Chapter 4: Araphen
A few days had passed, and Lyn and her Legion made their way through the Lycian march of Araphen. However, there was a new addition in the group – in the form of a new Pokémon Robert was now riding on.
The Pokémon was green and black in color and appeared to be a cross of a lizard and a motorcycle – while the creature has four legs, its tail and throat sac give it the appearance of having two motorcycle wheels. The lizard was outfitted with a leather seat and a pair of handlebars for its rider, a headlamp, and a luggage rack.
Robert remembered how it all happened as he rode on top of his newest Pokémon party member. "Can't believe that I'd be owning and riding a motorcycle… or something close to it… before I even got to own a car. Anywho, I didn't think my cooking would be so good that it could attract wild Pokémon to me. Cooked up some chicken curry for the Legion's lunch one day and suddenly, a hungry Cyclizar is at the cooking table."
"Food can bring many people together," remarked Palutena sagely via telepathy. "I suppose it also extends to Pokémon, too."
"But how did this Cyclizar come to Elibe? He is, after all, from the Pokémon world. Mudkip was with me when I arrived, and you brought in Charmander and Pikachu."
Palutena hummed in thought. "I don't know… but it could be related to how you were brought onto Elibe. I know for a fact that I didn't transport Cyclizar."
"Did something go wrong when you brought me to Sacae?"
"Nothing went wrong when I brought you there, no. But something more may have happened. But for now, it's not important – I see a city up ahead of you."
"So it's almost time for the next battle. I better recall Cyclizar."
"What city is this?" asked Lyn as the group arrived at the city's center.
A lot of people were out and about, busy with work or their errands. Some children can be seen, chasing each other around. However, Robert noticed that some of the citizens of Araphen were stealing glances at Lyn – some with curiosity, others with visible concern.
Some mutterings from the citizens can be heard.
"A Sacaen? What is she doing all the way out here?"
"I hope she's not looking for work from the marquess…"
"Right," thought Robert to himself. "The people here already know about the marquess's racism towards Sacaens."
He looked around further. "Unlike in Bulgar, I don't think I've seen any Sacaens around here in this city… which would explain those stares. Didn't the marquess bar any Sacaens from entering unless they swear loyalty to him as his underlings?"
"This? This is Araphen," answered Sain to Lyn. "After Ostia, it's the second-biggest city in Lycia."
"So this would be Araphen's capital city then," said Robert.
"That's right, Robert," confirmed Sain.
"The second biggest, hm? It does seem awfully busy," remarked Lyn as she glanced at some people walking past before she noticed something. "By the way, where's Kent?"
"He said he was going ahead to the castle, but…" answered Sain, looking around for his partner briefly before spotting him. "Ah, here he comes now."
True to Sain's word, Kent arrived quickly on top of his horse. There was a pleased smile on his face.
"Milady Lyndis! Let us proceed to the castle," he prompted. "They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess has agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."
"He's going to help us?" queried Lyn.
"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a sturdy friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength."
"Looks like we've got a smooth road ahead!" cheered Sain, grinning happily.
Robert, meanwhile, wasn't as cheerful.
"Alas, this is Chapter 6." he thought to himself. "The chapter with that racist marquess."
"If we could pick up some soldiers, the road to Caelin would be that much safer," said Kent before bowing his head to Lyn as if in apology. "I'm truly sorry for hardships you've suffered so far, Lyn."
"Don't be silly," laughed Lyn before she smiled at him. "You are so capable, Kent."
"Kent!?" Sain had his mouth gaping widely, giving his fellow cavalier a surprised and jealous gaze.
"Hm? Oh, and so are you, Sain," Lyn amended quickly, trying not to laugh.
Sain quickly recovered and was now beaming proudly. "Of course I am!"
"The castle awaits," said Kent. "Let's move, milady."
Several minutes later as Lyndis's Legion approached Castle Araphen, Robert noticed something.
"Is… is that smoke?" he asked, using his hand as a visor; it was a sunny day.
Not too far in the distance, a column of white and gray clouds rose from the castle. Nearby to Lyndis's Legion, several of Araphen's citizens rushed past them, many screaming fearfully.
"This is terrible!" a man cried out. "The castle is burning!"
Sain quickly approached the man. "What did you say? What's happening?"
"Smoke! From the castle! Hey! What are those men doing?"
The man pointed at a nearby alleyway, backing away nervously before running away. Some rough-looking men began emerging from the alleyway, many of whom were openly carrying bladed weapons. Most of them eyed at Lyn.
One of the men, this one carrying a large sword on his shoulder, approached Lyn with a calculating gaze.
Lyn narrowed her eyes at the mercenary, her hand already grabbing the hilt of the Mani Katti. "Who are you?"
The mercenary ignored her question and pointed at her. "You! You're Lyndis, aren't you?"
Lyn grit her teeth – she could tell by the mercenary's expression and tone that he was hostile. "What do you–"
"No questions! Prepare yourself!"
The mercenary quickly lunged for Lyn, raising his sword above his head, ready for a decapitating blow on Lyn.
"No, you don't! All Star!" barked out Robert as he quickly got in front of Lyn, with All Star ready. Without a needing another verbal command, All Star quickly got in front of the mercenary and, with a clap of its hands, caught the large blade, stopping it mid-swing. This also had the effect of stopping the mercenary's charge cold. To the onlookers, it seemed that the young black-haired man had stopped the swordsman mid-charge by simply glaring at him.
"W-what the hell?!" the surprised mercenary exclaimed. "What did you – URK!"
Whatever the swordsman tried to say next was interrupted by an arrow that was now lodged into his throat. Robert's All Star then snatched the sword away from the mercenary, stuffing it into its master's inventory, before roughly shoving away the suffocating mercenary. The mercenary tried to gasp for air but his throat was filled with blood, leaving him to gurgle pathetically. He soon asphyxiated, bleeding out to his imminent death.
"Who shot the arrow?" thought Lyn. "Was it Wil?"
"That reward money is as good as mine!" crowed another mercenary as he charged at Lyn. This time, two quick arrows punctured his chest, making him collapse with a pained cry and a loud, crumpling thud before he began to bleed out to his death.
Lyn looked at the arrow in the first mercenary's throat and then at the second mercenary's chest before looking at the direction from which the arrows were fired. Instead of Wil as she had expected, she saw a green-haired man wearing brown tribal clothes typical of a Sacaen nomad seated upon a horse, armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows. The man stoically regarded Lyn.
"Who are – " Lyn started before she was interrupted.
"Milady Lyndis!" called out Kent as he rushed to her side. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine…" answered Lyn. "Robert and this man saved me."
Kent looked to the nomad. "May I ask your name?"
The nomad looked at Kent and said nothing, before he turned away, getting ready to leave.
"Wait!" Lyn called out to the nomad. "Why did you help me?"
The nomad finally answered. "I thought a Sacaean plainswoman was being attacked. I was mistaken."
"No, you were right! I am from Sacae. I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftain."
The nomad looked surprised. "The Lorca? There were survivors?"
"Yes."
The nomad's expression shifted back to a stoic neutral one. "You should leave at once. A blaze has started in the castle, and it's spreading. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved."
Lyn became more worried. "You're from the castle? What's happening? How severe is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"
"The castle is under attack, and the marquess has been accosted," the nomad answered before he looked at the mercenary's corpse. "The man who attacked you was probably one of the marauders. As captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess."
"I see…" Lyn became quiet for a moment before she made her decision. "All right then, we'll help you."
"Milady?" Kent asked, wondering what Lyn was thinking.
The nomad blinked in surprise at Lyn's offer. "Why?"
"These brigands are after me. If they're attacking the castle, it's because of me," explained Lyn grimly. "So I must help if I can…"
The Sacaen equestrian gave Lyn a brief nod. "It sounds like you're involved somehow… Let's go."
"You'll accept our aid?"
Kent rushed off to gather Florina, Wil, Dorcas, Serra, and Erk, understanding that combat was imminent.
The nomad finally introduced himself. "I am Rath of the Kutolah. Our tribes may be different, but I will not abandon a woman of the Sacae."
Lyn smiled. "Thank you, Rath! A thousand blessings upon you!"
"And a thousand curses upon our enemy!"
"All right, let's go!" said Lyn before she turned to Robert. "Robert, your orders."
Nearby, a brown-haired young man wearing a green shirt, white pants, and a red cloak watched from rooftop of a villager's home. He held a calculating gaze on the imminent battle as he slid into the open window of the building, spooking the woman inside.
"You!" the woman gasped. "What are you doing in my house?!"
"Peace! I mean no danger to you!" the thief reassured, raising both of his empty hands up front in an appeasing manner. "Your home offers a good view of the battle outside. Look, I'll pay you for the privilege. Please."
The woman gave the man a dirty look. "Like a vulture waiting for the spoils, eh? Terrible! Pay up! I'll be hiding below, so don't bother me."
The man gave the woman a cheeky smile. "I wouldn't dream of it."
The brunet placed a few gold coins on top of a nearby table while the woman opened a trapdoor to hide in the cellar. The former then took a seat on a nearby stool and watched the ensuing battle intently.
"Now then, which side has the most to offer?" the man muttered to himself, his eyes widening in surprise as he watched the black-haired man from the green-haired woman's group suddenly conjure up creatures he had never seen before: a large, blue fish with arms and legs, a biped red lizard with a flaming tail, a quadruped green lizard, and a large, yellow mouse with a lightning bolt-shaped tail.
"What in the world…?" the thief thought as he watched the monsters fight off the assailants targeting the green-haired woman. "What are those creatures? And where did he get them? And wow, they're strong!"
The man outwardly grinned but was surprised as he watched the black-haired man look into some small object in his hand and looked around briefly before suddenly turning his head right into his direction, his glasses briefly glinting in the sunlight.
"What the hell?!" the thief thought. "Does… does he know I'm here?!"
"Rath, you're familiar with the castle, right?" Robert started as he launched a wind spell at one of the attackers. "Any suggestions on what we'll need to do?"
Rath nodded. "Once the marquess is safe, my men can move in. Perhaps we can use the secret passageway…"
"Secret passageway?" repeated Lyn, curious.
"An underground tunnel leading to the throne room," elaborated Rath. "There are triggers in the barracks and the armory that will open the tunnel. The barracks triggers are outside of the armory while the last trigger is within a secret room inside the armory."
"Head through the passage to the throne room… and rescue the marquess," paraphrased Lyn. "Once that's done, can you drive the enemy from the castle?"
"If we can release those triggers, my men and I can handle the rest," answered Rath. "There are three triggers, though. All three need to be released, or the entrance won't open."
Lyn frowned. "But the doors to the two outside barracks are locked. Sain checked them."
"The enemy's within," said Rath, shaking his head. "If we don't get inside and finish them, we're stuck."
"So we'll need to unlock those doors so we can get to the triggers," stated Robert.
"But we don't have any keys on us," replied Lyn. "Perhaps some of the marauders are carrying keys…"
"Or we could find a thief and have them help us," suggested Robert. "Most thieves have lockpicks for their work. And Araphen's the second biggest city on Lycia so they likely have a lot of targets here."
"I have no need for a thief, Robert," replied Lyn firmly, frowning at the idea.
"Hmm… I suppose I could have Swampert break the doors down," said Robert. "But I doubt the marquess would appreciate me causing property damage, especially since we're kind of on a diplomacy mission right now."
"Not like I mind breaking something belonging to that racist marquess," Robert thought to himself. "But I do need to find Matthew; he should be around here."
"Got something planned, Robert?" queried Palutena telepathically.
"Oh yeah," thought Robert in reply. "Let's just hope I'm doing the right thing here."
He then began tapping on his smartphone's screen. "Perhaps I should order a lockpick from the online shop…"
"Hey you! Can I talk to you?" a man's voice called out.
"Right on time," thought Robert to himself as he and Lyn faced the thief with the red cloak, who had approached them.
"Who are you?" Lyn demanded, eyeing the man's attire suspiciously as her hand gripped the Mani Katti tightly.
"I'm Matthew, a specialist in acquisitions of all kinds," the man answered with a goofy grin. "Would you like to buy my services? I can unlock those barrack doors for you."
Lyn looked shocked while Robert returned the grin.
"I expected no less from a skilled… eavesdropper," Robert complimented, giving Matthew a knowing look. "Consider yourself hired as I do have need of your services."
"Wonderful," replied the thief. "You guys seem like an interesting bunch so for you, I'll even lower my normal rate."
"I don't know if I like that look on his face…" thought Matthew as he smiled outwardly. "It seems like he knows something… but what?"
"Why did you choose to ally yourself with me?" asked Lyn with a raised eyebrow.
"I was watching the battle from up above," Matthew answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Your group looked like a lot more fun than the dead guy. Pretty simple, really."
Lyn shook her head in exasperation. "You're so odd."
She then rushed off to take down another mercenary. Robert watched her go before he turned to Matthew.
"Let's get to work, Matthew," Robert said. "Rath will show you to the doors."
He then directed his attention to the other members of Lyndis's Legion.
"Kent, Sain, you two go and warn the civilians to stay in their homes," Robert ordered before he pulled out a couple bottles from his inventory. "Here's some extra vulnerary."
The two cavaliers thanked Robert and raced off. Matthew stared at Robert – rather, at the spot where he had seen Robert's inventory appear at.
"What was that?" thought Matthew to himself. "Did he just pull two bottles of vulnerary out of thin air? How? And how much does that… magic… allow him to hold? He could easily be a world-class thief!"
Robert turned to Florina next. "Florina, take to the skies and watch for any enemies approaching us. Stay close to us though."
"Got it!" the pegasus knight squeaked before she had Huey lift off into the air.
"As for the rest of us," addressed Robert. "We'll be sticking with Matthew and Rath. Make sure none of the mercenaries can reach them. Serra, be ready to heal at any time."
"What?!" thought Matthew, recognizing the cleric's name and noticed the pink pigtails Serra had. "What is she doing here?! I can't let her find the passageway! Oh, who am I kidding – she'll find out anyways."
"Right!" the rest of the Legion all replied to Robert.
Before too long, the door to one of the barracks had been forcibly unlocked thanks to Matthew's lockpicking skills with the mercenaries within them easily dispatched.
"That takes care of the first one," Rath declared as he pulled the lever switch inside of the unlocked barrack, causing a few clanking sounds to be heard nearby.
Kent and Sain rejoined the group a few seconds later. The duo looked uneasy as the group moved around the armory, defeating more mercenaries along the way as the Legion made its way to the second barrack.
"Are the people safe?" asked Robert, a bit concerned as he issued an order to Charmeleon.
"Yes, the civilians have taken cover," answered Kent. "But…"
"Can we talk to you for a moment?" finished Sain.
Robert answered by boarding Cyclizar and keeping pace with Kent and Sain. "Is something the matter?"
"Some of the civilians have noticed Lyn," reported Sain as he stabbed a mercenary down with his lance. "According to them, the marquess has a hatred of the people of Sacae now."
"Which I find hard to believe," said Kent as he cut another down with his sword. "The marquess did already say that he'd lend us his aid."
Robert hummed a bit in thought as he blasted another mercenary with a wind spell before he spoke. "Well, the marquess hadn't seen Lyn for himself yet. And while Lyn may be a lady of Caelin, she is also a lady of Sacae."
He directed his attention to Sain. "Is there a reason that the marquess hates Sacaen people now?"
"Yes," said Sain. "According to the civilians we spoke to, the nomads of Sacae are barred entrance from Araphen on the marquess's orders. Apparently, the marquess had fallen in love with Lady Madelyn back when she was still alive but she spurned him in favor of a nomadic prince."
"Hmm… so he had fallen for Lyn's mother, who chose the man who would later become Lyn's father instead of him, the marquess," replied Robert.
"But it hardly makes much sense," refuted Kent. "Rath does work directly underneath the marquess's command as his captain of the guard. Why would he keep him around if he hates nomads like him?"
"Hmm… people in power can be hypocritical," said Robert. "But in any case, we'll need to be careful while we're in Araphen once we're done here – there is a possibility that we're in hostile territory."
Lyndis's Legion arrived at the second barrack, the door of which was guarded by a lightly armored soldier wielding a lance. Robert nodded to Charmeleon, making the Flame Pokémon grin.
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower," Robert ordered.
"Char!" The Flame Pokémon spat out a stream of fire from her mouth, torching her target easily.
"Aiiiiieeee!" screamed the soldier in pain. To his horror, the metal armor he wore began to melt, burning him and intensifying his pain.
Charmeleon kept up her flames until the soldier was no more. Once she finally ended her Flamethrower attack, her entire body began to glow brightly. To the amazement of everybody, Charmeleon grew to almost twice her height, especially with her neck becoming longer. Her arms grew longer, too, but what stood out the most to the Legion was the new pair of leather wings sprouting from her back. Once the glow faded, in place of the bipedal lizard was an orange, bipedal dragon-like creature with teal-colored wings. Just like with her younger forms, the Pokémon had a tail with a flame burning at the tip.
Robert's eyes were wide with childish excitement as the young reincarnated man looked over the Pokémon.
"Congratulations, you evolved into Charizard!" he exclaimed proudly. "How do you feel, Charizard? You can now fly!"
"Rrr…" The Flame Pokémon rumbled as she experimentally flapped her wings a few times, getting used to her new body. She then gave Robert a cocky smile before she flapped her wings more strongly, taking off into the air.
Robert's Swampert, Pikachu, and Cyclizar each gave out their own congratulatory cries to Charizard.
"Swampert!"
"Pika-pika!"
"Rooom!"
"Amazing…" gasped Kent. "Robert now has a dragon under his command."
"While she does look like a dragon, Charizard, believe it or not, is not actually a Dragon-type Pokémon," said Robert. "Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me, either."
"What?" blurted out Sain incredulously. "Are you saying she's not an actual dragon?"
"Not in a Type sort of sense. Charizard's a Fire and Flying-type. Meanwhile, Cyclizar here is a Dragon and Normal-type."
"I doubt the Kingdom of Bern would care about that – their famous wyvern platoons would love to have you in their ranks."
"You say that Charmeleon… evolved… into Charizard, correct?" queried the inquisitive Erk. "How exactly does this evolution work for those creatures?"
"Most Pokémon evolve by becoming more experienced in battle," answered Robert. "Of course, Pokémon may evolve at different rates and there are many that don't evolve through just battle experience and instead require something else. Evolution can be like… a mage promoting into a sage, though more permanent."
"I see… fascinating…"
Matthew watched the Legion chatter excitedly over Charizard with a calculating gaze.
"No regrets joining this group," the thief thought to himself as he looked at Robert and his Charizard. "Now, I'd need to find a way to have them join Ostia… they seem to have the potential to be stronger than any dracoknight seen from Bern – a young man with a talent for combat magic, healing magic, and swordplay along with an intelligent, fire breathing dragon… what a devastating combination! And that's not including those other creatures he refers to as Pokémon with him."
"So, since Charizard can fly," started Florina shyly. "Are you going to be able to ride her?"
"She should be able to fly me around," answered Robert excitedly, stroking Charizard's head gently, eliciting some rumbling purrs from the pleased dragon-like Pokémon. "There are quite a few things I'd like to try once this battle's over. But for now, let's hit the second switch."
Some of the nearby civilians brave enough to watch the battle from the safety of their homes witnessed the wondrous sight. Little did Robert know, word would begin to spread of a powerful, orange fire dragon.
Without further fanfare, Rath activated the second switch and guided Lyndis's Legion into Castle Araphen's armory.
"With two triggers activated, the room for the third trigger should now be exposed," said Rath. "Be careful inside; the assassins are within Castle Araphen's walls."
Not too far into the armory, Matthew spotted something.
"Hey! Unless my eyes deceive me, that's a chest!" called out Matthew. "Say, Robert! Since we came all this way, what say we help ourselves?"
Robert moved to see the wooden chest, which was firmly locked. "Depends on what's inside."
"Doesn't sound like a no, so I'm opening it!" Matthew laughed as he produced a lockpick and quickly broke open the chest to pull out a white cloak that looked like a pair of feathered wings and had a collar made out of some expensive and shiny gold thread. The robe appeared to be sparkling on its own.
"Hey! This is a seraph robe!" Matthew identified excitedly as he held out the robe in front of Robert. "This is good for those of us on the… less robust side. Like me, for example. Magic items like this that increase one's abilities vanish after being used. Give them to the people who need them most. But don't fret too much about it, or you'll never use them. Simply holding on to a useful item does no one any good."
"Let's save it for now," Robert replied as he accepted the seraph robe and stuffed it into his inventory.
Matthew then found another chest and quickly picked the lock. He reached in only to end up needing both his hands to draw out the item: a heavy sword with a particularly thick blade.
"An armorslayer!" identified the thief. "Useful against knights in armor."
"Yeah, I can see that," said Robert as he took the blade. "It doesn't seem to be suited for stabbing or cutting somebody; it looks more ready to bludgeon something instead."
He put away the armorslayer into his inventory as the group moved on deeper into the castle's armory, defeating more mercenaries within its dimly lit stone halls.
Before too long, the group arrived at the secret room deep within the armory. Guarding the lever switch was an archer and a heavily armored man, who was armed with a lance.
"Bah, Lyndis and her cadre!" spat out the armored knight with a scowl. "No matter. I shall deal with you all."
Rath and Wil quickly made short work of the enemy archer before he could do anything; the two quickly let loose their arrows, turning the man into a human pincushion.
"Charizard, Fire Spin on the knight!" Robert ordered.
"Rrrh!" Charizard issued a stream of flames from her snout. Unlike with Flamethrower, Charizard let out a weaker stream of flames that was much easier to manipulate. True to the attack's name, the flames coiled around the armored knight, trapping him in a swirling vortex of fire.
"What the hell?!" gasped the armored knight as he felt his metal plate armor heat up quickly – he can feel himself be slowly cooked inside of his armor. "What kind of flames are these?!"
"Hydro Pump, Swampert!" Robert called out.
"Swam-PERT!" the Mud Fish Pokémon as he opened his mouth to fire off a powerful stream of water. The Water-type attack was so strong that it not only put out the flames from Charizard's Fire Spin but also sent the armored knight skidding into the lever switch, activating the trigger, before sliding off to the side into the stone wall, making a spider web-like crater.
The knight's plate armor shattered from being heated and cooled quickly and then from the following impact. However, since the flames were put out quickly, the knight wasn't burned too badly – he was now more soaked and battered from the Hydro Pump slamming him into the wall.
With the lever switch activated, the sound of clanking gears can be heard from behind the walls of the room. In a few seconds, one of the stone walls was raised, revealing a set of descending stairs.
"That's the secret passage," pointed out Rath.
The knight recovered and slowly got up onto his feet, using his lance as a crutch, glaring at the Legion, determined not to lose. "I'll… I'll kill you all… I'll make sure that Lundgren will pay me extra gold for taking all of you down…"
"Too bad money can't be taken to the next world," Robert retorted before he turned to Lyn. "Let's finish him!"
"Got it!" Lyn was quick on her feet as usual. She charged at him directly, prompting the knight to attempt to stab her with a lunge with his lance only for Lyn to suddenly dart to the side, avoiding his strike. With his lance extended at no target and with his armor destroyed, the weary knight was rendered defenseless as Lyn quickly cut him down.
Rath rummaged through his satchel before he produced a blowing horn. He blew into it hard, letting out a loud signal. As the footsteps of a lot of men rallying to Rath's call can be heard, Rath turned to Robert, Lyn, and the rest of the Legion as he stepped in front of the secret passageway with his horse. "I thank you all for your assistance. My men and I will take it from here."
A few hours later, Rath and his troops defeated the rest of the assassins at and within Castle Araphen. The fires on the castle were quickly extinguished, especially with the help of Robert and his Swampert.
Presently, Lyn, Robert, Sain, Kent, and Rath were in the castle halls just outside of the throne room. The other members of Lyndis's Legion were back outside of the castle.
"Marquess Araphen shall see you momentarily," briefed Rath before he turned to knock on the wooden double doors. "Sir, I have arrived with the group."
"You may enter," an older man's voice responded from behind the doors.
Without further prompting, Rath opened the doors and led Lyn's group in. Lyn and her group approached the throne where the marquess sat. The man had blonde hair and a large nose. He wore a purple robe with gold trimming and a green cape.
"So that's the marquess of Araphen…" thought Robert as he got a look at the man sitting on the throne. "He seems to be in his late 30s… or he could be in the 40s or possibly 50s…"
The marquess rose from his seat and walked down the room to receive the group. His eyes briefly flashed with disdain before the man smiled as he looked towards his captain of the guard.
"Ah, Rath," greeted the marquess jovially, raising his arms grandly. "You've done well. What a performance!"
"Sir… If you have praise, it should be given to this group," replied Rath, gesturing to Lyn and her group. "They've provided invaluable assistance to the matter."
"I see…" The marquess turned his attention to Lyn. "And who are you?"
"My name is Lyndis," the plainswoman answered respectfully, giving him a polite nod. "I'm pleased you're well."
At once, the mood in the room changed dramatically as the marquess, whose face suddenly shifted from a pleased expression to an unreadable one, kept his gaze on Lyn, scrutinizing her for a few seconds.
"Oh… It's you. You're Marquess Caelin's–" The marquess then cleared his throat and made a shooing gesture to his captain of the guard. "Leave us, Rath. I would speak with this girl."
Rath wordlessly left the throne room, leaving his liege alone with Lyn, Robert, Kent, and Sain. The throne room became uncomfortably silent for several seconds. Kent and Sain gave each other brief, nervous glances, trying to remain calm before focusing their attention on the marquess.
"Oh boy… here it comes…" thought Robert, inwardly gritting his teeth.
"Now… Lady Lyndis…" began the marquess slowly and deliberately. "Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?"
Lyn, seeing no reason to lie, answered honestly. "I believe it to be the work of my granduncle, Lundgren."
"That's exactly right," snapped the marquess accusingly as he angrily pointed at Lyn. "Which means my castle has been damaged in your family's petty inheritance dispute."
Lyn was so taken aback by the seemingly sudden anger of the march's leader that she stuttered in response. "My-my apologies…"
"When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance…" stated the marquess before he suddenly turned his back on the group and took a few steps away from them. "I find I've changed my mind. I withdraw my offer."
"Marquess Araphen! You gave me your word, my lord!" Kent protested.
"Your name is Kent, is it not?" said the marquess as he turned his head to look at the red-armored cavalier. "You failed to inform me of one most vital detail!"
Remembering the villagers' words, Kent, along with Robert and Sain, had a feeling he knew what the marquess was about to mention next but hoped that he was wrong. "What… What do you mean?"
"This girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, but…" started the marquess before his brow furrowed and his nose wrinkled in open disgust as he pointed at Lyn again. "I didn't expect to see her so… tainted… with the blood of Sacae."
"What?!" screeched Lyn in shock and incredulity, not believing what she had just heard.
"Hm." Robert furrowed his brow crossly as he did his best to remain calm but All Star appeared out from behind, palming its fist menacingly before its master recalled him.
He could also feel his Poké Balls at his belt vibrate violently – his Pokémon wanted nothing more than to come out of their transports to attack the middle-aged man in front of Lyn.
Kent and Sain, who knew about the marquess's prejudice towards the people of Sacae from Araphen's citizens, were still taken aback from the marquess openly insulting their liege.
"Don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this… nomadic mongrel?" sneered the marquess rhetorically.
"You-!" snarled Sain angrily before he took a step forward.
"Sain, hold!" called out Kent, holding out an arm to stop his partner's movement before returning his attention to Marquess Araphen. "My apologies, my lord Marquess."
The marquess snorted. "Your man is poorly disciplined."
"Marquess Araphen! Please…" beseeched Kent once he was sure that Sain wouldn't act out in anger again. "If you would grace us with your aid…"
The marquess brought his hand up to his chin to put on a façade of considering Kent's request again.
"I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed," he said, as if talking to himself. "I question whether he will survive to meet this girl. In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. And I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess."
"Great… now he sounds like a moustache twirling sycophant," thought Robert. "He wants to be Lundgren's good little bootlicker."
"I dislike those sorts of people," groaned Palutena telepathically in disdain, knowing what Robert meant. "Flattery from people wanting me to do some sort of favor for them just because I'm a goddess they worship is never in short supply for me. And they always ask me for the most insane or selfish favors."
Sain began to reach for his sword, his face contorted with barely restrained righteous fury towards Araphen's leader. "You scheming…"
"Sain!" barked out Kent sharply, eager to keep the chance of negotiating with the marquess alive though inwardly, he knew that their efforts were in vain.
Robert had a blank expression as he coolly stepped up with his hands in his pockets and finally spoke for the first time in the throne room. "It seems that no matter where I go, some things will always be present… like racist, old bigots."
"W-what?" spluttered the marquess, surprised by the audacity of the male stepping up to him and by how deep said male's voice was despite the man's youthful appearance before he rallied himself, looking at the Asian American angrily. "Who are you?!"
"Me?" replied Robert derisively. "To you, I'm a nobody – I'm simply a man helping an orphaned granddaughter meet her grandfather before her granduncle tries to snuff them out."
The marquess huffed, seeing Robert as beneath him as he returned to sit on his throne. "And your point is?"
"You may be the marquess of Araphen," started Robert. "But you're nothing more than a pathetic little man. You loved Lady Madelyn, don't you? Or at least you thought you did."
The marquess gritted his teeth, seething in impotent fury. Kent, Sain, and Lyn were surprised and shocked by Robert's vitriolic words.
"But, Lady Madelyn chose a Sacaen prince over you," continued Robert. "And you're such a sore loser that you couldn't accept their love to each other and find another lady to love. You've become so pissed that you developed a prejudice against the people of Sacae, even going so far as having them forbidden from entering Araphen. Oh yeah, even I, a foreigner, know. People talk and the people of Araphen are no exception. Hell, apparently, that ego of yours is more important than the fact that Lundgren attacked your realm and captured you; the fact that you're willing to be his little bitch boy after all that may just… put the sovereignty of your turf into question."
Kent and Sain felt their eyes widen at the possibility Robert just brought up.
"Seeing the man you are now, I'd say that Lady Madelyn dodged a bullet – er, arrow – there," added Robert. "I'd even go so far as to say that you never loved her; you only obsessed and lusted over her. Nobody would ever want to be around such an angry and hateful man like you. You'll grow up old and alone with only racists for company."
Marquess Araphen growled in anger, his hand tightly gripping the armrest of his throne as if he were trying to break it.
Robert chuckled as he rubbed his chin as if he were stroking an imaginary goatee. "Anyways, I won't ask for your aid – we won't need it. And I hope you're ready for Araphen to become Caelin's vassal in the future. After all, my lady Lyndis is the true heir to Caelin's throne. I hope you'd have an attitude adjustment the next time we meet, vassal, er, Marquess Araphen."
Lyn put her hand on Robert's shoulder, wordlessly signaling him that she would handle the matter now. "Robert, Kent, Sain. We take our leave at once."
She then spoke to the marquess severely. "I am proud of the Sacae blood that runs through my veins. My friend is quite right: I will NOT need or accept aid from one who disparages my heritage."
Lyn and her entourage turned to leave the throne room, leaving Marquess Araphen alone in the throne room. As they exited into the hall, Rath, who had been standing guard outside of the throne room and listening in, saw their displeased expressions.
They didn't need to say anything to let the nomad know that the exchange between the marquess and Lyn went poorly. Rath frowned and looked towards the door leading into his liege's throne room, before making a big decision.
Back inside of the throne room, the marquess was fuming.
"Bah! Such arrogant children!" he snarled angrily as he leaned back on his seat, his eyes looking towards the ceiling blankly, as if ranting to the heavens above. "If the girl had but shed a single tear, I would have granted her request. We Lycian nobles will never understand those prideful savages. And that boy… who does he think he is?! Even with different clothes, he looks just like those disgusting nomads."
"Are those your true feelings toward the nomads of Sacae, milord?" Rath had returned to the throne room while the marquess had been ranting to himself.
"What?" the marquess blurted out. He looked back to the front to see that Rath had returned to the throne room without him noticing.
"Oh, Rath! I didn't see you there," admitted the marquess, chuckling sheepishly as he returned to his jovial façade, complete with a fake smile. "My comments do not reflect on you! You are my captain. I'm proud of your service."
"Of course. As long as we bend our knee to you, you care not where we're from," pointed out Rath crossly, not at all appeased by the marquess's attempt to backtrack on his racist comments. "But when an equal comes from my lands? What conceit."
"Rath! How can you speak to me like that?" protested the marquess, surprised by his subordinate's sudden change in attitude. "I have treated you well, have I not? I have paid you well. I have treated you better than your kind deserves!"
Rath shook his head, disappointed. "You will never understand. My service ends here."
He reached into his satchel and pulled out an ornate insignia that proved that he served Marquess Araphen as his captain of the guard. While looking into the marquess's eyes, Rath dropped the badge onto the rug, letting it clatter softly. Without another word, Rath turned and left the throne room.
Back outside of the castle, the sun was beginning to set as Lyn, Robert, Kent, and Sain regrouped with the rest of Lyndis's Legion and told their comrades what had happened with Marquess Araphen.
"That was well done, milady!" complimented Sain, trying to lift his lady's spirits up. "You, too, Robert! The marquess is a lout! Don't worry about anything. We're all here for you! Isn't that so, Kent?"
Kent sighed sadly; he wasn't of like mind. "I beg your forgiveness, milady."
"Why are you apologizing, Kent?" asked a perplexed Lyn.
"I've been so concerned with seeing you to Caelin," answered Kent. "I failed to take your feelings into account."
"Is that it? Trouble yourself no more," Lyn chuckled, feeling glad that she had such dependable allies with her. "You have put my safety above all else. I have seen that. Hold your head up and be proud."
"Milady Lyndis…"
"The marquess of Araphen…" Lyn started, scowling on saying the man's title. "He said my grandfather was ill. We must hurry to Caelin…"
"As we approach Caelin, Lundgren's obstacles will be more difficult to overcome," warned Kent. "However, I've vowed to see you through to the end, milady!"
"I'm counting on you, Kent," said Lyn.
"I'm with you, too!" put in Sain.
"Thank you, Sain." Lyn smiled before she turned to Robert. "Robert… Thank you for always standing at my side."
"My Pokémon and I are with you every step of the way, Lyn," declared Robert. "We'll be at Caelin before you know it!"
"You're my best friend, Lyn," said Florina. "I don't care how dangerous it is as long as we're together!"
"We're with you, Lady Lyndis," added Wil.
"People like that marquess are set in their ways," advised Dorcas. "Even if you tell them good advice, they won't listen. Trust nobody like those people."
"You have our support," said Erk.
"As long as I'm on this journey, I'll always be there when you need me, whether you're injured in battle or exhausted from duty," proclaimed Serra loftily. "As long as you provide me a token of thanks, of course."
"You have a fun group, Lady Lyndis," said Matthew with a grin. "I can tell I'll have a lot of stories to tell once this is all over."
Lyn could feel tears threaten to leak out from her eyes but held them back with a smile of gratitude. "Thank you… all of you… It's because of all of you that I… I will persevere! They will never break my spirit!"
"Good," said Robert, giving a brief nod of approval. "We better get going. After our little stunt back there, Araphen may as well be hostile territory. We should be safer outside of the city."
He then rubbed his palms against each other. "Plus, I would like to cook us up a good meal tonight. What would you like me to cook, Lyn?"
After looting the deceased mercenaries and leaving Araphen City, Lyndis's Legion made their way through the woods, continuing their journey to Caelin. Before they could go too far, they had to stop for a while at a forest clearing so they could camp for the night. There were now two picnic tables eat at thanks to the size of the Legion.
While Robert was preparing food with lanterns providing light over his work area (which was a separate table), a certain nomad arrived at the forest clearing on horseback.
"Rath!" gasped Lyn, surprised by the fellow Sacaen's arrival before she wondered if he had urgent news. "What is it? What are you –"
"I no longer serve Marquess Araphen," Rath answered resolutely. "Lyn of the Lorca… Proud daughter of the Sacae… I would join you. I would add my strength to yours."
"Really?" Lyn couldn't believe what she heard.
"And this…" Rath reached into his satchel to pull out a bag, which made soft clinking sounds from his handling of it. "I want you to take it."
"This is…" Lyn received the bag, peered into it, and almost dropped it in surprise. "Gold!? It's too much. I can't accept it."
Rath shook his head. "I have no need for it. And if it will help you…"
"But…"
Lyn was about to hand back the bag of gold before Rath stopped her, shaking his head firmly.
"I cannot take back something once offered," Rath stated.
"Think of it this way, Lyn," suggested Robert, who had been watching them. "The money is going to be used for all of us – food, weapons, medicine, and other supplies. We're going to use it to help you get to Caelin safely."
Lyn nodded, accepting her friend's words before she returned her attention to Rath. "Rath… I thank you."
That evening, Robert made sure to prepare a lot of food. Lyndis's Legion had grown over a period of a few weeks and after a huge disappointment from visiting Araphen's marquess, Robert felt that all could use a good meal to boost morale. The dinner entrée Robert prepared was General Tso's chicken with broccoli and rice with a dessert of fruit salad.
"So this is what Lady Lyndis had when she first met Robert," remarked Kent as he tasted some of the sauce-covered chicken chunks. "It's delicious… It could be a meal fit for a king."
"Even though I've already had his cooking before, I can see why Lyn speaks so highly of him as a chef since then," agreed Sain, hungrily chowing down on his helping.
"So many different fruits…" squeaked an awed Florina, staring at her helping of fruit salad before sampling each different piece of fruit one by one.
"Delicious!" exclaimed Serra happily, momentarily losing her appearance of decorum to stuff more fruit pieces into her mouth.
"Where do some of these fruits even come from?" wondered Erk as chewed through a banana slice. "Do they come from some faraway land?"
"This rice seemed bland on its own but with this sauce," said Wil. "Wow… it makes a huge difference."
"Fruit… some of which are of an unknown origin," thought Matthew, silently regarding a slice of green kiwi before eating it, enjoying its sweet and mildly sour taste. "Just more evidence that Robert's either a foreigner or is fabulously rich and well-connected… At least it's all tasty... I do wish Leila was here though; I bet she'd love all this stuff."
"I should ask Robert for a cookbook some time," thought Dorcas.
Rath quietly ate his portion of food; a small smile and a pleased hum were all that indicated that he enjoyed his meal.
With the food situation taken care of, Robert got his own helping of food and took a seat next to Lyn. Although he could see Lyn enjoying her food, he could also see that Lyn was deep in thought.
"Something the matter?" Robert asked the plainswoman.
"Oh, Robert," greeted Lyn. "Did… did you experience something similar to what had happened earlier today?"
"Do you mean the marquess being racist?" he replied.
Lyn nodded.
"Yeah, I have," answered Robert as he ate another bit of his meal. "Some people are willing to find any reason to… discriminate… against somebody. It can be anything from their gender, to their health condition, to something inane like the color of that person's skin or, for my case, the shape of my eyes or my parents' homeland. The people of my home nation have made steps to combat this issue, but the issue still remained by the time I… left that place."
He paused to eat more of his food.
"I'm sorry…" said Lyn sadly.
"Don't be," answered Robert once he swallowed the bite of food. "There's nothing that you could've done. Some prejudices are decided on a whim. Other prejudices are typically taught, either through a family member or some life experience. And just like life, things can change. It's up to that person to make that change though."
"I see…" Lyn then became curious. "Then what do you think of the people of Sacae?"
Robert thought for a moment before he smiled and answered. "From what I've seen, they're proud and wonderful people. They remind me of people from my parents' homeland from a time past... except that the Sacaens have green hair instead of black hair like I have. Your green hair looks… very striking."
Lyn blushed a little from Robert's compliment before she remembered a certain detail from Robert's conversation with Marquess Araphen.
"What was that with the marquess?" she asked. "The whole 'vassal' matter you mentioned?"
"Remember how Lundgren sent mercenaries into Araphen so that they can kill you?" Robert recalled in reply. "Sending armed forces into a different territory without said territory's permission can be seen as an invasion. The marquess's castle got damaged from arson and Rath mentioned that the marquess himself got captured by Lundgren's lackeys. On top of that, our group, led by you, the true heir to Caelin's throne, helped Rath and his men rescue the marquess. Oh, and let's not forget that the marquess would rather ally himself with the man responsible for his short-lived captivity rather than aid the group who rescued him in the first place just because of his racism."
Robert paused to eat some food and give Lyn a chance to digest all that information.
"This sounds… complicated," remarked Lyn hesitantly.
"Politics is a mess," agreed Robert. "It's annoying for everybody. But that would be something you'd have to deal with once it comes time for you to become marchioness. But long story short, because of Lundgren's attack and Marquess Araphen's prejudice, Marquess Araphen is now in an awkward position. He's now at a political disadvantage when dealing with Caelin or Caelin's allies and his control over Araphen can be called into question."
Kent and Sain, who were sitting nearby, were impressed at Robert's thought process.
Florina watched as Lyn and Robert talked some more, moving on to more mundane topics, and couldn't help but to become curious.
"They seem awfully close," thought Florina to herself, feeling a bit jealous.
She was then surprised by Robert turning his attention to her.
"Hey, Florina," greeted Robert.
"Eep!" Florina squeaked. "Y-yes?"
"Tomorrow morning, can you help me practice on flight?" he asked. "I would like to get Charizard ready for aerial combat as soon as possible."
"Ah." Florina calmed down a bit. "I-I only know how to fly a pegasus but I'll do my best to help!"
Robert grinned in excitement. "Thanks!"
He quickly scarfed down his food as he remembered of a matter he wanted to take care of. "I'm gonna take a short walk around the campsite."
He then got up from his seat and walked to the table where Matthew was seated and tapped the thief's shoulder. The thief looked up to see his employer.
"Yeah? What do you need, Robert?" asked Matthew.
"Once you're done eating, we're gonna patrol the campsite for a bit," answered Robert before he left the table, moving towards the tree line.
Matthew nodded and a few minutes later, he was finished with his food, joining Robert at the edge of the clearing, away from the other members of the Legion. The area was dark, barely lit by the lanterns and the campfire as the two stood near some trees.
"So, what do you need me for?" asked Matthew.
Robert took a deep breath.
"I hope you know what you're doing," warned Palutena gently telepathically.
"Let's just hope this works," he thought to Palutena though more to himself than to her.
"Tell me…" started Robert. "How is Marquess Ostia's health?"
Matthew's eyes widened briefly before the thief recovered with a nonchalant expression on his face. "The Marquess of Ostia? From what I've heard, he's in good health."
"I thought Lord Uther's illness was a secret," he thought to himself. "So how in the world did this guy know about it? What is he planning?"
"I know you're more than what you appear," rebutted Robert.
Matthew chuckled, trying to make himself appear that he was laughing off Robert's assertion. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Matthew. Gender: male. Age: in his 20s," recited Robert, as if he were a detective reading off of a subject's dossier. "You claim to be a thief but that's just a front for your true occupation: a spy for Ostia. Your lover, Leila, is also part of that spy organization, and the both of you serve under Marquess Ostia's younger brother, Hector."
"What the?!" Matthew was inwardly panicking. "How does he know all that?! Was there some leak Lord Hector doesn't know of?"
He then tried to calm himself down as his hand made its way to his sheathed dagger. "So, assuming the information was all true, what do you plan on doing with it?"
Robert knew what Matthew was truly asking.
"Nothing," the black-haired man answered, raising his hands in a placating manner. "I want to help Marquess Uther. While I don't know too much about what ails him, I do know that if nothing is done about it, he can expect to die in about a year from now. In fact, he'll die from the same illness that claimed his parents."
Matthew dropped the act. "What? Lord Uther is going to die next year?! How do you know all this?"
"I can't say," answered Robert. "But I do know that something could be done to prevent him from dying of illness."
"I don't think he'd believe me if I say that I that this was all recorded in a video game and an art book," he thought to himself.
Matthew sighed. "All right. What do we need to do?"
"What do you know about the marquess's illness?" queried Robert. "As far as I know, it was the same illness that claimed both of his parents."
Matthew then went on to describe the symptoms of Uther's illness, as well as what was observed on the marquess's deceased parents. Robert listened carefully, making sure to note everything on his smartphone before he began searching for an illness via his smartphone's web browser.
After several minutes, Robert had his answer.
"This could be it…" he declared before his fingers went right to work again. "Now to find something that could help with that."
He looked up at Matthew, who had been looking at him expectantly. "I'll be sure to give you tomorrow morning. For now, let's get some sleep."
Robert returned to the camp, leaving Matthew with his thoughts.
"Just who in the world is that guy?" Matthew thought to himself as he quietly evaluated what he learned from and of Robert. He then realized that his thoughts were going nowhere and decided to concede for the night, already plenty satisfied with the food.
Meanwhile, Robert was busy cleaning up while mentally chatting with Palutena.
"Are you sure this is all right?" asked Palutena telepathically. "You did practically out yourself as somebody who may know too much about what's going on."
"It was a risk I felt I need to take," answered Robert mentally. "If all goes well, I might be able to achieve a better future for my friends on Elibe."
Rath and Matthew joined Lyndis's Legion! And what's going to happen thanks to Robert speaking with Matthew?