1st Autumn Moon, 908 – Telo Martius Colosseum Dungeon

The Autumn Moon.

By the end of the month, the Foresters will be committing themselves to the art of war. No more hiding in the shadows and robbing the rich of their wealth. They were set on using their talents to end the cycle of corruption across Virdis, starting with the loathsome power that was the New Chariot Empire. Once the invasion started, there would be no turning back.

So, all the more reason to rattle Melissa's nerves.

Even after her conversation with Jason prior, the Buneary couldn't get a hold of the trembling in her body. She tried her best to push aside the grim thoughts of regicide ever since the plan was first proposed and strongly encouraged by Tadhg should such action be required. The plan always hinged on Nero's personality being exaggerated in the rumor mills, but now it seemed his status among the empire was greatly underexaggerated.

He was a tyrant hellbent on bringing ruination across Virdis to ensure the longevity of his people. Reasoning with him required a miracle, and Melissa failed to come up with another of her rousing speeches that could sway a black heart like his.

Safe to say she wasn't in the highest of spirits.

Collapsed against the wall, stewing in a puddle of her own despair and anxiety, she stared vacantly at the ceiling in some miniscule hope a ray of light would pierce through and shine divine intervention upon her. Though, given her career choices in the last year, it wouldn't surprise her if Arceus had abandoned her. Perhaps a darker force like Giratina had taken a shine to her. Hopefully not Mew. A trickster god was the last thing she needed to deal with.

Fintan, Decebal, and Galus looked at the glassy-eyed thief in concern as they stood before her. "Uh, you good, lass?" Fintan mumbled.

"Eh?" she mumbled.

"Well, at least we know she's alive," Decebal whispered.

Galus waddled closer and gently nudged her. "Friend Harlow?"

"Heh…" she mumbled. "G-Guess it won't be so bad. I just n-need to order for someone's death. Heh, nothing to it. Just…so simple. Simplest solution to all our problems, heh."

Fintan winced. "Ooh, she is not looking good."

Decebal gently slapped Melissa's cheek. "Come on, Boss! You're supposed to look strong in front of our subordinates! Stand up and show them the spirit of rebellion! Huzzah!"

His delightful attitude couldn't stir Melissa out of her slump as she continued to laugh madly. "Oh my, there's blood on the walls. What a nice color, hehe."

Galus frowned. "Crazy pants."

"That's one way of putting it," Fintan mumbled.

Melissa blinked twice and regained some focus in her eyes. She shook her head and straightened up against the wall. "Uh, s-sorry. I've…just had a lot on my mind lately."

Decebal knelt and said, "Well, good news, Fintan's got another chunk of the prisoners on our side. We should have everyone rallied together in a couple weeks. You, uh, will be ready to herald the prison break, right?"

"…" She hugged herself and leaned back against the wall. "Uh, sure. Listen guys, I appreciate you checking in on me, but…I kind of want to be alone right now. I need to sort some things out for myself."

The trio looked at her unsurely, but ultimately decided to give her space. "Well, we'll be over there getting the new recruits up to speed," Decebal assured.

"If you require anything, we are a shout away," Fintan said.

She smiled weakly. "Thanks…"

Galus grasped her hand between his and shook it. "Bye-Bye!"

She giggled softly as the childish Dragapult waddled off after the older duo. "Heh, at least there's some comfort to this place." She frowned, burying her face inside her prison top. "Uuuugh, but why does being a leader have to be so complicated? Why do these decisions fall on my shoulders?"

"It's a burden we all must carry at some point in our lives."

Melissa popped her head out and snapped her infuriated glare in the direction of the middle-aged Sceptile that somehow snuck up on her. She groaned and covered her face. "Terrowin…"

He smiled gently. "Hello, Ms. Harlow. How are you—"

"No. No, no, no." She lay her hands down and forcefully faced away from him. "I am not in a good mood right now, so kindly leave me alone."

He frowned. "You seemed distressed."

"That's none of your business."

"Hmm…" He knelt onto one knee and said, "Well, I came by to make sure you were eating well. You haven't had the prison's luxurious offering of freshly disposed bread and exquisite well water."

She snorted briefly, but quickly shut herself up. "Agh! Stop acting nice to me!"

"It's not acting. I am concerned about your health. I wanted to make you were getting your daily nutrition."

She rolled her eyes. "Stale bread wasn't exactly nutritious to begin with."

"How about sitrus berries?"

She laughed dryly. "Hah, I wish. If you're trying to torture me with images of food, you are earning yourself one heck of a butt-kicking—" Right as she turned back to glare at him, her eyes widened and jaw dropped at the pile of sitrus berries resting Terrowin's wooden hand, which had been reshaped into a bowl. "I…wha?"

Terrowin picked one up and took a hearty bite out of it. "Mmm, it's that first blast of flavor that makes you forget you were eating out of the city's garbage."

"W…Where did you get those?" she mumbled while subtly wiping the drool off her chin.

Terrowin laughed. "I'm afraid we're not close enough to disclose the location of my secret stash."

"S-Stash?"

He then tapped his chin, holding a wry smile. "Though, I suppose the best first start to develop any relationship would be chipper conversation to pass the time. I would certainly spare a bowl of fruit for such an occasion."

"…" She shot a deadpan glare at him. "You are evil…"

"Fancy a dinner with the enemy?"

"…You are so lucky I'm getting sick of bread."

Telo Martius Training Hall – Sundown

"It's always a pleasure to have you visit us, Grand Advisor Gemini."

Gemini laughed and raised his hand in silence to the Diggersby centurion. "You flatter me too much. I just want to make sure the recruits are being taken care of. Orders from the emperor."

The Diggersby grinned. "Emperor Nero will be happy to know we're making great progress with the recruits. They'll be ready for the field before you know it. Another fine batch of powerful soldiers to keep our forces active."

Gemini rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Mhmm. And I take it there hasn't been any trouble stirring around here? One of your soldiers mentioned a certain rat skipping out on patrol."

The Diggersby waved it off. "Bah! The lad was seeing things. I saw no sign of Stormbreaker around here. If he was, we would've reported it. No, my soldier must've saw one of the recruits and mistaken him for a different Pikachu. There's actually two of them currently in training."

Gemini nodded. "Yes, that would make the most sense. Speaking of, training is done for the day, correct? Are the recruits still in? I wish to have a word with them about their time here."

"You'll have to wait a while. I allowed them to head out into the city for drinks. You may not even get a straight answer out of them when they return, haha!"

Gemini rolled his eyes. "Amusing, though I do have to babysit the emperor when he was too many drinks."

"If you wish for a survey of the training hall, the servant girls could provide. They should still be clearing out the dining room."

The centurion led Gemini to the dining room, where the servant girls were hard at work cleaning the tables and removing the dirty dishes from today's dinner. The Medicham took a sweeping glance around the room, taking note of the girls' conduct approvingly.

"They've been instructed well," Gemini muttered. "Hopefully the recruits haven't been causing too much trouble for them."

Diggersby shook his head. "I made it clear: the girls are working, so no fooling around for you lot!" He sighed. "Though, it can't be helped. Once they see a pretty face, they lose all sense of responsibility. One of the recruits attempted to peek under one of their skirts. Gave him a good smacking for that and told him this wasn't a brothel!"

Gemini sighed. "Carnal impulses. I'll never understand them."

"But they've been behaved for the most part. Though, there has been quite a stir with one of our new girls."

Gemini raised his brow. "Oh?"

"Hmm…ah, that one!" He singled out the eyepatch-wearing Meowstic who was wiping down a table. "Oh, that one has been popular around here. All the recruits love her. They keep going on and on about how wonderful Ms. Vibiana is! Oh, it gets annoying after a while, let me tell you."

Gemini scratched his chin. "I see. Perhaps she'll provide supplementary perspective on the recruits' progress." After bowing to the centurion, the Medicham approached the busy Meowstic.

Vibiana's ears twitched at the advisor's presence. She stopped cleaning, smiled up at him, and curtsied. "Hello, sir. How may I be of assistance?"

Gemini folded his arms behind his waist and bowed. "Are you perhaps the Ms. Vibiana I've been informed of?"

She giggled. "Oh? Me? To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

He pulled up a chair and sat down. "A bubble of curiosity, one may call it. I've heard little, but enough. You appear to have charmed our recruits during your time in our service."

"Oh, I'm just being sweet to them. They work so hard, so they deserve a sprinkling of kindness. Oh, may I—" Upon gesturing to a chair, Gemini nodded, allowing her to sit down. "Thank you. As I was saying, the darlings work so hard that I feel they deserve all the kindness one could muster. They earned if for surviving their training, after all."

Gemini nodded. "I hope you aren't favoring them too much. We wouldn't want our soldiers going soft."

She giggled. "Well, I'll make sure not to fatten them up too much with sweets." She smiled. "In all seriousness, I was told to make the recruits comfortable, so I've been doing my best to do just that. After all, with how brutal their training can get, who wouldn't want to come back inside to a hot meal and a lovely smile? It's the kind of thing one hopes for in a wife." She looked aside mischievously. "Don't tell the centurion in charge, but some of the boys have asked me to marry them. I don't want them getting in trouble for such scandalous behavior."

"…You are aware you're speaking to the emperor's advisor, yes?"

She grinned. "Oh? Was I now~?"

"…" Gemini chuckled softly. "For such a sweet face, you have some bite behind those fangs. It seems the recruits are in good hands."

"I like to think so."

"Hmm. Well, since you seem to have a run of the place, mind letting me in on any…rumors that might've been spreading."

She raised her brow. "Oh?"

Gemini leaned forward, narrowing his gaze onto her. "For instance, you wouldn't happen to know anything regarding our…newest allies? The Foresters?"

Melissa munched slowly on the sitrus berry as she glared at the Sceptile across from her, who happily indulged on his own. She didn't like the idea of eating something gifted from an enemy, but she admitted her poor nutrition had warped her mind slightly. She resisted the urge to shudder and squeal at the flavor that she was missing out on so dearly.

Terrowin finished his berry and picked up another from the bowl. "They never did check inside my arm for hidden pockets of seed, nor did they think I could grow berries so readily. I did attempt to play fair, though one can only stomach stale bread and water for so long."

"…" Melissa's scowl deepened.

"Heh. Seems we are still at a crossroads with conversation." He bowed his head. "My apologies for the earlier deception, though I was hoping to finally make some connection with you. A cruel trick, I admit."

She huffed. "If you're trying to sway me into your heir system, forget it."

"Oh heavens, no. I just want to talk. To get to know the thief who had been causing havoc across Virdis." He reached inside his wooden arm and pulled out a rolled-up poster. "After all, not many get the meet the infamous Harlow the Maniac Thief." He unfurled the poster, revealing the scary portrait of a shark-toothed Buneary.

Melissa spat her berry out onto the floor and snarled. "Get that disgraceful interpretation of my cuteness out of my face!"

He laughed and folded the poster back inside his arm. "The guards didn't do too good a job with the body search. Guess they've been getting lazy acting as dungeon guards."

Melissa calmed down and rolled her eyes. "Tch. Well, they haven't raised a fuss after getting knocked out by Jason previously, so they're not perceptive either."

Terrowin grinned. "Yes, I did see Stormbreaker when I first arrived. Are you two planning something?"

She glared. "Shut it…"

"Fine, fine. Can't blame an old man for prying." He picked up another berry and munched on it. "Mmm. Still, you lot have been busy. You clearly came here with a purpose. Seems we share that much."

"Why are you in the New Chariot Empire?" He opened his mouth to explain, but she immediately cut him off. "Actually, I think I know why. You wanted to recruit Nero?"

Terrowin chuckled. "You are smart, though this isn't my first attempt. You are familiar with Nero's pride?"

She hid her glum expression. "Vividly."

"Well, it appears I annoyed him one too many times, hence why my personal visit ended with me here." He massaged his neck. "Got off better than my last messenger, that's for sure."

She groaned. "Are you just pulling in whatever royal you can get your hands on for your…whatever this is about?!"

He sighed. "Dear child, there is so much I could teach you about our greater history. Much of it was lost when the ten lands invaded, and those that remain are merely fragments of the truth."

"…But you possess greater knowledge," she guessed.

Terrowin smiled. "A perk of my bloodline. I inherited quite a bit of knowledge from my grandfather, among…other things." He traced a finger along his wooden scars. "Based on the stories I've heard, you've been mastering your Inherited Will."

"Tch. What's it to you?"

"Only that you and I share a bond in that regard. Prince Ogden and your ancestor, Fletcher, were teammates during those days. You use his technique differently from the anecdotes I've read."

Melissa perked up, though tried to hide her intrigue. "The first Fletcher had a technique similar to my Faithless Imitation?"

"Well…sort of." Terrowin leaned back on his hands and tried to think back. "Well, how much has Stormbreaker taught you about how Inherited Wills work? Where they come from? Why they got their name?"

She shook her head. "Not much, really. I've just sort of learned it as I went."

"Hmm. Well, it's a bit complicated to explain its origin, but I'll give you a summary of how it works. It gravitates to a shared experience between generations. The wisdom and lessons of the previous wielders are inherited by the next in the bloodline after their death. If you were to have children, whichever of their branching bloodlines that is born next after your departure will receive the Inherited Will, cutting it off from further branches."

"Huh…"

"As for that power you were given, you have an inherited sense for a Fletcher's mindset. Fletcher was said to be an adaptable fellow, always using unorthodox strategies to get ahead of his opponents. He was a natural born talent at improvisation."

Melissa couldn't stop herself from snorting. "That…sounds like a description given of me. Still, seems convenient we both used a fighting style around Copycat."

Terrowin shook his head. "The thing is, that's not how it works."

"Hmm?"

"Not all Pokémon can use Copycat. You descend from an Electivire."

"An…Electivire. But they can't use Copycat."

"But they can use Metronome, which is where he got his name. He had a natural habit for just creating techniques on the fly, though they were said to be highly unstable."

Melissa giggled awkwardly. "No wonder I got along with Klaus…" She then asked, "So, not all Inherited Wills will end up exactly the same?"

"Correct. Depending on your family's lineage, it could even evolve. The most…drastic example I'm familiar with is Stormbreaker's case given that his ancestor was…well, a Swellow."

"…" Melissa paused a moment trying to wrap her head around the potential family tree. "…Huh. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure his parents weren't compatible with each other to have children. I never thought to ask at the time."

"Which is why it took me so long to realize you were the princess. The original Fletcher just created new techniques on the fly. With the wild rumors about your infamy, I never assumed you had an enhanced Copycat. In hindsight, I should've realized sooner, though I've seen stranger cases. Anything is possible in this world." And it's not like your father had any information on his lineage before he met me.

Melissa leaned back on her hands. "I…never knew about my ancestry. Kind of…neat."

Terrowin smiled. "There's a lot to your Inherited Will waiting to be uncovered. For instance, did you know you can enhance…two moves?"

Her eyes widened. "Get out of here! Really?"

"Oh, it's true, though it's a very difficult technique to awaken."

"Aww, come on! Tell me!"

He sighed dramatically. "Well, I suppose I could give you some context." He grinned. "If you're eager, it does require a bit of meditation."

"Like sitting and humming for several hours?"

"I mean more like soul searching." Terrowin took another bite of his berry before continuing, "Like I mentioned, we inherit the wisdom of our ancestors, and sometimes it comes to us at crucial moments. Sometimes when we're at our lowest, and sometimes when we're breaking the shackles we've placed on ourselves. In that moment, a surge of power awakens itself to create your own specialization of your Inherited Will. It is a personalized experience, so it is not something that can be done with training."

Melissa frowned. "Awakened at our lowest, huh?" She looked aside for a moment. "I…do recall a time where I was talking to my…inner self. Is that something?"

He raised his brow. "Not one I'm familiar with, no."

"Eh. Could just me going crazy, or a side effect of my Faithless Imitation."

He frowned. "That's a rather cruel name to give it."

She chuckled. "I kind of stuck with it. I've…been told I suck at coming up with attack names, so I'm quite attached to this one."

Terrowin laughed. "Oh, I've been there. To tell you the truth, I've had my fair share of blunders."

She smirked. "Like what?"

"…" He rubbed his nape and blushed awkwardly. "Oh, um…" He sighed and hung his head in shame. "The…Big Tree…Attack."

Melissa snorted before bursting out into laughter. "Th-The B-Big T-Tree…!" She collapsed onto her back, kicking her feet in laughter.

"You're a cruel bunny…" Terrowin wept. He sighed before smiling lightly as he watched her rolling around on the ground. Still, it seems she's finally warming up to me. Worth the…crippling mockery. He frowned. I'm going to regret telling her about the technique called the Leaf Me Alone. Man, I was REALLY into puns during that phase.

Lillia kept a straight face and feigned a confused smile as Gemini looked down at her with his firm glare. She chuckled innocently and played with her ear. "The Foresters? You mean that silly group of thieves the emperor graciously brought under our service? I've heard a thing or two, I suppose."

Gemini sighed. "So, are you aware that one of the guards supposedly saw Jason Stormbreaker hanging around here? Is there any basis to these rumors?"

She shrugged. "Hard to say. Rumors can be so unreliable. I certainly didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

"Uh huh. So, you weren't responsible for that sudden delivery that was made to Fort Gladius?"

Lillia's face twitched briefly, but she kept it hidden out of Gemini's view. She faced him, smiling as innocently as ever. "Delivery?"

"I keep track of what happens in Fort Gladius with reports from Centurion Decimus. He keeps me up to date with how the Foresters are adapting to their new living conditions. He also informs me of any training or surprise visits. Like, for instance, three of our recruits skipping out on training and visiting the fort for the day."

Lillia narrowed her eyes, her smile becoming sharper. "Are you insinuating anything, Grand Advisor Gemini?"

"Nothing of the sort. I just wanted to know the nature of their visit to Fort Gladius. You would know the reason, right?"

"…" She smiled cheerfully. "Well, if you must know, I sent treats to the Foresters."

He glared. "You say that like that isn't remotely suspicious."

"What's the harm? You could go to Fort Gladius and see for yourself. Assuming garbage hasn't been disposed of, you could examine the box I sent and see for yourself."

"And is there a reason you weren't upfront about this?"

"Well, with your implied accusations, why do you think I'm playing coy about the matter?" She grinned. "I just wanted to entice the Foresters to our way of living. Nothing says welcome to your new way of living like a box of homemade sweets. Plus, don't tell the centurion here, but I felt bad for those poor recruits and figured they deserved a little day off. I just offered some advice on how they could get out of training today, and they convinced their superior to let them leave for the day."

Gemini cast a glance over his shoulder to where the Diggersby was standing. "I'll have to reprimand him for that." He glared back at her. "So, that is the nature of your actions? A peace offering?"

She grinned. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"It is a security risk."

"Well, feel free to investigate me until your doubts have been quashed. I have time."

Gemini remained collected against the Meowstic's eerily relaxed disposition. She was unlike the other servants working in the hall. Others would've cowered under the notion of an accusation against the empire, but this one remained unnerved by such threats. It was almost blatantly obvious she didn't belong here, yet to show such boldness in the first place…

He saw two possibilities. One, she was putting up such an obvious front to make him doubt his suspicions.

Or two, his earlier assessment of her personality rang true, and she was just a naturally bold individual.

Either way he looked at it, he was paradoxically certain and uncertain that Ms. Vibiana had anything to hide. Even the way she spoke had an uncomfortable cadence of shameless honesty. No wavering in her tone, so much so that it threw his instincts through a loop. Was he overthinking her personality, or was she acting so irrationally calm to trick him?

Gemini had a talent for detecting liars, or so it was perceived by others. In actuality, he just understood the signs and methodology one employed when lying. One keyway to find a liar was to get them to talk. Unless practiced in advance, a web of lies would become tangled and undone by its own weight. Liars sometimes had a habit of making up stories that made it close to impossible to pin them to an accusation, to the point where their story was too convenient.

Ms. Vibiana flat out admitted she had indirect contact with the Foresters and didn't show signs of shame or fault in her admission despite feigning ignorance. Even caught in her white lie, she bounced back without any raise in her pitch. She spoke clearly without fumbling over her words. It was a damning piece of evidence that could get her in trouble, as well as the Foresters as a whole, but that was the sticking point that troubled him. Was she telling the truth out of genuine honesty, or was she using his own methodology against him?

This woman is either remarkably clueless about her position…or extraordinarily dangerous. What a puzzling challenge in front of me.

Gemini folded his hands under his chin and smiled sharply. "Very well. Would you grab us some drinks? This may be a long night for the both of us, Ms. Vibiana."

She returned his expression and bowed her head. "I'd be delighted, Grand Advisor Gemini."

Laughter echoed through the colosseum dungeon as Melissa and Terrowin delved deeper into lighthearted conversation, the tension hanging between them gradually fading into a serene atmosphere. One wouldn't think they were enemies with the way to spoke to each other.

Terrowin held his face as he tried to get his laughter under control. "Y-You're joking?"

She snorted. "Nope! The guards never let me out of their sight after that. Didn't want the princess waddling off and getting lost in the capital again. From what my mother told me, Sir Artur gave them quite the earful over it." She giggled. "Good thing a kind elderly couple found me, though they were a bit too eager to satisfy my sweet cravings."

Terrowin wiped a tear from his eye, struggling to contain his raspy laughter. "Oh, I know the feeling. I have a fondness for sweets as well. I enjoy a slice of cherry pie from time to time."

"I'm more for crème puffs!"

"…Don't you mean cream puffs?"

"That's what I said."

"I think you're accentuating cream there."

"Hmm? That's how I've always said it."

"…" Terrowin chuckled. "Oh, never mind. I've had my fair share of crème puffs from time to time, though I haven't cooked for myself in forever."

Melissa looked aside with a sheepish smile. "I'm not allowed near the kitchen, whether at the castle or back at base. Never really learned how to cook since everything was done by servants."

"I have the opposite problem. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in the organization who does know how to cook."

She grinned. "Get out of here! Really?"

He sighed and covered his face. "My right hand, he…only knows how to perform surgery. And I'm pretty certain my captain spent a good chunk of his childhood stealing food rather than actually cooking it himself. I don't even want to mention my council. I think Hobs is the only one who can cook, though his cooking is more…camp oriented."

Melissa snickered. "Sounds like you've got your hands full with some weirdos as well."

"Oh, they are quite the strange group, I admit."

"Hmm, speaking of Hobs, how is, uh…his daughter doing? Ignacia? I remember the others telling me they were related…er, sort of." She rubbed her arm awkwardly. "I hope I didn't hurt her too badly after our last fight."

Terrowin smiled softly. "To show kindness even to your enemy?" He chuckled. "She has long since recovered, though she might be slightly peeved about her defeat against you."

"Heh. Sorry."

"She will get over it in her own time." He smirked. "I hope this isn't your attempt to gain intel about Last Autumn from me."

She huffed and awkwardly waved her hand. "Whaaaaaaat? No! Of course not."

He laughed. "Sorry, but we must keep our secrets for a reason. I can't go around giving away all my plans."

"…" She frowned before looking up at him. "You know, I never imagined sitting down and getting to know you like this. It's…hard to imagine you're the Terrowin I've been warned about from so many. You don't strike me as the terrorist from thirty years ago."

Terrowin hunched forward and heaved a heavy sigh. "I was in a dark place during that time. So desperate to bring change that I sought extreme measures to correct the mistakes of this region. But such measures cannot bring fortune without suffering. I truly regret my actions, and even today I continue apace with these mistakes despite a renewed sense of clarity."

"But does it have to be so?"

He laughed dryly. "You are in the same boat as me, dear princess. You are a criminal as well. I think you know why we work outside the law."

She glared. "Still, with the things you've been doing in the shadows…"

"Hmm?"

"…" She clenched her arm. "What happened to the Dukes of Buzzard? Are you really ordering for their execution because they failed you?"

"…"

"Two of their members weren't with them on the train. They were killed, weren't they?"

"…"

"And there's the Wraith operation. Even if you didn't know who he was truly, you're the reason Darby poisoned Erasmus' brother. And you've been distributing that stuff across Virdis. Why? Why are you doing all this?"

"…" He leaned back on his hands and sighed. "Like I said, I've been around for a long time. Longer than you can comprehend." He huffed. "You and I seek a similar future for Virdis. We both want to bring prosperity to the people who were wrongly denied their homes. I wish to return Virdis to its roots as the Elysivine Kingdom…"

"…while I want to unite the ten kingdoms to live together in harmony."

"Heh. What a noble goal." He glared. "Princess, I understand you're hesitant to trust Last Autumn, but all I desire is to give the people back a land without all this fighting and corruption. This land thrived on peace for hundreds of years before the ten lands invaded. Look at it now. Would you call this a utopia?"

Her ears drooped. "It's…not perfect, I suppose, but—"

"The people deserve better. They need someone who can bring them hope." He sighed. "Truth be told, the only reason I am allied with Darby, Evangelina, and Lady Amano is because I require their resources to further my goals. I actually fear what this land would look like under their power."

She glared. "So, why bring them into your heir system?"

"Desperation, perhaps. Even under a corrupt figure, at least the land would be united." He shook his head. "But that wouldn't solve the true problem Virdis is facing. It needs a positive influence. Someone who can shape the young minds of the future and blossom them into bright beacons of dreams. Such traits are difficult to come by in this time, and I fell back on the next best option. That sad truth is that the world cannot function with multiple ideals. It's one of the few things I agreed on with Nero."

Melissa tilted her head. "But the differences of so many are what makes the world so bright."

Terrowin smiled sadly. "Not all dreams are created equally, I'm afraid. There will always be those in conflict. Disagreement is simply an eventuality. Everyone believes they know the best way to run the world, but it takes a rare breed of talent to become the perfect leader. It's not something you can just learn with our current world."

"So, you gave up?"

"I gave up believing anything will change naturally. When you get to my age, you stop seeing people as individuals. Just a collection of patterns. I give my reasoning, they disagree, tell me I'm wrong, explain their reasoning, and I agree just to shut them up faster. One migraine later, and nothing has changed. No matter what type of person you come across, whether of tradition or the new age, their stubborn hold over their beliefs will never waver. So, what's the point in giving people a chance?"

Melissa frowned. "You should give people a chance. They're not beyond understanding."

Terrowin laughed quietly. "Perhaps."

"…Wait, are you doing that agreeing with me to shut me up faster thing?"

He snickered. "No. I find you fascinating, Melissa. Sometimes I wish I had your iron resolve for hope. I still carry my own little bit of hope that some good will come out of this region, but my time will be up in a few years. Maybe less. Hard to say. I need someone to carry on my goals and raise this land back to its former glory. I need a worthy heir."

She sighed. "Good luck getting anything like that out of Darby…"

"Hmm, though…"

"Hmm?"

Terrowin laid his arms across his lap and smiled warmly at her. "There is one heir I've been hoping to recruit to my side. Someone who would be the perfect candidate to guide Virdis to the future it deserves."

"…" Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute, one of your other candidates…the one you couldn't recruit…"

He held his hand out to her. "I can't think of anyone more worthy to rule over Virdis than you, Princess Melissa Penworth."

"…" She shuffled back and awkwardly shook her head. "L-Look, just because I feel a little more comfortable around you doesn't mean we're friends. I'm still your enemy."

He sighed, pulling his hand back. "So, you still don't trust me. Well, I should've figured as much. It's disappointing, but I must respect your boundaries. Even so, you are an ideal candidate for the system."

She scoffed. "If you asked my dad that, he'd say otherwise." She frowned. "Well, if he could…"

Terrowin frowned. "…Ah." He pondered to himself before shaking his head. "This world is full of beauty and vice, and the two become indistinguishable. I figured you would be the one to unravel the true world with your own eyes. Someone like you is necessary to bring this world back to its former luster."

She shook her head. "I vowed to unite the ten kingdoms with my own hands. I'm sorry, but I just can't trust Last Autumn. Not after everything you've done."

"But aren't you curious about how the region could be healed? I offer you something that has been lost to Virdis' history for generations. It would be the key to bringing peace to this land."

She once again shook her head. "I've heard plenty about this sacred treasure your organization keeps proposing. What treasure could possibly do that?"

Terrowin smiled gently. "Perhaps the key to all knowledge?"

"Hmm?"

"We both agree that this world is broken and needs healing, but such efforts cannot be performed in an afternoon. It takes years. Decades, even. Centuries, sometimes. Vice is not something that'll go away in a lifetime. It's our duty to teach the next generation what true peace is."

Melissa raised her brow. "So, the sacred treasure is wisdom?"

"If you inherit it, the treasure would be your wisdom. Your wisdom to spread to the people of Virdis." He scratched his chin. "Let's see, um…ah! Perhaps this would sway you. Do you love war?"

She winced. "Why would anyone say yes to that? Absolutely not! War is horrible!"

"Exactly. But what if the very concept of war was erased?"

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Did you know there was a time where we creatures didn't have a concept for the number zero? After all, how can nothing be something? It's a concept so integral to modern learning that we don't consider the idea of not having a representation of nothing to be this wildly new concept. If you had nothing, it was simply nothing. Many different regions in ancient times often used…substitutions as placeholders, their earliest form of zero. And now it's a more widely used concept today."

"Okay…"

"Now, take that same idea and apply it to war. What if you could erase that concept? Suddenly, we wouldn't have a reason to start such conflict. It just wouldn't be viewed as logical. If there is no concept of war, there is no reason to act upon those feelings. This is simply the way things are and so forth."

Melissa scrunched her face as she thought it over. "That does sound tempting. A world without war would be preferable to the one we live in." She glared. "But that's impossible. War is practically ingrained into our blood."

Terrowin grinned. "But what if it wasn't a hypothetical possibility?"

"Wait, are you saying the sacred treasure can just…erase the concept of war?"

"Perhaps."

"…" Melissa thought back to when Luna returned from her mission in Nalzona, where she recounted her discoveries upon meeting Sir Gerard. Curious, she glared up at the Sceptile. "Are you referring to…Logos?"

His eyes widened. "You've…heard of Logos?"

"Mhmm."

"…" He laughed quietly. "You are full of surprises."

"The treasure is Logos?"

"…Yes. Yes, it is. Logos is the treasure of the Elysivine Kingdom. My family's treasure."

"What is Logos? What is it exactly?"

"…" Terrowin sighed. "I don't even know where to begin with that. My family's history dates back so long, yet even we know nothing of the truth behind its origins. The only person who seemed to know was…him."

"Him?"

"I…had a teacher when I was a boy. A wise man who seemed to know a little bit about everything in Virdis. He knew a thing or two about Logos, though even he wouldn't tell me everything. I always assumed he knew more than he was letting on. Could never get a straight answer out of that man."

Melissa looked off to the side with a wry smile. "Sounds like my own tutor." She shook her head. "So, what do you know?"

"Hmm…" He cleared his throat and explained, "According to my family's books, it was believed that Logos appeared streaking through the skies during a mighty meteor shower that occurred tens of thousands of years ago. They say streaks of fire scorched the night sky and traveled over the horizon. And some of those meteors crashed down onto Ancient Virdis. That's…as much as we know, though obelisks of the event were discovered. An intelligent lifeform seemed to live in Ancient Virdis long before the arbiters set foot on this land. Perhaps the only one who truly knew anything about the ancient Logos."

Melissa's eyes sparkled in awe. "Logos came from the great beyond?"

"The heavens. The outer reaches of the sky. Who knows? It's one of life's great mysteries. But regardless, my family would take possession of Logos and use the knowledge it granted to help our people. That knowledge was used for hundreds of years until the Ten-Way Invasion occurred. After that, well…here we are."

She frowned. "And you…want me to inherit Logos?"

"There's so much about it I could teach you, and I wouldn't want anyone else looking after Virdis. There's quite a bit to its power you may not even be aware of."

"Like what?"

He grinned. "Well, that would require you to actually take part in my heir system."

"Oh…" She looked down sadly.

Terrowin chuckled. "I've got some years left. I'm willing to wait for your answer. I assure you, Virdis will become a better place with you ruling as its queen. There's no other worthy of the title than you."

"…" She looked up at him unsurely. "You…really think I would make a good queen?"

"No. I know you will become the greatest."

"…" She looked down at the berry bowl with a soft smile. "Huh. Um, thank—"

Her ears shot up as something suddenly came soaring in her direction. She and Terrowin immediately moved apart as a barrage of Psyshock slammed down on their location, utterly annihilating the berries. Melissa flipped onto her feet frazzled by the attack and turned toward the Armorouge approaching her.

"V-Vilde?!" She stood up and raised her hands. "W-Whoa! What's this about?!"

Vilde glared down at her. "We're settling this, Skill Hunter. I want to know if my defeat was earned or not. The emperor isn't here to play his games. A fight between warriors. Nothing more, nothing less."

She backed away from him slowly as he continued to advance. "W-What brought this on all of a sudden?!"

"Hey!" She flashed a startled glare over at Corin, who waved from his spot. "Rooting for you, kid!"

"CORIN! What did you do?!"

"Oh, nothing much! I just set you up for a fight with this guy, nothing special!"

"OH! OKAY! WHAT THE HECK?!" She gulped and giggled nervously at Vilde. "Uh, look, I didn't exactly win that fight either. I'm sure you would've easily clobbered me, so why don't we put the past behind us? I'd offer you some berries, but you appeared to have…torched them."

Vilde conjured a handful of Psyshocks in his hand. "You're not squirming out of this that easily."

"EEP!" She immediately rushed past him as he threw the Psyshock. "Corin, I'm going to say really mean things to you later!"

"Good to know, kid!" the Typhlosion shouted.

Terrowin picked himself up and shook his head. He glared as Vilde chased after Melissa. "Young man, I think you'd best respect your elders!" He morphed his wooden arm into a cluster of roots and launched them at the Armorouge.

Vilde spun around and blasted the roots back with his Psyshock. "Stay out of this, old man." He summoned Aura Sphere and fired it at Melissa.

Melissa gasped and immediately threw her foot back. Her kick disrupted most of the energy, but the explosion sent her flying into the transport elevator. She groaned and massaged her head, but came to her senses as Vilde marched up to her.

"Do you know what it's like having to suffer down here?!" he shouted. "Clawing to the top and working for their amusement?! At least give me the dignity of a proper defeat, Skill Hunter Harlow!"

She picked herself up, carefully pressing herself against the elevator door. "V-Vilde, let's be reasonable—"

BOOM!

She and Vilde suddenly froze as a loud crash echoed above their heads, followed by the sound of snapping cables. Melissa ducked down as the door behind her suddenly blew open, throwing itself into Vilde.

"AGH!" He raised his guard as he was taken to the ground.

Melissa looked back and saw the transport elevator had fallen from the arena floor. It flattened under its own weight, kicking up a cloud of dust. To her shock, it looked as if the cables used to hoist the large elevator up had been severed. They didn't just randomly snap, but were torn apart.

"Wha…?" She looked back at Vilde collected himself. "EEP!" She jumped back into the elevator shaft and started hopping between the walls. "Don't question it, just run!"

Vilde pulled himself up, catching the tail end of Melissa's climb up the elevator. He sneered. "Very well." With eyes blazing with flame, he rushed into the elevator shaft and dug his hands into the grooves of the wall, climbing up after the bunny.

Terrowin reformed his wooden arm back to normal and glared at the broken-down elevator. "What happened up there? Was someone fighting in the arena?"

"Friend Harlow!" He looked down as Galus hurriedly waddled toward the broken elevator, where the prisoners were already gathering attempting to climb their way out.

"…" Terrowin huffed. "I don't know what her plan is, but best not to ruin the surprise too early." He unwound his arm and fired roots into the crowd to block off their escape. Though, this'll be an opportunity to see how much stronger Melissa has gotten. Was my choice to make her the true heir correct? Prove me right, Melissa Penworth.