Hello everybody! Yeah, it's me again. It's finally time for another chapter of this story. Still though, thanks, for taking the time to read my story. I'm really glad I'm managing to entertain people with my imagination.

Also, special thanks to Janny092 for your support and your encouraging words. It's helped me push through a lot of things, mostly writers block XD.

But I won't delay this any further. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter :)

[•— — — — ,••— — —] LEON'S POV [•— — — — ,••— — —]

It has been... quite a semester for everyone, more so for me. There was the debut of Marie Fou Lafan, me discovery of a new hobby along with a new dream, befriending both the protagonist and antagonist of the game, the massacre with the Blood Spawn, the ball I had put so much effort into, the Armor duel with Marie and several other events in between that would be too many to explain.

I'm already getting a headache just recalling them. Especially the duel.

The main purpose for that was simple. Gather as much information about Marie Fou Lafan.

The duel itself served to observe her pilot abilities and other noticeable information, yet this wouldn't be enough. So I decided to do go straight for the source where I can collect all the data I need, Marie's mind.

Yes, I had tried to enter her mind before during the funeral but had come to the conclusion that I had only reached her surface thoughts. To get the info I require, I needed to dig deeper.

Which was easier said than done. Months ago I was able to read the surface of her mind and her mood at the most, yet as time passed, Marie's resistance to any attempt in entering her mind had grown to the point where not even the best Sigma Phantom can infiltrate it.

This may have something to do with the large amounts of unknown energy she had been building up from siphoning the magic out of their fellow students.

Yet LUXION was able to come up with a plan. I was overjoyed that he found a solution but my emotions became complicated when he said I needed to tire Marie, keep her mind distracted, and be as close as possible to her.

"Direct Contact is most effective, more so when intima-."

Those were his words. Words that I had instantly cut off since there is no way I'm doing that. Don't get me wrong. My body is still that of a hormonal teenage boy but I also have responsibilities I needed to put ahead of my own desires. That and Marie were giving off the vibes of a dominatrix. Given my last failed relationship with one in my past life, I wouldn't want to risk getting caught on her radar. Don't even get me started on the jealous angry mob that would inevitably follow.

So we went with the next best thing, an epic last clash. Though it needed her to be more exhausted and distracted, I had managed to accomplish those two requirements thanks to a few words, the vow, and the prize the target had wanted.

At the moment when our weapons clashed, I took the opportunity and dived into her mind.

Then...

.

.

.

Nothing.

Literally nothing.

I had no memory prior to entering.

It didn't feel like I had forgotten, it felt more like I never went into her head in the first place...that or the memory was completely erased.

Then I suddenly found myself waking up in my bed, surrounded by my sister, the first two male friends I made in this school, Olivia, Angelica and my Master, all of which were concerned for me since apparently, I had been asleep for a whole day.

Though I was able to quickly come up with an excuse, telling them that I was extremely exhausted from setting up the area. They thankfully believed it and once they left to give me more time to rest, LUXION filled me in on what I missed.

In his report, an explosion caused by the clash had blown away our armor, and knocked us out in the process and the battle was declared a tie.

The two of us had been brought into the infirmary and LUXION retrieved my body before anyone tried to get my mask off, fortunately, and set me back in my room, giving me the alibi I needed.

He also went on ahead and pulled out Zeratul's Honor from the hanger with its built-in warp drive, along with the Rubyrie for further study and to deny anyone else from accessing it.

This answered many of my concerns but one big question still remained. What exactly happened while I was inside Marie's head?

The only one who'd known that would definitely be her...or so I thought.

"Commander, I must inform you that I have recently scanned Miss Lafan and discovered something. The strange energy protecting her mind...has vanished. So far, we haven't sensed any residue ever since the duel."

"What? But wouldn't that mean-"

"Indeed and I had taken the liberty to scan her mind with a Sigma Phantom to find out what exactly happened...only to find out that she also had no memories of it. In fact, she is missing several pieces of her memories, of which we can't identify."

"That...that can't be. If even she doesn't know, then how can we find out?"

"That is not our only concern commander."

"What do you mean?"

"The strange energy can no longer be found in Miss Lafan. However, you on the other hand..."

"...A-are you telling that-"

"That the energy had transferred from Lafan to you? Indeed."

Okay, so, obviously I panicked a little bit.

"Oh for the love of-get it out of me! GET IT OUT OF ME!"

...Maybe more than a little bit but who can blame me? That same energy has been responsible for the Blood Spawn, the Scarlet Savage, and it highly resembles the powers of the Zerg. I have no quarrel with the swarm, I admire them even, but I'd like to stay as myself please, just regular old human...with a bit of cybernetic implants.

"No need to panic Leon. The energy is currently in a dormant state and most of your biology is still intact."

"Oh, oh thank good- wait a sec, most?"

"Although the energy didn't make any major changes to your body, it has affected your pupils and amygdala."

"...eh?"

So basically, from my understanding, my eyes are now red and I'm more emotional than before. To be honest, it could have been worse but I'm glad it isn't. The first isn't that all bad, I can just wear grey contact lenses or use my psionic to make it look grey to others. As for the emotions, well, I already got that covered long before I even got my brain implants.

Still, I'd rest easy if I don't have whatever it is I got from Marie inside me. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.

"Apologies Leon but we don't have the necessary equipment or information for a proper extraction procedure. We will need time to analyses the energy and create the tools needed."

"How long is that going to take exactly?"

"By my calculations, a maximum of 6 months and 2 weeks."

"...oh great..."

So yeah. It's going to be a while until I feel safe in my own skin. Until then, I had got to be cautious. Just like how I had LUXION rescan Marie when she had woken up.

E~Present Time~E

"Now we can move on to more, important matters."

"Commander. Your emotions are slipping."

"Oh, thanks LUXION. I didn't notice.", A second of self-control and brain implants later. I regain my composure. My eyes returned back to being grey and my emotion reeled back once more.

After clearing my throat, I spoke once, "So anyway. The daily report if you will."

"For starters, we have gained 4 more kilometers of territory for our new base of operations, which makes it a total of 64 kilometers in a 6 by 8 radius. The new energy dom has been finished and activated recently, we now do not have to fear for any intrusions that will hinder construction. Our SCVs have also discovered a large cache of materials, giving us all that we will need to finish Project Bastion. If expansion and mining operations continue to run smoothly, we will also have what we will need to start building and completing Project Atlas."

"Good, what of development above?"

"All production facilities are now being moved to the new base, along with 50 percent of our forces to further ensure its security. Still, what remains at our immediate disposal is more than enough to even conquer a kingdom with only brute force."

I deadpan at the Phantom unit, "LUXION, are you subtly suggesting I take over this kingdom with violence?"

"...I do not deny that statement."

I sigh, shaking my head before looking up at my closet companion, "I know you're still mad at how a few nobles wanted to try to kidnap or kill me while I was in the infirmary but you got me out before they could."

"I know, but what if-"

"No buts LUXION.", I walk over to him and gave him a hug. I know that he couldn't feel it since the Phantom Unit doesn't have the touch sensors the Sigmas have but I still chose to.

"I'm here, I'm still here with you and I'm not going to disappear and leave you like my ancestor. We are partners and partners stick together until the end."

I didn't know if I'm being influenced by my enhanced emotions because my grip loosened but I didn't mind. Especially when LUXION returned the hug.

"Thank you, Leon, for your reassurance."

If a man can learn, then so too can his creations, and I felt glad LUXION is developing more emotions as time passes.

"You're welcome."

A minute passed before we let each other go and the cheery atmosphere faded slightly, yet remained as LUXION continued with the report.

~Time Skip- A few hours later~

It feels nice to be back in the practice room again. Here I can simply indulge in my hobby, cooking delicious food that matched my current designs, and treating my two friends, Angelica and Olivia, to said food.

"I missed this.", Olivia said, breathing out comfortably after taking a sip of her favorite tea, "I'm glad we can spend time together again."

"I can agree with that, I needed this.", Angelica added and simply enjoyed the calming atmosphere surrounding the room. Truly, she looked like she needed it with how stressed she was when she first entered the room.

"Well I am happy to be of service to you two.", I smile in contentment as I placed the last finishing touch to the room. With that done I walked over to the table, took a seat, and partook in enjoying some sweet dumplings I made, "It's a shame this will be the last time we do this for a while since the semester will officially end tomorrow."

That brought our spirits down a little but it was the truth. Though that didn't mean we wouldn't see each other again until the next semester.

"Out of curiosity, what will you two be doing with your free time?", I asked them and the two blondes looked up from their plates toward me. At first, they were silent, thinking upon the question for a few moments before Angelica spoke up.

"I'm being called back to my home. My father said he wanted to discuss something with me about my...engagement...," Angelica's voice trailed off after that, clearly not wanting to discuss further.

"Miss Angelica...", Olivia look at her with concern and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Angelica made no move to remove her hand, instead, she sighed turns her gaze to her concerned friend, "I'll be fine Olivia, but what about you? Will you return to your home as well?"

Olivia looked uncertain as she said her next words, "I don't have any plans. I suppose I will spend my time here until school returns."

The two then turn to me, waiting for my answer, to which I gave after taking a sip of tea, "Unfortunately, I too am bound for home and will be quite busy..."

Angelica and Olivia looked down with frowns on their faces.

"I have a festival to prepare after all."

The feeling of sadness and depression disappeared before it could take root in their hearts and the two girls looked up to meet my gaze with confused looks, which I returned with a wide smile.

"Six days from now, The Festival of Fallen Horns will be hosted once again in my territory and I would like to invite you two to join me."

"Festival of-"

"-Fallen Horns?"

Seeing the clueless looks on their faces, I went on ahead and explained it to them.

"It's a three-day festivity that celebrates the fall of Devil's Crown. At first, it was only local, created by those liberated from that dreaded place and stayed in my lands a few years ago. In the beginning, it was small but I've been funding it more and more with each year. Now it's grown to the point that it's become a grand celebration and is being advertised to the entire kingdom."

I let out a short chuckle upon seeing the surprised looks on Olivia and Angelica's faces, "It has vast amounts of entertainment, games, food, a play that reenacts the fall of Devil's Crown, and even a spectacular fireworks show at the end that you wouldn't want to miss. Plus I am determined to make this year's "Festival of Fallen Horns" to be the best one yet."

I let out a sigh, a smile on my face as I recalled the memories of the last time the festival was held. The smiles, the laughter, the tears, and the sheer joy the people basked in, were pleasant memories...and I'm hoping to make more of those, with my newfound friends.

"So, what do you two think?", I asked them and waited patiently for their answers, but behind my calm smile I still felt a little nervous as the two girls thought about it for a while.

Then after that, they turned to each other, nodded, and turned back to me with wide smiles. No words were needed after that, they had given me their answer and honestly, I couldn't be any happier.

~POV CHANGE~

[•— — — — ,••— — —]~NO ONE'S POV~[•— — — — ,••— — —]

Hours pass by like seconds and now it's time for the students to depart from the school. Most of them head home only to prepare for the upcoming "Festival of Fallen Horns".

Leon spoke the truth when he mentioned that this festival has been advertised to the entire kingdom and details of its festivities traveled from letter to letter and word of mouth.

It's gotten more popular than ever before, especially since anyone can join in on the festivities, whether they be nobles or commoners. Of course, there would be trouble with stuck prideful nobles being around commoners.

Fortunately, Leon has a solution for that and its name is Psionics. Just a little twist here and isolating there and Leon wouldn't have to worry about any problems popping up during the festivities.

Oh, the wonders of Terran ingenuity and Protoss technology will never cease to amaze Leon.

Speaking of him, the young Baron had bid farewell to all his friends, most of which continue to act as his followers, and mentors, who apologize for his negligence and swore to make it up to Leon.

It was a very amusing sight to see. It's not every day one can witness a teacher prostrate himself before his student, begging for forgiveness.

Anyways, after Olivia and Angelica had agreed to Leon's invitation, it was decided that Olivia would come with Leon to his home since he and Angelica didn't want to leave her on her own in the capital. As for Miss Redgrave, she would return home to settle family matters and after that, she would meet them again on the first day of the festival.

So after Leon and Olivia's big farewell to their mutual friend, Angelica, the two, along with the boy's older brother, sister, and Maiuler, boarded The Coalesce and set course to the flourishing territory of the Bartforts.

Though it wasn't always like that. Before Leon had obtained the position of Baron, his family's land of influence was only composed of one island which is 1/50 the size of the capital. In short, a small class island that borders the medium class.

All there was is a large field for farming, the main mansion, and a small gathering of wooden houses for him and his real family since Zola and her legitimate children hogged the mansion all to themselves.

They were dark times, but still, nothing compared to all the hell Leon had to go through, and they were all worth it.

Since coming home Leon had LUXION'S main body tow a fairly large medium-sized floating island and merged it with the old one, growing their territory massively. He didn't just stop there though because over the years he had been merging more and more floating islands with the main body. Now it has grown to be 1/4 the size of the capital island.

A perfect cover to hide his operations and provide all the space the refugees could ever need, more so for those that chose to stay and officially become citizens of his territory.

With his vast knowledge of civilization-building games, along with LUXION's advanced intellect and utilities, Leon created a large prospering town that continues to grow and improve to this day. Its architecture was inspired by his old home's designs with a touch of advanced technology.

Half of the inhabitants wanted to name the town after Leon, and the other half wanted to name it Silver hook on behalf of their savior. It took days of debate, fights, and oddly a wedding for them all to finally come up to make up and decided on a name.

NEWERA

Ground zero of a new upcoming era of advancement and prosperity.

Yes, it is cringe, but Leon didn't have the heart back then to deny them. Besides, no matter its name, Leon wanted to give them the life they weren't able to live, after all, if it weren't for the brave prisoners that helped him escape Devil's Crown during his journey, he wouldn't be here today.

He owed them that, and Leon is a man who always repays his debts.

Here, every family has a house with clean running water, a stable structure, electricity, and, most importantly, indoor plumbing. All the properties of a modern house improved thanks to Leon's ideas and LUXION's designs.

Here, no one has to fear crime ever again because here, no one is desperate. There are plenty of jobs within this growing community. There are farmers, carpenters, shopkeepers, blacksmiths, and every other occupation normally found in a town. There is also plenty of food for all to thrive and prosper. As for the greedy? Well, LUXION has that part covered with his latest invention, which involves well-placed psionic emitters that releases a specific wavelength that erases the temptation of greed the moment it appears.

Is it an unfair cheat? Yes. Is it morally wrong? Yes. Does LUXION care? HELL NO! LUXION will commit any action to maintain the peace of this community, for that was Leon's request.

Anyways, back on The Coalesce, the vessel had finally arrived at the Bartfort's tiny floating continent.

Olivia stared out of the window at the vastness of Leon's land with innocent wonder in her eyes, "This is your island Leon? It's so big."

Leon, who stood next to her, stood straight as he suppressed the urge to make an indecent reply, which is hard since it was one of his most reoccurring old habits.

Fortunately, Jenna came over to change the topic, by coming up from behind the blonde girl and hugging her, "You'll get used to sight since from now on, I'm going to invite you personally back here every holiday!"

"Eh! Miss Jenna!", A startled Olivia started, "P-please don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry~ But you're just so adorable! You're like a fluffy bunny that I can't let go of!"

Leon chuckled at his sister getting along so well with Olivia. It's nice to see her finally finding a truly good friend, not like those spoiled and rotten crowd she used to mingle with.

Leaving the two to their antics, and mouthing an apology to Olivia, Leon let his gaze fall as the town of Newera came into view.

From above he could see clearly that the town had built a dozen more buildings the last time he was here. Most probably hotels or inns for the coming visitors. He could also see all the newly set up decorations and he nodded in approval at the sight.

Colorful streamers spread from wall to wall above the smooth stone streets, a hundred banners with the symbol of a silver hook and the Bartfort's insignia hung from every house, kites in the shape of sleek silver ships and Armors from Hook's armada flew high for all to see, and far off, in the center of the town, is the newly polished marble statue of the famous and mysterious Hook.

The town is bustling with activity. Its citizens walked about the streets, setting up more decorations, and setting up the stalls and the children ran in-between busy adults to feast their eyes on all the new sights. Even from afar, Leon could see the smiles on each of their faces and the joyful atmosphere coming from the town itself.

'Now this is what a celebration should look like.', Leon thought to himself as he compared this festival with other festivities from his old world. Though the ones on Earth are huge, most of them were monopolized for profit. It lacked a certain essence that the town below him have.

He couldn't describe it with words, but the sight of the townsfolk working together to make ready for the festival, the sense of family between brothers and sisters bound by blood and bonds. The sensation he felt far surpasses anything he felt in any celebration in the past. Save for the times he spent with his family on Christmas.

Hmm. Perhaps that was it. Maybe the reason why it felt so...special is that everyone here is family. They all had suffered from the cruelty of slavers and pirates, they all went through hell together and it is together that they were freed upon the fall of their prison and captors.

'Maybe...', Whatever the truth, Leon simply enjoyed the time of peace and joy.

"Leon! Help me please!"

"So adorable!~"

Right after he stops his sister from hugging the air out of Olivia.

E~Six Days Later~E

It's almost time. Merely one more night away before the festival officially commences. Everyone is set. From the food stalls to the play, all is ready after days of hard work and cooperation.

Now went to their homes to sleep the night away. A bit of a problem for the energetic kids who couldn't wait for the festival. Yet in time, all those in Newera fell asleep and dreamed...save for one.

"The stars look so pretty this evening.", Spoke the one who stares out of the window, her eyes glued to the beautiful night sky.

Her eyes like azure gems gleamed under the pale light of the moon, entranced by, not the scenery, but the mansion on top of a hill. The place that the Bartforts call home.

"Yet even with this sight, why does your name still linger in my mind?", Frowning, the maiden who couldn't sleep continued to stare at the mansion. A feeling within her, somewhere deep inside that she can't recognize, that calls to be reunited.

"Perhaps I'll find the answer tomorrow."

As the maiden wondered, another soul could not sleep through this peaceful night. Far off on a ship heading towards the territory of a young Baron from the house of Bartfort.

The reason for this one's inability to slumber contrasts greatly with the maiden. For this young lady from the house of Redgrave...burned with fury, anger...and despair.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

CRASH!

SHATTER!

SMASH!

Break, she didn't know whatever it is in her vicinity, she just wanted to break it. Her rage demanded it, a rage that she kept bottled up to hold her image...yet what use is the image when the one thing she has spent years preparing and caring for, had been stolen from her.

"AAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Angelica Rapha Redgrave let loose everything that she had held back for weeks as the memories of her father's words came to mind.

"My dear daughter, I am truly sorry."

CRASH!

"It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you-"

SHATTER!

"Your engagement with Prince Julius has been...broken..."

SMASH!

"Declared by the prince and...supported by the king himself...I am so sorry..."

"AAAAAAAAAAaaaahhhh!"

Screams, tears, and a fit of fiery anger that burned itself to ash, all of that passed through her, and the young lady with nothing no more to give collapsed on the floor and curled up in a fetal position as misery became her only company.

"Why...you promised me...so why?"

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"WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO NEWERA!"

These are the words that hung above the entrance to the town. Words that all newcomers could see as they ventured within.

Leaning against the rails of a balcony, Leon had a clear view of the influx of visitors pouring into Newera. From there, he was glad he had decided to make the main road as large as possible, giving the large crowd of tourists the space they desired.

So far, everything is going well. No problems whatsoever have popped up...yet.

"Good morning Leon..."

Leon's ears perked up at the sound of Olivia's voice. He turned to greet her, only to pause with a raised brow at the tired look on her face.

"Good morning Olivia. I presume you weren't able to sleep well? That or it's Jenna again with her overbearing fondness for you.", He spoke with a hint of playfulness and concern.

"Uh-no no. It's not Miss Jenna. She's spending time with Mister Miauler.", She waved her hands in front of her to defuse any wrong ideas before continuing, "I just didn't sleep too well. I kept having weird dreams last night."

"Weird dreams? Hmm...", Leon wondered, his curiosity a little peaked. He walked up to Olivia and then led her back inside, "I'm not much of an expert when it comes to dreams but I can get you some coffee. You look like you need it. Besides, we'll be picking up Angelica at the docks. Her ship has been sighted a mile away and is almost here. For that, you'll need to get your energy up, and nothing quite does it better than a warm hot cup of coffee."

Olivia looked like she was about to complain since she doesn't like the bitter taste of coffee, but Leon then added a line that changed her mind.

"Don't worry. I'll mix in some sugar and honey to cancel out the bitterness.", With that cleared up, Olivia looked to be more eager now and the two headed back down the stairs toward the kitchen.

Meanwhile, back in the town of Newera, its new visitors were welcomed with warm smiles and open arms inside. The nobles commented about the scenery and gave nothing but praise. There was nothing they could complain about. The decorations were shining in the rays of the rising sun, giving the whole area a gentle glow that gave them the feeling of peace and rising excitement. The air was filled with soothing and joyous melodies, from the musicians scattered throughout the town or from the people who sang songs from old traditions to new compositions, and smell, ooohhh~, how their mouths watered at the scent of meat being cooked, veggies being boiled, and a whole buffet of hundreds of other dishes being prepared.

Such a merry atmosphere. With all joy spreading amongst the towns folk, one would forget that all the towns folk in Newera used to be a slave, but that's not the part of the past they are celebrating, no. Today is commemorated to hope. In the Festival of Fallen Horns, each of its three days represented the three phases each slave went through upon, and after the 'Siege of Devil's Crown.' The first is hope, then came salvation, and finally, freedom. All of which the town's folk will celebrate in merriment and they will share this festivity with all their guests.

"Welcome to the Festival of Fallen Horns!", A person declared, addressing a large group of visitors that stood before them, "My name is Ajdu and I shall serve as your guide to in Newera."

With how big Newera is and how most of its guests are new to this place, Leon decided to implement guides. Every visitor will be grouped up into 50 individuals and for every group, a guide is assigned. They will be the ones to show them around the town, point out places of interest, inform them of all the activities ahead, and answer any questions they may have. For this task, Leon employed from the townsfolk about a dozen people fit for the job, but even then, they were too few. So he decided to fill in the numbers with androids so realistically looked human.

Among them is Adjutant A-1, the first among the Adjutant series that LUXION gave true sentience to. She was also the first to say, "I want legs.", and legs she received.

A few of the crowd wouldn't openly admit that they looked up in awe at their guide, the children on the other hand weren't afraid to voice it out.

"Wow! So cool~", A young boy said, which received a gentle pat on the head that caused him to laugh a bit.

"Thank you, little one.", Adju, in the body of a very tall female android body, that stood at a height of 6'5", giggled at the adorable human's praise before once more directing her attention to the crowd, "Now then, shall we begin our tour?"

After that the group are now heading down the streets of Newera, with Adju at the front and with a few among the group not being able to take their eyes off her long slender legs, 'Well, I did want to be a commander to look down on the prideful and be viewed with awe, but this works too.', Adju thought to herself with a smile, silently enjoying all the attention she was receiving, 'I have no regrets~'

The 20th batch of visitors was led towards the first attraction of the festival, completely passing by the owner of the island and the future true saintess of the kingdom.

"This is amazing.", Olivia said, her wonder-filled eyes staring at, well, everything, "It's so different from yesterday. It's like the whole town has come alive."

Leon held in a laugh but still smiled at the way his friend looked like a kid walking into a candy store. So innocent and shining in awe. His sister was right, Olivia really is adorable, and he was sure Angelica would agree too. Once they reach the docks to welcome her.

"Just wait until later. There's still so much ahead of us.", Leon replied, walking alongside her as they turned a corner to a large stairway that led down to the docks. From where they stood, the two could see all the anchored ships, along with the dozens of those still flying towards the town, and amongst those closest to the docks is the familiar floating vessel that bore the crest of the proud Redgrave Family.

The two spotted the ship and as a gale of warm wind blew against their smiling faces, Leon and Olivia began their descent, side by side, to greet their friend, and the three would be together again.

~A Few Minutes Later~

Well...they are all together again.

Sob

Sob

But not in the way, Leon expected. He thought it would be a happy reunion with tears of joy being shed. When they met, there were tears...but it came down pouring like rain.

"He promised me...he promised...", Angelica mumbled with her head pressed against Olivia's chest. Her head being petted and the rest of her being embraced, the daughter of the duke cried the last of her tears as Olivia tried to ease her friend's woes with a warm embrace and words of comfort. While Leon was patting the young girl on the back with one hand and waving his other in the air, using his psionics to fix the trashed room the best he could.

"It's okay. It's all going to be okay.", Whispered Olivia.

"Let it all out Angelica. Let it all out.", Leon added his own words of comfort.

The two didn't expect to find Angelica in the state she is when the attendant of the ship said that she was in a bad mood. A few minutes ago when the ship finally docked and the two made their way over, they waited by the entrance for Angelica, but after seven whole minutes of waiting, Olivia was starting to worry, in contrast to Leon who thought Angelica was taking her time with her outfit.

After urging him a few times, Leon surrendered to Olivia's whims and went over to ask one of the servants by the entrance to the ship. The servant was quick to answer after recognizing Leon and explaining the situation. It was from her that the pair found out about the young lady Redgrave's engagement with the prince was canceled, that she had to find it out from her father himself through a letter delivered from the palace.

That bit struck a sore nerve in Leon, since this is like being dumped on the phone back in his old world, and he's experienced that twice. He didn't like to recall those memories but the info the servant gave brought it up. He instantly knew from there what Angelica was going through. He demanded where Angelica's room is, which the servant willingly told him, and then immediately dragged Olivia with him as he ran to their friend's room.

When they opened the door, Angelica was sitting on the floor with her face buried in her knees, looking worse for wear, and her entire room looked like its owner, a mess. The curtains were barely hanging, the sheets are torn, the pillows were split in two with their contents spread all around them, there were broken shards of vases everywhere, the mirror was cracked and a corner of the room is burnt and filled with ash.

Olivia panicked and ran over to check on Angelica to see if she was hurt, only to have her latch onto Olivia like a lifeline and vented out her sadness, rage, and stress through her tears. Then after an hour of letting Angelica cry her heart out, they are now in the present.

The room is fixed, everything is now as they were before Angelica's tantrum, and Angelica herself looked a little better than she was before. Her eyes had gained more life to them while her clothes are clean of stains, all thanks to a little mix of magic and psionics from Leon. Though the last of her tears have dried up, she still refused to move from her current position, but Olivia didn't mind. She'd give her all the time Angelica needed to recover. Leon watched the two continue to embrace each other with a worried frown. He was half tempted to use his psionics to help Angelica recover faster...but he didn't. Instead, he'll let her take her time. It wouldn't feel right anyways, even if the intention is good.

"We're here for you, Angelica, and here we'll stay.", Leon spoke on behalf on Olivia and himself, kneeling right beside the blonde noble, his hand still upon her shoulder.

Angelica remained silent in the comforting presence of her friends, up until she open her mouth to finally speak,"...Angie."

Leon blinked, feeling confused, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Angie...call me Angie...from now on...please."

The young baron lagged behind a bit but Olivia was quick to understand, and she did so while pulling her friend deeper into the hug, "We will, Angie."

Angelica, or Angie as per her request, visibly relaxed more. Her ragged breathing is slowing down, her muscles are less tense now, and her brainwaves, through Leon's psionic detection, is a lot calmer now than before. In fact, as Leon continued to observe the two girls, an air of peace began to surround them. No frowns, no discomfort, only peaceful looks upon their faces, as if they were sleeping soundly in each others arms. A sight that made Leon's lip form a genuine smile.

'Having a true friend really is amazing.', Leon thought to himself as to not disturb the two girl, 'Hey LUXION, can you take care of things outside for a while? I'm going to spend some time with my friends, is that okay?'

'As you wish Leon. I will ensure that everything goes well.'Leon felt grateful to have someone as considerate as LUXION on his side, 'Thank you, my friend.', After sending that last message, he focused his attention on giving his heartbroken friend the company she need.

"Your welcome..."

LUXION watched the three through the optics of one of the Sigma Phantom drones in the room that served as protection for the AI's most cherished companion. If it could smile, it would after seeing how much Leon enjoyed being in the presence of his friends/potential lifetime partners. Of course he'd have to first make sure they are worthy of having Leon as their groom so he won't have to face another heartbreak again, but that's a long time in the future to when Leon finally decide that he's ready to court them.

Until then, he has a job to do. Diverting more of his consciousness to the world outside, LUXION observes the town of Newera and the surrounding airspace like a guardian angel would to it's charge, invisible to the eye but ready to act at any sight of danger. For that is Leon's request.

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What? Did you expect for me to add something else at the bottom here to leave you all on a mysterious or epic or tense cliff hanger? Nah! Not this time. This time we are ending on a softer note to match with what this and the next few chapters are about, a time to relax, the peace after the storm.

Anyways, I hope a few of your questions have been answered in this chapter. Also, I'm not the type of Author that answers directly, instead I let my readers figure it themselves, to provide a sense of compliment which they'll receive once the truth is released. Oh, which reminds me. I hid a little something in this chapter, one word that's going to be hinting to the confirmation of someone's existence. I do hope you figure it some. It's quite a hint that'll lead to a lot of theories, but enough about that. It's time to say, until we meet again!, my dear readers.

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So, yeah, till we meet again :P