Oliver was leaning his back on one of the walls within the throne room in silence, looking at Arlus in detail as he went through what he had just been asked. He then looked over to the center of the room, where he spotted Elia entering in a light blue dress with white sleeves, far different from the outfit he had faced her in but wasn't something he didn't expect. His gaze then went over the rest of the room, which had quickly filled while Arlus had told him of the formalities of the court, as well as his own proposal that he was hoping for. Then, with a small push, Oliver picked himself off of the wall and stared back at Arlus, the man's gaze looking at him with anticipation and with a fire that reminded him of who the man was to become, and of what kind of path he would take.

"So let me recount what you've told me…" Oliver spoke as he placed his hands into his pockets, a small alteration that he had been thankful to Alegar for when he had received the clothes. "With the information given on the invading force, and the lack of manpower or speed to move any extra troops to aid the targeted trading city, you're asking me, a total stranger, to take your sister to deliver a message to the two generals up north in order to have them aid this city because I intend to head there myself."

"Given the location is a bit further than you may have planned to go, since it's close to the capital of Dalce, but that is the gist of it all." Arlus confirmed, making Oliver just look at him with a slanted gaze before he looked back at the floor where several people had now begun to dance, a slow tune starting to play in the room from a small band in the corner. "I understand that you may not wish to aid us in any of these matters, especially on us asking you this so soon after that camp."

"On the contrary, it's something I anticipated, especially with how short notice it is for that invading force to appear." Oliver replied as he looked back at the man, trying to read what he was thinking. The man wasn't anywhere near shocked at his reply; in fact it looked as if he might've guessed his response to it. "Answer me this, however; is Derek among the two generals up north?"

"I suppose you mean General Yamada?" Arlus responded, only getting a nod from Oliver before the prince took his own look at the room, seeing the small group that had popped up. In total, it looked to be around fifty of the nobles had arrived for this event, more than he expected to show up when the invitations were given out. "From the last reports that we've received, the general is there with the Northern General at the moment, aiding in training the northern kingdom's troops as per our agreement in our alliance. When we last heard, he was aiding in facing the tribes even further north that were coming down south to raid."

"Then I have another reason to head up there." Oliver spoke as he adjusted one of his sleeves, his gaze now looking to Elia again, who was moving around the crowd and looking towards her brother. "I have some questions to ask him, but I guess they'll have to wait until after your invasion hits. As for the matter on if your sister should come with me on the journey, the only question I have is what will the conditions be for taking her along?"

"That will depend on my father, and how his discussion with you will go." Came the prince's reply, making Oliver's raise an eyebrow as a small grin could be seen on his face as he looked over to the prince. Arlus only directed his hand to an area of the room, making Oliver's gaze move to the direction to find a crowned man sitting at the center of the long table discussing with Aerius. "I had offered the proposal to him before asking you, and he decided to speak to you personally to see the kind of character your personality is."

"Of course." Oliver sighed, looking back to where he saw the princess to see her only a few steps away. He then smirked before he walked past the prince, patting his shoulder as he passed him. "Well, I might as well get that out of the way and decide for myself on if I want to. I hope to see you later in the party."

With that he walked off, causing Arlus to turn before he was face to face with Elia walking up to him. "There you are, there's been people noticing you talking to that man for a while." Elia spoke as she looked over to Oliver, making Arlus smirk. "Who was he? And have you seen Oliver, I haven't seen him since this thing has started."

"You just missed him, given he just left to speak with our father." Arlus responded, making Elia look at him confused as she looked back in the direction of the king, noticing Oliver weaving through the small group of nobles with an almost fluid like motion. Then, her eyes widened with realization as Oliver made it to the king, giving Arlus the okay to continue. "Apparently he can clean up rather well, though it is interesting in how young he looks compared to how his beard made him."

"No kidding, I couldn't even recognize him…" Elia muttered, a slight sound of understanding hinting in her voice that caught Arlus' attention before she shook her head, snapping out of her daze as she looked back to Arlus. "So I guess you decided to tell him the plan?"

"Indeed, though his reaction to it wasn't one of immediate eagerness." Arlus responded as he looked back to Oliver and the king, both of who were speaking, as Darius had seemed to appear from behind the throne and stand beside the king. Then, the king got up and turned to the guard, muttering a few words before the three moved towards the door behind the throne that lead towards the hallway that connected it directly to the war room. "I do, however, think he'll accept it when our father gives the question."

"You say that as if you already know that he will." Elia spoke, making Arlus only smile to her, his beard now shining in the light around them as he began to walk towards the long table, the princess following immediately. "What makes you so certain on that assumption."

"Let's call it a hunch." Arlus responded as the two moved through the crowd, the small group of nobles parting as they moved through. "Oliver asked about our customs and formalities in the courts here, interestingly enough. I guess he didn't want to make either of us look bad for inviting a hunter to this banquet."

"Well, at least he keeps that in mind." Elia spoke as she looked around the crowd, causing a few of the gazes to look away as she looked back to Oliver and her father to see the two now exit through the door. "I hope our father doesn't expect to miss the toasting in the banquet. Would be fairly bad manners for the one who had set the party up to not give a speech before the meal."

"He still has a bit before that happens, especially since they only just started cooking the food." Arlus spoke as he picked up one of the apples that had been placed in the food tables. He then took a bite of it as he looked back to the conversing nobles, his gaze overlooking a group of them that was now heading their way. "In the meantime, it looks like we'll be having to entertain the guests."

"Of course." Elia sighed as she looked to where the prince was looking, her facial expressions now changing to a more regal portrayal as the two looked to the nobles approaching. Arlus just lifted his hand, stroking his beard as he began to ponder what could be occurring between Oliver and their father.


The war room was darker than when Oliver had entered it the first time, only a few torches being lit around the table as he entered with the king. Darius walked in behind them, shutting the door as Indras moved to his chair in the room, sitting down at it as his gaze moved back to Oliver.

"Please, go ahead and sit." Indras spoke as Oliver looked over to Darius, soon nodding before he moved to the chair directly across from the king, sitting down as Indras looked and nodded to Darius. "You may leave us."

"Very well, my king." Darius spoke, bowing before he walked out of the doorway again, shutting the door behind him. The area remained silent for a while after that, Oliver looking over the king as his gaze bore hard into him. Then, with a sigh, the king leaned back in his chair.

"You don't look as much as I expected, especially with how highly Derek spoke of you." Indras spoke, catching Oliver off-guard as his eyes widened slightly before they returned to their look on the king, making the man chuckle. "It's quite alright, I already know where you come from due to both Oric and General Yamada. However, I will be honest that I wasn't trusted with this news until shortly before you arrived."

"…I see." Oliver finally replied, lifting his hand up as a small cloud of darkness rose from under it, slowly circling under it as he kept his gaze on the king. "Quite a secret for them to tell so openly, especially to a king that could potentially have them butchered for the fact if he ended up afraid."

"One they gave freely, I assure you." Indras responded, his gaze now moving to his right hand as he lifted it as well, allowing Oliver to notice a scar in the center of it that looked to be a circle the size of a small pebble. "It was during a skirmish that I first met him, though neither of us could understand one another. Fortunately, however, we had a general who could translate for us to speak to each other. He asked simply to have a place where he and the men who came with him could live in peace, to which I gladly complied."

"Yet he now serves you as a general." Oliver spoke, making the king chuckle as Oliver twirled the tiny katana in his hand. "I don't suppose it had anything to do with that peaceful life he asked for."

"On the contrary, it was his own choice to ask us this a few months later, after he had conversed with the general who translated for him." Indras responded, making Oliver stop swirling the small blade as the torches around them flickered. "When he asked this, he also made it clear that it wouldn't be a one offer item. He offered his services for the war in exchange for a place to live for his troops at the end of it. It's because of him that our tactics became as great as they are, in fact, and the aid of the Northern General only strengthened our front."

"And I'm guessing that along the lines of that war he started training Elia, and told you of the truth behind the war we fought in." Oliver muttered, getting a nod from Indras as the small blade in his hand vanished. "So then, how much did he tell you about me?"

"Various things, given he didn't expect you to ever come here." Indras replied, making Oliver sigh as he leaned back in his chair. Then, however, Indras' mood shifted into a more serious tone as he spoke again. "However, what we're here for at the moment is the matter of my son's plan, which involves you taking my daughter to the Northern capital."

Oliver only shifted in his seat as he felt the pressure of the man's gaze on him, reminding him of the same feeling he had when he had first spoken with Alegar. "I understand from your son what the plan is, take her to the north with the aid of the Dragon's Heart." Oliver spoke as he looked into Indras' gaze, his own gaze hardened as he matched the pressure in the king's gaze. "I also understand that this isn't something to do so nonchalantly with your family, which is why I understand if you'd have questions on my resolve and priorities."

"I'm full aware of your resolve in actions and priorities from what I learned from General Yamada." Indras spoke, making Oliver smirk as he adjusted himself to where he was resting his head on his right hand, his elbow planted on the arm of the chair. "From his stories of you, I can guess you'd be a valued asset if you decide to fight on a side, and I have no doubt that it's possible given the praise he gave you when he learned of your arrival. However, I still need to understand just what kind of man you are."

"I see…" Oliver responded, closing his eyes as he thought through the king's words. "So then, how do you intend to do that?"

"Actually, I was planning on asking a single question, and move from there." Indras responded, making Oliver open his eyes and look back at the king, the man's gaze now moved to the table in front of him. "Simply put, I'll ask this: what is it that you want, exactly?"

"Well, that's certainly a question I should've expected." Oliver answered, readjusting himself as he set his right hand on the table, his eyes glowing a faint orange as a black pool formed under his fingers. Then, the pool slowly rose into fog over his hand as he looked into the darkness inside of it, his mind rolling through the possible answers. "In the past, I only wished for one thing: to do what I can to ensure the freedoms of others. The freedom to think as you wish, to look at things at a different perspective while others see something else, to leading a life you wish as all others turn against you. To ensure the freedom of choice, that was what I wanted, and to an extent still is."

"Thus the reason you fought for your country." Indras finished, making Oliver nod as his gaze shifted back to the small fog around his hand. "Derek told me that would be how you would respond, if it really was you, given you had only told him and four others that response, two of which are dead."

"Three, actually, though I don't expect him to know of the fifth." Oliver replied, making Indras look at him confused as the man smiled. Then, with a sigh, the fog faded from his hand as he looked up at the king. "So then, did I pass this test of knowing if I was the same man that Derek had spoken of?"

"Indeed, which is why I'll explain a more important matter." Indras spoke, his voice now more serious as he looked at the man. "From what Derek told me, you're an incredible tactician and warrior than even he is. Is this correct?"

"I wouldn't say better, more of that I have a better understanding of certain tactics in guerilla warfare and formation combat while he has better understanding in the militaristic and conventional tactics of our country. It was one of the reasons he was one of my seven generals, including his experience and understanding of the enemy lines." Oliver responded, making Indras nod as his gaze moved to one of the torches that lined the walls. Oliver then noticed the age on the man's face, one he reminded him of his own father, back when he was still training under him. "…Why are you asking that?"

"If possible, during your travel to the Northern Kingdom, I would like for you to train my daughter in the tactics you know?" Indras asked, making Oliver's gaze widen as he looked at the king. The old man just sighed as he leaned back in his chair, looking at Oliver as his gaze kept in it's aged look. "Her troops may be experienced, but she's only managed most of her victories due to the strategies of her commanders and what they see as best. Without them, she would surely lose a battle in tactics."

"So she would have problems with the battlefield in the North if the Eastern army marches in." Oliver responded, making Indras chuckle.

"When they get there, you mean." Indras countered, making Oliver tilt his head to the man in confusion as he processed what the king said. "Arlus may not realize it, or he thinks that I'm too old to understand it, but I've faced the Eastern kingdom long enough to know exactly when they're showing overconfidence with reason. If they've written that they're planning to send a large-scale force, then they're doing that with the plan that it will be both the main force and a diversion for a sabotage."

"The sabotage being from those mercenaries that I faced?" Oliver asked, only getting a slight nod as confirmation. Oliver then chuckled, his gaze overlooking the table as he went through the possibility. "That does make sense, but that would require both the money and resources to enact it."

"Something that the Eastern Kingdom is abundant of due to it's mines and slave trade." Indras responded, making Oliver look up confused. "In revealing that letter, they more than likely have hopes to use it as a chance to weaken the inner parts of the country as the borders are reinforced. This can grant them the chance to sack many of the major cities within our country, as well as damage any supply lines to the bordering troops."

"Quite the speculation, especially for a king." Oliver muttered, raising his hand as a small castle rose from under it, his gaze keeping on the king's as they looked down at the small structure. "I suppose you have some reasoning for this claim?"

"It's the same tactic that the current rulers of their country had done to overthrow their old government five years ago, turning it into the power hungry kingdom we see today." Indras responded, his gaze overlooking the layout of the small castle as Oliver's hand moved from over it. "Unknown to their current government, the youngest son of the old monarchy was visiting us before their civil war began, and unbeknownst to them, he knew many of the secret passageways into the castle without getting detected."

"So he told you of these passageways, and you sent spies to get a report of what happened?" Oliver asked, making the king shake his head.

"I sent my elite to try and save his family, to try and get them to safety due to the friendship I had with them in the past." Indras responded, making Oliver nod as he heard a slight change in the king's voice. "It wasn't until they arrived at the prison cells that they learned the family was killed long before their supposed execution date."

"So began the relations between you and those men remaining neutral." Oliver sighed, getting a nod from the king as he waved his hand over the castle, causing it to fall apart as he got up. "Well, I don't know about teaching her in tactics unless she's willing for it, especially given the training method I know of, but I'll see what I can do for your daughter."

"That would be much appreciated." Indras responded, standing up as well as he looked towards the door. "Now, before we finish this, how would you speculate the best defense against such a force?"

"First I'd need to know the provisions that are available." Oliver spoke as he walked to the door, soon looking back at the king as he stood in front of it. "With a surplus of supplies, I'd find the best option to be to hold in until reinforcements arrive. Without reinforcements or supplies, and with little hope of survival, the best option I'd think of is evacuating the cities and strategizing a counteroffensive. However, this doesn't put into account the possible strategies of the enemy, so I honestly couldn't say as of this moment. As Sun Tzu wrote: if you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat."

"Similar to what Yamada said when I had first met him." Indras responded, nodding to the door. "But enough of talks, it's time for us to return to a party that is being held."

"Very well, my king." Oliver responded, opening the door as he bowed his head. The king only nodded as he walked past the man, seeing Darius standing by the door as Oliver straightened back up. Oliver then looked to the man as he pondered their recent discussion.

'He reminds me of Alegar, right down to the matter-of-fact demeanor he had over what the enemy could do.' Oliver thought as he followed the two men, a small smirk playing on his face. 'I wish I could have seen him at his prime.'

"So then, Oliver." Indras spoke, snapping Oliver back from his thoughts as the king looked over to him. "How long do you intend to stay for this party?"

"Honestly, I was intending to stay until the food, if there is any." Oliver spoke as he looked to the king, soon looking to Darius as the guard kept ahead of the two. "I'm not one for parties or meet and greets, if my lifestyle as of this past years has anything to show."

"Will you at least stay for some of the dancing? I'm sure that there may be some who you could be persuaded to join you due to the current attire you have yourself in." Indras spoke, making Oliver chuckle as he waved it off.

"Sadly I'll decline, I've never been one for dancing." Oliver responded, getting a sigh from Darius as they turned to the entrance to the doorway that they had left through. "I'll stick around to speak with both of your children over the factors of my agreement on taking Elia, but after the meal I'll be returning to the Dragon's Heart to make the proper arrangements for her stay."

"Of course." Indras responded, nodding as Darius stopped at the door, looking at the two as he held his hand on the handle. "Well then, we better get the introductions for this banquet underway."


The remainder of the party itself wasn't much to Oliver's surprise. Outside of a few words and a feast with different food coming from the trade routes that linked to Emerial, there wasn't anything that he found too fancy as he spoke with Arlus. "So my father wishes for you to teach Elia in tactics and strategy?" Arlus asked, making Oliver nod as he looked over to the princess, who was now speaking with some of the nobles. "How do you think she'll take that information?"

"Hopefully well enough, given she has been learning from my former second in command." Oliver responded as he put his hand into his pocket, soon pulling out two rings from it and holding them out to Arlus. "After the party, have Elia take one of these rings. They're my gifts to the both of you."

"What are they?" Arlus asked as he took one of the rings, eyeing it as Oliver noticed Elia moving towards them. "I'd be safe to assume that these have some other truth behind their look."

"They'll let you communicate with me during my travel to the North with your sister, which I'll explain after my departure." Oliver responded as he held the other one up, pointing to a bright red gem in the center of it. "Whenever the gem here starts glowing, then all you need to do is touch it in order to communicate with someone. They also don't allow for eavesdropping on people without their permission, as well, so you can carry it wherever you go."

"Quite a remarkable item." Arlus spoke as he put the ring on his right hand, looking it over as Elia had arrived. Arlus just nodded to her as Oliver held up the ring to her, making her take it confused as he readjusted his sleeves. "So I guess you'll be heading out now?"

"Have to, still have a bit of work to do in order to make sure the Dragon's Heart is ready for action, if the need arises." Oliver responded, smiling as he took a slight bow. "Along with this, Isao is still over there with Ksalso, and I'd feel as if I'd be leaving him alone for too long in what he could consider a second prison."

"Very well, though you'll miss some of the dancing." Arlus responded, making Oliver smirk as he waved it off.

"I'm not one for dancing, always more for drinking and eating with friends." Oliver responded, lowering his hand as he looked to the two. "I'll see you when I call you, Arlus, and I'll see Elia when she arrives tomorrow."

"Very well." Elia responded, soon looking to her brother as Oliver left. As soon as she vanished, she looked over at Arlus while holding up the ring. "Why did he give this ring to me?"

"It's supposed to be some form of communication, something he intends on telling us both about during your trip." Arlus responded, making Elia look at it curiously. "I don't know the full details, only that it requires the cooperation of both parties in order to work. At least that's what Oliver had said."

"Interesting concept for something so small." Elia spoke, her gaze overlooking it as she noticed a small bird carved upon the red gem. "Detailed in artwork, too."

"Really?" Arlus asked, looking at the ring he had, noticing a different design, this one of a similar bird but perched on a branch. "I wonder if he made these himself, or had someone else make them."

"It will probably have to wait until tomorrow, though, since he's left." Elia spoke, her gaze to her brother as she closed her hand around the ring. "So then, what were you two talking about?"

"The discussion our father had with him, and on how much the old man has actually planned for from his battles with the eastern kingdom." Arlus responded, remembering the earlier conversation. "Though he didn't give any details on the actual plan, what I can say is that I have an assumption from how he phrased it…"

"I suppose I won't be allowed to hear it at the moment since there's a fairly large group around us?" Elia asked, making Arlus nod as he looked at the nobles around them, some just muttering to each other while others made no hiding to the fact that they were watching the two. "Well, I'll just go ahead and chat with some of the party goers a bit more while they're still around. We don't want to make for rude hosts."

"Indeed, and I may very well join you." Arlus responded, making Elia nod as she moved out, Arlus looking at the ring again as he pondered through the possibilities. 'The tides of change are still rising, but there isn't a big blast that has hit yet.' Arlus thought as he looked back to the nobles. 'With how Oliver had placed his words earlier, there's the definite fact that war will begin soon. However, what should be the right option to deal with it if my father's plan fails…'

Arlus then sighed as he made his way to a small group of nobles. Now wasn't the time for wondering about the future, now was the time for focusing on the present. A question, however, still remained within the back of his head: what would Oliver and Elia find north?

-Ksalso and Isao-

Ksalso stood in a large training ground, a small target a few yards ahead of him as Isao walked along the edge, Susanoo laying beside him as they watched the man. In the ebony man's hand was a pistol, a weapon he had from the massive cache that still resided within the Dragon's Heart. 'Oliver's body has taken to this world incredibly, despite it being another realm from his own.' Ksalso thought to himself, pointing the pistol to the target as he focused his aim on it. 'However, that doesn't mean that these items will have the same effect.'

With that in mind, he looked over to Isao, who had now walked right behind the target. "Boy, I would like to ask that you get out from behind that target." Ksalso spoke, his voice echoing over to Isao as the boy and the small behemoth looked over at him. "That is, if you like living."

Isao only nodded, squirming out from behind it quickly as Susanoo followed behind. Ksalso then let out a small chuckle, his gaze back on the target as he waited for the boy to get away far enough. There were three options on what could happen with the weapon; either it would do nothing, fire normally, or something unknown to him. However, he couldn't let Oliver use these weapons without knowing exactly what would happen, which was why he was testing them out in the first place. 'Here goes nothing…' Ksalso thought to himself, squeezing the trigger as his body tensed with the anticipation. What he didn't expect, however, was for the gun's ammo drum to explode in his hand, scattering metal all over the area and bounding off the man himself. Isao jumped at the loud crack it made, Susanoo himself moving in front of Isao as the metal fragments landed just a few feet in front of them.

"Well, guess that answer's what would happen with these weapons." Ksalso spoke to himself, looking at his hand, completely unscathed, as it held the handle of what remained of the pistol. The weapon's design, from what he could gather, would still work here. However, gunpowder itself seemed to be amplified tenfold of it's natural power back on earth, making a pistol round the same strength as a frag grenade. As he sighed and tossed the handle away from himself, he felt a tug from the darkness within the area as he looked to it's source, a doorway that led to the training ground. He kept his gaze on it for a few moments before Isao had walked up to him, looking at the debris in shock as the small behemoth followed.

"What kind of item was that?" Isao asked, his voice showing a genuine curiosity as he looked at the handle Ksalso tossed, making the man chuckle as he waved his hand over the ground, causing the debris to fall into the ground as if it was melting into it.

"It's a weapon meant to fire long range projectile's, though it seems that it will be unusable without a proper catalyst." Ksalso spoke, looking over to the boy as they picked up the handle before it could fall through the ground, looking at the detail of it as he lifted it. "While it has worked in the past, it seems that there needs to be some reworking of the weapon type before it can be used properly again."

"Really?" Isao asked, looking at the handle before dropping it, allowing the ground to pull it in as he looked back at Ksalso. "So where are these parts going?"

"To a person who can work on it, one who is the only other person in this place at the moment." Ksalso responded, looking to a now confused Isao as the boy looked at the ground. "The Dragon's Heart has many features to it, one of these being a smith who works around the clock on anything he gets the idea for: Wayland. He's the person who aided in the design of the dagger that Oliver now carries with him."

"The one that he stabbed into his hand back at the camp?" Isao asked, making Ksalso nod as the boy looked back at the ground. "That's incredible… Could I meet him?"

"Maybe, but for today it is time to sleep." Ksalso responded patting the boy's back as he walked to the exit, the boy and beast following in tow as he smiled. "I'll introduce him to you during our travel to the North. He may have something for you to use, if he finds a proper excuse to."

'Regardless, I'll need to explain this predicament to Oliver later.' Ksalso thought as he walked out of the training ring, finding himself in a long hallway as he looked down at his hand, a black smoke moving up from the ground and into it. 'He may not want to use these weapons yet, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for just in case.'


Holy shit that took a while, didn't it? Well, sadly it may be a bit longer as I'm going to focus on my other story for a few chapters, though I do promise that now these chapters should be going a lot faster. Main reason for this: This was the biggest stump in my head since I only thought of all the things around it and never this chapter in general. However, I'm going to focus a bit more on my Legend of Zelda fanfic for the next month, as I've started to get inspiration for that story back from the recent release of Breath of the Wild. In the meantime, be sure to tell me if I should work on anything on this, and give me any reviews on how you've found the stories. And sorry for all the talking in this chapter, I promise that these will be rare in numbers here on out.

With that, this is Ron signing out.