AN: This chapter was already mostly written. Good thing, too, because I'm feeling stupidly tired today. I really need to spend more time sleeping and less time on my hobbies.
As he walked through the corridors of the Shield Keep, Zachariah Gardner felt utterly lost.
For the family… Do your utmost for the family… But what does that matter if everything falls to darkness!?
There was luxury in every direction: thick red carpets, chandeliers of pure crystal, rows upon rows of marble statues. For almost as long as he could remember, Zachariah had admired this luxury. He'd wanted to obtain one of the coveted positions that would let him be in the palace regularly.
The people here had well-groomed looks and tailored clothing, fitting the surroundings. They looked at Zachariah and his nearby sister with reverent expressions. Towards Mersé Dascaros, the senior hero who was also walking with them, they put on similarly reverent expressions, only to then snicker behind her back.
This was normal for the high society of Lescatie. A hero who was born from commoners, regularly consorted with commoners and acted nothing like a proper woman obviously didn't deserve respect. Indeed, her many scars proved she wasn't even that good as a hero, lacking the skill to dodge enemy attacks…
...yet Zachariah knew very well that the opposite was true. Both him and his sister had that lesson pounded into them until it stuck.
To think, Joanna and I used to desire their support, so we could rise in status… but looking at them now, they're just ignorant vultures…
We… were ignorant vultures as well, until yesterday…
The sight of so many monsters in one place had shattered all of their preconceptions. This was not some larger-than-average group, one that would fall easily to a few heroes. This was a true army, one including monsters he'd never even seen before: goat-horned baphomets with magical staves, hulking dragons with fiery breath, wights with their life-stealing hands.
Yet those weren't the only kinds of monsters present. There were plenty who carried no weapons, acted no different from the support personnel in the human army. In fact, there seemed to be a higher proportion of those than in the human army. But it had to be a trick, surely...
Suddenly, Zachariah's hand was grasped by another. He looked up to see a worried Joanna.
The two siblings didn't need to exchange any words. Zachariah simply nodded, as thanks for the reassurance, and Joanna took her hand away.
That's right… even when there's no one else, we still have each other. Lescatie's a hive of distrust, many other families have their members vying for inheritance… but not us.
Then Zachariah glanced at Mersé. The senior hero had to be aware of the scorn directed her way, yet she showed no signs of caring. She was only focused on the true threat.
We have to do the same… We must convince them to send out all of Lescatie's heroes, no matter who they are…
The door to the Senate chamber came into view. It was then that Mersé spoke up.
"Alright, how do you want to do this? Do you want to speak first, or…?"
Zachariah was about to reply, only for his sister to beat him to it.
"Allow us to speak first, Hero Mersé," Joanna said, her face resolute.
"Yes, if we may be so bold," Zachariah said.
"Suit yourselves," Mersé said, shrugging.
The guards at the door recognised them and allowed them through.
"—gather more funds, we must send word to Seren—hmm?"
"Heroes… you've already returned?"
Over two hundred people were gathered in the Senate chamber, all of them now looking down at Zachariah's group. Meetings of the Senate were much more frequent in recent days than was typical. And while barging into a meeting that had already started was rude, Zachariah's group couldn't afford to delay.
"Apologies for the intrusion, honourable members of the Senate," Zachariah said, doing his best to sound confident. "We have returned from our expedition with urgent news."
Many harsh gazes bored into Zachariah's group from all directions.
If you want the monsters gone so badly, fight them yourselves! Zachariah wished desperately to say.
"...Kindly elaborate," said Count Preston Vitral, a nobleman with orange hair starting to grey.
Those two words were phrased politely, but the Gardner siblings still flinched upon hearing them. Count Preston was the current patron of their house, meaning their hopes of rising in rank depended on his good graces. He was also one of the highest-ranking figures in the current Senate, due to certain recent events.
That said, House Gardner's hopes of rising in rank also depended on Lescatie continuing to exist. It was that harsh fact which gave the two hero siblings courage.
"Yesterday morning, we met the mercenary force, as planned, and then encountered the monster army," Joanna replied. "It is far greater in number than expected!"
"There must be at least two thousand, likely over two and a half thousand monsters," Zachariah added. "With near-legendary monsters among them, such as baphomets and dragons. We could not defeat them with the forces at our disposal, leaving us no choice but to retreat."
That sent the Senate into an uproar. People began openly arguing with each other over what to do, or even sinking into despair.
Eventually, one noble stood up and pointed accusingly at Mersé. "Hero Mersé! What lies have you forced these two to repeat!"
Mersé had been leaning against a wall, but now she casually walked forward.
"Lies, huh? There's none of those around here."
Zachariah knew with absolute certainty that Mersé had just lied… because there was plenty of lying within the Senate chamber, both today and on previous days, and she had to know that.
"These two just told you what they saw," Mersé said, still casually. "If you want more witnesses, there's plenty of those. About two hundred soldiers also saw the monster camp, so if you can wait a bit, I can bring a few here to talk."
The noble looked back at Zachariah and Joanna. "Is… Is this true?"
"Yes, all of it," Zachariah said firmly.
"We all saw it, just as clearly as we see this chamber right now," Joanna said.
After a few moments of hesitation, the noble slumped back onto a bench.
The noise in the Senate changed to a low buzz, as people whispered and murmured about what to do now.
"What would you suggest is necessary to defeat the monsters?" Count Preston asked, dabbing at his sweaty brow with a handkerchief.
Zachariah took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth, the turning point on which Lescatie's fate now rested.
"We must fight them with every hero in Lescatie," Zachariah and Joanna said as one.
This was met with outrage. Several senators stood up from the benches and began yelling.
"This is the only way to protect Lescatie!" Joanna argued. "Without a force of dozens of heroes, at least, we do not stand a chance—"
"You think too highly of yourselves!" shouted one noble.
"That decision is not yours to make!" shouted a priest.
This was exactly what Zachariah had been dreading. No matter how truthful his and Joanna's words might be, as long as they were inconvenient for the Senate, they would be dismissed. No one cared for the opinions of a mere baron house, after all.
However, not everyone thought this suggestion was outrageous. A good few dozen whispered to each other, their words easily picked up by a hero's ears.
"Should we… Should we send messengers to them? If the monsters aren't stopped…"
"It's impossible! Not when they're… suspected… of consorting with monsters themselves…"
"And if they should prevail, then our own positions would be in jeopardy!"
"But if Lescatie should fall…"
"We must contact the magic institutes promptly!"
"But those rumours, of them going through some internal conflict..."
"Then we must try the Holy Knights..."
"Is there time for reinforcements to arrive, if we beseech our neighbours…?"
"Still, if we try to negotiate with the Holy Ice Flower…"
"We cannot!"
The chaotic debate continued for several minutes. At a couple of points, Zachariah even wondered if some of the senators would literally come to blows.
Yet in the end, nothing was achieved. The Senate came to the decision to adjourn for today, giving its members time to process this new information.
Zachariah walked away from the Senate chamber with a simmering anger in his body.
He did not say a word as they walked back through the palace corridors.
He did not say a word when they left the palace and began walking through the noble district.
Only when they arrived at the Gardner Manor—a noticeably smaller building than most in the noble district—did Zachariah let his mask crack. He slammed his fist into a wall.
"How can they do this!?" Zachariah snarled. "They all know what must be done, yet they're still so obstinate!? Their petty rivalries won't matter if WE ALL BECOME PLAYTHINGS OF MONSTERS!"
By this point, it was quite likely that Count Preston would cut off his support for House Gardner—in Lescatie, pawns who failed were simply dead weight. Zachariah was long past the point of caring.
"We should reach out to the other heroes in Lescatie ourselves," Joanna said. "They might dislike us, but there's no other option! We'll beg them on bent knees if we must!"
"Huh… you two have changed a lot," Mersé said.
There was no denying that. Zachariah and Joanna had been ignorant fools as recently as a few days ago. It had taken two harsh doses of reality to open their minds.
"At this point, I'm considering all kinds of absurd options," Zachariah said. "Such as abducting some of the higher-ranking senators to drag them out near the monsters, force them to see the truth with their own eyes!"
Mersé chuckled. "Sounds like a great idea. Too bad anything like that would get you labelled as a heretic and—" She drew a finger across her throat.
"There's no time to waste," Joanna said. "We have to start talking to anyone who'll listen to us, before the monsters are bearing down on our walls!"
"Sure… but there's one more thing," Mersé said. "When you saw those monsters yesterday… what'd they look like to you? Did they look like an invading army? Or something else?"
Zachariah and Joanna looked at each other uncertainly. They'd both been having doubts but were too scared to voice them.
"What you're suggesting, Hero Mersé…" Zachariah began.
"...borders on heresy," Joanna finished.
Mersé shrugged. "Maybe it is. But… just think about what you saw, not what other people told you growing up." She looked out the window at the bright sun outside. "I need to get going now. Like you said, we need to get other heroes involved, so I'm going to talk to a few of 'em."
With that, the scarred hero left the Gardner Manor. Zachariah and Joanna watched her walk through the front garden and then disappear from view. The former, and most likely the latter as well, felt the urge to run after her and beg her to stay a moment longer.
"...What should we do?" Joanna asked. "Should we talk to other heroes, as planned? There's one or two in the Order of the Dawn who might listen to us…"
"Perhaps," Zachariah replied, looking away from the window and towards the interior of the manor. "But before that… we might try talking to people closer to home."
If we cannot even convince our family of something, what hope do we have of convincing near-strangers?
-ooo-
Primera looked around the church. "It feels… weird to not have any of those brats running around."
"Until things have settled down, it will be safer for them to be out in my other orphanage," Sasha explained. "It's also a good opportunity for them to get used to monsters."
"But who knows who long it'll take for things to settle down," Elt said.
"Well… it wasn't all that bad, having them around," Primera said. "It was a nice distraction from all the dead wood and rock in the city."
Both Sasha and Elt began smiling when they heard these words. It was an infuriating sight.
"Th-That doesn't mean I like them or anything!" Primera hissed. "Don't get the wrong idea!"
"Of course not," Sasha said, sounding rather more smug than a priestess should. Then she lifted a strange pot with a spout on one side, and from it poured a steaming-hot liquid into two cups. "Here, please try some tea."
"What is this, Sasha?" Elt asked, though he accepted a cup regardless.
"It's a beverage from the east, made by steeping certain leaves in boiling water," Sasha explained, as she poured out a third cup for herself. "One of those aid workers gifted me a tea set while you were away. I tried it last night and quite enjoyed it."
Primera accepted a cup and took one tiny sip. It was still too hot to do more than that, but the strange earthy taste was… interesting.
"Normally, we never get food or drinks from outside Lescatie," Elt commented.
"Those in the upper classes have plenty of goods imported from other countries," Sasha said. "Though even then, they don't have anything from the monster countries, and very little from neutral countries…"
The three of them sat together for a while, drinking the tea as it cooled down. The foreign beverage seemed to have a calming effect on them.
Then Sasha dropped a certain line that utterly obliterated the calm:
"By the way… have you two gotten closer to each other?"
Primera and Elt coughed and spluttered. The former accidentally knocked her cup to the floor, though it did merely spilled its contents instead of shattering.
"W-W-W-W-We just…" Primera said, staring into her lap. "We just… talked… a bit…"
"We… talked about what's happening to Lescatie…" Elt said.
Then Primera came to a decision. She'd been hiding behind denial for far too long. Sasha was one of the very few people she trusted, so she deserved to know this… especially since it concerned her as well.
"Elt… asked me, how I felt about him…" Primera said. "And I… didn't say it out loud, but he… knows the truth now…"
Sasha's eyes widened. Primera now dearly wished that her magical repertoire included the ability to sink into the earth permanently.
"...That's what happened," Primera continued. "Sasha, I'm sorry…"
"There is nothing you should be sorry for!"
Sasha stood up and placed her hands on Primera's shoulders. She had the same fiery determination in her eyes as she had five years ago, when she'd forced—persuaded Primera to accept a safe home here in Lescatie.
"That's right, Primera," Elt said. "You don't have to be ashamed because you're a half-elf, or because you feel indebted to Sasha."
"You're just saying that because you—" Primera began, only to cut herself off. She was done with driving people away using insults. "But I… I'm just making this mess more complicated…"
"Love is… inherently complicated," Sasha admitted. "But that doesn't mean you should give up on your own."
"But there's already the blue-haired one, and…" Primera looked at Elt. "Did you ever find out what Mersé thinks about you?"
Now Elt blushed even more intensely. "I… asked her yesterday, and she… she got embarrassed and said it should wait until we returned home. She's busy giving a report now, but when she's done…"
"So that's at least four in total already," Primera said. "Five, if that long-lost princess turns out to be pining for you too!"
Elt opened his mouth, then closed it. With his record so far, it was more likely than not that the fourth princess of Lescatie was also involved in the romantic chaos surrounding him.
"No matter who he picks, there's going to be a lot who're left unsatisfied!" Primera said. "There might be civil war!"
That wasn't even exaggeration. Wilmarina Noscrim was Lescatie's strongest hero—as Primera had seen firsthand—and led its strongest knight order. Mersé Dascaros was beloved by many of the regular soldiers, who owed their lives—or at least thought so—to her training. Francisca Mistel Lescatie was royalty and also happened to be childhood friends with the aforementioned Wilmarina.. Even Sasha had the near-unanimous support of the slum-dwellers—who might seem powerless, but many of them might soon be turning into monsters and incubi… Only Primera was lacking in influence.
And that didn't take into account any other women Elt might have accidentally charmed. Or how Mimil Miltie, Lescatie's strongest mage, might react if she disapproved of her Big Brother's partner...
"It'll be easier if I stay out of it!" Primera continued. "There's no other option, except…"
Primera couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.
"...I think I know what you're suggesting," Sasha said, her cheeks also red. "Please… wait here a moment."
Sasha walked away and then returned with a strange book. The front cover of the book had, in the world's most commonly used alphabet, the title "An Idiot's Guide to Romance!"
"Last night, I also talked about this with the aid workers," Sasha explained. "They had… they had quite a few ideas… and one of them also gave me this book. Please disregard the title, it's just an odd joke."
"...You definitely wouldn't find a book like that in Lescatie," Primera said. "Most of the people who can read don't really have romance in their relationships…"
Still, the three of them began to read through the book together. There were many things inside that caused them to blush yet again, but… they didn't stop reading.
They were still reading by the time there was a knock on the door.
-ooo-
Marion peeked around the edge of the curtain to see through the window. The noonday sun was now shining down on a busy Salvarision.
I keep thinking there'll be enemy heroes attacking at any moment… Did the prison staff not tell anyone else yet?
In a way, Marion could sympathise with them. The current leadership of Lescatie was so desperate in clinging to power, they might order the immediate executions of anyone who failed them… such as by letting an important prisoner escape. They might not do that, but the prison staff merely had to think it was possible.
Then he remembered what two of them had done, and he wished he hadn't left in such a hurry. Those bastards deserved far worse than just the possibility of death.
"...I'm sorry…"
That voice immediately brought Marion's attention back into the room. Sitting around a table was Alameria and her parents. The former had now changed out of her prison uniform into a borrowed dress. However, her mood was actually worse than when she'd been broken out of prison.
"This wasn't your fault," Adeline said.
"IT WAS!" Alameria shouted in a guilt-filled voice. "No one in the orphanage, or anywhere else, told me to fight monsters, to kill monsters! I chose that myself! Because I… I didn't want anyone else to be orphaned because of monsters…"
Adeline embraced her daughter. "Even then, it wasn't your fault."
"You wouldn't have chosen that if the Order hadn't attacked in the first place," Stefan said, wiping away Alameria's tears with a handkerchief.
"But that doesn't… change what I did," Alameria sniffled. "Those monsters I killed aren't going to come back to life."
"Alameria…" Marion spoke up.
Three pairs of eyes turned towards Marion, making him feel even more out of place. He'd initially—if reluctantly—wanted to leave the family alone for their reunion, but Alameria herself had insisted he stay. Olivie would be staying as well, had she not been forced to leave for some urgent business.
"Alameria… I've killed monsters and incubi too, just not as much as you," Marion said. "So have most of the Holy Ice Flower, and others in Lescatie. But… even after that… their side has still approached us wanting to negotiate."
The words seemed strange even as they tumbled out from Marion's lips. But he'd say literally anything if it would cheer Alameria up.
"Well put, young man," Adeline said. "Alameria, you have colleagues who've individually killed far more of our kind than you, and they certainly have no relatives to speak on their behalf. But our… hmm, it's too disorganised to treat as one faction," she pursed her lips in thought. "Our loose gathering of like-minded individuals is still aiming for peace."
"It's true that many of us have suffered from Lescatie's actions," Stefan said. "Though it's not entirely one-sided… I heard of a half-elf who was attacked by monster bandits near Lescatie a while ago, and that's not the only case. Anyway, there might be hard feelings on both sides, but Adeline and I will add our voices to the ones pushing for peace."
"Th-Thank you, Father, Mother…" Alameria said.
Then Adeline looked away from her daughter and at Marion. The vampire's gaze made him flinch.
"Y-Yes!?" Marion said.
"Young man… no, Marion," Adeline said. "Normally, I would never trust Alameria to someone I've only known for half a day. But you've proven yourself to be a worthy match for her."
"M-M-Mother!" Alameria exclaimed. She shook her mother by the shoulders.
"Yes, that's a great idea," Stefan said, now grinning. "I'm no historian, but sealing peace treaties with marriages between the two sides has happened lots of times… and here, there's two people perfectly suited for each other!"
"I-I'm not worthy of such an honour!" Marion protested, even as his heart sorely wished otherwise.
"You can—no, I command you to forget such preconceptions right now," Adeline said imperiously. "One of the changes we hope to make to Lescatie is to remove such barriers to love."
"All that matters is that you want to spend the rest of your lives together," Stefan said. "And… well. Adeline and I haven't been in this castle long, but whenever we asked someone about you two, they all agreed on the same thing."
Marion and Alameria looked at each other, then instantly looked away. That did nothing to help the situation, quite the opposite.
"...Sorry if we've made you feel uncomfortable," Stefan said, though that maddening grin was still on his face. "But just think about it. None of the days before I met Adeline have been as happy as afterwards."
"Silence, you insolent fool," Adeline said, blushing just like her daughter.
"A-Anyway, that's… that's something to think about later!" Alameria said. "Right now, we need to focus on the important things!"
Alameria then marched out of the room while bringing, almost dragging her parents with her. Marion hurried after them.
The group of four soon arrived at a meeting room. On one side of a large table sat Wilmarina Noscrim and several other members of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower. On the other side sat wealthy merchants, veteran blacksmiths, guard captains and other influential people from the city of Salvarision. Both sides looked up at as Marion's group entered.
Even now, Marion still felt nervous at seeing his superiors again. While Olivie had planned to make it seem like Alameria had escaped on her own, it was always obvious that the rest of the Holy Ice Flower would realise the truth. Marion had simply been ready to accept any punishment.
However, it wasn't them who spoke up first.
"Oh…" said one silk-clad merchant, looking from Alameria to her mother. "I must admit, I had some doubt before, but seeing you two side by side… it's undeniable."
"From the moment we entered this castle, we have told you nothing but truth," Adeline said coolly.
"You have to be fair on them, monsters who look exactly like humans aren't all that common," Stefan said. "Anyway, was there anything else you needed from us?"
"Not really, we've just been discussing the proposal you left with us, just before you went on that rescue mission," said the merchant. He held up a bundle of documents. "It should make things considerably easier."
"Currently, all of Salvarision is aware of the situation," said Wilmarina from the other side of the table. "But there's still some… reluctance towards the idea of a peace treaty."
"It's true that lots of people are giving up on the scum in charge of Lescatie," said a guard captain. "But… all of us got brought up thinking of monsters as… well, evil. I've had more than one of my troops asking me 'What did I even train for?'"
"The point is, those beliefs'll take time to change," said a blacksmith, one who still had considerable muscle despite his age. "But it should help a lot if people know this treaty will let 'em become richer, live more comfortable lives."
"Hmph… your gratitude should go not to us, but to the ones who drafted that proposal in the first place," Adeline said. "But that is good news, nonetheless."
There was a discussion about trade deals and property rights and potential changes to the law. All of it went over the head of a simple knight like Marion.
With nothing else to do, Marion looked at Alameria. He noticed her warm brown eyes, her slightly glistening lips, the soft strands of her hair, and quickly looked away.
Why!? She's wearing more now than she usually wears, so why do I feel so awkward around her now!?
Eventually, the discussion came to an end. Most people filed out of the room to continue it elsewhere—Adeline and Stefan included, much to their reluctance, but they couldn't shirk their duties as representatives of…
Huh… it's not exactly right to call them representatives of monsters, Marion thought. They've got incubi and even some regular humans, dwarves and elves, from what I heard. It's just that before, we always thought the monsters were in charge and everyone else was brainwashed slaves. And there was no way they wouldn't corrupt—transform—anyone they got their hands on.
Then Marion had to put that thought on hold. He and the other Holy Ice Flower members were all who remained in the room.
Wilmarina stood up and walked over. "It's good to see you're alright, Alameria. And that you and Olivie succeeded, Marion."
"Y-Yes, I'm okay," Alameria said. "I just can't believe so many people are accepting… me."
"I-It was Lady Olivie who did all the real work," Marion said. A lock of blonde hair happened to fall across his eyes, so he nervously brushed it away. "She could have succeeded on your own."
"That's not true, Marion!" Alameria said fervently.
Marion and Alameria locked gazes again, then blushed and looked away again. They couldn't endure being the target of so much warm amusement from the others. Even Lucas Mayer, of all people, was now stifling a laugh!
"And I never thought so many people would accept… everything I confessed while you were away," Wilmarina said, blushing a little at the memory. "Yet, with a few exceptions, they did."
"Salvarision is a relatively tight-knit group," Lucas commented, putting on a neutral expression again. "Every person here has seen our order in person, often multiple times. And every person has either spoken with us or knows someone who has."
"Still, the capital has over ten times as much people as here," Luciana said, sounding worried. "It won't be easy to change people's minds there…"
"For that, we'll have to trust the ones working in the capital," Wilmarina said. "Vermut, for one, is working to persuade her family… But we also need to think about the regional areas. We've received word that the town of Elgadine is still sternly refusing any visits from monsters."
"Elgadine… that's ruled by Paula's family!" Alameria said.
"Yes, we were wondering if we should send a message to Paula, to let her know you're safe," Wilmarina said. "It would help if she could go to Elgadine as a representative."
"But, of course, she's still on house arrest," Lucas said. "It would be especially suspicious if she left the capital now. Everyone would think she'd helped break you out."
"Still, I wish there was a way to let her know I was safe…" Alameria said.
"What if we just… stopped following the rules?" Marion suggested. When he became the focus of attention, he quickly added, "I know it sounds stupid, but if we're already planning to… overturn Lescatie, then do we really have to stick to the rules now?"
Marion sweated visibly as he waited for a response. The others must have thought of this already.
"Actually… that could work," Wilmarina said, cupping her chin in thought. "When you and Olivie went to rescue Alameria, you aimed for secrecy because you believed most of Lescatie would disapprove. And for we in Salvarision, we've been preparing cautiously to not draw the Senate's attention. But… now, we're at a stage where we no longer have to hide. Eva, your thoughts?"
The blue-haired strategist had been quiet until now, but he said, "If we tell Paula and help her escape the capital, there will certainly be a reaction from the ruling elites," Eva said. "However, we can make use of their reaction."
Eva explained his idea using words simple enough for even Marion could understand. When he was done, all looked at him with awe.
I'm really glad he's on our side… he'd be terrifying as an enemy.
AN: Hopefully my brief portrayal of a certain character doesn't contradict canon. I haven't finished playing Another Story of Fallen Maidens yet.