19th Red Ash Moon, 908—Nalzona

News of the attack on the capital swept across the kingdom, reaching the distant towns of the chaos that went down. Unfortunately for Luna's group, they hadn't heard of the attack until the morning like everyone else, though some reports of strange noises booming across the atmosphere did raise alarm in the night.

With no further cause to stay in Nalzona, the trio packed their belongings and exited out of the town where they found Godfrey sleeping soundly in the grass, though the wagon seemed to be missing a few supplies.

Jet raised his brow. "Nice to see you've been taking it easy, Godfrey."

The Mudsdale opened one eye at the otter. "Hmm?"

"Where have you been? You were supposed to stick by the town and lend us a hoof if anything came up."

"…" Godfrey yawned and lay his head back down. "Busy."

Jet rolled his eyes before throwing his bag into the wagon. "Uh huh. Sure."

Luna shook her head. "It doesn't matter, Jet. The kids have been saved, and the kidnappers are going to prison. That's all that matters." She tossed her bag into the wagon and dusted her hands off. "Anyway, we've got more pressing matters. Have you heard what went down at the capital last night, Godfrey?"

"Heard news. Sort of."

"We'll need to head over and check on Jason and the others."

"Right." After stretching his legs, he picked himself up and went to slip on his harness.

Zephora, struggling to throw her heavy bag into the wagon with just one arm, huffed in annoyance. "Of course something goes wrong when we're not looking. It's like Mels is a magnet for trouble."

"That a bad thing?" Luna asked.

She smirked. "Nah. Makes things less boring." She massaged her stump of a right arm, showing signs of growing back. "Still, with everything going on, it's unfortunate timing."

Jet hopped into the wagon. "We can worry about all that once we get to the city."

"Ah, you lot heard about that mess that went down last night?" The Foresters turned as their bounty hunting allies approached their wagon. Casimir crossed his arms and said, "I'd come along and help, but I've got other business to take care of further east."

Shale snickered. "The Misty Lights Carnival must've had some wild party last night to make that much noise!"

"Shale. People probably died last night."

She shrugged. "You hear it once, you hear it always."

Regina groaned. "I always figured this kingdom would go downhill one day. I just didn't expect someone would try anything stupid during the carnival."

Katsu nodded. "These are indeed strange times to be living through."

Jet glared at them. "Yeeeeah. No offense—actually, that's a lie—but I wouldn't want you people tagging along with us anyway."

"Jet!" Luna snapped.

Casimir shook his head. "It's fine. We just came by to wish our farewells." He glared. "And when you return to your base, tell Ragnarok that I look forward to storming New Chariot by his side. I'm not sure if any of you have felt it, but the winds of change are blowing."

Luna blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Katsu continued, "He speaks of a new era approaching over the horizon. Something has been…off lately. New Chariot's boldness, your research into the ruins, and more. We're looking at the dawn of a new era, and not one that will be easily welcomed. You'd do your best to keep alert in the following days."

Zephora glared. "We'll keep that in mind, though we're not planning on going to war with New Chariot anytime soon."

Casimir glared. "You'd be surprised. War doesn't exactly give people a choice to remain defensive."

Luna sighed before pulling herself into the wagon. "We'll…keep a look out for anything that might come up. Thank you for your help. I do hope we'll meet again in the future."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Hopefully with a bit more monetary gain involved…" Katsu sighed and facepalmed himself.

Godfrey finally slipped his harness on and nodded to his party. "Ready."

Luna sat in the driver's seat and signaled to the road ahead. "Alright, to the Echo Bell Capital! Let's move—"

"Hold it!"

The Foresters and bounty hunters jolted at the commanding voice blaring across the airspace. Whipping their heads around, they spotted the ex-knight of Verde, Gerard, marching out into the grass plains. His brow was creased into a tight scowl, focusing mainly on the startled Snivy. For a moment, she thought he was mad about her for something. For what? She didn't know this time.

But…something seemed different this time.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gerard asked.

Luna gulped. "Oh, uh…hello, Sir Gerard. Sorry we didn't stop by to say farewell, but we're in a bit of a rush. See, something happened last night in the capital and—"

"I'm well aware of what happened." He paused a moment to take a breath, then sighed. "I've…yet to give proper thanks for your service in yesterday's endeavor, Dame Luna. You were instrumental in rescuing those children."

Luna's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, uh…w-well, I didn't do that much—"

"You've done far more than you realize," he interrupted softly. "In truth, I never truly hated you. My anger towards my old kingdom…bled through into my emotions. I wasn't sure who I could trust anymore. I was cursed to learn the secrets of this region. Its history runs deeper than most may believe, and I feared the power that could be obtained with that knowledge. I couldn't trust anyone, especially a Verde knight."

She frowned. "Sir Gerard…"

He took another breath before looking up at her. "Do you swear that your investigation into the old world is purely to save lives? You will not misuse the secrets of our troubled past?"

"…Never in my life would I do anything to harm the people of this region," she replied clearly and confidently.

The Sirfetch'd stared at her expression for a moment of uninterrupted silence before nodding. "Then you're not leaving here just yet." He turned and headed back to the town.

The Foresters and bounty hunters all looked at each other in confusion. Jet stood up and yelled, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Gerard stopped and looked back at them with an uneasy glare. "Wasn't your purpose for coming here…to learn everything I know about the Great Ruins?"

Year 878

The journey back to the Verde Kingdom was full of hardship and failure felt among his squadron. Once a proud formation of fifty knights, now reduced to only a handful that had to be transported back to the kingdom. The trauma and injuries they endured were far too great. The horrors of those ruins would forever leave a stain on their minds.

With his remaining team composed of his finely trained pupils, Gerard found himself entering the throne room under the watchful eye of the queen's guards standing in formation. Following behind Gerard were an Incineroar, Goodra, Sandaconda, Blastoise, and Boltund. They stopped before the throne and knelt before their superiors.

Gazing down on them from their thrones, the Penworth family acknowledged Gerard's summons. Seated in the main thrones was a Pangoro and a Ninetales, the latter carrying a commanding demeanor in how she presented herself. Seated beside the king and queen were their children: a Ninetales, Odolina (a Ninetales herself), and a Pancham about three years younger than his sister. The eldest son carried himself with the same regality as his mother while Odolina looked upon the knights with concern. The Pancham, however, seemed more preoccupied playing with a wooden puzzle cube.

Standing at the base of the thrones were Ortwin and Sir Artur, who looked upon his mentor with worry. Ortwin cleared his throat and spoke in a booming voice, "Sir Gerard, you have been summoned by Her Majesty in regards to your failure with the expedition into the Great Ruins. You shall plead your case to Her Majesty in hopes of earning her forgiveness."

Sir Gerard bowed his head to the royal family. "Your Majesties, I bring nothing but a thousand pardons for my failure. We were woefully unprepared for the obstacles that presented themselves in our search. The ruins are far more dangerous than we realized."

Queen Temperance glared down at her trusted knight. "In your report, you spoke of monsters residing in those accursed ruins. Is this true?"

The Incineroar knight spoke next. "All fifty of us were eyewitnesses to this event. The state of our men should be more than enough proof to what we encountered out there."

The Blastoise grimaced. "We didn't see them coming. They used the ruins and dust to obscure themselves. They had the territorial advantage throughout our stay. We couldn't get through a day without encountering trouble."

The Sandaconda hissed. "Worst yet, we were unable to perform much in the way of excavation. They halted our plans at every turn."

Queen Temperance softened her stare. "I see. That is much unfortunate. We will have to redouble our efforts in the future."

Gerard's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Careful consideration of the facts. Sir Gerard, after your team recuperates, you will be tasked with formulating a squadron to wipe out our enemy. Should these savages pose a threat in our search, we will act swiftly to stamp them out."

Gerard lifted his gaze in confusion. "Your Majesty?"

"Hmm? Does something about my demand trouble you, Sir Gerard?"

He narrowed his eyes unsurely. "I…it's just that…have you actually read my report?"

"I have. What of it?"

"Your Majesty, these weren't random thugs we had a bad run-in with. They were actual monsters of warfare! They had intelligence. Tactical knowledge of their surroundings. Picking down our numbers systematically and evading all our efforts for a counterattack. This wasn't a matter of insufficient manpower."

The Boltund nodded frantically. "No kidding! One of them turned the entire battleground in a sea of flames just by shooting a mean look at us! There was a shadow monster swatting our men around, and I'm pretty sure some of them just went crazy for no reason! It was BAD!"

"…" Goodra nodded warily.

Queen Temperance hardened her glare. "As I said, what of it?"

Gerard gasped. "Your Majesty, we can't risk another exploration into those ruins! It's simply not worth the risk!"

She shook her head. "I beg to differ. Those ruins are far more important than anyone realizes. The first king of Verde spoke of his experiences during the Ten-Ways War, and he noted the indigenous people of Virdis were unlike anything he experienced from our homeland. There is a secret buried beneath the old kingdom, and it is our duty to retrieve it."

Gerard glared. "What could be buried below the earth that's worth all this?"

"Until the truth is uncovered, that knowledge will remain with me even until my deathbed. Only I am permitted to learn the secrets of my ancestor. You would do well to carry out my orders, Sir Gerard. This is for the future of the Verde Kingdom. Gaining control of those ruins would prove a mighty boon against the east, as well as the neighboring kingdoms should they prove…uncooperative."

The knight bit back his flaring temper. "Your Majesty, you may be my superior, but I cannot approve upon such a request. I get the final say on whether or not my men are prepared for battle, and this is one battle that we cannot afford to wage."

Queen Temperance's gaze turned dark. "Are you questioning my authority, Sir Gerard?"

"And if I am?"

The Incineroar's eyes widened. "Sir Gerard?!"

"Let's not say anything crazy!" Boltund gasped.

"…" Goodra silently pleaded.

Odolina grew anxious from the tension and looked up at her mother. "Are you not being a little harsh, Mother? Sir Gerard and his team just got back from a harrowing experience."

Queen Temperance shot a glare at her. "You would be wise to stay out these matters, Odolina."

"But I—" She stopped as her elder brother lifted a tail and silenced her. He then glared back at his mother.

"With all due respect, Mother, Sir Gerard makes a compelling case. The ruins are still unclaimed territory, thus they harbor a number of strange folk. Do not forget the state of the east. War is all they know, and I have heard many tales of the firepower they possess through skill alone. If nothing else, it could be a sign of the ruins' inhabitants."

Queen Temperance narrowed her eyes. "You dare talk back to your mother like that, Quentin?"

"I am to succeed you as ruler one day, thus it is my duty to view these matters with the eyes of a king. Unless you wish to tell us what about these ruins is worth the potential loss of manpower, it would be ill-advised to pursue the matter further. They have remained untouched for well over a century, and they will continue so for time to come. There is no rush to claiming them."

The king finally spoke up, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "My love, the children are right. Sir Gerard's team needs rest, and we cannot waste our resources on this matter without a solid basis of where to begin."

"…" The queen sighed through her nose. "Very well. I shall ruminate on a more effective approach to the matter." She glared down at Gerard and his team. "Have you at least recovered anything of use during your stay in the ruins?"

"…" Gerard felt his throat tighten. He had an answer, but he dared not speak it.

In all his years of service under the crown, this was the first time he felt genuine anger at the queen's decision. She seemed genuinely adamant on exploring the ruins, and he couldn't help but fear what that curiosity entailed. He didn't know of the secrets hidden in the ruins, but it seemed the queen knew more than anyone was aware of. For the first time in his life—

"No. We recovered nothing."

He lied to the queen.

With the night falling upon the city, Gerard returned to his home, mindful as to not be followed. He extinguished all but a single light in his private study and pulled out an object bound in cloth. It had considerable weight behind it as he set it down on his desk. It took a lot of effort to sneak the slab out of the castle. He had been prepared to show it to the queen until he…had second thoughts.

It was a miracle he uncovered the piece. He had gotten into an altercation with one of the warriors of the ruins. It was an overwhelming battle that pushed him to the brink of exhaustion. Had it not been for Sir Raeburn, the Blastoise who had trained under him, he may have ended up like the rest of his team.

His brief rest away from the battle led him to some old structures, and a quick search below the surface eventually led him to a particular stone mural that caught his attention. He knew the chances of beating the warriors was impossible, so he took the only opportunity he had and carved the piece of mural out, taking it with him after sounding the retreat.

But now only one question remained—

"How am I going to translate this?" he muttered. His brief glimpse at the slab showed it was written in an ancient language far beyond his basic studies.

Though caught up in finding a solution, his concentration broke to the sound of knocking on his door. His mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Had someone followed him? Did they know he smuggled something from the exploration team's wagon? It was rare for anyone to visit him this late at night, and today was not the day to be getting late-night visitors.

He pulled himself from his seat with his leek shield in wing and went to answer the door. He cracked the door open gently and peeked out onto his doorstep.

His posture relaxed at the sight of the Ninetales princess standing before his door in a peasant disguise. "Sir Gerard?"

He sighed in relief, but kept his guard up as he opened the door. "Your Highness? Do you know what time it is? What are you doing out so late?"

She bowed her head. "A thousand pardons for my mother's behavior earlier. It was uncalled for."

"You snuck out in the middle of the night just to say that?" He smacked himself and groaned. "Look, the sentiment is appreciated, but you should really return to the castle before someone raises the alarm—" He tried to close the door, but she stuck her paw out and stopped him.

"Um, Sir Gerard?" she asked sheepishly.

"Hmm?"

"I…sort of know you took something from your supplies."

His eyes widened. "What? When did you—"

"Well, I did not see anything. Inigo, however—"

Gerard slapped himself again. "That wandering little troublemaker. You need to keep a better eye on your brother, Your Highness."

"Heh, yeah. Anyway, he happened into the storage room and found you taking out something before my mother's guards came to inspect the supplies." She frowned. "You…lied to her, did you not?"

Gerard stepped back into his home, ready to slam the door shut. "Your Highness, I strongly recommend you go home and forget about what your brother saw. This doesn't concern you."

Odolina pushed on the door. "Sir Gerard, please! If it is something to do with the Great Ruins, I want to learn. I can help you. I have been studying up on as much as I could regarding the ruins. I could be a valued resource in unearthing its secrets."

"Princess, with all due respect, I…" He sighed and looked away. "Look, I don't want to say anything damning, but I don't think your mother has the best intentions with those ruins. I just don't understand what. And I—"

"Cannot risk anyone else learning about what you found?"

"…"

"Sir Gerard, you know you can trust me. I value history more than anything. If it is really important, you can trust me to keep it a secret. I promise, no matter what, I will not let my mother know of your findings."

"…" He grimaced unsurely.

"Please. Let me help you uncover the ruin's secrets."

"…" Gerard took a deep breath and opened the door the rest of the way. "Follow me."

Not taking any chances, Gerard covered his windows and locked the doors as soon as the Foresters and bounty hunters entered. Godfrey stood guard outside the house (or at least lay in front of the door while catching up on some sleep). The group gathered awkwardly in the living room while the ex-knight rummaged through the back of the house.

They nearly jumped when they heard something being smashed open. Luna gulped. "Uh, Sir Gerard—"

"Don't mind me!" he yelled from around the corner. "I've had this damned thing buried under the floorboards for nearly two decades." They heard the floor being smashed open a second and third time. "There it is!"

Jet shot a deadpan glare. "He better not make us clean that up."

Regina groaned. "Why do we have to be here? This isn't any of our business. Actually, scratch that, this isn't any of my business!"

Katsu hushed her. "Lady von Elmnou, this may prove insightful. Besides, I wish to learn more about the ruins, too."

She rolled her eyes, but relented and sunk back into the couch.

Shale snickered and clapped her feet as she sat above Casimir in the armchair. "Sweet! We're hunting for treasure now! I knew I had the makings of a pirate!"

"Since when did you dream of becoming a pirate?" Casimir asked.

"About thirteen seconds ago!"

"Of course…"

Zephora raised her brow. "I don't get it. Luna told us you never recovered anything from the ruins in your report."

Gerard waddled back into the living room, carrying an object bound tight in withered cloth. What was once a beige color had been caked with years upon years of dirt, dulling the colors to a murky brown. He carried it over to his coffee table and lay it down.

After wiping his brow, he explained, "I disregarded mentioning it in my journal at the time. Getting ahold of this was something of a last-minute find. My attention was more pressed in the safety of my team." He glared. "Even still, I couldn't be foolish enough to unveil this to Her Majesty at the time."

Luna frowned. "Queen Temperance."

Gerard glared. "Yes…"

Regina raised her brow. "Queen Temperance, eh?" She crossed her arms and went into thought for a moment. "I…don't remember much about her. I only heard the odd tale or two about Verde at the time, though Elmnou borders pretty close to the kingdom. I heard her health deteriorated out of nowhere."

"It wasn't out of nowhere," Gerard corrected. He sighed and shook his head. "It was from heartbreak."

Her eyes widened. "Heartbreak?"

Luna frowned. "My dad told me about that. Some years before Lord Fletcher came to the kingdom to court the princess at the time, the royal children were going off on a retreat. It was…"

Gerard sighed and covered his face. "Training. For the original heir of Verde. Prince Quentin. He was one of my students. Stalwart young man. Brave and steadfast in his beliefs. I raised him to be a mighty warrior. Despite my…issues with the queen, I looked upon her children fondly. I guarded them with my life. I would normally take them out into the wilderness. While I trained Quentin, Odolina and Inigo would enjoy their time out in nature. We stayed near a town, so they would often go out and see the sights."

Casimir narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess. Your last camping trip with them was…your last camping trip with them."

"…" Gerard closed his eyes and sighed. "Are any of you familiar with Spring-Loaded Harriet?"

Katsu nodded. "I have heard tales of this woman. She is said to have developed a technique that gives her explosive leaping speed. Some even say her skill transcends land itself, granting her domain over the skies."

"Mhmm. She trained a great number of disciples throughout her time. None have come close to matching her skill, but they've learned enough to become a force of nature. We…happened to encounter one such student. An assassin from the Great Gate Empire."

Katsu raised his brow. "Pardon?"

"I knew she was from Great Gate based on her manner of speaking. She was young, but very experienced." Gerard grimaced. "I'm ashamed to admit I fell to her quickly. I was taken by surprise. Quentin had to fight in my stead." He covered his face and shuddered. "And…well, you can figure out the rest."

Luna frowned. "Sir Gerard…"

He shook his head. "My relationship with Queen Temperance faltered after that. Whatever shred of goodwill we had left, it was gone."

Katsu stroked his chin. "Curious. Why would an assassin from Great Gate be all the way out in the Verde Kingdom? And why target the prince?"

A moment of silence hovered in the air, all seemed still as they pondered the Accelgor's question. However, the silence didn't last too long before Shale made an exaggerated yawn that gathered their attention.

"Oooookay, real sad story, old man. Touching, even. What does this have to do with the stupid ruins—" Casimir reached back and pushed her off the armchair, sending her onto the floor with a hard landing. "GAH!"

Gerard shook his head. "Though it may seem like a strange tangent, it does play into my distrust of Queen Temperance. She became more obsessed than ever finding those ruins, and she dared not explain to anyone what that entailed. No one but her knew the truth, or so it seemed. Her health waned with this obsession. It drove her to act. It told me enough that those ruins were dangerous, and something in there had to remain buried with the past. Quentin's death drove her to find the answers."

Jet glared at the bound-up object on the table. "When exactly did she become interested in the ruins?"

"It was right around the time Last Autumn collapsed."

Luna, Jet, and Zephora's eyes widened. Last Autumn?

Gerard sighed. "I still remember those days. They were violent criminals who wanted their land back. They wanted the Virdis their ancestors thrived in to return. Or they still held grudges over the bloodlines wiped out or cultures assimilated. Everything that made up their culture was destroyed. It was easy at the time to think of them as savages, but…I've had time to realize we weren't the innocent ones in all this."

Jet huffed. "The Ten-Ways War, or as some called it the Ten-Ways Invasion. Whichever way you look at it, it all started because ten distinct lands wanted the rich grounds of Virdis to themselves. The people who lived on this land originally…were just trees to be cut down, right?"

"…" The ex-knight looked away. "I'm ashamed of what my ancestors were a part of. Though I hold many grudges with the east, I…must admit I held onto this stubborn sense of pride that clouded my judgment from the harm we've really done. It's shameful."

"Everything circles back to the ruins," Zephora said. "If Queen Temperance had some sort of epiphany regarding the ruins and their usage, it means something happened when Last Autumn fell."

Gerard sighed. "So much happened. It's hard to really pin what caused the collapse of Last Autumn. Many point to the devastating explosion that wiped out their base, though there have been a number of other factors involved. Gang wars breaking out, counterattacks, even children taking up arms and fighting back against the violence. It was a nightmare."

Regina massaged her forehead, trying to keep herself from groaning aloud. "Okay, let me get this straight: your previous queen was some power-hungry maniac that wanted control of the ruins for…I don't know, territory purposes or treasure? Is that what you're trying to get across?"

Gerard glared. "Queen Temperance was always a stern woman, but not one motivated by such vanity. I don't know what spurred on her obsession with the ruins after Quentin's death, but that obsession eventually took the last of her health."

Shale jumped back onto the armchair and grinned. "Ooh! Maybe it's something that brings people back to life!"

"I hate it already," Zephora grumbled.

Gerard shook his head and leaned over the coffee table. "There were all questions I had for a long time, but with my departure from Verde came the truth."

Luna pointed at the bundled cloth. "So, you're saying this has all the answers to the ruins?"

"Not all of them, but an answer to a greater mystery." Gerard untied the cloth and ripped it away. "This is the truth behind the ruins."

Everyone leaned forward to get a better look at the object. To their surprise, what stood before them was nothing more than a large, flat slab of stone. Or at least, that's what it looked like at first until they saw the faded etched made into its surface.

Little details all squashed together, seemingly telling a story in a language unfamiliar to them. It was an overload of imagery that was difficult to make out from its withered age, but one picture stood out among the rest, sitting in the dead center of the slab.

A pyramid with a pillar of sorts rising out from the top.

Since the return of his mission from the ruins and the uncovering of the secret slab, Gerard and Odolina worked in secret to decipher the truth behind the ancient text. It seemed like a perilous search for knowledge, hunting for secrets lost to time. Records of the old language were destroyed amidst the assimilation of Virdis. With no written records to turn to, it almost seemed impossible.

However, Odolina wasn't one to give up. She proved to be a valuable asset in unearthing the ruins' secrets. Though records were destroyed, they weren't driven to extinction. Records and accounts from third parties were just as valuable even viewed from a biased lens. She scoured the plentiful resources found in the castle library and archives, digging up any old account she could about the Ten-Ways War.

By looking into the yearly census recorded and stored by the royal family, Odolina could look into the accounts of the original people of Virdis who were assimilated into the new kingdoms. Any record of their existence meant records pertaining to their history and language. If any documentation written by them was found with the roughest of translations, it would make a world of difference.

She and Gerard would study all available information that could be obtained and used it as a basis to translate the slab. By studying language and linguistics, even if it took them years, they could steadily revitalize the old language and translate into modern English. It would take years of trial and error, using old documents for reference and picking apart the internal mechanics of the language itself. This included how sentences were ordered, deducing if the language had any tonal characteristics, interpreting ancient dialect and slang, and more.

It seemed arduous, but they pushed through the research. With the passing years, they would steadily uncover word after word, making hypothetical guesses as to what the text read via context clues. They would craft theories behind the pictures etched into the stone, changing them with each new discovery.

In time…they would come to understand the full truth.

Though, what truth were they searching for?

And what would happen if that truth was revealed?

Year 887

Odolina had been busy for the past week, thus unable to assist Gerard with their joint research. He decided to go about the research on his own today as it was his day off. With the afternoon sun shining upon the capital, he made his way to Castle Penworth.

The knight made his way through the courtyard's gateway, greeting his fellow knights along the way, and walked along the path. However, halfway up to the entrance, he stopped upon seeing a carriage parked up ahead. Moreover, he saw Queen Temperance, Odolina, and a few knights standing at the entrance. The ailing queen, whose fur had dulled with age, seemed to be addressing someone out of Gerard's line of sight.

Curious, he treaded lightly toward the entrance, slowly picking up on the conversation.

"…an excellent boon for the Verde Kingdom," he heard Queen Temperance say. "With my youngest having no desire to carry out his responsibilities, I rely on my only daughter to take on the throne."

"I would be honored to carry out the will of the Penworth royal family," a voice replied. It belonged to a man of refined pedigree, or at least as much as Gerard could guess.

"Understand that taking on the Penworth name entails many responsibilities, such as producing potential heirs for the future of our kingdom. I expect both you and Odolina to raise them well until they are of age."

"Of course, Your Majesty. House Fletcher understands this important upbringing. As the sole heir of House Fletcher, I am honored to carry out this esteemed request."

The queen nodded before looking to her daughter. "Any objections, Odolina?"

She shook her head. "None, Mother." She looked up and smiled at the hidden noble. "It would be an honor to welcome you into our family, Lord Fletcher."

Gerard finally got close enough to see around the carriage. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the sight of the young adult Lopunny dressed in white with golden epaulettes. He carried with him two rapiers sheathed against his waist. He had something of a charming grin on his lips as he acknowledged the princess.

He knelt before the younger Ninetales and took her paw in his hand. "I look forward to getting to know you better, Your Highness. Cast aside titles and formalities. In due time, we are to be wed." He kissed her paw delicately. "You are Odolina Penworth, the fairest lady among Verde. You may call me Roscoe."

She giggled. "A pleasure, dear Roscoe."

Gerard kept himself mostly out of sight as he watched the two interact. It would appear he had stumbled across a meeting not made known to him. The queen never informed him there would be a visiting noble, much less one to wed the princess. Despite his hostility with the queen, she never kept secrets about such events before.

"Hmm…"

"Oh! Sir Gerard!" He snapped to attention as Odolina acknowledged his presence. "I did not see you there!"

Roscoe tilted his head. "Sir Gerard, huh?"

Gerard felt a tad uncomfortable with the sudden attention, but shuffled out of hiding. "Ah. Good afternoon, Your Highness. Your…Majesty," he bitterly added.

Queen Temperance glared. "Sir Gerard. What business do you have here? Today is your day off."

"I just…came to pick up some materials I left the other day." He glanced at Roscoe. "Lord Fletcher, was it?"

Roscoe stood up and bowed. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Gerard. I have heard many tales of your strength and valor. You are the prevalent force that keeps this kingdom safe."

Gerard glared. "Thank you. I…try my best. So, you have been selected to be Princess Odolina's husband? Is that what I'm hearing?"

Roscoe nodded. "Indeed. I do hope we can work together to secure a brighter future for Virdis. I see big changes over the horizon. A new era that will shape the region into a glorious utopia."

"Hmph. What an admirable goal, Lord Fletcher. I…look forward to it as well."

As the lord went back to conversing with the queen and princess, Gerard couldn't stop holding his glare on the Lopunny. Years of battlefield experience tended to warp first impressions. It was job as head knight to ensure the safety of the people, thus it was his job to be wary of outsiders. Even still, this was someone personally requested by Queen Temperance based off interactions. This wasn't an enemy from a foreign kingdom.

…So why couldn't he shake this uncomfortable feeling about the young lord?

Gerard took a seat in front of the coffee table and pulled the slab forward. "It took years of dedicated research to uncover the text of this stone. When I realized the secrets it held, I fled from Verde and went into seclusion. I couldn't risk letting anyone researching the slab."

Jet glared. "Why would you keep this if you were paranoid about it getting into the wrong hands?"

He sighed. "Perhaps because a part of me knew I couldn't keep this secret forever. I stubbornly held onto my hatred, but the knight in me understand that erasing the history doesn't make the pain go away. I kept it as a reminder of what I was protecting, and now I've found a new purpose for its existence."

Luna leaned closer to the slab, gently tracing her finger across the old text. "Deciphering all of this would take years of linguistic research."

"Knowledge I lacked, though Princess Odolina was an instrumental help in the task." Gerard reclined back in his chair. "This slab details enough information about the Great Kingdom did give a general picture of how it was ruled. Interpretation, firsthand accounts, and theories."

Casimir glared. "So, what does it say?"

Gerard traced his feather over a small block of text. "This reads 'Embrace your soul. Awaken your true potential.'"

Shale grimaced. "Oh yeah, that really narrows everything down."

He shook his head and continued, "Look at image under the text." He tapped on the faded picture of stick figures picking themselves off the ground and demonstrating great strength. Another line of text sat under it. "This one reads 'Will is strength.' They seem to have a fixation on souls and willpower. They…believed that willpower granted power. To fight against any opposition, one must have the will to endure."

Zephora leaned over to get a better look at the picture. "You got all of that from a few lines of text?"

"Hmph. Not exactly." He traced his feather further down. "This roughly translates to 'Willpower is absolute. Willpower is God.'"

Jet glared. "They believed they were gods?"

"I don't think so. No, I think it's the belief that one's willpower could be so strong that they take on the form of a deity." Gerard leaned back and closed his eyes as he thought. "We…can have all the strength and power in the world, but it means nothing if you lack the will to use it. The will to strive for what you believed in, and the will to endure and suffer for your beliefs. It's a trait that only the most hardened of dreamers can possess."

Luna scratched her chin. "A kingdom of dreamers?"

"…" Gerard tilted his head back and gazed upon his ceiling. "This kingdom didn't worship any gods. From my understanding, a god is someone whose dreams surpass reality. We have our own modern interpretation of that. We call those with extraordinary talent mortal deities. The Fairy Knight is the Mortal Zeraora whose lightning splits the earth whenever he calls upon it. And I've heard Mortal Marshadow being thrown around for Skill Hunter Harlow. Those aren't names given out lightly. Those names are given in the belief…that they possess wills that could change the world."

Zephora glared. "To become a mortal deity is the power to change the world itself."

"These are strange times. The world will continue to evolve after we're long gone, but the mysteries of the universe continue to unravel. What secrets does this world hold?" Gerard straightened up. "I believe this kingdom proposed that very same question. From my understanding, the Arbiters who came to this land originally…discovered the first crack to understanding the greater universe."

He tapped down on the slab, directing their attention to the text written on the pyramid. It was composed of only a few characters.

"One secret lost to the Great Kingdom was how the Arbiters shaped this land. The legends go they came to ancient Virdis and bestowed a wealth of knowledge onto Virdis." Gerard glared. "The rest of the world was advancing, but Virdis? It seemed to be still stuck in that ancient age of savages. And for hundreds of years before the Ten-Ways War, no one even knew this region existed. A land of wild Pokémon, and no one knew it existed after it was discovered."

Luna gulped. "What are you saying?"

"I don't know. It's far too fantastic. However, if this slab is ancient history or legend, it details an explanation for how the savages were bestowed knowledge." He tapped the pyramid again. "It was believed that a secret existed in Virdis that was utilized by the Arbiters. A force of nature that granted those who controlled it the power to change the observable reality. Not by changing reality itself, but through knowledge."

Regina raised her brow. "Knowledge? What are you talking about?"

Once again, Gerard traced his feather down the slab, pointing to text underneath the pyramid. "Archive of memories. That's what this pyramid was to them. This structure was an archive of knowledge preserved through memory. The power to control knowledge is the power to control reality. Absolute knowledge. If…the legend is true, the Arbiters found a means to literally embed their knowledge into the savages."

"EH?!" Regina gasped. "Are you crazy? That sounds completely insane!"

Shale laughed. "For once, I agree with the old lady! That sounds like a fairy tale!"

Gerard glared. "I cannot speak to whether this is legend or history, but it is this kingdom's culture. They held weight to the power of knowledge. Knowledge was believed to grant control over reality."

Zephora crossed her arm over her chest and reclined back. "Willpower is strength. Knowledge is reality. What could possibly grant such feats of power?"

Gerard pointed back to the text on the pyramid itself. "This archive of memories had a name. It's…hard to tell, but the way some of the text describes it refers to it as an actual entity, though I can't be sure."

"An entity?" Luna asked. "What's its name?"

"…Logos."

The Foresters' eyes widened in shock. Flashes from weeks prior played out in their minds, recalling Pandora's run-in with the murderous Lucario on the Senbo-Wick train system. She claimed he spoke such a word to her. Logos, he said. He needed Pandora for…Logos.

Gerard noticed their startled expressions before sighing. "That…is as much as I know. I don't know if Logos is an object or a creature, but it's something that was once highly revered. It's a secret hidden beneath Virdis, lost to history for over two hundred years. Those that control Logos control the direction of reality."

Silence hung over the living room, both parties pausing to take in all the ex-knight showed them. Luna couldn't help staring at the ancient slab with millions of questions flying through her head. Among all of them, it was questions about this Logos.

What did The Ghost know about Logos?

Was Logos Last Autumn's true target?

What role does Pandora play in the matter?

More importantly…what was Logos?

She covered her face and sighed. "This is…incredible."

"…" Gerard huffed through his nostrils. "Exercise caution. I've kept this information secret for years. The world isn't ready to learn of Virdis' history."

"R…Right. Um, do you mind if I…jot down some notes?" After getting an approving wave from the old duck, Luna pulled out a notebook and crouched in front of the table, scribbling down the text and the translations given to her.

Jet scratched his chin. "If Last Autumn are really after this Logos thing, why have they been focusing on selling poison? How does that help their search?"

Zephora waved her finger at him. "Don't forget, there are people in the ruins that hunt down anyone who get too close. Perhaps they've been distributing the poison to run tests. Perhaps finding the right poison to effectively take out the guardians."

Katsu looked off to the side. "Or it could be a weapon to take down potential threats." He lingered on his thoughts for a moment before standing.

Regina raised her brow. "Katsu?"

He glared at Gerard. "Are you certain an assassin from Great Gate killed Prince Quentin?"

The old duck nodded solemnly. "I'm positive."

"Do you remember their species?"

"I…believe it was a Zoroark."

"…I see." Katsu took a deep breath and turned toward the door. "I think I want to do some research back in my home territory. I…am curious about some intel I've come across lately."

Regina straightened up. "Eh? I've never been to your home before, Katsu. Any great vacation spots?"

"We shall see, Lady von Elmnou."

Casimir rolled his eyes before standing. "Well, as nice as this little history lesson was, I've got business in New Chariot. We'll keep silent about the slab. Riiiight, Shale?"

The Cinderace jumped off the armchair and snickered. "Geez, you make it sound like I'm going to blather all that boring nonsense to the next random I see."

"Uh huh."

Gerard sighed. "Very well. Take care of yourselves. And be wary of the roads ahead." He glared at his shielded windows. "There are forces out there that would go to any lengths to obtain this information. Steel yourselves for the future ahead."

Casimir waved him off. "Can do, old man. Let's go, Shale."

"Right behind you!"

Katsu bowed to Gerard as he and Regina stepped out. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Gerard. We wish you well."

"Ugh. Speak for yourself. I never want to do yardwork again." She marched out into the town with Katsu shutting the door behind him.

Jet sighed and slid out of his seat. "We'll have a lot to report back to Jason. What do you suppose our next move is?"

Zephora scratched her chin. "Hard to say. We don't have much else to go off of, and a journey into the Great Ruins in our current predicament wouldn't fair well. We'll have to deliberate on the ride back to Verde."

Gerard slowly drifted away from their conversation and focused back on Luna, who diligently copied down the ancient text. His brow furrowed, another thought coming to mind, yet hesitant to bring it up. He still had his doubts about whether or not showing off this information was the right move. He was entrusting ancient and possibly dangerous secrets to thieves.

…And yet, the alternative seemed worse.

"Dame Luna."

She stopped her notetaking and looked up at him. "Sir Gerard?"

He leaned down from his chair, getting close to her face. "I don't know what's going on with you and the Foresters specifically, but take heed of your actions in the future. Do you trust these people?"

"…" She glared. "They seem strange, but I have no reason to doubt their intentions. They're good people."

"Hmm." He closed his eyes. "It's in a knight's best interest to trust their instincts. You've got a good head on your shoulders, Dame Luna, thus I impart to you…one last piece of information. A warning, if you will."

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I didn't trust Roscoe Fletcher. I still don't, but I couldn't place why for the longest time. However, between my mistrust in Queen Temperance and my aversion to Fletcher, I've…come to realize there was more to his arranged marriage with Odolina. Their meeting…was premeditated by the queen."

"W…What makes you say that?"

"Because I know Roscoe Fletcher isn't a man of pedigree and nobility." The ex-knight's glare darkened. "Because House Fletcher…never existed."