19th Red Ash Moon, 908 – Verde Kingdom Capital, Night

"Check out what I made at the forge today! Isn't it super cute?"

"Rikmai, you've shown me that thing fifty times already. Yes, I've seen it already."

With the night rising over the kingdom, the occupants of Castle Verde began to turn in for the night. Erasmus had finished changing in the private bathroom, smoothing out his bed robe, when he saw his two guards bantering by the door. Rikmai danced on her hindlegs, presenting deformed object created by hard work following her recent hobby. Gaufroi could only stare at it with disinterest, trying his best to remove himself from the bubbly Vaporeon's obsessive need to show off the crap metal.

She insisted it was a cute idol of herself, but it looked more like a molten blob that had hardened into a deformed Muk with two cross-eyed orbs peering back at the observer. Regardless of its quality, she seemed proud of it.

She nuzzled it against her cheek lovingly. "I got to play with the leftover scrap metal and made it all on my own. The blacksmith told me it was amazing for my first try."

"That definitely explains a lot…" the old Ursaring groaned.

Rikmai pouted. "Hmph! You're just jealous!"

"I'm really not."

She nuzzled her creation again and squealed. "I bet my beloved Tank will praise me for it!"

"You do realize he might feel slightly insulted that you only took an interest in blacksmithing just to get on his good side, right?"

She stuck her tongue out. "I am taking a genuine interest! After all, once we're married, I'll be helping him once we open our own forge together!"

"You still don't know his actual name—"

"I'm working on it!"

Erasmus rolled his eyes with an amused grin before bounding over to his bed. "Do not listen to Gaufroi, Rikmai. I say you should be proud for taking up an interest in blacksmithing. Just…try to think a bit more realistically with your goals."

She laughed. "I can't help it! I'm a romantic at heart!"

Gaufroi massaged his temples lightly. "I'm starting to remember why Linota needed medicine for her migraines."

"Oh hush!"

Erasmus hopped into bed and reached for his bedside candle. "Perhaps save the excitement for tomorrow. We have a long journey back home."

His knights relaxed and frowned at him. "So, nothing on the princess?" Rikmai asked.

Erasmus glared. "Something has been up since she was rescued, but I cannot discern what. She does not act the same as when we first met. How curious."

Gaufroi sighed. "Your Highness, she has been away for quite some time. Outside influences can subconsciously change a person's behavior, even in minute, inconsequential ways. Being surrounded by potentially troublesome thieves doesn't do good to one's psyche."

The prince shook his head. "Yet she seemed perfectly articulate and adjusted upon arriving home. I do not know. I cannot shake this feeling." He sighed. "Alas, prolonged visitation would rouse unnecessary suspicion from Verde. Best to not overstay our welcome. Besides, Serell and Linota should be returning from Copper Bluff soon, and hopefully with better news."

Gaufroi bowed. "We will leave you to rest, Your Highness."

Rikmai bowed as well. "I will be taking first shift outside your bed chamber."

The prince waved them off. "We are perfectly fine under our allies' care. Enjoy a restful slumber like the rest of the castle."

The Vaporeon perked up. "Fine by me! Oh, I mean…thank you kindly, Your Highness."

"We shall wake you at your usual hour," Gaufroi added.

Erasmus chuckled as he picked up his candle. "Much appreciated. Goodnight—"

Right as he went to blow out the candle, he froze. Rikmai and Gaufroi perked up, noticing their prince suddenly looking alert. His eyes darted around the room. His ears twitched, picking up on what were likely sounds undetectable between the two of them. On cue, Rikmai partially transformed her tail into water while Gaufroi flexed his claws.

"Is something amiss, Your Highness?" Rikmai asked seriously.

"…" Erasmus narrowed his eyes before blowing out the candle. "Something feels off."

"How so?" Gaufroi asked.

"Footsteps. Light. Light, shifty footsteps. Almost uneven." He threw his blanket off and jumped out of bed. "Someone is sneaking about the halls below."

Rikmai frowned. "It could just be the night staff."

He shook his head. "No, I have been monitoring the sounds through this castle since we arrived. These are not normal footsteps." He glared suspiciously. "I have a hunch…"


With everyone turning in for the night, JoJo waited for the optimal time to sneak out of her chamber. She moved as silently as she could through the halls, shifting her shape as she moved. Descending stairs as lightly as a Cottonee, moving out of sight from the night staff as a Cutiefly, and blending with the darkness as a Gengar.

She worked her way to the first floor and navigated the hallways before finding her way back to her target of interest: Roscoe's private study. A treasure trove of secrets, and with more to uncover once she got to work.

She squeezed under the door, going as flat as a Stunfisk, and popped out onto the other side as her Melissa disguise. She stretched out her limbs, twisting her waist and arms together before unwinding herself. She chuckled quietly, peering over the vast collection of books surrounding her.

"Time to find your dirty little secret, rich man~," she whispered.

She reached into her stomach and fished out a vial that she stored away. It contained a light green liquid with a spray nozzle attached to the neck. As promised, Ceran Freia whipped up a little concoction that should make her aimless searching a breeze.

Once sprayed onto a surface, it will reveal traces of any handprints left behind. If the rumor about secret passages and compartments were true, the spray was bound to show off any unusual spots with the Lopunny's handprints littered over it. Perhaps a secret stone mechanism on the wall, a button in the floorboards, or a secret pulley in the decorative candelabra hanging above her.

So many possibilities!

She raised her arms and spun on the tip of her foot, laughing. "Alright, my little miracle sprayer~. Show me the money!"

She squeezed the nozzle and released a green mist over the study. She danced and skipped along the walls, spraying down everything from the ceiling to under the king's desk. She would leave no area untouched. All of the king's secrets would be revealed to her, no exception. She couldn't help but laugh, though was cautious to keep it mostly to herself.

She finished her ballet around the study once the last of the spray was used up. She mockingly bowed to Roscoe's desk before smirking at the results. "There~. Now to rake in the rewar—ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Good news for JoJo, the spray worked as intended.

The bad news? It was basically useless.

She seemed to have overlooked one tiny possibility regarding a secret compartment's location: it was likely in a location that wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

The spray worked as intended. Green handprints belonging to a Lopunny revealed themselves across the room. They were found along the bookshelves, the books, and the desk. Even the writing utensils revealed traces of being used. However, the issue became that virtually every spot in the room that any normal person would use had been exposed. No unnecessary handprints on the walls, ceiling, or anything. It was just the bookshelves and desk!

"CRAP!" She threw the vial into the wall, shattering it. "I spent all that time searching, and this stupid spray just shows me what I already know! Of course everything in this room has his handprints over it! It's his damn office!" She pulled and stretched her face in frustration. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Though keeping her voice mostly contained, she couldn't help her tantrum as she bounced and stomped off the walls. She kicked at the shelves, then kicked at Roscoe's chair. She picked up his papers, threw them to the ground, and started kicking them, too. She then proceeded to bounce and stomp her feet down over them, huffing with each landing.

She spent about a minute venting before finally stopping and taking a breath. "Phew. Okay, I needed that." She leaned back against the bookshelves and sighed. "Good grief. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. I've searched every inch of this room, and not a damn thing looks suspicious. Every single…little…"

As she calmed herself down, she peered across the room and took note of the bookshelves. She squinted, noticing that one patch of the shelves was brighter than the rest. In fact, it looked like multiple handprints were stacked over each other. Compared to the rest of the room, it looked like Roscoe frequent that one area more than the rest.

"…Wait," she mumbled. "Did I check that shelf?"

In her haze, she seemed to recall searching around the room before having to pull herself away. She recalled going up to this shelf, but didn't remember if anything happened. She went to check it like any other, so didn't put much thought into where or not it meant anything.

Seeing it like this, however…

"…Screw it." She picked herself up and bounded over to the shelf. She reached for the book. "This is either the best work of literature ever, or something mysterious."

She tugged on the book's spine. Immediately, she noticed a difference as resistance pulled on the book. She placed a bit more pressure on the book as she pulled it forward. She gasped as something clicked inside the walls. She jumped back as a space in the shelf split itself open, sinking in to reveal the hollowed space within.

"No. Way."

She climbed up the shelves to peek inside. Inside the hollowed space was a small wooden box. She pulled it out and hopped down to inspect the mysterious item. Shaking it gently, she could hear something clattering inside. A triumphant smirk split over her face.

"Oh-hoho! Looks like we've got something on you after all, Roscoe Fletcher." She grabbed the lid and began to open it.

Suddenly, the study's doors flew open, snapping off the lock. JoJo gasped, throwing the box out of her hands and sending it clattering over the floor. She threw herself against the wall and quivered as the three imposing figures marched into the room.

"Oh…crap."

Gaufroi and Rikmai stood behind the prince, glaring down the quivering shapeshifter while Erasmus approached her with a fierce, soul-piercing glare that nearly made her sweat goop.

"Curious. And what exactly have you got on King Penworth?"


Meanwhile, Edge of the Forbidden Forest

Between their responsibilities and keeping order around Fort Lucus, Fabrice and Enora could only find rare moments to spend some alone time together. Fortunately, by the grace of Blitz, they were tasked to keep watch at the forest's perimeter while Lambert and Vanessa were out buying groceries with their food budget graciously gifted by House Freia. Due to the lack of transport, this meant the two cooks would be gone for a while, meaning the two lovebirds could spend the day together while still working.

Fabrice lightly strummed on his lute, filling the soft night air with its harmonious voice, while Enora rested her head on his chest and listened. She kept her eyes on the pathway ahead, but occasionally drifted off to the music.

"I almost feel bad enjoying this," Enora whispered.

Fabrice smiled softly. "I think we all deserve some rest. No harm in that."

"Heh. Resting wasn't really a policy back home. Dad was a busybody to a fault, and it was an infectious behavior." She snuggled up to his chin and purred. "Though, I certainly don't mind this."

"Resting the mind does wonders."

"…" Enora frowned. "Lambert and Vanessa have been out a while. Do you think they're okay?"

"Lambert's made like a brickhouse. I'm sure they're fine."

She sighed. "I know. It can't be helped sometimes. You just…have that instinct being the daughter of your town's constable."

"…" Fabrice stopped playing his lute and sat up, holding the Glaceon in his arms. "Something on your mind?"

"…" She closed her eyes and sighed with icy breath. "I don't know. I've been feeling…off lately. You feel like things are finally starting to calm down, then you just get hit with a dose of reality." She glared up at the sky. "Petra snagged some of the local papers. There's that whole buzz about New Chariot soldiers sneaking through the borders."

Fabrice frowned. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"Do you think I'm worrying over nothing? That I'm just being too…anxious? Excited? Freaked out over nothing?"

Fabrice stroked her head. "I trust your instincts. Remember our first mission together? You've gotten us out of trouble thanks to them. It's why you were chosen to be a Weald Ranger. Instincts like that save lives, kind of like how your dad saves lives."

"…" She closed her eyes and smiled. "What is it about you that calms the drums beating in my heart?"

"I have that effect on people, I guess." He looked up at the sky. "If you're worried about something happening, maybe we should ask Blitz or Eadwulf to run a recon team in the morning."

"I…wouldn't want to stir up trouble over nothing—"

The Marshtomp gently booped her nose. "If you're allowed to chew me out for being too passive, I'm allowed to call you out on the same thing."

She snickered. "Got me there. It wouldn't hurt to check in on the villages, right?"

"We can ask once Lambert and Vanessa get back."

"Sounds like a plan." She stretched her legs before lifting herself over Fabrice, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. "Speaking of which, I could use more cuddles~."

Fabrice chuckled, wrapping his arms around her body. "You know at least one of us has to be keeping an eye on the road, right?"

"I can multitask~." She leaned in and kissed his cheek a couple times. "Just five minutes~." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. Her eyes sparkled like two crystal pools.

Fabrice sighed, unable to resist her cuteness. "Well, if you insist…" He cupped the back of her head and leaned in. She giggled and closed her eyes, leaning into him as well.

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY!"

The couple jolted in alarm as someone came galloping down the road on a Rapidash steed. Annoyed, Enora glared down at the path and shouted, "OI, KEEP IT DOWN! YOU'RE RUINING THE MOOD—"

Fabrice quickly slapped his hand over her mouth. "Enora…" he whispered, his voice ringing with sudden concern. Enora refocused her attention and gasped behind his hand.

As the rider neared the forest, they noticed it was a Simipour dressed in armor. He was a Verde knight. However, much to their horror, his armor was stained in blood and riddled with holes. He was strapped down to the Rapidash, who was just as badly injured as the wounded knight even as he forced himself to gallop into the forest.

Fabrice and Enora ducked inside the leaves and watched the duo disappear through the night-shrouded road. The Marshtomp clenched his teeth in concern. "Isn't that…one of the knights that went off with King Penworth?"

Enora opened her mouth to answer, but froze. Feeling a sudden chill up her spine, and not the kind she favored, she gazed over his shoulder and looked into the distance. Her eyes widened as something came into view. Something that wasn't there before, but had quickly sprung up the second they took their eyes off the plains.

"No…"

Fabrice felt the branch shake. He spun around and saw Enora leaping out of the trees and sprinting down the road. "Enora?!"

He froze as he looked into the distance, too, and gasped. Pulling his fishing rod from his sleeve, he sprung off the branches, landed, and followed behind his girlfriend.

Neither could explain it, but…

An ominous red light was shining over the horizon.


Castle Penworth

JoJo shuddered under Erasmus' intense stare, trying with all her might to maintain her transformation. Stuck on an explanation, she reached for the only excuse she could conjure from her panic-stricken mind.

"Hey, uh…Erasmus. You missed one hell of a party."

Oh yeah, he totally buys it.

Erasmus narrowed his glare. "I did not want to believe it, and I considered all the blatant facts before me, but I have not a shadow of a doubt hanging over my head." He stamped his paw down on JoJo's shoulder, pinning her against the shelves. "Now you best answer my questions before I am force to exact more persuasive measures."

She flinched as his claws unsheathed in an instant, pressing under her chin.

"Who. Are. You?"

JoJo gulped and laughed nervously. "Erasmus, you…you kidder. C-Come on, you do not recognize your ex-fiancé? We had some good times, remember? That…one week we only really knew each other, but still! Good times!"

He hissed. "I am not in the mood for games. Something has been off about you since we rescued you from the Foresters. You look and sound like Melissa Penworth, down to the exact detail, but your mannerisms differ."

"S-Seriously?"

"Every creature has an innate rhythm to how they move. You managed to fool the people of this city just fine, and the king certainly did not seem bothered to investigate the truth further, but I am not so easily fooled by deception." He closed his eyes and sighed irritably. "At least, that was what I thought once before. Deceived and played for a fool to believe the lies of a manipulator. I am sickened to my core for playing into these games." He pressed his claws firmly against the shapeshifter. "I am in no mood to entertain your performance! Where is Princess Melissa Penworth?"

JoJo shuddered uncontrollably. "E-Erasmus, let's calm down. L-Let's not…not…" She grunted, feeling her skin bubble. C-Can't…concentrate…any longer!

Erasmus and his knights gasped as the false Buneary started to shudder and jolt with sporadic convulsions. The cat staggered back as the fake briefly puffed up like a balloon, expelling a gasp breath like a leaking vent pipe. The bunny rolled and flopped across the floor, sputtering incoherently and gasping for breath.

Rikmai covered her mouth and hiccupped. "I think I'm going to be sick!"

Gaufroi stopped her from bolting out of the room. "Hold on, something's happening…"

The trio waited momentarily as the fake princess' sudden spasms reached their limit. Her body twisted and bent out of shape, forming into all sorts of unnatural shapes that would horrify onlookers. Eventually, JoJo's transformation expanded like a balloon as if threatening to explode before collapsing over the floor into a puddle of purple goop.

Rikmai hiccupped again. "Oh Arceus, she melted into blueberry yogurt!"

"…" Gaufroi facepalmed.

"Okay, now that I hear it out loud, it sounds kind of silly."

Erasmus cautiously stepped toward the purple puddle. "Hello?"

He reached down to touch it, but the puddle reacted and compressed itself together, startling the group. The goop compressed into the shape of a purple, sentient blob with eyes and a mouth. The eyes possessed star-shaped pupils that twirled like gears as the blob groaned dizzily.

"Ooooooh…my head…"

Erasmus stared at the creature in bewilderment. "What in Arceus' domain…is that?"

"Is it the true form of Mew?" Rikmai guessed. "Because if so, I can see why Mew is depicted as a pink cat."

Gaufroi knelt down to get a closer look. "Wait a minute. Rikmai, you might be right."

"EH?!"

"Sort of." He pointed at the dazed blob. "I've heard tales of distant lands that speak of creatures that change their shape like Mew. I never though such creatures existed, but…there's no denying the evidence before us. She is one of these shapeshifters."

Erasmus glared. "A shapeshifter?"

JoJo finally shook herself to her senses, then looked down at herself. During her spasm, she had accidentally slipped out from the nightgown she was wearing. She shrieked and covered herself. "DON'T LOOK AT ME, YOU WEIRDOS!"

What are we even supposed to look at? the trio thought.

Gaufroi grabbed the shapeshifter by the head and lifted her. "Even still, impersonating the princess is an offendable crime. Mayhaps a word with Sir Matthias will do wonders."

JoJo shrieked louder. "Wait, hold on! Let's not do anything crazy! I'm innocent, I swear!"

Erasmus growled. "Then why were you impersonating the—"

"SHHH!" JoJo hissed. "Not so loud! Someone might hear you!"

"You're screaming, too," Gaufroi grumbled.

Erasmus gestured across the study. "Then perhaps you would like to explain why you have been snooping through King Penworth's belongings? I am sure that has nothing to do with your deception."

JoJo trembled furiously in Gaufroi's grip. "You don't understand! I can't just…I was sent here to investigate the king, alright?!"

Erasmus glared. "So, you were sent by the Foresters?"

"Yes, yes, I was, but I wasn't trying to steal anything! I mean, sure, I cheated at a few card games since I got back, but—"

"I'm informing Sir Matthias." Gaufroi turned toward the door.

"NO!" JoJo stretched out her body and grabbed onto the walls like a spider web. "Anywhere but that psycho! He'll turn me into burnt pudding if he finds out about this!"

"If you were aware of the consequences to begin with, you shouldn't have taken the princess' identity!"

"I was borrowing it!"

Erasmus snarled. "You still have not answered the most important question: where is Princess Penworth?"

JoJo clenched her teeth. "Listen you, I refuse to be stretched apart like this and be accused of this slander! I demand representation!"

"You were literally caught committing identity theft!"

"Your word against mine!"

"I am quite possibly the one person in this kingdom whose word has tangible merit!"

"Oh yeah?! I'll just bust out a sob story about how you tried to harass poor, old innocent Melissa while she was doing some light dusting in her dear father's office!"

"Why you—"

"Uh…Your Highness? Gaufroi?"

Both parties ceased their arguing and turned toward Rikmai. During the commotion, she snuck over to where JoJo dropped the box and investigated it out of curiosity. However, upon looking back at them, she wore a horrified expression on her face after staring into the open box.

"I…think I know what she was looking for."

Erasmus and Gaufroi kneeled near the box as she showed it to them. Their eyes widened at the folded letters tucked away inside. However, that wasn't remotely what alarmed them. Rikmai had pulled out a personalized wax stamp from the box, and it bared the same insignia as the letters: an autumn leaf.

It was the seal…of Last Autumn.


Verde Plains, Five Minutes Earlier…

"Bahahahaha!" Lambert's voice boomed across the night sky as he lugged a wagon full of crates and bags by the harness strapped to him. With steady but firm steps, he moved at a consistent pace back to the village. "We made quite the haul!"

Vanessa lay atop the crates completely exhausted. "That…was the worst shopping trip of my life."

Despite what seemed like a mundane trip, they didn't come out of it without a few scratches. Vanessa had a few bandages placed over her face, but Lambert had gauze bound around his limbs from what was essentially a brawl at the town market. It was the most horrifying experience the former maid experienced.

"The Senbo Kingdom is a peaceful, neighborly place," she muttered. "What in Arceus' good name composes the people of Verde to beat each other up for a thirty kilogram box of steak?!"

Lambert laughed. "Fancy food in these parts doesn't come easy, so anyone's willing to throw hands to get a bite of this stuff at the town auctions."

"THAT WAS AN AUCTION?!"

"BAHAHAHA! Trust me, once I whip that bad boy up into a meal, you'll get a taste of what they were brawling for!"

Vanessa groaned and rolled onto her back. "I don't think I'm cut out for the lifestyle of a Forester. You people are way too crazy for me."

"Oh, don't be like that. There's plenty more to us than just fight—" The Grumpig stopped marching and paused with a confused grimace. "What the?"

Vanessa sat up and gazed down at the pig. "Chef Lambert?"

He raised his nose and took a big whiff of the air. "That smells familiar. Is that…?" He sniffed the air again, now growing concerned. "No, that's definitely it. I smell the stench of smoke in the air."

Her eyes widened. "Smoke?"

"Yeah, and not the kind from cooking. I also smell…a lot of metal."

"…" Vanessa cautiously turned her head back toward the direction they came. Her eyes widened slowly as she gazed at the horizon. "L…Lambert?"

"Huh?"

"What's…that red light glowing over there?"

Lambert unhooked himself and stepped around the wagon. He gasped, seeing the red flickering light hovering over the horizon of the low, grassy hills. Sniffing the air again, he got a stronger whiff of the smoky smell he detected. It was too dark to see anything beyond the light, but if his hunch was right…

"Isn't that…the town we left a few hours ago?"


Castle Penworth

With the piece of evidence in their grasp, Erasmus ordered for the study to be locked down. Rikmai used a quick burst of her Aqua Tail to wipe away the potion sprayed across the room until all the handprints were washed off. Once everything was cleaned up, they stood over JoJo, who was back in her nightgown and transformed into her Melissa disguise. She hung her head as she felt their stares beating down on her.

Gaufroi huffed through his nose. "Start talking."

"…" JoJo groaned through her teeth. "Alright, alright. I admit it. Jason Stormbreaker assigned me to investigate King Penworth's past and to find any incriminating evidence against him." She nodded at the wax stamp sitting on the desk. "And that would be the so-called evidence."

Erasmus picked it up. "This is the same emblem used by Last Autumn thirty years ago. Why would this be in his possession?"

"Because Jason had suspicions of Roscoe being a Last Autumn spy."

"…Which means Last Autumn is still active," Erasmus guessed.

Gaufroi glared. "I remember when they were an active threat in the west. They waged war against the western kingdoms. Though we weren't allies back then, we held a temporary truce to alleviate the damage. There were some conflicting accounts about how they were dismantled, though sources were that someone blew up their base of operation from the inside."

Erasmus set the stamp down. "And the letter we found only said that they've…granted permission for the king's request." He glared. "Is that the nature behind his business trip?"

JoJo grimaced. "Considering the circumstances, it's no wonder he went to the Wick Kingdom."

"…" Erasmus glared. "You mean to say they're in on this deception, too?"

"Yes."

"…" The prince turned away, hiding the scowl on his face. "Darby…"

Rikmai snaked around the desk and jabbed JoJo in the chest. "Alright, so I've got a question for you, missy. And you better answer truthfully."

"O-Okay…"

"…" The Vaporeon knight leaned in close with the most serious glare imaginable and whispered, "What can you tell me about the Forester blacksmith, Tank?"

"…Eh?"

"Rikmai!" Gaufroi grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her away from the fake princess.

"Oh come on, it's just one question, I swear!"

JoJo, a bit amused by the knight's flailing, answered, "Well, not much. All I really know is that his real name is Benjamin Ottosen."

Rikmai ceased her flailing and blinked. "Benjamin?" She then sighed dreamily and curled her tail fins in a heart. "My sweet, sweet Benjamin~."

Gaufroi facepalmed. "Good grief."

Erasmus ignored their bantering and focused on what JoJo divulged. His suspicions of Darby only continued to tower higher and higher. If what the shapeshifter says is to be believed, it meant the Tetrarch family had connections to the seemingly inactive criminal organization. For how long, he couldn't say, but it put into context everything that happened. Considering all the angles, he perceived the web of lies before him.

Dimitri's snooping led to the perfect scapegoat against the Foresters. Darby pinned the blame of his brother's near-death experience and attempted assassination on the Foresters utilizing misinformation and manipulation. Because of the Foresters' actions up to that point, there wasn't a shadow of doubt to their implications to the crime, or at least at the time. Erasmus nearly started a war against the Foresters, placated only by the insistence of Gaufroi and the recovery of the supposed Verde Princess.

But then why take on the guise of the princess specifically? Would it not have been less suspicious to disguise as a staff member?

Unless…

"See into the face of the Verde Princess, Erasmus. View the face of a traitor to her own kingdom—"

…No one would've known. A shapeshifter's unknown existence coupled with the absurd claims of a dark and depraved prince…

"That is why."

The knights and JoJo jolted at the prince's sudden remark. "What is why?" Rikmai asked.

Erasmus turned toward the fake princess with shocked eyes. "Darby was right. Harlow and Melissa…really are the same person."

JoJo shuddered without thinking. "Oh no…!"

"…" Erasmus sat on his haunches, caressing his forehead as a flood of realization came over him. "It is too baffling a concept. The very idea of the Buneary thief and Buneary princess being the same person was laughable. No one in their right mind would ever come to that conclusion. But what other explanation is there for the deception and Darby's insistence?"

"…" JoJo looked away shamefully. "Jason's going to kill me…"

The prince narrowed his eyes before standing up and approaching her. "Why?"

"Huh? Why what?"

"Why is Melissa a part of the Foresters? Do not even try to deny the truth, unless you have some longwinded excuse for your disguise."

"…" JoJo sighed. "Look, I've only known the girl for a handful of months, so I couldn't give you a synopsis of her thought process. All I do know is that she got into an argument with her father and ran away from home."

"The banquet party last year," he correctly guessed.

"Then one thing led to another, and everyone just blindly assumed Melissa kidnapped…well, herself. That whole mess with Harlow spun out of control, and now we're here."

Gaufroi crossed his arms. "But why join them? She's been taking part in their activities as of late."

JoJo glared. "Say what you will about their thievery, but the Foresters have always acted in the best interests of the people. Melissa, however, has this crazy dream of wanting to use the Foresters' abilities to unite the ten kingdoms."

Erasmus' eyes widened. "Unite the kingdoms?"

"Crazy, right? That girl has basically overhauled the Foresters toward taking an active route in fixing Virdis." She shrugged. "Personally, I think she's insane, but…I hate to admit it, she makes a convincing case. She wants to rip out the roots that have kept Virdis in a corrupted state for centuries and bring everyone together."

The prince's eyes narrowed softly. "That…does sound like her. I never expected her to act so boldly." He looked away for a moment before asking, "So, it's true? My brother wasn't the target of assassination by the Foresters?"

"No. In fact, they're working on recreating an antidote for your brother."

"What about the maid, Vanessa?" Gaufroi asked.

JoJo sneered. "That was Darby's doing. He manipulated her into poisoning Dimitri and taking the fall to blame the Foresters."

Rikmai glared. "I figured there was something off about all that. Vanessa wouldn't even have a reason to associate with the Foresters."

Erasmus clenched his teeth. "This whole time, Darby has been playing us like a fiddle. The Tetrarchs, King Penworth, and now Last Autumn? What the hell is going on?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," JoJo admitted. "We don't know what Last Autumn's end goal is. We've just been doing everything we can to stop their operation."

Erasmus dug his claws into the floor. "The Wick Kingdom will have a lot of explaining to do, assuming they do not perish by cannon fire first." He turned toward the door, but Rikmai stuck her tail out to stop him.

"Your Highness, it would be best to inform your father first before we make any snap judgments. You're acting on emotions. Besides, can we really afford to go to war with Wick right now?"

Gaufroi nodded. "She's right. If anything should be done, it has to be done with caution. We can't play into anymore traps."

"…" Erasmus closed his eyes and breathed in. After calming his racing heart, he looked back at JoJo. "I want to get in contact with the Foresters. I want an audience with their leader. I want to know the full truth about everything. No more lies or deception. If you want to earn my trust and believe you, I want to hear it from the Fairy Knight himself."

"…" JoJo sighed and shook her head. "He's away at the moment, but I'll see what I can do." She glared at him. "I have to ask: after hearing all of this, do you think Melissa's dream is possible? After all, the Wick Kingdom and plenty of other kingdoms in the east aren't looking favorable. Do you think her dream has merit?"

Erasmus looked down, uncertain of his beliefs. He always viewed Melissa as an optimistic, if not slightly naïve princess sheltered by the horrors of the real world. Such idealistic goals were bound to be crushed under the weight of reality no matter how hard one strived for them. It just couldn't be done.

And yet…

"…I—"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The group jolted in alarm as a scream echoed out beyond the study. Erasmus' ears perked up. "That sounded like it came from the foyer!"

"Your Highness, stay close!" Gaufroi ordered as he charged out of the room. Rikmai, Erasmus, and JoJo followed after.


The group sprinted into the foyer and gasped as they saw a rattled Shiinotic maid hunched over a bloodied Simipour knight, who coughed and trembled in the terrified woman's arms. She hurriedly created Pollen Puffs in her hands and fed them to the barley conscious knight.

It wasn't long before the rest of the night staff hurried to the foyer. Among them was Sir Matthias, leaping down from the stairwell and hurrying to the wounded knight's side. "Sir Waylon!" he gasped. He gently lifted the Simipour from the maid and rested him in his arms. "Sir Waylon, speak to me!"

JoJo cowered behind Gaufroi. "W-What the hell? That's one of the knights that went off with Roscoe."

Erasmus glared. "That is not a good sign…"

Waylon trembled weakly in Matthias' arms. He struggled to turn his head and look up at the Infernape. "S-Sir Matthias, please…forgive me. I…I tried my best, but I…I-I couldn't—"

"What happened?" Matthias asked gently. "Where is the rest of your squad? And where is King Penworth?"

The knight sniffled, clenching his eyes shut and quivering into a mess of tears. "S-Sir Matthias…f-forgive me! I-I was too weak!"

"Sir Waylon! Where is the king?!"

"…W-We were ambushed. A-A mercenary of some kind. I-I couldn't get a good look at him, but…he slaughtered all of my men and left me to die. I-I thought I was going t-to…" He clenched his teeth, fighting back a sob. "Th-The king…!"

"Where is King Penworth?!"

"…" Waylon couldn't hold himself together and burst out into a maddening sob. "The king! He was assassinated!"

His words echoed across the foyer, sending frightful chills up everyone's spines. Erasmus and JoJo stared at the bloodied knight in horror and confusion, wondering if they misheard the man in his delirious state. With the revelations made together against the king, to hear such a fate unfolding…

Matthias, meanwhile, clutched at Waylon's arms as his whole body quaked at the news. Flashes of the deceased queen and the months of searching for the missing princess resurfaced, hitting him with a splitting migraine that nearly made him well up with tears. The Blackfire Clan took an oath to protect the royal family to the very end.

After all his preparations to ensure the king's safety, what…kind of monster was capable of such brutality?

"I-I'm sorry, Sir Matthias!" Waylon wailed. "P-P-Please! Forgive me!"

"…" The black knight clenched his teeth. Dark flames hissed out from his teeth, but he kept his rage in check. He turned to the cowering maids and ordered, "Call for a physician and have Sir Waylon's injuries treated immediately."

The maids obeyed, gathering together to pick up the Simipour and escort him out of the foyer. Matthias stood up, stumbling from dizziness, and clutched his head. His breathing was ragged. The rage in his chest was building, threatening to release a city's worth of flames if not kept in check.

Gaufroi cautiously approached the trembling knight. "Sir Matthias?"

"Not. Now," he growled. "I need a minute. I just need…a minute to figure this out." He gripped into his face angrily. "This is bad. This is very, very bad. Once word about this gets out, the kingdom is going to be in turmoil. We just got the princess back. If anyone outside of the west gets ahold of this information, we'll be…"

He couldn't grieve for long. The sound of flapping wings drew everyone's attention to the doors. Ivone entered the foyer and landed in front of the black knight with an anxious expression. "Sir Matthias, we have a situation."

Matthias groaned. "I'm already aware of Sir Waylon's return. Just give me a moment to—"

"No, not that. Something else."

The Infernape's eyes widened. "What?"

Gaufroi frowned, feeling an uneasiness in his stomach. "Sir Ivone, what's wrong?"

"…" The Corviknight closed his eyes and trembled as he tried to find the words. "I was doing my nightly patrol through the skies when I…noticed something in the distance."

JoJo, Erasmus, and Rikmai approached the veteran knights with growing apprehension displayed on their faces. "What's going on?" Rikmai asked.

There were certain fears no kingdom wanted to hear. Situations that seemed like a far off fantasy until they came into view. There was no preparing for the harshness of reality. The second the undeniable truth reveals itself, there was no turning back to the comforting fantasy you desired.

"A fire has broken out in Greenflower Village. Its rise was accompanied by…the beat of war drums."