17th Red Ash Moon, 908

"Well, I wasn't expecting you lot to show back up again."

Luna, Jet, and Zephora joined Gerard in his living room. It was an hour after sunrise, though Zephora was the only one who looked ready to fall back asleep. Luna took a rigid stance as she normally would for her superiors while Jet slouched and grumbled to himself.

"We promised we would help you with your chores, and that's exactly what we'll do, sir!" Luna exclaimed proudly.

The Sirfetch'd grimaced. "Knock it off with the soldier talk, I'm not your superior."

"Force of habit, sir!"

"…" He eyed her suspiciously, but shrugged it off. "Anyway, same business as yesterday." He pointed at Zephora. "You will be helping me improve my stew recipe today. I think I have a good spice combination worked out."

Zephora yawned and nodded. "Sure thing, Mr. Carpenter."

He glanced at Luna and Jet. "As for you two, you'll be dusting my living room."

Jet examined the dusty living space and huffed. "It's a miracle you haven't suffocated on the air yet—" Luna elbowed him in the side. "Hey, watch it!"

Gerard sighed. "I'll make note of your comments. Just clean the dust off. And make sure to use wet rags. I don't want the dust flying in the air."

Luna saluted. "Affirmative, sir!"

"Stop that."

"S-Sorry, sir."

Gerard shook his head and waved Zephora along. "Let's get to cooking, lass." The cactus yawned one more time and bounced behind him.

Jet pinched between his eyes and groaned. "I really, really hope there's a point to this pointlessness."

Luna frowned. "We're just helping him out."

"Are you really helping him?"

She sighed. "Look, I'm aware of how selfish I'm being, but you understand why we need to do this. It's either this or ransacking his house."

"Not against that option—" He paused under her furious stare, to which he rolled his eyes. "Jesting. Mostly."

"You lot know I can still hear you, right?" They raised their heads and met eyes with an annoyed Gerard. "If you're going to ransack my house, learn how to clean one first."

Jet glared. "You are not the one to be lecturing us on cleaning a house."

"Fair enough. Just get cleaning." He turned back toward the kitchen.

Jet rolled his eyes and marched to the supply closet. "This is so stupid…"

Luna sighed and followed behind him. We just need to put up with this for a few more days and HOPE he tells us something. That's all.


Earlier

"What did I tell you?"

Though she hated that she had to wake up early in the morning to do this, Shale led her bounty hunting acquaintances back to the residential area, where they eventually saw the three cloaked Pokémon entering the ex-knight's house. However…

"You made us wake up at six in the morning for this?" Regina grumbled. "Just to stalk some people visiting an old man?"

Shale wagged her finger and laughed. "If you were a real bounty hunter, you'd know there's more than meets the eye. I'm telling you, those three are genuine Foresters."

Katsu crossed his arms. "I agree with Lady von Elmnou. All you're claiming is that three individuals said the word Forester and made the brash assumption they are Foresters. That's not evidence."

Shale sat down and shook her head in amusement. "Really? I did a fair bit of investigating yesterday. As far as I can tell, that old man doesn't get visitors often and prefers to be by himself. All of a sudden, three strangers seek to ask him questions over something and happen to be Foresters. I find it all a tad suspicious, but what does that matter?" She grinned up at them. "The real prize is their capture, remember?"

Casimir sighed. "Let's assume that those are Foresters. Why are you bothering with that silly bet now? Don't you remember what happened at the prison in the Outlands? We have an alliance with them."

"Correction: you have an alliance with the Hakamo-o. I have no loyalty to anyone but myself and whoever gets me the most money. So, the way I see it, bagging one of them would score some hefty coin and primo land."

Regina shook her head. "Again, what would a brat like you need with land?"

"Oh, absolutely nothing. But not letting you have it is a bonus."

"Why you—" She went for the Cinderace's neck, but Katsu held her back by the cloak.

"Ms. Hakatress, before you insist on enraging my lady further, do you at least have an identity on those three?" Katsu asked.

Shale crossed her arms and thought it over. "Erm, nah. The Snivy doesn't look familiar. Not sure about the Maractus." She smiled and snapped her fingers. "Ah, but the Oshawott looked familiar! Hang on…!" She dug inside her bag and snatched a stack of wanted posters. She flipped through them before finding the rough sketch of an angry Oshawott. "Found it!"

Casimir glared. "Loyal Solider Jet, righthand of the Fairy Knight."

Regina ceased her attempted murder of a child and gasped. "The F-Fairy Knight's righthand?!"

"Uh, yes."

Regina stumbled against the wall in shock. "Th-That…That would win us the bet for sure. Capturing him…oh my Arceus, this can't be real."

Casimir thought it over for a moment. "Shale, you said a Maractus, right?"

"Ya-huh," she confirmed.

He crossed his arms. "Only one I know for sure of is the Nature Spirit, the Root of Death."

Regina gasped once more, nearly choking on her own spit. "N-N-Nature Spirit?!"

"…Why did I say that out loud?"

All reservations against Shale's plan flew out the window for the prideful Zangoose. She hooked one arm around Shale and declared, "My dearest Satshale, I completely believe you! Those are definitely the Foresters, and we should definitely capture them our most generous benefactor!" She snickered gleefully. "Just think, capturing two Foresters of such renown! It's more than I could ever ask for!"

Shale grinned. "Glad to hear it, old lady!"

Regina's eye twitched. "I'm…going to let that slide."

Casimir shook his head. "I want no part of this plan. Besides, I have my hunt to take care of, one where actual lives are at stake."

Regina stood up and groaned. "Honestly Casimir, I haven't seen anything remotely like a slave trader roaming this town. And besides, if something bad was happening, the authorities would have alerted everyone by now. I mean, let's be real, the worst they can do is kidnap one or two people before a riot starts up. How much damage would that cause?"

He spread his arms out. "You want to take another look at me and say that with a straight face?"

"…" She glared.

"It doesn't matter if it's one or one hundred victims. Nobody deserves to live through the torment I went through. Whether a life of service or combat, it makes no difference if the results are misery. Wasting my time hunting the Foresters down goes against what I stand for, not when I have a potential lead to work off of. Besides, I vowed to Ragnarok that I'd aid him in demolishing New Chariot when the time comes. This is not my fight to get in."

"…" Regina scoffed and turned her back to him. "Some of us know what it feels like to lose everything."

"You didn't lose anything. I had nothing. How can you still act like the lives of others matter so little compared to yours?"

"Because that's how it always will be." She glared over her shoulder. "You should always look out for yourself, no one else. Say what you will about me, but I rather take the easy way out to get my fortune back than risk everything on a gamble. You're talking about starting a revolution. I'm being realistic here. The less I get involved with the affairs of others, the better."

Shale raised her brow. "Again, real cold, old lady."

"You're a child. What could you know?"

"Enough to know a rotten fruit when I see one."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you were on my side with capturing the Foresters."

"I'm on no one's side but mine. I already told you this."

"Then you can either help me stakeout the house and capture the Foresters or wait here sulking with Sir Punch-a-Lot. Katsu, come."

He bowed. "At once, my lady." They stepped out of hiding and snuck toward the house.

Shale shrugged and followed behind them. "At the very least, I want to see this train wreck unfold since I never got to see the one from a few weeks ago."

Casimir stayed back and leaned back against the wall. There isn't a kind bone in her body, that stuck-up Zangoose. Would it really kill her to be selfless? He looked away and glared at the ground. I hate to say it, but she might have a point. The Foresters would never get involved with New Chariot, and I can't do much on my own. Am I really just kidding myself? Am I just taking an unnecessary risk in the name of vengeance?


The hours rolled by mostly in silence. Luna and Jet worked diligently dusting the living room while Gerard and Zephora worked on perfecting the ex-knight's stew recipe. Not much was exchanged between them, aside from the two chefs listing off ingredients and tasting the stew.

Luna got around to cleaning under the couch. She took a rag and swept up a huge clump of dust the size of an onion. She shivered and dumped it into the bucket she dragged with her Vine Whip. "You really need to clean up better after yourself, Sir Gerard."

"As you've told me a million times," he grumbled while chopping up vegetables.

Jet swept the mantle and retorted, "What's the matter? Peasant work too much for the pampered noble?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk. Ever heard of taking a break for once in your life?"

"When you have responsibilities like mine, relaxing is the last thing on my mind. I prefer working."

"Is that why you're so high strung all the time?"

"No, I'm just surrounded by idiots most of the time."

"Ah, how charming. I can see why everyone has such a shining view of you."

He rolled his eyes in return. "I couldn't care less what anyone thinks of me. I do what I'm told and get it done. Simple as that."

"Bitter workaholic…"

"Snarky noblewoman…"

Gerard raised his brow at the two as they worked. He remembered them yelling and arguing with each other several times yesterday, but their attitudes seemed more subdued. "What's with them?" he asked.

Zephora tasted the stew before adding some spice. "Eh, I think they burnt themselves out after we went back to our inn. As long as they aren't causing noise pollution, I'm fine with it."

Gerard crossed his wings. "That young lass really wants to know about my history with the Verde Kingdom, huh?"

"We…have our reasons." She smiled. "You know, she spoke highly of you on our way over here. Said you were a legend among the knights." She raised her brow. "Some of that has to be true, right? A part of you still holds some honor to your service?"

"…" He looked away. "That was a long time ago."

"Hmm." Zephora set her tools down and sighed. "To tell you the truth, she's the reason we're here in the first place. I know you don't want to talk about it, and I'll respect your decision, but she's convinced something about your last mission may…help us."

"…" He glared. "Who are you three? You and the angry one aren't knights. Your body language tells me so."

"Heh, not sure how to get around explaining that. It's…complicated."

"Hmm." He glanced at the working pair for a moment. "We can take a break from cooking. Would you mind heading out back and picking some wild onions? I have a garden set up for them."

She grinned. "I didn't take you for a gardener."

"I work a lot with leeks and onions for obvious reasons."

"Sure thing, Mr. Carpenter." She bounced out of the kitchen and headed out back.

"There's a basket by the backdoor! Use that!" he called out. He looked back at the other two and whistled to get their attention. "You, Oshawott. Take a break."

Jet unceremoniously dropped his supplies into his bucket. "Fine by me." He went to the front door and let himself out. "Holler when you need me. I need actual air." He shut it behind him.

Luna frowned. "Why does he get a break—"

"Lass." She stood at attention and saluted him on instinct. He sighed, but let it slide. "See my weapons over the mantle?"

She glanced up at the preserved leeks. "Yes?"

"Grab them and follow me."


Luna followed Gerard down the stairs at the end of the hallway, leading into his basement. She carried the preserved leek weapons in her arms and minded her steps since there was no light the further down they went. She could tell the basement was spacious by the way her footsteps echoed. The walls were most likely lined with brick.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the steps, Gerard said, "Wait here." He wandered into the darkness.

Luna rocked on her heels for a moment, trying to squint into the pitch-black space. Suddenly, her eyes were assaulted with a burst of light. When they adjusted, she saw Gerard standing under a lamp hanging in the center of the basement, instantly lighting everything up. He had used a pole with a lit wick. He lowered it and blew out the flame.

Once her eyes fully adjusted to the light, Luna looked around to see training equipment set up across the basement. Stone weights, training swords, pull-up bars, fighting mats in the center, and more. It reminded her of her training days a few years ago.

"Incredible," she awed.

He smirked a bit. "At my age, you need a strict routine to stay in shape. So, when I was looking for a home, I needed someplace to workout in peace. Somethings don't change, I guess. You can set those down on that table over there."

Luna spotted the lone table and set the leek weapons down. Out of curiosity, she swiped her finger across the surface and inspected it. "Heh. At least you take better care of this place than your living room."

"Hmm." He walked up to his training rack and pulled out a wooden sword. "There was a simple joy to it. Training bright-eyed rookies to become the next generation of defense. There was no fulling these experienced eyes. You see all sorts of young men aiming to become knights for one reason or another. Power, glory, women, money, and more. The ones that were truly dedicated to serving their kingdom were…amusing."

"Amusing?" she asked.

Gerard chuckled dryly. "Take your teacher, my pupil. Matthias Blackfire. That boy wanted to be like his father more than anything. He believed deep in his heart that protecting the innocent was the true path of justice. I never saw anyone as enthusiastic about training as him, and he was one of my best students. I had to take him on as one of my squires."

Luna looked away. "I…never saw that side of him."

"Between losing the queen and his father, I'm not surprised he changed so drastically. He took his role as a knight seriously. That brutal efficiency wasn't something you come by often. I had to teach him how to channel that brutality into something productive. I even had to help him perfect his family's secret technique."

"So, you know the secrets to the Blackfire Soul Technique."

"A trusted secret I'll take to my grave. He surpassed his father in using that demonic flame. Not even Artur could produce a quarter of the power Matthias was capable of." He glanced at Luna. "I'm curious as to why he took you one as his squire."

Luna frowned. "Me?" She looked away and awkwardly scratched her cheek. "To tell you the truth, a part of me thinks he just pitied my situation. My other instructor didn't put any faith in me becoming a knight. But…I also know Sir Matthias put a lot of time into training me. He never treated me any differently than the other knights under his command. He was…honest."

Gerard nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like the old Matthias I knew. If you have the strength to fight, he'll nurture that talent until it blooms." He scoffed. "I should know since I instilled that belief into him."

"…He was the first person to give me a chance." Luna touched her side, remembering the aches and pains she endured under his training. "He nearly broke me in two as to prove I had what it took to become a knight. He was harsh and did everything in his power to break my spirit under his training…and I have nothing but respect for him. He never once went easy on me in our training together."

Gerard softened his expression. "Perhaps I was harsh in my earlier assessment. Though I find his loyalty disturbing, his spirit is as true as his father's."

"…" Luna sighed. "Sir Gerard, why did you bring me down here?"

He exhaled through his nostrils and turned to face her. "The fondness I still hold to my days in service don't compare to my hatred for Queen Temperance. It sullied whatever goodwill I had left in my home kingdom. She, like all the other kingdoms, sought to bolster their power through new means. I grant Verde never sought war, but I feared what they wanted to accomplish through their visions."

"What…do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.

"…" Gerard closed his eyes. "I eventually discovered she was after something in the ruins. Apparently, Queen Temperance discovered an old account penned by the first king of Verde. I only know secondhand accounts of the information, but something in that journal…changed her. Something about the Ten Kingdom War."

Luna glared. "The mass invasion on Virdis."

Gerard nodded. "Lady Freia, there are some secrets in this world we Pokémon have yet to uncover. We are unique creatures blessed with incredible abilities, but the depths of our secrets are even beyond the common Pokémon. It makes one question their very creation and the existence of this world. What is possible? Have you ever wondered what can be done with our resources in the next hundred years or so? Just look at what the Senbo Kingdom hopes to accomplish. They made a steel beast capable of traversing the region in half a day. What else are we capable of?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I disowned my home kingdom because I didn't agree with Queen Temperance's views of advancing the world. And when I went into those ruins, I chose to forget what I saw. I didn't want to imagine what our history was like. The Ten Kingdom War was but an example of our potential, and there are some parts of history still lost to time and only known by a select few."

"…" Luna narrowed her eyes. "So, you do know something about the ruins."

"…I do."

"And you still refuse to trust me?"

"This isn't information I can give away lightly, Freia. What do you expect me to do? You showed up specifically to find me as a knight of the Verde Kingdom. Whatever coat of arms you serve under, I refuse to divulge information that could change the course of history."

"What could be so bad about the ruins that you can't even talk about it?"

"Because the last queen of Verde told me blank point that the information needed to stay hidden for everyone's sake."

Her eyes widened. "The last…you mean Queen Odolina?"

"…"

"She knew?"

"…" Gerard crossed his wings and sighed. "My men were scared to death about what happened. They suppressed all those horrible memories in the ruins. I was the only one who knew, but I ended up divulging the information to the only person I knew who could help: Odolina."

Luna relaxed. "So, Odolina told you—"

"—that no one should learn the secrets I discovered in the ruins. I stopped trusting people after I left the Verde Kingdom. I didn't trust Roscoe Fletcher, and I certainly didn't trust Queen Temperance." He turned his back to her and groaned. "Don't you get it? I can't tell anyone. How can I trust anyone when—"

"—they're always wearing masks," Luna finished. She frowned. "That's what Theobald meant. He was a member of the Crownless King's court. He knew exactly what Queen Temperance was after. And he knew something about the king."

"The Crownless King…" Gerard sighed. "I should've figured you knew that name if you've been snooping into my history. But how did you know?"

"I read it in your journal. Your account of the mission."

"My…journal?" He sighed and covered his face. "Damn you, Odolina. I thought I told you to burn everything. Why would you leave that?"

"Is what you learned really that bad?"

"…" Gerard walked over to the table where his leek weapons lay. "Lass, you want me to be transparent with you?"

"Y-Yes?"

He picked up the sword and ran his feathers across it. "Everything I've done up to this point was solely to protect Virdis from its own demons. I saw what greed can do to a person unchecked, thus I know that secrets discovered leads to disaster. That is the lesson to take away from my trip into the ruins. In other words…"

Luna jumped back as Gerard swung the sword at her, but didn't strike. He tapped it against her forehead, and she could feel the immense power emanating from its wielder.

"I feel it's in your best interest to stop pursuing whatever mission you're on, because nothing good will come from uncovering the truth."


Meanwhile…

Zephora finished picking through the garden of wild onions and placed them in the provided basket. She stood up and took a moment to stretch her arms. She purposefully took her time with the work since she had an inkling as to why Gerard called for a break. She could only imagine what he wanted to discuss with Luna, though hopefully some good came out of it.

"If not, we'll just find some other way," she muttered. She picked the basket up by its strap and turned back to the house.

She paused, sensing something flying in her direction. She quickly raised her arm and intercepted a purple Water Shuriken. It stabbed into her skin, but her body absorbed it and left behind the poison which burned her skin.

"Eh?"

A shadow flew over her head. She traced the sky before spotting a Zangoose crashing down into the backyard with sharp metal claws strapped over her hands. Descending behind Zephora was an Accelgor wielding a katana glowing with a red energy. Sitting atop the fence in the far back was a Cinderace cheekily munching into an apple.

Zephora narrowed her eyes. "Can I help you?"

Regina smirked and straightened up. "Oh, there's plenty you can help with, Root of Death."

Katsu aimed his katana at the back of her neck. "A Nature Spirit all the way out in Echo Bell. What trouble are the Foresters brewing now?"

Zephora set the basket down and raised her hands. "I wasn't aware picking wild onions was a crime." She glared over her shoulder. An Accelgor with a katana. Either that's a coincidence, or this is the same Accelgor that kidnapped Thales and Saga last year. The Zangoose matches up with the report given by Marie and Lambert. Not terribly familiar with the Cinderace, though.

Regina scraped her battle claws together. "Now, be a good girl and surrender. I don't care what happens to you afterwards, but there's a nice bounty waiting with my name on it."

Zephora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can't we do this somewhere else? I rather not ruin Mr. Carpenter's garden."

Regina growled. "Your wily tricks won't fool me. Katsu, knock her out!"

"At once, my lady." Katsu dashed forward and prepped his blade.

Zephora instantly spun around and parried with her hidden dagger. She pulled out a second dagger and swung for the arm, but Katsu swiftly flipped over her head. She dodged his flying swings and lunged after he landed, clashing their blades together.

Regina rushed in and swung her claws. Zephora ducked and slashed across the Zangoose's arm, scraping along the battle claws. Regina retreated briefly and fired Flamethrower, signaling Katsu to dodge.

"Spiky Shield!" She crossed her arms and surrounded herself in an energy barrier composed of spikes. The flames splashed across the surface and torched the ground behind her.

"Crush Claw!"

"Leech Life!"

Zephora dropped the barrier and redirected their simultaneous attacks. She flipped her dagger around and slammed Regina's face with the hilt. Katsu swerved around Regina and thrusted his sword through Zephora's blind spot, stabbing her through the shoulder. Her green blood sprayed out across the yard and fence.

Katsu glared her in the eyes as his Leech Life sucked her vitality away. "Surrender."

Zephora smirked. "Oh buddy, you shouldn't have done that." She dropped her dagger and punched him in the chest with her needle fingers poking into his skin. Vines sprouted out from her wrist and attached themselves to her shoulder. "Dehydration Eulogy!"

Katsu's eyes widened as green energy waves cascaded over his body and flowed into Zephora's arm. He released his katana and gasped as his skin started losing color. His face slowly shriveled, and his mouth was overcome with a sudden dryness.

Regina gasped and picked herself off the ground. "Keep your freaky hands off my bodyguard!" She grabbed Zephora's arm and swiftly tore into it with her claws. Green blood sprayed out from the Maractus' severed arm, and Regina swiftly kicked her across the yard.

"WHOA!" Shale yelled from the fence. "That's sick, old lady! Awesome!"

Regina threw the arm off her claws in disgust and caught Katsu before he hit the ground. "Are you okay?"

Katsu gasped for breath. "Sh-She…tried to drain the water out of m-my…"

Zephora shakily picked herself off the ground with the katana still jammed through her shoulder. Despite that and missing her left arm, she barely acknowledged it. If anything, she looked more annoyed. "Oh, that's just wonderful…"

Shale clapped her feet together and roared with laughter. "This was definitely worth being bored for several hours!"

"I can't believe you idiots actually went through with this!" She, Zephora, Regina, and a dazed Katsu turned to the fence as Casimir jumped over and scowled at them. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"


The noise coming from upstairs didn't escape Luna or Gerard. In amidst the tense silence between them, they heard a loud commotion coming from above. Putting aside their discussion, they raced out from the basement and toward the living room right as Jet came back into the house.

"Did you hear that, too?" Luna asked.

"How could I not?" Jet growled. "I think it came from the backyard! Sounds like a fight!"

Luna gasped. "Oh no, Zephora! We need to—"

"Fighting on my property?" The two Foresters looked to Gerard, whose teeth were clenched into an irritated scowl. "I swear, if any of them ruin my onions…" He grabbed a broom leaning against the wall and marched toward the backyard with the duo tailing behind.


Casimir stomped his foot down and gestured to the party in front of him. "I shouldn't even be surprised by this, but now I find out you cut her arm off!"

"She was trying to kill Katsu with her freaky tricks!" Regina snapped.

Zephora growled. "You're the ones who attacked me! I call that justified self-defense!"

"In what world is forced dehydration self-defense?!"

"It wasn't going to kill him!"

"S-Seriously…someone get m-me…a glass of water or s-something…" Katsu groaned.

Shale snickered, banging her heels against the fence. "Oh, this is too rich!"

Casimir scowled at her. "Don't think you're off the hook either, young lady."

"You're not my dad, screw off!" she laughed.

Regina sat Katsu down and brandished her claws. "Well, you can forget getting a share of that bounty from me, Casimir. I'm taking the Root of Death in. You know the Foresters don't deserve it after the crimes they committed lately."

Casimir raised his fists, vibrating them with power. "I can't let you do that."

"You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

Zephora grabbed Katsu's katana with her teeth and ripped it out from her shoulder. It dripped with her blood. "I don't know what's with you two, but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Shale grinned. "Oh boy, a three-way battle royale! Kick their butts, Caz!"

Regina lunged at Casimir. "That deed is as good as—"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ON MY PROPERTY?!"

A wave of pressure split across the yard and forcibly separated the three parties, splitting the earth open. It slammed into the back fence and shattered it to pieces, sending Shale flying into the air and crashing down on top of Casimir. Regina flew back against the side fence, and Zephora crashed into her basket of wild onions, spilling them over.

When everyone got their bearings in order, they looked up and saw a scowling Sirfetch'd looking down at all of them with a scorched broom propped over his shoulder.

Jet and Luna poked their heads out from the backdoor and observed the damages. "Yikes…" Jet mumbled.

"Oh yeah, he's definitely Sir Matthias' teacher," Luna mumbled.

Gerard pointed his broom at the dazed fighters. "Look at this mess you idiots made. Is this how you treat another man's backyard?! Unbelievable!"

Regina gasped. "Us?! You're the one who split the damn earth open—" She snapped her lips shut as he turned his enraged scowl on her. "…Shutting up now."

He took note of the people in his yard and set his sights on Zephora. "Lass?"

She raised her one arm. "All good. Uh, can you throw my arm over?"

He glanced at the severed arm on the ground, dug the broom under it, and deftly knocked it over to her. He spun his broom and slammed it on the ground. "I won't tolerate fighting on my property. You break it, you fix it." He pointed at Regina. "You? Fix that split in the earth."

"What?! How?!"

Another angry scowl shot at her.

"Uh, right! I'll get to it!"

He pointed at Casimir and Shale. "You two? Fix my fence."

Casimir rolled his eyes and saluted. "Aye, sir."

"Eh?!" Shale gasped. "I'm not fixing some old bastard's—" Casimir grabbed her ear and pulled on it. "Ow, ow, ow, ow! Stop! Okay, I'll fix it, too!"

He pointed his broom at Katsu, who was still dying on the ground. "…" He pointed at Jet and Luna. "Put him on my couch and give him some water. Bring a bucket, too."

Luna, still flummoxed by what was happening, saluted. "Uh…yes, sir."

"Sure…" Jet didn't have the energy to object and went over to help carry the Accelgor inside.

He pointed at Zephora. "Pull yourself together and bring the onions in. Wash them thoroughly."

Zephora pressed her arm back into place and summoned up glowing green vines to stitch it down tight. "Sure thing, Mr. Carpenter."

The ex-knight groaned and marched back into his house. "No self-respect from people these days, I swear…"

The bounty hunters looked at each other as the situation finally settled in, each of them expressing the same baffled expression.

What the hell just happened?


After a hard few hours of labor, the Foresters and bounty hunters (sans Katsu who was asleep on the couch) joined at the dining table by order of Gerard. The bounty hunters looked disheveled from having to fix the backyard, especially Regina whose fur was caked in dirt. Shale was passed out with her face pressed into the table.

Luna awkwardly stared at them while Jet didn't take his distrusting glare off any of them. Diverting her attention from the tension, she looked to Zephora as she flexed her left arm. "Uh…are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm good. Why?"

"Your…arm was cut off earlier."

Zephora shrugged. "Eh, I'm mostly composed of plant matter. I actually learned how to reattach my limbs if anything like that happened. I used to run experiments back home to see if I could boost my regeneration. I even have some hidden weapons lined inside my body."

"That's…uh, cool?"

"Want to see one of them?" She reached for her stomach.

"N-No! No, I'm…good." She leaned over to Jet and whispered, "You used to work with her as a Nature Spirit, right?"

He groaned. "Everyone in the Foresters has their own brand of crazy…"

A clearing of the throat drew their attention to Casimir. He bowed his head to them and said in a low voice, "I am terribly sorry for any trouble my…associates caused." He glared at Regina. "Right?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I think having to refill that crevice in the ground was punishment enough. Still, why are we playing nice with these brats? They tried to assassinate a prince."

"That wasn't—" Luna tried to correct, but Jet covered her mouth.

"If you've seen the horrible things I did in New Chariot's arena, you'll know assassinating royalty is the least of my concerns," Casimir retorted. "And why do you care? You'd do the same thing if it got you a fortune."

"How…dare you! I would never do such a thing." Her tone of voice told him even she couldn't convince herself.

Gerard returned to the table and handed out bowls of hot fresh stew to everyone. "Alright, after some hard work, you all get to eat. Dig in!"

Shale perked up from her dead sleep and picked up her bowl. "Thanks, old man!" She tilted back and slurped it down.

Regina sniffed it cautiously while Gerard took a bowl over to Katsu. "This isn't poisoned, right?"

Zephora smirked. "If you count a lot of spices as poison…"

Regina scooped some into her spoon and slurped it. Her eyes brightened. "Oh my goodness, this is the best thing I've eaten in months!" Forgoing her manners, she mirrored Shale and drank directly from the bowl.

Gerard marched by the table. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Jet glared. "Why are you being nice to these people when they just tried to kill my acquaintance?"

Gerard waved it off. "Bah! That little skirmish? I'd say after what the lass did to the Accelgor, you're even."

Zephora chuckled awkwardly. "Maybe I went a teensy bit overboard."

Gerard glared at the trio. "That said, what in Arceus' name compelled bounty hunters to go after you folks?"

"…" Luna looked aside. "Uh…"

"…I knew it."

Her eyes widened. "Huh? Knew what?"

He pointed between Jet and Zephora. "How blind do you think I am? I had a hunch those two looked familiar. Loyal Solider Jet and Root of Death Zephora. You two are Foresters." He glared at Luna. "Or should I say you three?"

Luna frowned. "Sir Gerard, I—"

"I don't want to hear it." He turned his back to them. "Once you're done with your meal, you can kindly get out of my house. As if dealing with my demons was bad enough, I don't need regicidal fugitives in my business."

Luna shook her head. "Sir Gerard, this is a big misunderstanding—"

"I don't care what the circumstances are. You three would cause me trouble if anyone knew you were lingering in my home." He glared at them. "Even with her recent return, your group kidnapped the princess. How do you suppose that'll look on me, a former knight who has a grudge against the same kingdom?"

"…" She slumped over and sighed. "You're right. We're…sorry for causing you trouble."

"…" Gerard shook his head. "Lass, stop trying to dig up the past. Nothing good comes out of it. It's better to just leave that stuff buried." He walked down the hallway, where they heard the sound of his basement door slamming shut.

Luna groaned and slumped down into her chair. "Just great…" Zephora reached over and patted her shoulder.

Regina glanced at her fellow bounty hunters. "Did I miss something?" Casimir facepalmed while Shale just continued eating.


Meanwhile…

"(Are you sure this is a good idea? We could get in trouble.)"

Tucked away in an alleyway, a teenage Croagunk and Heracross were partaking in some mischief only a couple of boys could imagine: drinking liquor obtained under a parental figure's nose.

The Croagunk pried the cork off and laughed. "(Nah! My parents won't notice a thing, and I doubt yours will, too. Besides, if they didn't want us drinking this stuff, it's got to be worth it.)"

The Heracross sighed. "(You are a bad influence.)"

"(Just shut up and live a little, you pansy.)" Croagunk tilted his head back and took a swig from the bottle. Once he swallowed, he felt a strong warmth in his face and chest near instantly. "(Woo! That hits hard. Here, try some.)"

The Heracross took the bottle and inspected it before taking a delicate sip. He nearly spat the drink out as soon as it touched his tongue. "(Ugh! How can adults stand drinking this crap?)"

Croagunk bellowed with laughter. "(Who knows? Well, if you're not going to have it, give me the rest—)"

"(Excuse me, boys.)" The two nearly jumped off the ground as a Bibarel stepped into the alleyway. He dressed heavily in a cloak, covering most of his appearance. They only managed to identify his species by the prominent buckteeth. He lifted his hood to peer down at them. "(What two doing?)"

Croagunk gritted his teeth. "(Eh? Who's asking? You an officer or something?)"

"(He doesn't sound like a native speaker,)" Heracross pointed out nervously.

The Bibarel took a step forward. "(Drinking. You think you…are men?)"

"(Screw off, you creep!)" Croagunk yelled. "(If you don't have a badge, you can stick your nose up someone else's business!)"

The Bibarel crossed his arms. "I suppose that's enough pretense. You two will do nicely in the colosseum."

Their eyes widened. "(What did he say? Colosseum, was it?)" Heracross whispered.

"(We should leave.)" The boys turned around, but found the other way out blocked by a Seismitoad. He cracked his knuckles as he squeezed through the alleyway. The boys huddled together, now feeling unnerved by the two grown men approaching them. "(What's going on?)"

Bibarel pulled a mask from under his cloak and strapped it over his mouth. "Rebellious natures like yours will draw in some spectators. I wonder what you'll be willing to do to survive."

Before either boy could think of attacking, Bibarel tossed a purple ball out from his cloak. It burst open on the ground and released a noxious gas. The boys inhaled it and, almost instantly, felt lightheaded. They stumbled before falling unconscious over each other.

Seismitoad walked through the gas like it was nothing and pulled out a burlap sack and rope. "Aeneas checked these two, right?"

Bibarel removed his mask and smirked. "He already made the arrangements. No one's going to notice these two are missing for at least a couple days. Gives us enough time to stake out some more targets. There are some young maidens I spotted who would fetch a nice price."

Seismitoad finished tying the boys up and stuffed them in the sack. "Alright. Five or six more like this, and we can get moving. When do you think the emperor will sound the invasion?"

"Soon, no doubt. If anything, we're doing these brats a favor." Bibarel picked at his teeth with a toothpick and chuckled. "After all, there's not going to be a West Virdis left to come back to once he's done."