25th Noble Lion Moon, 908

Productivity in getting the prisoners up to speed on the prison break was going much slower than Melissa anticipated, but it wasn't due to a lack of cooperation on their part. In fact, the prisoners Fintan managed to sway to her side were more than welcomed to follow her lead, which was a plus in her favor.

No, the real issue was…Terrowin.

She couldn't quite describe it, but his presence made her feel tense when they passed each other. The man who was the leader of the very organization they've been fighting against from the shadows was in the same space as her, and he meandered through the days like an old friend. It was disturbing, to say the least.

Terrowin wasted no opportunity trying to strike up a conversation with the Buneary, and she tried to reject his welcoming aura as politely as she could. She should've just yelled at him and said she would never trust someone who was actively hunting her friends, but it felt wrong when he was being so genuine and kind. She felt a mixed bag of emotions whenever he was around.

Was she supposed to hate him? Was he tricking her? Were the tales about him exaggerated? She couldn't make up her mind on how to look at the old Sceptile.

Who was Terrowin?

"Ah, Harlow. Good day." She yelped and spun around as the devil of her thoughts himself approached her with a loaf of bread, no doubt stale. He tore it in half and handed one half to her. "I noticed you haven't eaten anything yet, so I took the liberty of grabbing some lunch for you."

"…" She eyed the bread warily, flashes of an evil penguin crackling through her mind. "Uh…n-no thanks. I can get my own." She gently pushed his hand away before turning her back to him.

"Well, would you care to join me for lunch regardless?" he asked. "I'm a trifle bit bored down here, and there isn't a whole lot to stimulate the senses. I usually pass the time with one of my books in my private den. Do you enjoy reading, Harlow?"

She gritted her teeth. "I…guess?"

"Do you have any favorites? I have a vast collection. If I had the means to, I would lend you some of my copies. Are you familiar with some of these classics? Decaying Lights on an Ocean's Voyage? The Traveling Umbrella? Once in a Red Moon? To Sin, From Faith? The Secret Compass—"

"N-No!" She winced at her own sharp tone before clearing her throat. "Um, I mean…Mr. Terrowin, I appreciate your suggestions and will look into them if I ever get the chance, but I am really busy at the moment."

He frowned. "Oh. My apologies. I was hoping to strike up idle conversation. I'm afraid you are the only familiar face in this dingy squalor, though I suppose that's purely from hearsay of your exploits. I've tried conversing with the other prisoners, but many of them have been…sizing me up to see how quickly they can break my legs? My, my, you must be one tough girl to survive down here—"

"Okay! Goodbye, Mr. Terrowin." Melissa hurriedly stomped off, shaking off the last of her jitters.

"…" Terrowin sighed before walking away, slapping himself in the face. Alright, my conversational skills are as bad as ever. Good to know. I knew I should've brush up on idle interaction before I left.

The awkward conversation between distant enemies didn't go unnoticed. Vilde kept a close eye on both Melissa and Terrowin, especially with the Sceptile's sudden transfer into the prison. He noticed immediately how quickly Terrowin engaged with the Buneary, almost as if they knew each other. He wanted to say he was another of her allies to help in her ridiculous prison break, but her tense standoffs with the Sceptile proved otherwise. Their relation to each other remained a mystery for the time being.

And in that time of scoping them out from a distance, Vilde's whirlwind of mixed emotions continued to be a burden on him. Any opportunity he saw to end Melissa's escape planning would end in him giving up from a lack of motivation. He just didn't have the heart to go through with it, and it frustrated him.

Why was he being so indecisive over this? He would be doing everyone a favor. Nero wasn't a man to take lightly. Vilde knew about the last attempted prison break, the one before Lothar's, and that could've cost all the prisoners' lives just by association. The brave little Buneary was going to get everyone killed if there was so much as a single slipup. Why bet on that chance?

Vilde covered his face and groaned. "Why can't she see how reckless she's being?"

"Because she's still young. Still naïve. And still full of hope."

"…" Vilde glared at his left and saw Corin in his usual spot chained to the wall. The withered Typhlosion laughed to himself as Vilde looked upon him. "I didn't ask you."

"You were speaking so loudly that I was mistaken." Corin tilted his head and grinned. "You must really hate her guts."

"I hate how brazen she's being."

"Are you still mad about your loss?"

"Of course I am!" he snapped. "I've been working day and night to get stronger, and now I had my win record stolen from me because of her!"

Corin glared. "Is she really the cause of your loss?"

"If she hadn't interfered when she did, I could've knocked Lothar out, and that entire prison break he attempted would've never happened."

Corin shrugged. "But that's not her fault, is it? She didn't beat you. Galus took your precious win record away because the emperor decided to be silly with the inconclusive results. You're fixating your anger onto her over something that wasn't her fault."

"…" Vilde collapsed back against the wall and sighed.

"…Or is it something else that's got you heated?" Corin gazed up at the ceiling. "You've been here a long while. Longer than me. You're not someone who should be putting so much stress on one bad defeat."

"You don't know what it means to lose." Vilde snarled. "Especially from someone who threw his one hundredth victory away."

"…" Corin smirked. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."

"You were undefeated the moment you set foot in the colosseum. You won every battle you participated in, yet you ended up losing in your last match. But you didn't go all out in that fight, and you put on such a convincing performance."

"…"

"Why the hell did you let Casimir walk free that day?"

"…" Corin sighed. "You think I was captured? I marched straight into Telo Martius and let them capture me."

Vilde's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"I've been around a while, and…I picked up some interesting company in my travels." He smirked. "There was this young man who was…lost. Troubled. No one to look out for him. Kid lost both his parents and had his sister taken from him. Pitied him, so I figured I could give him a crash course in survival. Of course, I knew I was brewing a troubled soul into doing something stupid. He was an impulsive child, and nothing would've stopped his search to find his sister."

"…What did you do?"

"Heh. Why do you think I'm chained up here? I caught Emperor Nero's attention, so we struck a deal. If I can survive a whole year like this, I'm granted one request."

"I thought you were being punished for attempting a prison break."

"You look down upon me too much, Vilde." The Typhlosion straightened himself up and chuckled. "We all do stupid things for people we care about, and I think that's precisely why you hate Harlow so much."

"…" Vilde narrowed his eyes at the ground.

"Come. Sit with me. Let's see if we can peel back the layers of that anger of yours. Who is the man known as Buckshot Vilde? And what does he desire most of all?"

Meanwhile…

While Telo Martius was known to throw prisoners into the colosseum or put captured women to work as servants, there were occasions where a dungeon was used to contain less than desirable nuisances. It was seldom used, only really for the occasional troublemakers in Telo Martius.

Recently, however, it served to house the Subterran soldier that accompanied Terrowin.

Alfhild Lind sat in her dungeon cell, stripped of her hammer and armor and left with only the rags provided to her. She sat against the back wall, arms crossed and eyes closed as her tray of stale bread and water sat off to the side. Compared to living in the Subterra Kingdom's depths, it was remarkably frigid on the surface world despite being around the summertime.

She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the dungeon entrance opening. She half-expected a guard to approach her cell and take back her tray. Instead, as she looked up, she found herself staring up at the very Pikachu responsible for her capture.

Jason crossed his arms and glared back at her, sensing the passive hostility in the Tinkaton's eyes. "Of all the things I had to deal with, this was among the last I needed on my list. A Subterran soldier accompanying the leader of Last Autumn. That only raises so many questions."

"…" Alfhild's glare deepened.

"I don't know much about Subterran culture, but I know enough. Based on the medals I found on your armor, you're a 1st Rank Magma Warrior. You let yourself get captured."

"…"

"And after Terrowin ordered you, I take it." He gripped the bars and leaned closer toward the cell. "What's your deal with Last Autumn? Why is Terrowin colluding with the Subterra Kingdom?"

Alfhild scoffed. "{Don't waste your breath, land skitter. Neither you or I can understand each other.}"

It was the response Jason expected. Even if she could speak English, it would just be another roundabout interrogation like with Junko, and this time without Lucient as a translator. He sighed and pulled away from the bars. "Look, whatever Terrowin promised your kingdom, you can't trust him. You have no idea how dangerous he is. Please, anyway you can, try and understand what I'm saying and help me find out what Terrowin wants."

"{You keep mentioning that man's name. You know of him?}" She shrugged. "{It doesn't make any difference to me. I serve to carry out King Obsidian's orders.}"

Though Jason's understanding of the Subterra Kingdom's archaic language was limited, he knew a few key words…mostly because some of them found their way into Journey of the Storm Breaker. Among that list of words he knew, he recognized the word king.

"Your king has some sort of bargain with Terrowin, then? What are they planning?" Jason asked.

Alfhild, too, couldn't understand a thing Jason was saying, but recognized a few key words of his own…mostly because the English equivalents popped up occasionally in the Epics of Siegfried. Something about her king, Terrowin, and…negotiating, she believed he said?

She scowled. "{The business of my king and that man are none of your concern, land skitter. Cease this pointless interrogation.}"

Jason glared, sensing her hostile tone. "You're doing this purely out of obligation for your king, aren't you? Do you even care what happens to the surface?"

"{Are you still talking, land skitter?}"

"You're making this difficult for the both of us. Do you want to be locked up in a cell for the rest of your life?"

"{I could be back home bathing in the magma pits and reading the Epics of Siegfried, but I'm stuck up here getting interrogated by some nameless goon. What a time to be alive.}"

Jason groaned, slapping himself in the face. She almost definitely can't understand a word I'm saying. I was hoping to get some useful information out of her. So far, I know Terrowin made a deal with the Subterran king, but I already came to that conclusion when I saw her armor. This would be so much easier if I could sneak Lucient through the city, or even Hedwig at this point. Maybe I should've brought Godfrey along, too.

Alfhild grabbed her tray of food and threw it at the bars. Jason casually dodged the water and stale bread, letting them hit the cell behind him instead. "{All I do for my kingdom is for the greater good of our survival. You land skitters can't be trusted, especially after what your kind did to Oddvar.}"

Jason raised his brow, detecting the usage of a name. "Odd…var?"

"…" She scowled. "{You speak his name like it were a riddle. Have you disgraced Oddvar so much that you don't have the decency to remember his name?}"

"…" Jason glared. "Look, I'm not from the New Chariot Empire. I don't know who Oddvar is, but if you're angry about something involving your friend, I have nothing to do with it."

"{You dare mock him?!}"

"…Annnnd we're having two completely different conversations again." He groaned and turned his back to her. "Look, I'm sorry I don't know how to say we're not your enemy. I'm not exactly used to playing nice with other kingdoms."

Alfhild scowled. "{What did you do to Oddvar? Tell me what you did with him, land skitter! The king demands to know the state of his friend!}"

"I don't know who or what Oddvar is!" Jason snapped back at her. "Did New Chariot do something to him? I've never heard of the guy!"

"{You do know something, then?!}"

"…" Jason facepalmed himself. "This is getting me nowhere." He waved her off and walked away from her cell.

"…" Alfhild stood up and gripped the bars. "{The people of New Chariot will pay dearly for the torment they brought upon my people. Don't you forget that, New Chariot hound. The Subterra Kingdom will swallow your surface in the fiery pits of our magma pools.}"

Jason waved off the threat. "Yeah, yeah, keep yelling whatever at me." He let himself out of the prison, slamming the door shut behind him.

"…" Alfhild sighed and sat herself back against the wall. She took a deep breath and glared at the ceiling. "{Siegfried, give me strength. The pride of our people is at stake.}"

Telo Martius Colosseum Prison

After taking some time to clear her head, Melissa gathered a small group of her followers to the far corners of the dungeon, away from the prying eyes and ears of those who weren't completely on board with the plan yet. Using a twig graciously loaned to her by a Trevenant prisoner, she drew a rough sketch of the colosseum on the dusty floor.

"Okay, once the colosseum is fixed, battles will resume. The plan is to act casual until the time of escape." She drew Xs around the perimeter of the arena. "During one of the scheduled fights, we need to discreetly set up explosives around key points around the dungeon. Since the prisoner transfer hall and the service elevator are the only points of entry, those will be the most guarded. So instead, we should focus on escaping through the ceiling."

A Wobbuffet tilted his head. "You want us to escape through the ceiling?"

Melissa grinned. "We're going to tear the arena down on top of us. If my cohort's calculations are correct, the explosions will be set off at just the right times to create a mountain of debris to climb up through. Since New Chariot's soldiers mainly fight on leveled ground, they can't get a good angle on us. That leaves flying units, who we'll neutralize with our Rock-Type specialists."

Naclstack raised his foreleg. "But if the debris is focused in the center, there would be no place for us to escape."

Melissa grinned. "That's where the second part of the plan comes into play. We'll need to wait out the guards, but right after my partner gives the signal, our second group will launch an attack from afar. That's where we need our Grass-Types and Ice-Types to lend a hand. We're going to need to make boats."

Trevenant's eye widened. "Boats? What would we be using boats for on dry land?"

"You'll have to trust me on this one. Anyway, once the attack is launched, the second group will start the invasion and help you all to freedom while the soldiers are disposed of. They'll be forced to focus their attention on protecting and evacuating the civilians. And in all that confusion, with any luck, it'll leave Nero wide open for an assault."

Galus tilted his head, looking down at the dirt sketch. "Risky plan."

"I know, but we have every possible eventuality figured out. There's nothing that'll catch us by surprise—"

"Will I have a role in your little plan, Ms. Harlow?"

"EEK!" She and her followers jolted back as Terrowin made his presence known. "T-Terrowin?!"

The Sceptile bowed. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you. I was quite enraptured by your little scheme that I simply couldn't pass up the chance to get involved!" he explained with a hardy attitude. He knelt beside the Buneary and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're shaping up into a fine young leader, Ms. Harlow. I will gladly follow you into battle!"

"…" Melissa picked his hand up by the finger and pulled it away as if removing a dirty rag off her shoulder. "Uhhhh, yeeeeeah."

"Now, how may I lend my assistance? I may be an old man, but I still have some fight left in this withering body of mine. Perhaps I can lend a hand with the boats you—"

"Ehhhhhh…" Melissa backed away and laughed nervously. "No, uh…that's fine. We really don't need your help. I'm truly sorry for your predicament, but we have everything covered."

"No, no, I insist. You said you wanted to round up all the prisoners in your escape, and I would be most honored to assist in anyway I—AGH!" Melissa grabbed him by his prison uniform's collar and pulled him down to eye level with her scowl.

"Alright, spill it," she hissed in a low voice. "What are you up to, Terrowin?" Sensing the brief glimpse of the Buneary's sinister aura, her followers slowly backed off to give the two space.

Terrowin narrowed his eyes. "Princess, I am only offering my—"

"Don't. Call me that. I'm not the princess out here," she growled. "And you would do well to keep quiet about that. H-How do you even know about…ugh, the ringmaster," she groaned.

Terrowin sighed. "Itzal was very…informative about his last mission."

"Oh, you mean the mission where he attempted and succeeded at setting a city on fire?!" she growled, struggling to maintain her whispery tone.

"Rest assured, he was punished thoroughly for his actions."

"You let a psychopath run amuck in a populated city?!"

"To be technical, Itzal is not a psychopath, clinically speaking."

"Oh, my apologies. You let a, non-clinically speaking, deranged madman run loose?! You expect me to trust a word you say after that?"

Terrowin brushed her hand away and sat down. "Understand, princess, that I hired Itzal to go undercover and carry out an assignment during my…let's say, during my recovery from intensive surgery." He patted his twisted, wooden arm. "I allowed him the freedom to do as he pleased under the hopes he remained loyal. That has been thoroughly corrected upon his return."

She glared. "You have been harassing my friends ever since we uncovered your ploy with the Dukes of Buzzard. And you've been colluding with royalty for your heir system to give them the power to rule Virdis. Princess Evangelina, Lady Amano. And you had the gall to choose Darby as one of your heirs? Darby?! Do you know what he attempted to do to me?!"

"…I do not," Terrowin admitted slowly. "I'm aware of some of Darby's behaviors, but…my dear girl, did he attempt to hurt you?"

"Hurt me?!" She laughed bitterly in his face. "Oh, I would've gladly taken getting punched in the face over what he attempted to do to me! You think he's worthy of your little heir system?"

"…" Terrowin sighed. "I will look into the matter myself. Seems Wilkin has been omitting some information about his son…"

Melissa huffed. "I don't know why you're trying to be so nice to me, but it won't change the fact that we're enemies. I may not want you to suffer down here like all the others, but that will not stop me from hating you for everything you've done in the last thirty years."

"…" Terrowin glared. "My dear, I am terribly sorry for any trouble I may have caused you. I am reaching out to you because you are special to Last Autumn's cause."

She growled. "You mean like how I'm the perfect heir to your system?"

"Ah, you know about that already."

"If you think I'm going along with whatever sick game you're playing at, you will soon incur the wrath of the Foresters."

"…Melissa, I am being genuine. All I want to do is talk. I want us to come to an understanding."

"I understand enough." She turned and marched away from him. "Don't bother me again."

"…" He closed his eyes and sighed. I can't say I blame her. If she knew even half the deeds I did in secret, she'd have already slit my throat.

It felt silly being lectured by a man chained to the wall on the brink of starvation, but Vilde wasn't in the position to argue over what was or wasn't standard decorum. Perhaps a part of him knew he needed to vent to someone about whatever he was feeling against the rebellious Buneary, and perhaps something to appease the fire burning beneath him.

The two men stared at each other in silence that felt like it went on for hours. At some point, Vilde thought Corin passed on from the way he slumped against the wall, finally giving in to his horrific state. However, the Typhlosion merely drifted off for a moment, awakening with a loud and obnoxious yawn.

"Hmm? Oh, you're still here?" Corin teased.

Vilde narrowed his eyes. "You better not be wasting my time."

"I'm the one chained up here, Buckshot. If anything, you're wasting my time."

"Ugh…" Vilde crossed his arms over his lap. "Alright. So, you seem to know everything. You already have an idea of what I'm going through?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What do you think this is about?"

Vilde glared. "I think that Harlow is going to get everyone killed with her stupid stunt. You weren't here when it happened, but I saw what happened. I saw what that monster, Tyranno, did to the prisoners that tried to pull a fast one over Nero. He isn't making an example out of rebels."

Corin snickered. "And I actually agree with you. She is putting everyone in danger. But what's the alternative? Wasting away in a dungeon fighting for the crowd's support and praise while you nurse your broken arms, legs, and pride back to health? They sell merchandise of you, Buckshot. You're not a person in their eyes. You're their entertainment, and you'll keep entertaining them for as long as you don't break."

"I am fine with putting myself in danger. I know the risks, and I know the consequences that'll affect me. If she was doing this purely for her own benefit, it'd be the end of this conversation."

"But she's too kind. That's the problem?"

"A leader shouldn't be rallying their troops to march into a suicide mission. Nero loves releasing Tyranno onto troublemakers. Do you think he would hesitate for a second to make good on that threat?"

Corin smirked. "Well, I'm still alive, so…"

"Ugh."

"…How long have you been imprisoned, Vilde?"

"…Seven years."

"Hmph. And yet, men who have lived down here longer than you are putting their faith in this newcomer. Why are you struggling so much?"

"Because I…" He clenched his eyes shut and gripped his head, growling furiously. "Ugh! Do I even need a reason?! Even you admit this is foolish!"

"Ah, but every great figure in history starts as a fool. Fools have dreams, and they're just foolish enough to make those dreams come true. They're not impeded by society and its norms. They believe something and settle with that as the basis of their ideals. The greatest fools can change the world."

"This is so inane…"

"There was once a time where court jesters existed, and their role was to simply entertain the king. Being a jester had its perks. You would be the only man in the kingdom to insult the king to his face, and you could pass it off as your routine. And jesters across different regions have had histories of being conniving minstrels of mischiefs. They can whisper dark secrets to the king and cause chaos. All for the ultimate punchline."

"…Then what does that make Skill Hunter?"

"I'd say she's one of those fools. A fool who'll leave her mark on history. However, you can't make change without doing something crazy."

Vilde scoffed. "Unless you get killed along the way."

"You speak from experience, don't you?"

"…" Vilde looked away, hiding his downcast expression.

"…" Corin shrugged and flashed a nonchalant smile. "You know, if you're so worried about her aptitude, why not see for yourself?"

"…What do you mean?"

He smirked. "Well, since you were huffing previously about her beating you in your last fight, why not settle this little squabble? After all, what good are words when action is the universal language?"

Needing a moment to catch her breath, Melissa slumped down beside the prisoner transfer doors and covered her face, shuddering the awkward interaction off as best she could. She peeked out from behind her fingers, spotting the Sceptile sitting by his lonesome and snacking on stale bread. When he spared a glance in her direction, she immediately turned her head down.

It was an endless wave of mixed emotions. She heard every horrible thing under the sun about Last Autumn, from the past and from the present. She knew of their crime sprees and terroristic acts over thirty years ago, and she witnessed their actions herself from the times the Foresters crossed paths with them. They were not to be trusted.

And yet, Terrowin's kindness didn't feel forced or fake. Melissa had been fooled many times by the kindness of others, but she sensed genuine compassion whenever the Sceptile spoke to her, and it only made her more suspicious. How can the ruler of such a horrible organization be so…kind?

Ever since running away from the Verde Kingdom, she had to question everything she knew about morality and justice. Here she was, working alongside an infamous group of thieves hellbent on saving the region by conspiring with another kingdom to flood a city full of innocent lives. Even with the plan tailored to minimize casualties, if not prevent death from occurring, it was a convoluted mess of morals.

Everything seemed so much simpler as a princess, believing the world could be sustained by simple morals. Good was good, and evil was evil. Nothing made sense anymore, and she had to adapt to this new world on the fly.

What else could complicate matters?

As she tried to sort through her storming thoughts, she heard two bodies suddenly slumping to the ground on the other side of the door. It sounded like the two guards collapsed. However, rather than be alarmed by this, she stood up and faced the door, extending her ears all the way.

"…Jason?" she whispered.

"…Hey."

"Hey."

"You don't sound so well."

"It's…there's a lot going on."

"I figured."

"Um, are they…?"

On the other side of the door, Jason looked at the two unconscious guards as the lingering effects of his sleeping pellet wafted through the air. "Eh, they'll be fine. It'll just look like they fell asleep on the job." He pressed his hand against the door and leaned forward. "How are you holding up?"

She gulped. "Well, plan's coming along nicely enough. One of the prisoners is helping me round up the entire prison population to my side. Within a couple weeks, I should have everyone set on the escape. When will Petra come by with the explosives?"

"Eventually. Pandora and Enoch gave their first batch to the others on Fort Gladius."

"Ah. That's good. Oh, and Pandora said something about upgrading my multitool before we left."

He nodded. "Yeah. Petra will bring that over when it's ready. I'll keep it on hand until it's time to enact the plan."

"Good. Good…"

"…"

"…" Melissa awkwardly scratched her arm. "Uh, Jason—"

"You met him, haven't you?"

"…Yeah."

He glared. "He hasn't tried to hurt you, right?"

"Quite…the opposite, actually. He's been trying to talk to me."

"You haven't, right?"

"N-No! Of course not."

"Good. Keep it that way. I don't know what he's doing here, but I don't think him getting captured was just bad luck." He curled his fingers against the door. "He brought a Subterran soldier with him as protection. We have her locked up currently."

"Subterran…? Didn't the Subterra Kingdom launch an attack months ago?"

"You see the issue here, too?"

"Do you think Last Autumn is allied with the Subterra Kingdom?"

"I couldn't get much out of the soldier. She doesn't speak any English." He growled. "But I know for a fact there's something going on between both factions. Whatever Terrowin promised them, it's enough to get him an entire underground's worth of soldiers. The Subterra Kingdom hasn't launched a full scale invasion against the surface world sheerly because of the advancement in weaponry across the last two centuries. But if Last Autumn gives them the incentive to wage war, the entire region could be swallowed up in the chaos."

Melissa glared. "So, Terrowin is definitely up to something."

"…Hey, have you heard of anyone named Oddvar from the other prisoners?"

"Oddvar? Uh, no, the name doesn't sound familiar. Why do you ask?"

"Still figuring that out myself. Look, just keep your distance from Terrowin and do not interact with him. If we're lucky, we might turn this toward our advantage and capture him."

Melissa frowned. "But wouldn't he be expecting that?"

"He was surprised to see me. I don't think he expected us to be this far east. At least, I hope not."

"…Alright, I'll be careful."

"…Mels?"

"Yeah?"

"We…need to talk about that issue."

She winced. "Uh…"

He sighed. "I was in the dining hall when Nero had his meeting with Terrowin. I learned a lot about him recently. His status in the New Chariot Empire is unmatched. He's not just a man fueled by hubris. He's cold, cunning, and assured of himself. If I had to guess, he didn't throw Terrowin into the dungeon just because."

"What do you mean?"

"Nero has to know how dangerous it is having any contact with Last Autumn. I just can't place exactly what or why." He sighed. "However, that's the least of my worries. He's made himself clear that the New Chariot Empire is an independent territory. Those who ally with New Chariot take orders from them, but they'll never bend the knee to another."

"…Jason—"

"We need to consider the facts. Our entire plan hinges on pressuring Nero into a treaty, but we have to consider the possibility of his will being too strong to subjugate."

She clenched her teeth worriedly. "Jason…"

"We may have to consider Tadhg's backup plan."

Umbra Forest Council Meeting: The Alternative Measures

"…Of course, we have to accept a potential reality should we go through with our plan," Tadhg brought up as he leaned back in his chair. "We're betting everything on an invasion so massive that it'll force Nero into treaty with us. However, that man is not like previous emperors."

Melissa frowned. "How so?"

"The rumors say he's a proud man who holds himself up as a god. He is not one to bend the knee so easily, and his loyalty is strictly to the people he governs under his banner." Tadhg glared. "We have yet to find the limit to his loyalty. How far is he willing to go to keep the pride of his people strong?"

Jason glared. "You mean to say he would rather fight to the death than submit to another kingdom?"

"It's one thing for a notable power to devote themselves to New Chariot, but New Chariot accepting an alliance from their own loss? It's a mark of disgrace. Their people were brought up on pride. Because of that, we don't know if Nero is willing to sign a treaty to protect his people from further harm, or if he's willing to go down with his army to protect their pride."

Melissa whimpered. "What…are you saying?"

Moira lazily raised her flipper. "It means we have to consider an alternative to the invasion. If we can't convince Nero to ally with us…"

"…" Melissa's eyes widened. "You're not suggesting we…?"

Blackwood smirked. "This is war we're talking about, little lady. There is no good or evil. Only the victors and the losers, and we can't afford to be losers, can we?"

"I-It's just…" She gulped. "I n-never advocated for taking another person's life. E-Even people I hated, I would never wish death upon them. Punishment, sure, and prayers they would become a better person. But to take a life? That's not something you can take back." She looked at Jason for support, holding her hand over his. "Don't you agree?"

"…" Jason looked aside.

"J-Jason?"

"…" He sighed. "Harlow, I can't bring myself to kill, not after what happened the…last time." He glared at her. "But that doesn't mean I disagree with Tadhg's suggestion."

"Jason…"

"We don't know how dangerous Emperor Nero is, and we certainly don't know how far he's willing to go for his empire. Every measure we take is meant to push him further and further to end the suffering upon his city. But if none of that works, then there's no way of convincing him, by peace or by force."

"S-Still…"

Blackwood sighed. "I hate to burst your bubble, kiddo, but this isn't like all your other adventures in the west. You're at war now. No running away from mercenaries or fighting rival gangs. You're in the deep end of the real world, and sometimes you need to make the tough calls to get the job done."

"…" She gritted her teeth. "But, will…will I have to kill him?" She looked at her shaky hands. "I-I-I could never bring myself to…to take someone's life."

Tadhg shook his head. "No one will be forcing you to kill Nero. I certainly have no issues doing it myself."

Moira glared. "But you can't hesitate on a decision like this. We're sending you and Jason in as a precautionary. It'll be your judgment call to analyze Nero's behaviors up close and decide whether or not this'll be a show of power or death."

"…" Melissa stared down at the floor in horror, the image of blood rippling in front of her. Her own hands dripping in the viscous red serum of life, and the corpse of an emperor before her. "My…decision?"

Melissa collapsed to the floor, shuddering at the dreaded thought. "Why…? Whhhhy?"

Jason's ears drooped as he could sense the Buneary's distress from behind the door. He closed his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. "I don't like the idea of taking someone's life either, but I also know that there are some deeds that need to be done for peace. I can't bring myself to kill, but I wouldn't object to Nero's assassination."

"…I can't do that," she mumbled.

"He's a dangerous dictator, Mels. This isn't about conquering the world. He's willing to plunge everything into an endless war, forcing the entire world to come after him in a vain attempt to collapse his empire. We can take out a few dozen soldiers, but nothing is ever going to stop their tyranny without cutting it off from the source."

"But to take another life…?" She whimpered into her arms, shuddering between sobs. "I can't bring myself to that. I can't stain my hands in someone else's blood."

"…" Jason pressed his forehead to the door. "I'll keep trying to find something to make Nero crack. Anything. Anything that'll give us the leverage to make him reconsider his ideals. But you have to understand, with the way things are now, we might not be able to afford the luxury of a clean conscience."

"…" Melissa rolled up into a ball and collapsed onto her side as she cried.

"Mels?"

"I…I hate war. I hate all this fighting…so much…"

"…I'm sorry, Mels."

Meanwhile…

It wasn't normal for Nero to take a moment to himself. He thrived on the attention of others, using every second of wakefulness he had spent in pure luxury and comfort. However, today was a day for reflection. He had much time to mull over his interaction with the old Sceptile that wandered into his city, and now he found himself lost in his own mind.

Oh, how he hated dwelling over trivialities.

He sat on the edge of the palace roof, looking out over the city with a bottle of wine and glass in hand. He poured himself a glass, set the bottle aside, and took a sip, never breaking his gaze off the pristine state of Telo Martius.

His home.

The home he worked so tirelessly to raise up during his time as emperor.

The very pride of New Chariot itself.

"I sense you have a great love for your people, Nero. That kind of commitment is precisely what I need to take care of Virdis for generations. I can offer you the chance of a lifetime to protect Virdis in your ideal image. I can make your status as a god much more than just some flimsy title."

"But you don't plan on giving up power to anyone else. You don't trust anyone to do what you do."

"…" He smirked, taking another sip of his wine. "What a joke."

"How uncommon to find you isolated from the crowd." Nero peeked over his shoulder just as Gemini made his way onto the roof. "I normally find you engrossed in another leisurely activity with your harem, or even going as far as taking a stroll through the streets and basking in the praise of your people."

"Heh. What's a moment of quiet reflection?"

Gemini sat down beside him, producing his own wine glass from under his sleeve. "I take it your mind is still fixed on that meeting with Terrowin." He grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself a glass.

Nero scoffed. "As if some bag of mulch could intimidate me."

"It's not intimidation I'm referring to. It's the cruel reminder of your own mortality."

"…Heh."

Gemini twirled his glass by its neck, staring into his swirling reflection in the dark red drink. "Unless I'm mistaken, it sounded like he was offering you immortality. Hardly a prize worth giving up. Such fanciful pleasantries. The work of a deluded mind. Ghost-Types, with their extended longevity, can't muster the will to survive hundreds of years. No one is truly immortal."

Nero smirked. "Stranger things have happened. The world changes every day."

Gemini glanced at him. "Yet you didn't hesitate. I would've thought someone like you would be tempted by the offer, if only for a moment."

"And show weakness to that old fool? I'd sooner cut my own head off." He sipped his wine again, then poured himself another glass.

"But assuming what he spoke of was true, would you have still taken it?"

"I said what I said. I don't waste my time making up stories."

"He spoke the truth, you know. You play a dangerous game as the emperor, and your legacy will die without an heir. Perhaps it's time you consider your options."

Nero rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to be a father."

"Nero, you're twenty-six. If you want the Martius bloodline to stay in power—"

"If it dies out with me, it does so. I'm not going to waste a second of life just to preserve my future. Some choose to survive, but I choose to live."

Gemini sighed before sipping on his glass. He leaned back on his hand and gazed up at the passing clouds. "You fear your own mortality, but you choose to live in the moment. Well, I can't say it's a poor choice. Still, as your advisor—"

Nero rolled his eyes. "I'll consider keeping the Martius bloodline going later. I rather not put one of my girls on the spot with that sort of request." He finished off his glass before glaring at the Medicham. "Speaking of which, what did you come up here for? You were clearly looking for me."

Gemini set his glass aside and asked, "What purpose did you have for putting Lord Terrowin in the colosseum? And why keep the Tinkaton captive?"

"Tch. Well, I wasn't lying earlier. That Tinkaton would've caused more trouble if I just put her in the colosseum or into service work." He glared. "I was planning to execute Terrowin, but I figure it'd be more useful to keep him locked up with our other prisoner."

"…You suspect something?"

"I noticed the way Stormbreaker acknowledged Terrowin when he first arrived. There seemed to be some bitterness coming from him. The Foresters had prior contact with his group. I wonder what kind of chaos could be sowed if I left them in the same room." He smirked. "After all, per my father's instructions, I can't just skip straight to the fun part of executing prisoners."

"…You're waiting for one of them to start a commotion."

"One that'll warrant a…public display of authority, as it were."

"Hmm. You're betting a lot on an outcome that may never be."

"Who cares? If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, so what?" Nero glared. "Speaking of, I need you to do a small favor for me."

"Hmm?"

"A guard believes he saw Stormbreaker hanging out by the training hall, though he wasn't super confident with his observation. Nemesis did say he has been keeping up with his patrol work around the palace without incident, but we are dealing with a thief."

"…" Gemini rose onto one knee and bowed. "How may I assist you, my liege?"

"I just need you to…see how our recruits are faring. And make sure the servants are performing their duties adequately."