Chapter 7: A New Beginning for Caelin

A few days passed after Lyndis's Legion had saved General Eagler's family from the clutches of the Caelin army controlled by Lundgren. Lyn and her comrades were making good time as they marched over hills and plains and through forests en route to Castle Caelin. Kent, Sain, and Wallace led the way, with Robert checking the smartphone's map application to ensure that the Legion wouldn't get lost or get harassed by patrolling men working for Lundgren. The weather had been overcast but they did not let the possibility of rain slow them down.

Everybody trained and rested between marches to Castle Caelin. One day, on one of those rest periods, Robert came up to Wallace with an inquiry in mind.

"Have you met Lundgren in person by any chance?" Robert asked.

"Yes, I have – he did personally order me to hunt down Kent, Sain, and Lady Lyndis," answered Wallace. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know if Lundgren has any combat experience? Like what sort of fighting style or weapons does he use?"

Wallace hummed in thought for a moment, trying to remember what he knew of the usurper. "Well, I don't know all the details, but I do know that Lundgren was a veteran in Caelin's armed forces; after all, with his not being eligible for Caelin's throne, he tried to make a name for himself through military service. He became obsessed with strength so he worked on becoming a general in Caelin's army, training himself every day and night to be able to wear heavy plate armor and wield the heaviest and strongest lance available. However, Lycia has been in peace for a good long while now aside from routing bandit groups so there was hardly any chance for Lundgren to show his strength and loyalty to Caelin, especially now that he's old."

"So now, he's gotten impatient and decided to go with fratricide and genocide to boost his social status."

"So that hasn't changed," thought Robert to himself. "Lundgren is still a General class unit."

"Aye," Wallace sighed, nodding. "He's resentful and jealous of how his older brother got everything – he has the throne, a family who still cares about him, and the love and respect of the general populace. But I digress."

Robert nodded in agreement. "Knowing that Lundgren most likely specializes in using lances and heavy plate armor, would it be all right if Lyn spar with you?"

Wallace laughed heartily, understanding what Robert was requesting. "Say no more, young man. I shall shape up Lyn so that no armored lancer can stand a chance against her!"

Another few days had passed and before Lyndis's Legion knew it, they were nearing their final destination. Lyn and her Legion were now out in the mountains, where the rocky terrain kept them relatively safe from Lundgren's patrolling soldiers. Dusk had arrived so now, it was time to set camp for one final night.

"Lady Lyndis, you should be able to see Castle Caelin once we pass these mountains," informed Kent to his liege. "We'll be heading for the castle tomorrow morning."

Lyn nodded as she looked towards the mountain, facing the direction to the castle. "Grandfather… I'll be with you soon."

Kent nodded. "Everything rests on this next battle."

"It's a good thing the patrols haven't found us," remarked Sain. "We can rest without them knowing that we're so close now. And wow… Robert's cooking never fails to make me hungry."

True to Sain's word, Robert was already hard at work preparing dinner for the Legion: he had already set up a canopy tent to shield himself, his workstation, and his cooking supplies from the possible rainfall and was now busily dropping in large, battered and breaded pork slabs into a pot of hot oil sitting on the portable gas stove. On a second portable gas stove sat a frying pan, loaded with beaten eggs that were getting cooked, before Robert quickly moved said pan from the heat. A rice cooker sat nearby to the two gas stoves, quietly emitting steam.

Ninian and Nils watched Robert cook intently – they were eyeing the food very hungrily. The rest of the Legion relaxed and chatted at picnic tables underneath another canopy tent Robert had set up, the tent gently lit by lanterns.

"Robert, what are you cooking?" asked Lyn curiously (and a bit hungrily) as she looked over Robert's workstation. "There are a lot of things here."

"I'm making katsudon," Robert answered as he used a strainer ladle to scoop the freshly fried pork slabs out of the pot of oil and onto some paper towels.

"'Katsudon'?"

"It's a bowl of rice with egg and fried pork cutlets. It's a hearty and delicious meal but that's not the only reason I'm making it."

That piqued Lyn's interest. "Oh? What do you mean?"

Robert smiled as he tossed in some more pork slabs into the pot of oil. "The 'katsu' part in 'katsudon' sounds similar to a word that means victory in another language."

Lyn can feel her eyes widen as she understood the implied message, looking at Robert hopefully. "You mean… you believe that I'll be able to see my grandfather?"

Robert gave her a confident grin that made Lyn's heart skip a beat. "No – I know you'll be able to see your grandfather."

Lyn lightly blushed as she watched him continue preparing the food, with Robert busily cutting up the deep-fried pork into cutlets. After a while, Robert was finally finished with the dinner preparation.

"All right," Robert called, hitting a wooden ladle with the now empty frying pan. "Dinner's ready. We're having katsudon tonight!"

Everybody in the Legion quickly lined up, each snatching a bowl. For each comrade, Robert loaded the bowl up with a generous helping of rice before topping the rice with some fried eggs, some sliced deep-fried pork, and some fried chopped vegetables. Then, he topped the pork with a dark brown sauce that dripped down onto the egg and rice below it. Once their bowls were loaded up, most of them made their way back to the picnic tables under the other tent to begin eating. A few of them remained near Robert's workstation, content with devouring the food while still standing.

"Delicious!" gasped Serra after she had eaten a pork cutlet. "The pork is so scrumptious!"

"Ahahahaha!" laughed Wallace noisily with a grin. "This meal makes me feel like a king! Now all that's missing is just a good drink to go with it!"

Erk stared at the cooking implements that sat at Robert's workstation as he ate his helping of food. "Now that I think about it, I wonder how they all work… Those stoves produce fire but don't produce any smoke… That strange pot thing that cooked the rice doesn't even have a visible flame or furnace but still heated the water enough to make steam…"

"Slow down, Nils," giggled Ninian softly as she watched her younger brother ravenously scarf down his helping of katsudon. "The food isn't going anywhere."

"I can't help it, Ninian," replied Nils, who had a few crumbs and a few grains of rice stuck at the corners of his lips. "The food is so good and there's plenty of it. We don't always get to eat well while traveling."

After serving his comrades and his Pokémon their meals, Robert finally took his seat at the picnic table, taking his seat with Lyn. "How's the food, everybody? Any good?"

Robert received a brief cacophony of affirmations and compliments that the food was indeed delicious in reply.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done, Robert," said Lyn after she had swallowed a bite of egg and rice. "For leading us into battle and providing us with so much food."

"I appreciate the thought," Robert said with a smile. "But we still have one last battle tomorrow – we just need to put an end to Lundgren."

Lyn looked thoughtful. "Yeah… That said, do you have any plans on what you're going to do after? Once I get to meet my grandfather, I mean."

"That is a good question," Palutena's voice rang out from within Robert's mind. "You're almost at the end of Lyn's story arc. You could stay on Elibe or you could travel to another world."

This time, it was Robert's turn to be pensive as he hummed in thought. "I'm not sure. I may try to find a place to live or to continue traveling. I don't have a place to stay yet because of my… um, circumstances."

"I'm sure something can be arranged for you. After all, you did play such a big part in getting me all the way to Caelin. And I'm sure my grandfather can arrange a place for you to stay – maybe he'd even let you live in the castle!"

Robert laughed. "That would be great, though I won't expect such a thing to happen. After all, I am just a foreigner from some far-off place."

Lyn didn't laugh along and instead looked Robert firmly in the eye. "You're not 'just a foreigner' – you're my friend. You and Florina practically mean the world to me, especially with me being the last of my tribe. You're… you're like family to me now. And I don't want to lose you, too."

A moved Robert blinked multiple times at Lyn's heartfelt feelings; he was trying not to weep in both sorrow and joy – the attempt failed and he can feel tears leak from his eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am now because of you, Lyn."

He wiped away his tears with a glad smile before he continued. "Back home, I was practically a nobody. A well studied nobody, but still a nobody. I hardly had anybody whom I can call friends since I focused too much on academics at the cost of my social life. And after all that, I'm doubtful that my parents were ever proud of me since I have long realized that they were always trying to live life through me, as if I were nothing more than some puppet rather than their own son. But here now, I could be more myself and feel that I have a purpose now."

"And what would that be?"

Robert beamed. "Just being myself. Live my life how I want to. Chase my own happiness. And being part of your life, Lyn."

Lyn felt her eyes widen with surprise before she made a small lunge for Robert, hugging him tightly with her arms, catching him off guard. Robert blushed before he looked around at the others as he returned the hug, similarly surprised. Sain and Matthew flashed Robert cheeky grins with their thumbs up. Florina and Ninian each gave Robert and Lyn a small, happy smile. Nils was in awe. Dorcas looked on knowingly, chuckling quietly. The rest were applauding or cheering loudly.

Palutena giggled happily in her and Robert's mental link. "Bet that felt good to get off your chest, huh, Robert? And I'd bet that your folks back home would be so surprised that you got a girlfriend… or even a lover."

"Aha, for sure!" Robert mentally laughed joyfully. "I thought it'd be something that would never happen, especially back in my old life."

Once Lyn let go of Robert, Robert was awed to see that Lyn had a look of firm resolve.

"Are… are you sure, Lyn?" he asked.

Lyn answered with a firm nod. "Our time together may not have been long, but I've never been so sure in my life like I am now, Robert. Please, let us continue walking our path, together."

"Yes, we shall."

The rest of the evening on the mountainside was now noisy with merrymaking as Lyndis's Legion celebrated the bond between its namesake leader and her beloved tactician before they had to rest for the night.

As soon as daybreak arrived, Robert sent out Matthew to scout Castle Caelin. Matthew returned later while the rest of the Legion had breakfast. Tension was thick in the air as everybody knew what they will be doing soon.

"Things are bad over there," reported Matthew after he had swallowed a bite of bacon. "Lundgren has been taxing the people heavily and has been using the bandits and mercenaries to enforce his rule; hardly anybody can afford food. There's barely any public order thanks to those enforcers and the people live in fear."

"Of course Lundgren decides to play the 'big evil dictator' role," groaned Robert. "Anything else going on over there?"

The thief nodded in reply. "It seems that he has it out for the Sacaens living in the city; there's word that there's been a huge harassment campaign that's driving them out – public beatings and destruction or seizure of their property. He's also been conscripting the starving citizens into military service."

"So he plans to have Lyn kill her own people before she can reach him to make her look like a villain? Unforgivable. It also sounds like he has something big planned once his rule is secured and is willing to waste as many lives needed to accomplish it."

"You might be right on that."

"Goodness…" thought Matthew. "It sounds like I made the right call about Lundgren… He could try to take over the rest of Lycia once he secured Caelin!"

"This battle won't be easy… we'd need to avoid killing those who aren't willing to fight for Lundgren," acknowledged Robert. "I'll need to figure something out."

After breakfast, Robert cleaned and packed away his things into his inventory. Once he was done, he walked up to the front of the Legion, ready to address his comrades. Lyn, Kent, and Sain were especially waiting for him.

"It's the big day, Robert," remarked Palutena telepathically. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'd ever be," Robert answered in kind, feeling a bit anxious. "This is the final boss map for Lyn's story arc, after all."

"You have nothing to be nervous about. You've been giving it your all thus far and have already changed the lives of so many people. I'm sure you and Lyndis's Legion will have no problem taking down Lundgren."

Robert gave a minute nod before he cleared his throat.

"All right, everybody, we're finally near Castle Caelin," he announced. "We may have gotten here undetected but as soon as we begin our charge, Lundgren would almost certainly have his more loyal troops fight us with everything they got. I've also received word from Matthew that Lundgren has been pressing the common people into military service, so there's a very good possibility that they'd be among those who may fight us. We must avoid killing the conscripted civilians while taking out the bandits and mercenaries that make up Lundgren's troops and, of course, defeat Lundgren himself."

He then produced a notebook, which was opened to a page showing a drawing of a large, bright red arrow pointing downwards. "Fortunately for us, I've… casted a spell that marks actual enemy troops. If you see a soldier with this over their head, they're somebody who's willingly fighting for Lundgren so no need to hold back against them. If they don't have an arrow, they're either a civilian or somebody who's forced to fight for Lundgren. Only we can see the arrows, so they have no idea that they've marked for death."

"Having a smartphone upgraded by Lady Palutena is quite literally a godsend for situations like these," Robert thought to himself.

He continued holding the notebook up for all to see the arrow until his arm began to ache a little. "With that out of the way, everybody, be careful. I want all of us to survive this battle. Stay close, and watch each other's back. We will defeat Lundgren and save Marquess Hausen and Caelin!"

Punctuating his speech by throwing his fist up at the air, Robert was met with a raucous chorus of cheers from his comrades.

"I will see my grandfather… I've come too far to let anyone stand in my way," said Lyn as she drew out her sword. "This is it, Robert. This is our final test. My friends, for one last time, lend me your strength!"

"Lady Lyndis, it is my sworn duty to see you safely reunited with Lord Hausen," stated. "I shall see this mission through to the end."

"Lundgren will not be receiving the reinforcements he expected," recalled Sain. "He will not stop Lady Lyndis from reaching the castle so easily."

"Lyn, I'm with you all the way!" squeaked out Florina.

"Once this is over, I should consider becoming a knight for Caelin," pondered Wil to himself. "Then, I could get mom and dad an easier life."

Dorcas hummed quietly in thought. "Once I get my pay, I can go home and get back to Natalie."

"I'm going to miss Robert's cooking once this is all over," sighed Serra sadly. "I'm especially going to miss that ice cream treat he made a few times before. Perhaps I should ask Robert to make me some more as a favor to me for assisting them over the inheritance dispute."

"Even though it extended my time on the job, I'd have to say that the experience was worth it," remarked Erk exasperatedly before he was filled with dread. "Though that means that I'd have to deal with Serra alone again once this is all over… Oh, bother."

"I've been used to fighting alone and out of formation since I was young," thought Rath to himself. "But fighting as part of a team like this… It wasn't a bad experience."

"I've got a lot to report about to the young master as well as to Lord Uther," muttered Matthew quietly to himself. "At least there's plenty to talk about with Leila once I get back."

"This battle is going to be dangerous…" murmured Nils to his older sister. "But compared to everything you and I went through, we'll be okay…"

Ninian nodded, agreeing with him. "Yes… But we must still do our part… to repay their kindness… especially Robert's."

Lucius had his hands clasped in prayer. "May Saint Elimine keep us safe in the battle ahead."

"Ahahahaha!" chortled Wallace confidently, clanging his lance against his heavy shield. "Look out, Caelin! A giant walks with the Legion! My defense is impenetrable! Come! Break your weapons against me!"

"Go, Cyclizar!" Robert called out, summoning the Mount Pokémon from its Poké Ball before getting onboard. "Everybody, get ready to charge!"

Back in Skyworld, Palutena, from within her temple, watched as Robert and Lyn led the Legion down the mountains and into the castle town. She was watching them using a hologram she conjured up using her divine magic. Pit joined her, carrying a tray loaded with snacks.

"Good luck," the Goddess of Light said quietly, as she picked up a bag of popcorn from the tray as her captain of the guard took a seat and opened up a bag of potato chips.

Rain had begun to fall over Caelin. Many of the damp roads, which were riddled with puddles, were devoid of villagers and were dotted by only bandits, mercenaries, and soldiers serving Lundgren.

In the castle itself, Lundgren had just taken his seat inside the castle's massive banquet hall and had just been served some breakfast. The old man hungrily licked his lips as he eyed his meal: a freshly baked wheat bread roll, a serving of marmalade, and several freshly roasted pork sausage links. With a fork and knife, Lundgren sliced up one of the sausage links, paying close attention to how the fork and knife respectively pierced and cut through the encased meat.

"I wonder if it would be better if I put an end to my cursed brother myself," he quietly muttered to himself as he ate the sausage piece. "Or perhaps I should've just hired the Black Fang to do the deed… Make it look like an accident… But an assassin of such high caliber would cost me a lot of gold…"

A few minutes later, a soldier burst into the banquet hall. He was red in the face and was panting hard.

"This better be good," growled Lundgren with a mouthful of bread and marmalade, his face visibly wrinkled in displeasure from having his quiet breakfast interrupted.

"Lord Lundgren, Lyndis and her men have begun an invasion," reported the soldier, trying to remain calm. "They've already broken through the first line of defense and are on their way here; they'll arrive here at the castle soon."

Lundgren was livid as he slammed a furious fist hard onto the tabletop. "WHAT?! That girl is still alive?! Those mercenaries have been useless! Where are those reinforcements anyways?"

"I-I don't know, milord! The other marches haven't sent any!"

Lundgren growled angrily and hastily swallowed some more of his breakfast before he began pointing towards the nearby guards in the banquet hall, gesturing to each one as he issued orders. "You there! Deploy the reserve troops! You there! Get my armor and lance ready! It looks like I have to do everything around here if I want it done right now!"

"GWAAAHHH!" cried out a bandit as a sword cut into his body, putting an end to him.

Kent pulled his sword out of the now fresh corpse as he surveyed his surroundings once more as he followed after Lyn and Robert.

"Quickly, get to safety," ordered to Kent to a mother and her son.

"Y-yes sir!" stammered the woman as she quickly ushered her son back into their home nearby.

"Good grief," groaned Sain sadly as he and his horse caught up with Kent. "I never thought I would return to Caelin to see it in such a sad state: so many people afraid and in hiding, and the brave few begging for food or money. On top of it all, bandits are practically free to pillage the nearby villages."

Kent nodded in agreement. "Then that means that getting Lyn to the castle is imperative for the sake of Caelin – we need to make sure that Lyn can claim her rightful place as heir to Caelin's throne."

They turned to watch Lyn, who just sidestepped an enemy mage's Fire spell before she quickly darted right in front of him and cut him down with a shrill battle cry. The mage fell, bleeding out.

"What the hell?!" cried out a mercenary in horror. "I thought they're just a bunch of children!"

"They're monsters!" shouted an archer nearby. "Run for – GACK!"

The archer was silenced with an arrow to the throat, courtesy of Wil.

"Good shot," complimented Rath as he readied his own arrow, shooting it towards the mercenary, who was about to flee.

Nearby, Robert, who was seated on his Cyclizar, spotted some Caelin knights on horseback charging at him and the Legion. He quickly threw a Poké Ball into the air. "Swampert, use Rock Tomb!"

The large Mud Fish Pokémon materialized from his capture device. Upon landing on the damp ground, he raised his strong arms into the air.

"Swaaaamp-pert!" Swampert slammed his fists onto the ground, sending out a powerful shockwave that caused several, rough boulders to suddenly jut out from the ground, forming a makeshift wall in front of the charging knights.

The surprised knights tried to stop their horses, but for several of them, their horses were going too fast to stop in time – only a few seconds later, their inertia slammed the horses into the rocky wall, sending the knights careening forward into a crumpled heap just beyond Swampert's Rock Tomb wall. Some of them died on impact, breaking their necks or skulls from the fall. The remaining knights in the heap were soon dispatched with a quick Fire spell from Erk, forming a makeshift pyre.

"Lyn," Robert called out. "How you're holding up?"

"I'm good to go!" the plainswoman answered as she wiped the blood off of her sword using a fallen corpse's shirt. "…Even though this weather is awful."

"We're getting close to the castle," Kent warned. "We should expect more resistance from Lundgren's men soon."

"Got it," acknowledged Robert before he turned his attention to Swampert, pulling the sleeve of his cloak back to reveal the Mega Ring he was wearing at his wrist. "Swampert, you ready?"

Robert's first Pokémon gave an affirming "Swamp!" in reply.

Swampert's trainer nodded and pressed two fingers against the Keystone embedded in his Mega Ring. "Let's do this, Swampert – Mega Evolve!"

"SwaaaaAAMMMP!" Swampert's body became engulfed in an orb of bright, pink light…

Nearby to Lyndis's Legion, the citizens of Caelin watched as their oppressors were quickly cut down one-by-one by Lyn and her forces from the relative safety of their homes.

In one house, a young boy was watching the event unfold with his mother.

"Mother, who are those people?" asked the boy curiously.

"I don't know," answered the boy's mother. "But I believe that they may be Lady Lyndis and her men; they're fighting Lundgren's forces – and they seem to be winning…!"

The boy then pointed to the creatures accompanying Lyndis's Legion. "What are those creatures?"

"I don't know… I've never seen them before. Perhaps they've come from far away."

"They look so cool…!"

A young man watched from his own home nearby as Lyndis's Legion marched past. "Good luck to all of them. Once Lundgren is defeated, peace may return to Caelin."

An old lady sitting in her home chuckled softly as she watched the chaos. "You've finally made it here, have you? Such a long way… We're all behind, you, Lady Lyndis. All of us."

"Swampert, Waterfall!" Robert ordered as he rode with Cyclizar.

"Swamp!" Swampert, who now looked much larger and more muscular thanks to his Mega Evolution, darted in front of a bandit, surprising said bandit with his sudden burst of speed. Like a rushing torrent, Swampert slugged the bandit hard in the chest with a powerful, bulbous fist cloaked in water.

"GWAH!" The bandit let out a pained cry as he felt his ribs cave in and break from the force of the hard punch; his bare chest became dark from internal bleeding.

"Ahh! Boss is dead!" cried out one of the bandit's friends as he watched the large fish-like creature land another watery punch on his comrade.

"That old man's money isn't worth it!" cried out another. "Let's get out of here!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Robert barked out. "Kent, Sain – don't let 'em get away!"

"On it," affirmed Kent as he and his partner chased after the fleeing bandits with their horses.

"Cleaning up those bandits is a breeze for us," Robert thought to himself. "We've been training a lot and have fought so many bandits during the whole journey. The target marking function also made things so much easier."

"And with the Taliver bandits gone, Lyn's family has been avenged," said Palutena telepathically to Robert. "All that's left now is their mastermind."

"Yeah… we should be okay since Lundgren would be participating personally, meaning he wouldn't be able to poison Hausen further."

Lyn then walked up to Robert's side, having just taken out a sellsword.

"Wow, Swampert is so fast now – even though he looks like he'd be so much slower with how… bulky… he is," remarked Lyn, watching the temporarily ascended Swampert make his way back to his trainer.

"Swampert's special ability while Mega Evolved is called Swift Swim," explained Robert. "Swampert moves significantly more quickly in rainy weather."

"Ohh… So that's why you have him out!"

"Mhm. The rainy weather also strengthens his Water-type attacks, meaning they can do more damage."

Several seconds later, Kent and Sain returned.

"Those bandits have been dispatched," reported Kent.

Sain nodded. "We ended up chasing them only for them to be finished off by Dorcas and Wallace."

Robert pulled out his smartphone to check the map. "Good. All of the men loyal to Lundgren outside of the castle are gone."

"The castle is just up ahead," said Kent. "No doubt Lundgren would be waiting for us now."

"Then let's go," replied Lyn as she walked on ahead. "Let's not keep my grandfather waiting any longer."

Lyndis's Legion marched on, finally arriving at the vicinity of Castle Caelin itself. Mercenaries and bandits were replaced by Caelin's horseback cavaliers and armored knights. As the men were loyal to Lundgren, they were dispatched quickly – Lyn ripped through metal armor and the flesh of horses like paper with her Mani Katti, Kent, Sain, and Florina plowed through with their swords and lances, Wil and Rath turned several of the soldiers into human pincushions, Dorcas felled several with his axe, Matthew slit the throats of a few, and Erk and Lucius roasted several knights in their armor. Serra, Ninian, and Nils kept them going, ensuring that their comrades remained in the fight, and Robert directed orders while slinging spells and pummeling and slicing down soldiers at the same time. Wallace followed behind them, ensuring that the Legion wouldn't be ambushed from behind.

Before too long, only Lundgren remained at the gates to the castle itself. He was dressed in his neatly polished heavy plate armor, which was painted a deep royal purple color with ornate gold trimming, and he was equipped with a large, heavy lance made of gleaming silver. The usurper snarled with fury as he watched Lyn and her troops approach him and the castle.

"This is my realm, and you've entered without my permission," spat out Lundgren as he pointed his lance in their direction. "You will not leave these lands alive!"

"Let's finish this, Lyn," Robert prompted before he turned to the cavaliers. "Kent, Sain, let's support her. Everybody else, watch our backs."

"Right!" answered Lyn as she, Robert, Kent, and Sain charged at Lundgren.

The other members of the Legion moved closer as well but spread out, making sure not to be taken by surprise by the possibility of more of Lundgren's men.

Kent reached Lundgren first thanks to their horse's foot speed. Without wasting a moment, he had his horse lunge at Lundgren, hoping to use the momentum to make his opening lance thrust more powerful. With a loud clang, Kent's lance struck hard against Lundgren's chestplate.

Kent gasped in surprise at what he saw. "What? But how…?"

Kent's effort left only a scratch on his armor; Kent had only dealt damage to the paintwork on his armor.

"Ah, one of the traitors," Lundgren identified as he paused briefly to remember the cavalier's name. "You must be… Kent, yes?"

"Lundgren, your treachery precedes you," accused Kent, as he thrust his lance at the armored general a second time. "I will not listen to any of your poisoned words."

Lundgren batted away Kent's angry thrust easily. "You're a fool! You'll wish you'd never turned your coat!"

Kent quickly backed his horse away – just in time to dodge Lundgren's thrust with his own lance, which hit only air. Sain quickly got ready for his own charge.

"I'll take care of this!" Sain crowed as he had his own horse leap at Lundgren as well. With his own momentum-fueled thrust, Sain stabbed at Lundgren, hoping to impale him through his armor as well.

CLANG!

Sain drew his lance back as he inspected Lundgren's armor quickly; this time, there was a dent in Lundgren's chestplate, but nothing more.

"What the?" gulped Sain. "Just what is with this armor?"

"Bernese steel plate. The finest money can buy," Lundgren chuckled boastfully as he gave Sain a condescending smile. "Now then, Sain… You're not like that stubborn fool, Kent. You're reasonable. Leave the child, Lyndis, and stand at my side. You will go far in my service."

The cavalier in green armor put on a false smile as he watched Lundgren offer his armored hand. "That is a gracious offer, my lord…"

"Quite."

Sain then narrowed his eyes at Lundgren in defiance, pointing his lance at him. "However, I am rather fond of my friend, the stubborn fool. And if I am to pledge my service to any liege, I would choose lovely Lady Lyndis over you, foul Lundgren, regardless of the risk!"

As if to make his point clear, Sain pulled back his lance for a thrust – right into Lundgren's offered hand!

"AGH!" Lundgren cried out sharply in pain as the spear bit into his less armored palm; after a hasty inspection, he could see that Sain had drawn blood, angering him. "Fool! I will make you regret your decision!"

Lundgren attempted to stab Sain with his heavy silver lance only for Lyn to suddenly dart in with her sword raised, aimed at an arm joint in his armor, forcing him to turn his body so that Lyn's sword would only hit his chestplate instead of his arm, leaving a scratch in it. Sain dodged the blow and retreated out of reach of Lundgren's lance. Lundgren glowered at his grandniece in disgust as he got a good look at her at last.

"So you're the girl claiming kinship with my brother!" he spat out.

"You'll play this farce to the end, won't you Lundgren?" Lyn asked rhetorically, sounding almost disappointed as she attempted another slash at her granduncle.

Lundgren easily blocked the slash with his lance, before swinging it to parry, forcing Lyn to back away as well as catching Kent, who was charging at him, and knocking him off his horse. "The royal house of Caelin has no need of a Sacaen mongrel! I'll put an end to this foolishness here and now!"

"Shit, he's strong, all right…" thought Robert to himself. "Though he's got to be if he's carrying around all that heavy plate as well as that silver lance of his."

"The only fool here is you, Lundgren," asserted Robert as he rushed in, his white cloak billowing like a cape, swinging his sword. "After all, only a crazy person would desire the throne so badly. Why do you want it so much anyways?"

"Why? I'm the rightful ruler of Caelin!" answered Lundgren as he swiped at Robert with his lance. "I should be the one ruling this nation – Caelin needs me! Not my dotard brother or some ignorant little girl from some backwater country!"

Robert deftly jumped over the lance before lashing his foot out for a kick. Lundgren, unable to react fast enough or not seeing a threat coming from Robert's kick, didn't bother to dodge. However, visible only to Robert's eyes, All Star's leg was cloaked over Robert's like a second skin as the Stand kicked alongside him, slamming right into the knee joint of Lundgren's armor.

CRUNCH!

"Aaarrrgh!" cried out Lundgren painfully. "My armor! I… I can't move!"

"You really don't have an idea on how you'd rule Caelin, do you?" Robert retorted as he looked over the damage he dealt to Lundgren's armor – the thin knee joint had caved in from his kick, which was empowered by his Stand; the heavily dented armor now formed sharp points that dug into Lundgren's leg. "Being her ruler means being her public servant, you know?"

Lundgren, who was still in pain, leveled an incredulous look at Robert. "'Public servant?' People should be serving me, not the other way around! That's how the world always worked! The weak are to serve the strong like me!"

Robert shook his head. "Jeez… So you're planning to use Caelin's throne as a fancy toilet. What a pathetic piece of work you are… It's the people who make the nation what it is, not its ruler."

"Indeed," agreed Lyn as she brandished her sword once more, locking steely eyes with Lundgren's increasingly panicked ones. "To further your own black ambitions, you've harmed my grandfather and the very land you ought to serve. I have neither pity nor mercy for you. Lundgren! Prepare yourself!"

"You foolish whelp!" exploded Lundgren, brandishing his lance once more. "Die already!"

Lundgren attempted to charge but with the damage Robert dealt to his knee, he stumbled, with his lance extended but hitting no target. The plainswoman seized her opening – Lyn moved so quickly that she practically disappeared in a blink of an eye. For everybody else, blue-and-green afterimages of Lyn flashed around Lundgren before multiple slashes began appearing all over Lundgren's body, with many of them concentrated at the armored joints.

"UWAAAAAAHHH!" Lundgren cried out as he felt the sacred blade cut into his skin.

The moment time Lyn reappeared, blood exploded from Lundgren's freshly cut wounds. Some of the armor plates clattered onto the ground as Lundgren collapsed onto his knees, making him cry out briefly in more pain as blood pooled on the floor around his legs. The usurper was now trying to use his lance as a crutch.

"That annoying little girl…" he ground out, his teeth clenched in pain. "Nothing but a savage from Sacae… The Caelin throne… should be… mine… I… wouldn't… let you…"

Suddenly, an energy crescent flew right beside Lundgren, slamming right into the castle wall behind him, leaving a visible gash in the stone while a metallic clattering sound can be heard at the same time. Lundgren turned to see what had flown past him only to see that his right arm, which was still wielding his lance, was now lying on the ground, bleeding at the joint that had previously connected it to his shoulder. Seeing his severed arm as well as his lance lying uselessly on the ground in a bloody heap prompted the old man to look to his shoulder only to confirm that his shoulder was now a bleeding stump.

"YEEEEAAAAAAGHHH!" Lundgren let out a bloodcurdling scream from both pain and horror as more blood gushed out from his shoulder wound.

"Tough words coming from an old fart," jeered Robert, as he sheathed his sword, which had been glowing from Robert using Sword Beam earlier, before he plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it, releasing Ivysaur, who looked much like Bulbasaur except he had gotten bigger and the bulb had opened to reveal a pink bud surrounded by green fronds. "Now then, how does the saying go again? Ah, right: 'the chickens come home to roost'. Ivysaur, use Toxic!"

"Ivy!" Ivysaur spat out a stream of frothy purple liquid at Lundgren, splattering all over his face.

"Blegh!" gagged the usurper, visibly flinching in pain as some of the toxic liquid got into his open wounds, irritating them. "What is this humiliation?!"

Then, he began to cough violently; he was beginning to feel nauseated and lightheaded. He could feel his nerves burning as if they had been electrocuted. His vision began to blur as he wobbled on his knees like a drunkard. He could also feel his strength leave his muscles.

"Wh-what? Why do I feel so sick…? A-and so… feeble?!" spluttered Lundgren before he glared at Robert and Ivysaur, coughing up blood. "What in Saint Elimine's name did that wretched beast do to me?!"

"The only 'wretched beast' here is you, Lundgren. And what Ivysaur did was a fitting punishment for the man who committed genocide by mass poisoning," answered Robert grimly. "Ivysaur's Toxic poisoned you, and badly at that. The poison isn't lethal on its own but on rotten cancer like you, it may as well be lethal."

Lundgren began to crawl towards Robert shakily before prostrating himself pathetically, still coughing and dry heaving. "You… boy… no… young man… What… What would it take you to spare me… and join me? I… I could give you an-anything you want in… ex-exchange… for your s-services… M-money, land, women, e-even a noble title – they could all be yours."

"Wow… he cracked a lot sooner than I expected," thought Robert, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"I think he skipped into the bargaining stage of grief," chirped Palutena cheekily via telepathy.

"Could you bring back the people you so carelessly killed?" cut in Lyn, glaring at her granduncle. "Could you bring back my father? My mother? Or the rest of the Lorca tribe?"

"And did you ever offer mercy to the people of the Lorca when you set the Taliver bandits on them? Did you ever consider leaving them alone and just appreciating what you already have?" added Robert. "I don't think so. You're not deserving of anybody's mercy and now, I think your fancy Bernese armor that you're so proud of would make a lovely coffin for you."

Lundgren looked frantically around the area, his eyes bulging in fear, hoping to find anybody who would save him, only to find none – he was all alone, surrounded by enemies. Lundgren whimpered in fright as he watched as Robert's Mega Evolved Swampert walked up to his trainer's side, flexing his bulbous fingers as if he were ready to break something just by grabbing it. Robert also threw a Poké Ball into the air, releasing the dragon-like Charizard, who immediately glared at Lundgren, blowing cinders and smoke from her flared nostrils at the old man.

"You've got no more friends, no more allies, and no more hostages or meat shields you can use against us," said Robert. "You will die alone."

Lyn stepped up with an expression of steely resolve, readying her sword for one last time for Lundgren. "I won't let you hurt anyone ever again."

With a swift slice from the Sacaen swordswoman, Lundgren was no more – his neatly severed head rolled onto the ground, his body now clattering in a bloody heap of flesh and metal.

The inheritance dispute for the Caelin throne had finally ended.

Robert swallowed some of his saliva as he turned away from Lundgren's corpse, willing himself not to vomit as he turned his attention to the Sacaen plainswoman. "You all right, Lyn?"

"I'm not," admitted Lyn. "But I think I will be, given enough time. Lundgren had taken so much away from me. But let's not focus on that right now. I still need to meet my grandfather!"

The young Asian American smiled. "Yeah, let's get into the castle."

Kent and Sain grouped up with Lyn and Robert.

"You two all right there?" asked Kent, rubbing his head.

"I should be asking you the same question," chuckled Robert in reply. "You took quite a fall there."

"That's what I keep telling my boon partner," laughed Sain before he turned serious. "Though what was that all about with Lundgren? You cut off his arm and had one of your Pokémon poison him before Lyn finally ended him."

"Why did I do all that?" Robert thought as he looked down, searching for an answer; he was silent for several moments.

"I… I don't know…" he answered at last. "Just knowing how much Lundgren did to Lyn and so many people. I… I just want to hurt him so much. To make him suffer for everything he's done. To make him feel the same pain his victims felt. The dead can't feel pain so I didn't kill him right away…"

Wallace walked up, his armor clanking, before he locked eyes with Robert.

After a few moments, Wallace palmed one of Robert's shoulders gently. "Young man, you may have a good head on your shoulders, but I can tell that you've had a lot of anger and sadness held deep inside of you. You probably saw Lundgren as some sort of outlet for those frustrations, didn't you?"

"Yeah… I… I guess you're right…" admitted Robert.

"At least you were being truthful… or at least believe that you told the truth. Just remember to control your anger, not let your anger control you, you hear me?"

"Yeah…"

"All right, that's enough," cut in Lyn. "Let's get a move on – I still need to see if my grandfather is okay, after all!"

Wallace chuckled. "You're right, but I shouldn't worry too much – if I know Lord Hausen well enough, he's a prideful old man. He won't allow some poison from his younger brother to end him so easily after all."

"Nevertheless, he's been poisoned for a good while. I still want to be sure he's okay when I meet him."

Lyn and her Legion finally entered the castle, the final destination of Lyn's long, perilous journey that had the young lady leave her home from Sacae Plains. As soon as they arrived at the castle's foyer, a middle-aged man scuttled in, accompanied by Matthew. The man had black hair that was beginning to gray along with a similarly graying mustache and wore an emerald green tunic with bright gold trimming, denoting some level of importance in the building.

"Matthew, what are you doing here?" asked Lyn.

Matthew gave Lyn a cheeky grin. "I snuck in to free the officials Lundgren locked up. You guys provided such a good distraction that nobody saw me."

The man in the green tunic gave Lyn his full attention.

"You are Lady Lyndis, are you not?" greeted the man formally.

"Yes, I am," answered Lyn, cautious of the unfamiliar man. "Who are you?"

The man bowed before Lyn, visibly relaxing some as he introduced himself. "I am Reissmann, the chancellor of the Caelin royal family. I had received word from Kent and Sain when you first met them, but then Lundgren discovered the message and imprisoned me. It is my great pleasure to welcome you to your true home."

"Thank you. May I see my grandfather now?"

Reissmann nodded as he beckoned to a nearby set of carpeted stairs. "Yes, of course. Please follow me, milady."

"Robert, please come with me, too," Lyn requested to the tactician.

"Uh, sure," Robert agreed, a bit surprised by the request.

Lyn and Robert followed Reissmann up the stairs and through a few corridors before finally arriving at a thick oaken door.

"Do not be shocked by what you see," the chancellor warned as he brought his hand to the doorknob. "Lundgren has been poisoning the marquess's meals for some time. His body has been ravaged… He's been bedridden for months."

"I understand," replied Lyn solemnly. "Please let me see him anyways."

Inside of the bedroom, Hausen woke up in his bed with a start as soon as he heard the doorknob began to turn. He slowly sat up and looked at the source of the disturbance.

"Who is there?" demanded the bedridden man feebly as he coughed. "I said no visitors. I will see no one."

"Will it be all right?" whispered Lyn to Robert anxiously.

"You'll be all right," Robert replied, whispering as well. "I'll be right here in case you need me, okay?"

"Thank you."

Lyn slowly walked into the room quietly, leaving Robert and Reissmann at the door. Finally seeing her grandfather for the very first time, she had indeed expected him to be an old man but she couldn't help but to feel sorry for him; to her, Hausen looked as pale as a ghost. Lyn was silent, unsure of what to say first as grandfather and granddaughter regarded each other awkwardly.

After several seconds, Hausen became impatient with the awkward silence as he slowly began to slump sleepily. "What are you doing? Leave me… to die…"

Lyn finally plucked up her courage when she saw that her grandfather was about to go back to sleep.

"Um… Pardon me… My name is… I'm Lyndis," she announced nervously at last.

Upon hearing Lyn's name, Hausen became fully alert as he sat up on his bed, his back straight, looking searchingly at long lost granddaughter. "Eh? Did you say 'Lyndis'? Is that…"

"My father's name was Hassar, chieftain of the Lorca. My mother was… Madelyn. I was raised on the plains."

The ill marquess gasped softly in surprise, recognizing the name of his beloved daughter before he spoke with hopeful and desperate hope. "Could… Could it be? Come, come here. Let me see your face."

At her grandfather's beckoning, Lyn moved closer until she stood by his bed. Hausen looked carefully at Lyn's face. After several seconds, a small, warm smile appeared on the elderly man's face.

"Oh… Yes… There is no doubt… You are Madelyn's trueborn child…" proclaimed Hausen happily before he groaned in discomfort. "Uhhh… Ahhhh…"

He turned away to cough violently.

"Grandfather!" gasped Lyn.

The two embraced for the first time. If there was any notion that Lyn's presence was an illusion to Hausen, it was easily dispelled. Hausen struggled and failed to hold back his tears, so happy to meet his granddaughter at last. Lyn wasn't faring much better; she was openly crying tears of joy, glad to meet her grandfather at last and to know that he was happy to meet her.

"Lundgren told me that my daughter had died. My heir…and you, too; he told me you were dead," he whimpered softly, emotionally wounded by the mix of harsh truth and insidious lie. "Thank you… Thank you for living. Ahh… I am blessed…"

"Mother and Father were slain last year by brigands," sobbed Lyn sadly. "I… I was the only survivor. I lived on, but…"

Before Lyn could speak any further, Hausen brought a finger to her lips, gently shushing her. "Lyndis, please forgive a prideful old man. If I had but accepted your parents' love… there would have been no bandits. We would have lived here together in perfect peace."

He removed his finger to let Lyn speak.

"Grandfather, my parents… My tribe… Our life was one of love and peace," affirmed Lyn with a sad smile. "The end was tragic, but… up until the attack, we were truly happy."

Hausen blinked and wiped away his tears. "Truly? Madelyn had a life of happiness? Knowing that gives me so much joy. Thank you, Lyndis. I can die in peace now…"

He leaned back into his bed and began to close his eyes.

Lyn hugged Hausen tightly, not willing to let him go so easily, her tears returning in full force. "No! Grandfather! You mustn't say that!"

Hausen coughed feebly as he gently patted Lyn's back in an attempt to comfort her. "There's no avoiding it, Lyndis. I've taken too much poison for far too long. It's too late…"

"Be brave, Grandfather! You will recover! Believe me! On the plains, we say that illness fails in the face of a strong heart! I am with you now! You mustn't give up!"

"You're… with me…"

"Yes. We have so much to talk about. Walks to take, music to listen to. There's so much I want to do with you, so much lost time we can recover!"

Hausen blinked as he imagined going onto those excursions with his granddaughter as a smile crept back onto his face. "That does sound… nice."

Lyn couldn't help but to smile in return. "Doesn't it? And once you're well, I'll take you to the plains. I'll show you the endless sky, the oceans of grass… I want you to know the lands my mother loved so much!"

"When was the last time I was excited to travel in my old life?" Robert wondered to himself as he watched Lyn interact with the marquess; he couldn't help but to feel a bit envious before he pushed his childish envy aside. "Back in my old life, I hardly had a choice when it comes to traveling – my parents would just expect me to drop everything to travel with them with no option to refuse… Buy me a ticket and expect me to be grateful for it, even with my dad throwing a hissy fit at some point just because something in the trip didn't work out or something like that."

"The lands Madelyn loved…" voiced out Hausen, liking the idea as he pictured spending a leisurely day on the plains with Lyn. "You're right. I still have… quite a bit of living to do."

He then had another coughing fit.

"You can do it, Grandfather!" Lyn encouraged before she turned to the door at last. "Robert, please come in here, I need your help!"

"Heard you loud and clear," affirmed Robert solemnly as he entered marquess's bedroom.

"Lyndis, who is he?" asked Hausen with a raised eyebrow.

"A friend I made on the plains – he's been so helpful to me since I met him," answered Lyn before she returned her attention to Robert. "Do you have something that could help grandfather with his condition?"

Robert gave Lyn a reassuring smile. "I know just the thing."

He walked to the nearby bedside table and then reached into his inventory via his bag and produced a knife, a wooden cutting board, and a fruit that looked like a small, pink peach, and several fruits that looked like large, plump blueberries, all of which he put onto the table. He began to cut the fruits up on the cutting board.

"What are these?" Lyn queried, curious.

"This one here is a Pecha Berry," Robert answered, pointing to the pink fruit pieces. "Not only does it taste sweet, it also cures whoever eats it from poisonings."

He then pointed to the blue fruits he was now cutting up. "These are Oran Berries. Not only do they have a slightly dry but delicious taste, but they can also heal wounds."

"An antidote and healing berries!" gasped Lyn in wonder. "That means my grandfather can be healed quickly!"

"Yes, though he may still need some rest."

Robert then reached back into his inventory to pull out a wooden tray with foldable legs. He then unfolded the legs, giving the tray an appearance of a small, short table, before loading the cutting board of fruits on top of it. "Looks like a late breakfast in bed, Lord Hausen. A Pecha Berry and some Oran Berries, all diced."

He then deposited the loaded tray onto the bed, taking care to position the tray's legs around Hausen's legs. "I advise eating the pink fruit first. Bon appétit."

Hausen looked at the fruits curiously. "I've never seen fruits like these before, but if they could help me right now…"

He then plucked a piece of Pecha Berry off the cutting board and ate it, making sure to chew it thoroughly, wanting to savor the sweet flavor of the berry piece's flesh and fluids before he swallowed it.

"Ngh?!" As soon as Hausen swallowed it, the change was practically instantaneous: his skin began to regain its proper color as the poison began to be purged from his body. Realizing the effect eating a single piece of Pecha Berry had on his body prompted him to eat more of the pink pieces more quickly. Before too long, Hausen began eating the Oran Berry pieces, too.

"The young man wasn't joking…!" thought Hausen to himself as he devoured the diced berries ravenously. "I can feel my strength returning. My body isn't in pain anymore… well, aside from the pain that comes from my old age. I feel so much better… and alive!"

Lyn watched her grandfather's reaction to the berries with fascination as the berries rapidly disappeared down his throat. "How… how are they?"

"These berries are nothing short of a miracle!" remarked Hausen with a sense of renewed energy as he sat up straight and rolled his arms around. "I feel like I got several years of my life back! They also taste delicious, too!"

He then turned his attention to Robert. "Young man, what is your name?"

"My name is Robert," the bespectacled man answered carefully, bowing. "I work as Lyndis's logistics support and tactician. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Hausen."

"No, no, the pleasure is all mine! From what I can understand, thanks to you, I got to see my granddaughter at last and got my life back. Now, I feel that I can continue ruling Caelin for the foreseeable future as well as have plenty of time to spend with Lyndis, whom is already dear to my heart. I can't thank you enough for this – both as a marquess and as a grandfather."

"Ah… well… I was just doing the right thing anybody should…"

"You did more than just that, Robert," chimed in Lyn, hugging him from behind. "Don't forget: you became my friend and supported me through that perilous journey."

Hausen raised an eyebrow as he watched his granddaughter hug her friend. A knowing, teasing smile began to spread on his aged face. "Is there something going on between you two I should know about?"

It was late afternoon when Robert and Lyn walked outside into the castle courtyard, hand in hand. They found a bench that sat by a well-maintained garden and took their seats, quietly enjoying the gentle spring breeze.

"Wow… I couldn't believe that grandfather approved of us being together so quickly," remarked Lyn happily, lightly blushing.

"I can't believe it, either," Robert chuckled, lightly blushing as well. "I thought he'd do the whole 'protective father' routine and then some since he is the marquess himself! But I'm glad that we can be together like this."

"Me too… though are you sure you're going to be all right? After all, my grandfather… the marquess… did make you the heir to Caelin's throne after I told him that I have no interest in the throne."

"Yeah… I don't know if I'd do a good job at being the marquess of Caelin in the future… It'd be a lot of work… and I'm not sure if the people of Caelin would accept me."

"I won't worry about that. Remember that you and I are betrothed… It's just not made public yet."

"Right, and Lord Hausen is still alive right now, so it's not like I have to worry about ruling a whole march at this moment. Though he does plan on abdicating the throne to me in a few years so that he could spend the rest of his time with you, Lyn."

Then, Robert spotted a blank spot in the garden soil, as if nothing had been planted there yet. A sudden thought occurred to him, prompting him to pluck off a Poké Ball from his belt before throwing it into the air.

"Ivysaur, c'mon out!" he ordered.

"Ivy!" The plant-frog hybrid Pokémon looked around in curiosity before he turned his attention to Robert. "Ivy?"

The trainer pointed to the spot. "Ivysaur, do you see that blank spot in the garden? Is there anything growing in it?"

Ivysaur walked over to place his trainer gestured at and examined it, sniffing it with his nose and poking at it with a tendril-like vine from his body. The Seed Pokémon then shook his head.

"Ah, so there's nothing growing there," Robert affirmed. "In that case…"

Robert reached into his inventory to pull out a fresh, plump Pecha Berry.

"Robert, what are you doing?" asked Lyn as she watched Robert make his way into the castle garden.

"Leaving my mark here," Robert answered as he began to dig a small hole into the soil before depositing the pink berry into said hole. He then covered the berry with the soil. "I don't know how long it'd take, but given enough time and care, these berries can grow into fruit-bearing trees."

He then repeated the process in another spot in the garden, only this time, he planted a blue Oran Berry into the soil. Then, he returned Ivysaur to his Poké Ball before calling out Swampert so that the Mud Fish Pokémon can use one of his Water-type moves to water the spots Robert planted the berries in.

"There," said Robert, dusting the soil off his hands after recalling Swampert back into his Poké Ball. "In the near future, Lord Hausen could enjoy more of these berries."

Lyn smiled. "I'm sure he'd appreciate that gesture for many years to come."

Suddenly, Sain rushed into the castle courtyard.

"Lady Lyndis!" the cavalier called out. "Do you honestly plan on remaining here? Tell me truly!"

Lyn nodded. "Yes, until my grandfather is well. I can't leave him now. I won't."

Kent joined them a moment later, panting a little. "Good grief, Sain, you didn't need to run off like that…"

Once he caught his breath, Kent focused on Lyn and Robert. "The physician says that Lord Hausen looks like a new man. It's like he had never gotten ill at all. And it's all thanks to you, milady, as well as you, Robert, er, milord."

Robert palmed his forehead in mild exasperation and embarrassment. "I don't think I can get used to being called 'milord'."

Lyn chuckled, patting Robert in the back. "Try being me – I'd rather be called Lyn but they call me 'Lyndis' or 'Lady Lyndis'."

She then returned her attention to Kent. "Anyways, grandfather is the only family I have left – I want him to have a long life, and Robert made sure that he can keep on living."

Just then, Florina rushed in with an excited smile on her face.

"Lady Lyndis!" the pegasus knight called out happily.

"What is it, Florina?" Lyn asked in reply. "What's gotten you so excited?"

"I've been taken into service by House Caelin! From here on, Lyn… I mean, Lady Lyndis… We'll be together always!"

Lyn couldn't help but to become excited, too. "Really? Oh, that pleases me so…but… Please don't call me Lady Lyndis. For you, I'm still just Lyn."

Florina shook her head. "My pegasus and I fly for your house now. I am your servant. There are rules to follow."

As a show of sincerity, Florina straightened herself up with her lance standing at her side and one hand up raised in salute.

"Florina!" gasped Lyn.

The pegasus knight locked her bright green eyes with Lyn's darker green ones. "I'm happiest when I'm with you. That's more important than how I address you… Please…"

Lyn sighed. "I suppose I'll just have to get used to it, right? Very well. I understand."

Florina then relaxed before she hugged Lyn. "Oh, thank you! I do love you, Lyn!"

The plainswoman laughed until Florina realized her faux pas.

"Oops! I mean… Lady Lyndis!" Florina corrected herself, letting go of Lyn.

"Oh, Florina!"

"Congrats, Florina," chimed in Robert, applauding her. "I bet your sisters would be surprised once they know that you now work under a noble house. You went from mercenary to… um, what are you going to be now?"

"Oh! I'm going to be a knight for Caelin, Robert… er, Lord Robert."

"Aw man, not you, too!" Robert laughed, making Florina giggle. "Anyways, it sounds like all your hard work paid off."

"Yes, thanks to you!"

"Wait, me? Really? How?"

"Well, uh… I did learn a lot from you when I helped you learn how to fly with Charizard… and I also learned a lot based on your tactics."

"But you put in all that effort along with Huey – you two are a great team together."

Florina beamed from Robert's praise as Wil walked into the courtyard.

"Lady Lyndis!" the brunet archer called, waving. "I've decided to stay, too!"

Lyn was surprised and nonplussed. "Wil? Weren't you planning on returning home?"

Wil scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was but… I've grown quite fond of Lyndis's Legions, you know… I couldn't possibly leave everyone behind. I'll send word to my family regarding my decision."

"I'm pleased to have you, Wil. Thank you."

"Thank you, milady."

Robert turned to Lyn with a smile. "Looks like you'll be in good company."

"Yes… I believe my life as a noble wouldn't be a lonely one, for sure. With you, Florina, and everybody else who plan on staying."

Robert then hummed in thought as an idea occurred to him. He then excused himself and Lyn so that they could talk at a different spot in the courtyard garden.

"You know how your mother was Lord Hausen's daughter and your father was the chieftain of the Lorca tribe?" started Robert. "Perhaps we could set up a place of our own out on Sacae Plains – preferably where or near the Lorca tribe used to be. It would be nice to have a place there, especially if you and your grandfather were to visit."

Lyn visibly brightened in excitement at the thought of the idea. "That would be wonderful! But wouldn't it be expensive?"

"Oh, Lord Hausen won't be paying for it; after all, we still need to clean up the mess Lundgren left behind. I'll handle the construction of our new home on Sacae."

"You know, I've been wondering something."

"Mm? What is it?"

"How were you able to afford being able to feed us and keep us supplied, especially at the start? I know you loot the bandits we defeat but…"

Robert nodded. "It's meant to be a secret but I'll tell you – I use a different currency other than gold to buy some things thanks to my connection to Palutena."

"The Goddess of Light you spoke of back when we first met?"

"The very same. I use Hearts to buy some things and I do get some for completing goals or defeating enemies, not unlike how I loot the bandits for money and supplies."

Robert then took out his smartphone and went to the shop application to see the amount of Hearts he had. As soon as he viewed the number, his eyes nearly popped out in surprise.

"What is it?" asked Lyn, wonder what made her fiancé react in such a way.

"It looks like I've gotten a lot of Hearts recently," explained Robert with an excited smile. "I'd need to check the prices for materials first though perhaps having a place of our own isn't that far off now. That said, it'd have to wait a while."

"Yes, Caelin does need us now."

"Yeah… While Hausen is now recovering well, Lundgren still did a lot of damage to Caelin: a lot of people are hungry and there may be many who have lost friends or loved ones. But once Caelin has healed, I can't help but feel like a bright future is ahead of us."

Lyn happily smiled.

"Lady Lyndis! Lord Robert!" called out Kent, prompting the new couple to rush over to him.

"What is it, Kent?" Robert asked.

"I've been informed that it's nearing time for dinner, and Lord Hausen is planning to have a banquet."

Sain nodded. "And Lord Hausen requested you to help with the food preparations."

"Ah, so he wants to try my cooking, huh?" Robert asked rhetorically as he began to head back into the castle. "I better get busy."

"Ah, wait for me, Robert!" gasped Lyn. "I'll help, too!"

The next morning, several members of Lyndis's Legion were preparing to go back to their respective homes or to their next destinations now that the inheritance dispute between Lyn and Lundgren had been settled.

Erk had to continue escorting Serra to Ostia, which was further to the west of Caelin. The mage had to hold back a dismayed groan as he shook Robert's hand, promising to see him again in the future before he left with the young cleric.

Dorcas, upon receiving his due payment, quietly departed east, heading in the direction of Bern where his wife waited for his return.

Matthew and Rath were nowhere to be seen – they had left without so much as a goodbye; Matthew had snuck off during the night while Rath left at daybreak. Robert wasn't bothered, however, as he knew that he will see them again in the near future.

Ninian and Nils were prepared to leave as well. Ninian gave Robert a longing look before the black-haired man stopped them.

"Are you two going to be okay on your own?" Robert asked, concerned for the two cyan-haired performers. "You two were targeted by some assassins' guild. Who's to say that it wouldn't happen again? You two could stay here with us."

The siblings looked at each other, conflicted, before looking back at Robert.

"But wouldn't that put all of you in danger, too?" Nils replied.

"Perhaps," Robert conceded. "But you two have a better chance of being protected while here. And we'd know where or how to protect you both if we know where you are."

Then Robert patted the Poké Balls clipped at his belt. "Plus, don't forget that I have my Pokémon, too – they'll also help protect you."

Robert could feel the capture devices vibrate, as if nodding in agreement.

"Besides, Caelin needs help, and I'm sure you two can help it heal," he added.

"How?" asked Ninian timidly. "All we can do is, well, perform."

"Exactly. It is said that music and dance are like universal languages – they can transcend barriers like differing cultures or verbal languages. Caelin had suffered under Lundgren's tyranny and the nation could use your help, however little it may seem to you."

"Are… are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Besides, you and Nils are my friends, and I won't let you two go only to be snatched up by some creeps. And I'll let you two stay in the castle."

Lyn nodded, agreeing with him. "You two are more than welcome here."

"Friends…" Ninian repeated cautiously.

Robert nodded. "You know what friends do? They look out for each other. You two are no exception to me."

Ninian could feel tears begin to well up in her ruby eyes. "I'm… I'm not so deserving of your trust… What if… what if I deceive you? What then?"

"Are you hiding some sort of secret? One that you couldn't reveal even if you wanted to?"

"I already know that you and Nils are manaketes… Well, half-manaketes," thought Robert to himself. "Now how to tell them."

He then beckoned to the duo, his eyes shifting side-to-side as if checking for eavesdroppers. "Tell you what: I do have a secret I'm willing to share with you two. I'll whisper it."

Nils and Ninian moved closer to Robert and leaned in.

"I know you two are manaketes," he whispered softly. "And I don't care that you're both manaketes. You're still my friends and I have no reason to fear you two at all."

Nils's and Ninian's eyes became wide with surprise and shock. The siblings looked into Robert's dark brown eyes, searching for any sign that the bespectacled man was joking or lying only to see that he was being truthful.

"Smooth, Romeo," Palutena giggled to Robert cheekily via telepathy, making Robert feel heat in his cheeks slightly.

"So… you're not afraid of dragons at all," said an awed Ninian, with hope leaking into her voice.

Nils sighed with a small smile. "You know, I should've figured that you already knew. I've always felt that there's something odd about you… but I know you're a good person."

"I'd need to have a good reason to be afraid of dragons," retorted Robert. "And I don't see any from you two. Now then, c'mon. I'm sure you two would like to find rooms to stay in while living in the castle."

Robert and Lyn went back into the castle. Ninian and Nils looked at each other, smiled, and followed them.

Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy and had a few bouts of writer's block!

Lyn's Story in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade is finally finished! I wonder what's next...