were already landing on the large rooftop behind us.
Time's over, I suppose.
Wardes exchanges a few words with the staff and the headmaster, giving his report of what happened to Fouquet.
Most of it is standard procedure and meaningless words. The description of the battle was too vague and their plans and opinions were cleverly sidestepped. But the result, the thing that mattered most, was unsatisfactory. Fouquet escaped.
"…"
He looks rather fine. Sure, there is some sweat in his body, and his clothes are a tad ruffled, but he looks…
He approaches me. "Ah, little Louise, I'm glad you finally decided to come. Did you see it?" He smiled, a chuckle being visibly held back. "I chased that thief away, you're safe now. You see, your fiancé knows what he is doing." He speaks in a half-cheerful half-warm tone.
…It disgusts me.
"Trained by my mother and appointed by the crown as the captain of the Griffon Knights. Yet, even with your full squadron, you couldn't catch a single thief." I scoff, walking past him towards the stairs that lead to the inside, Ancelina follows close by. "Next time you wake me up and risk the safety of this Academy's inhabitants, make sure you at least are not so utterly disgracing those who put you where you are."
I don't need to turn around or look at him to see that his hands are tightening, it's audible.
I descend the stairs and walk into — —the corridor.
"…"
I barely catch my stumble.
I stop.
Seeing the sudden change in behavior, Ancelina turns to me, concerned. "Is anything of the matter, My Lady?"
"…" I sigh. With the exception of Ancelina, the corridor is empty, so there's no issue if I complain a bit, no? "I'm just tired. Really, I'm not at all good at dealing with him. Honestly, I just wish I could look at Emilia's face right now, that always cheered me up… but she's dead, isn't she?"
I selfishly complain.
I can see my maid turn her head, wondering just how to answer that.
"…"
— — — —"…"
"…"
"I'm sorry for your loss, My Lady."
"Uh…?" My head feels heavy. My vision melts. "An—celina?" I ask her, confused.
Where am I? What am I doing? Is this… the Academy? Why am I wearing a dress, I should be wearing the school uniform in its premises… wait, WHAT TIME EVEN IS IT?
"… Apologies, My Lady, I did not mean to overstep my boundaries." With a solemn bow, Ancelina apologizes for something.
"No, no, wait…" I shake my head, clearing it of the sleepiness that had assaulted it. "Why are you even apologizing? Sorry, I… couldn't hear what you said."
I'm so confused right now I could scream, and I suppose that it is, rather immaturely, showing on my face.
She bows and once again moves to speak. "I was merely offering my sympathies for the death of Lady Emilia. I meant no offense as to overstep my boundaries by speaking of such subjects."
"…? No, no… there's no problem with that." I mutter, confusion completely overshadowing my anger. "But who's this 'Emilia'? I don't remember any noblewoman with that name… in any case, has she died?" The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't, for the life of me, remember where I heard it from.
"…My… Lady…?" Perhaps the most surprising of it all, is that Ancelina's expression is one of active surprise. For someone who rarely shows emotion, this is…
"No, more importantly, what am I even doing here? What is happening, Ancelina?"
Hearing my question, her expression turns serious and monotone once more.
Perhaps reaching some sort of conclusion, she moves and begins to tell me of the events that had me awake at such an hour.
Hearing them makes me want to sigh. What a disaster.
It is morning.
The sun illuminates my room through the windows with pleasant light and warmth. Far away, I can hear birds chirping.
After my forgetful episode during the night, I ended up going back to sleep. It was most likely just a side effect of sleep deprivation and stress, so I'm sure everything will be fine now that I'm more well-rested.
"…"
I quietly sip at my tea, sitting in a chair by the window-side.
What to do was always a major concern.
"…"
But right now, the answer is simple.
Answers to my letters haven't arrived and I haven't the faintest clue as to what mother is planning, being left only with what's in front of me to work with.
Alas, that is good enough, right now.
Besides wasting away studying, trying to make allies, and hearing gossip, a tangent of what's happening lies in front of me.
That something big is happening within this kingdom is a certainty, and a possible war with Albion is a true risk.
The strange events surrounding Fouquet last night won't leave my mind.
I remember the things Ancelina said I proclaimed, and the more I think about it, the more I realize there must indeed be something wrong here?
Why would a thief attempt a frontal assault? What kind of thief wouldn't make previous research and know the griffon knights would be around? What kind of thief manages to fight off an entire military squadron? What was the meaning behind Wardes' orders?
Luckily for me, I have a guess at the answer for at least one of those questions.
"…"
Knock, knock. The sound of knuckles against a door echo in my room. Soon after, the doors open without a sound, and my soft-stepping maid walks in.
Closing the door, Ancelina comes to my side, still like a statue.
"So?" I inquire.
"The vast majority of students seem to be gleefully commenting on the courage of the knights who 'handily and quickly dispatched the thief without even waking up anyone'." With a voice completely devoid of personal tone, she reports this.
"…"
I had a feeling deep inside it would be this.
So Wardes' objective was a gamble in making sure his actions would captivate the audience more than they would stress them. In other words, he was seeking public acclaim.
Still, that begs the question, then. Why is Fouquet not dead? If he wanted adoration, the thief's head would've gotten that from many more people than mere Academy students. Yet, Fouquet is still alive, and Wardes clearly didn't fight with tooth and nail to achieve a 'glorious victory'.
The students might be too lost in the romance of it, but when you sober up enough to think about it, you can't help but feel there's something wrong.
Maybe I'm crazy, maybe this is just a side-effect of my constant headaches, of whatever it is that's happening to me.
"…" I take a final sip at my tea. "Ancelina, call Lady Tabitha, a fellow classmate of mine, with glasses and blue hair. Me and her… will have a little excursion in the woods."
In the end, no matter how much I think about it, there's something wrong here. If this is all an illusion, so be it, I prefer to at least be certain in my madness than be an uncertain and bumbling fool.
So, with my new ally, I'll check this out by myself.
The dragon's wingbeats lower us to the ground.
The trip atop Sylphid was a pleasant one. But then again, being the daughter of the Heavy Wind I have more than enough experience flying on things.
"Alright, this is the place." I mutter while getting down from the dragon.
"…" My companion, on the other hand, remains silent, content in observing from atop her dragon.
Thanks to this alliance I made, something like getting out of the Academy without alerting anyone of my doing so was rather easy. Even if Tabitha seemed less than enthused about the prospect.
In front of us is the collapsed structure of a great golem made out of earth.
This is where the night's battle happened.
In the middle of the forest surrounding the Academy, a golem appeared and began marching. The trail of destruction, from the place it surged all the way down its path is clear.
But…
"I knew it…" I had observed this from afar, while still atop that dragon, but this trail of destruction isn't at all believable.
No one was going to notice, after all, the Griffon Knights were the ones charged with dealing with this, so they would obviously be the only ones to actually get close and analyze this destruction.
Because of that, no one was going to be around to look, stop, and think.
There is a clear path of destruction, and yet… and yet, it is so controlled. As if it just came about by the golem walking.
It made no sense, where was the uprooted ground, the destroyed trees, the dead animals, the signs there was a battle here.
Even if Fouquet was a moron and just stood still while the griffon knights attacked him, there should've at least been some sign of that sort of destruction, and yet…
"…" I approach the golem.
I look at its remains.
It had crumbled.
How? I don't know. I am unaware of the capabilities of every single griffon knight, but…
"Tabitha." I call her. There is no response, but I can feel her stare now in the back of my head. "What do you think about the way this golem fell?"
Yeah, there's something in the corner of my mind, something that brings a slight pain to me every time it tries to speak up, screaming that there is something wrong.
"…" I can feel her gaze shifting, focusing on the golem ahead of us. The answer came before long. "It fell in on itself."
"…" Yeah, that's right. The words on the inner edge of my mind are finally clear.
This thing wasn't brought down by a blow, it crumbled because there was no more magic keeping it up.
In other words, Fouquet decided to bring it down after not putting up even the slightest resistance.
It doesn't make any sense. Why make something like this, prepared for combat and destruction, from a distance and then retreat at the first intercepting inconvenience, without even using it for the purposes of a fight?
Using it as a distraction is the first thing that comes to mind, but Fouquet did not enter the Academy at night.
I stayed up until late, trying to catch my sleep, so I would know. If he had invaded and escaped, it would've most definitely caused a ruckus, either because he stole something or was forced to escape, but if he managed to invade and was unceremoniously killed, then his head would've been paraded around.
Assuming he is dead or stole something and the faculty is only preparing to reveal it to the public is also a no-go. I watched their movements this morning. I know for a fact neither of those happened.
Interrupting my thoughts, a voice pierces through my eardrums. "Why so interested?" Came the quiet, monotone, and incredibly sharp mutter of Tabitha.
"…" Of course, that is only an expected question.
We are allies, in a way, but I have no doubt that she doesn't trust me fully, just as I don't trust her fully.
It is only obvious that she would want to know what and why I am doing things. Keeping an eye on me and my actions, I suppose.
Telling the truth, my current thoughts, is no good. 'I suspect there might be a scheme on the part of the Griffon Knights' or 'Fouquet is toying with us' either make me a traitor or a completely lost girl. But then again, lying is also not the best call.
A half-truth that leaves space for future revelations is probably the best call I can make right now.
"Do you know of the situation with Albion?" I begin.
"Hmm." She mutters in agreement.
"Good, then that makes things easier." I mutter, putting up some theatrics. "There is the possibility that Reconquista's movement may spread, one way or the other. Capturing Fouquet, the most infamous thief in recent history, could be very well used as propaganda to strengthen the army morale and the hold of the royal family. My interest lies in securing that reality."
This isn't a lie. The possible political benefits of capturing Fouquet will always be a concern. However they are far from the whole truth.
Strengthening the image of the crown, preventing possible damages by him during wartime, increasing the army's morale. For me, they are beneficial side-effects. My true objective is rooting out a current enemy, and possible corruption within the crown, in other words, figuring out what is going on with Wardes, and how he measures up as a soldier while also dealing with a petty thief who has gone free for far too long.
Of course, I also have a personal stake at this. If this stealing rabble goes free, there is a chance he attacks my own noble house and ends up hurting my Cattleya. So of course I would want to put a stop to him.
I can't tell her of that last reason for various motives. The most important being keeping my weakness called 'Cattleya' a secret.
"… I see…" She mutters.
In any case, I've seen what I came here to see.
There's something wrong going on here, and the more I watch the destroyed battlefield, the more my head begins to hurt.
I should go back to the Academy as soon as possible.
Thankfully classes were canceled today due to the Fouquet incident. If they hadn't been, mine and Tabitha's absence might've been noticed.
I sigh.
Going back to the Academy means having to deal with whatever it is Wardes will try to do with me, but it is what it is.
As much as I loathe the thought, though, I should probably accept it this one time. If I want to investigate the subject, I should probably ask him a few things.
Alright, that's it for chapter 8.
So... been a while, huh? I thought I would take a break during the end of the year holidays, but then I thought about writing a few one-shots and other stories (not posted here), and this ended up going neglected.
Alas, I was itching to come back to writing it, and I'm glad to be back. Will see if I can update more frequently.
In any case, I hope you all enjoyed it, and will enjoy what's to come.
As always, thank you so much for your time reading this, see you next time.
:D