1204/08/25 11:00
Valflame Palace, Heimdallr, Erebonia

Dear Participants of the West Zemuria Trade Conference

Greetings. This is Dieter Crois, Mayor of Crossbell, writing to you.

With this letter, I want to inform you that the security of the West Zemuria Trade Conference will be tightened to prevent any potential mishaps. I also encourage you to bring more personnel with you in case something unwanted happens.

Thank you for your understanding.

Warm regards,
Dieter Crois, Elected Mayor of Crossbell

Olivert Reise Arnor, the Prince of Erebonia, observed Mueller Vander's face as he read the letter carefully.

"So, what do you think?" The blonde Prince asked when he saw his trusty bodyguard finish reading and sigh.

"It is fishy, but not for what you think," Mueller answered after a few seconds of thinking.

"How so, my dear Mueller?" Olivert's eyes twinkled in amusement. His longtime friend even knew what he was thinking about without the need to voice it.

"You think it's fishy that they send it now of all times, right? Because if they send this at this point, that could mean they're too overwhelmed," Mueller looked for his validation.

"Indeed. I thought that it was bold, dare I say too bold of Mayor Crois to send this message if the situation were not so," Olivert nodded.

"I disagree with your assessment this time. The letter might sound so reassuring that you think they're trying to hide something. But remember the letter from Estelle and Joshua?"

Olivert tried to remember the letter that Mueller mentioned. He got too many letters from the two Bracers, and it was hard to pinpoint which letter Mueller meant.

"Hmm... the one that recounts their experience in Crossbell?"

"Yes. Crossbell has Arios MacLaine, the Divine Blade of Wind. They also had the rising star of the police department, the Special Support Section. Security shouldn't be too much of a problem," Mueller pointed out. "However, for them to suddenly send this out of the blue, then that means..."

Olivert grinned. "I see! They might uncover a plot to shake Zemuria to the core!"

"Nothing so serious," Mueller sighed. "Of course, when you find a point of interest, you'd latch onto that delusion of grandeur. But you're not entirely wrong. They might uncover something, or someone, plotting an attack, hence their increased security."

"I can think of a certain organization that might want to crash the conference," Olivert said with a despondent sigh. The Imperial Liberation Front. Despite the name, it was a terrorist organization aiming to undermine the administration of Chancellor Osborne. They had been increasing their activity around several months ago. In fact, just last month, they attempted to kidnap his dear little sister and almost succeeded were it not for the heroic act of a certain group of students.

"Yes. I have a feeling that the Chancellor's action might have drawn a bigger consequence this time," Mueller nodded in agreement. "What do we do?"

Olivert looked outside the window. What kind of move could he make now? Would it even affect any of the Chancellor's plans at all?

"Of course, we'll try our best to ask for increased personnel size like Mayor Crois recommended. But the reality isn't that easy."

"...the Chancellor might decline our request?"

Olivert shook his head. "It doesn't stop at that. I have a suspicion that our dear Chancellor might even reduce the personnel to make it as hard for Crossbell as possible."

Mueller looked grim at his words. Time to lift up his friend's spirit.

"Let's just hope that he sees sense and didn't just leave my protection to you, my dear Mueller," Olivert finished with a wink.

"There would be too much outrage if he tried that. The royal family is as popular as ever," Mueller disagreed.

"But I'm sure our dear Chancellor would try something. That's why I think I have the solution. Let's ask some of our allies to join us as a backup plan if Chancellor Osborne really wanted to undermine Crossbell."

What Olivert meant was that they should bring the neutral nobles who lend him his support. Preferably one who could hold themselves in an altercation.

Mueller frowned. "...I'm not sure they would accept your request, Your Highness."

Most likely because that would mean they openly admitted they sided with him. But that was okay.

"I know," Olivert gave him a reassuring smile. "But I know one or two that might be interested in joining me and are bold enough to openly declare they're with me."

"Who?"

Olivert winked with a wide grin. "That's a secret, my dear bosom buddy."

The Major only sighed at his antics. But that was exactly why he loved Mueller.

Oliver then remembered something. "Oh yeah, Mueller. Can you remind me to schedule a meeting with the SSS and Juna Crawford once we're in Crossbell? I want to meet the group of people Estelle and Joshua regarded highly."

"I will remind you when we're in Crossbell, Your Highness," Mueller said with a nod.

1204/08/25 12:00
Grancel Castle, Grancel, Liberl

Princess Klaudia von Auslese folded the letter and put it inside her pocket before sighing. The content of the letter was concerning, but the implication behind the letter was even more concerning than the content. Something was about to happen in Crossbell.

Right around these times, she could've gone to her trusty bodyguard, Julia. But the Captain was away at Leiston Fortress for something until this evening.

"I should write a letter to her. Sieg!"

The squawk of her falcon notified that it heard her shout. She brought out a paper and wrote something on it.

Julia,
Something came up about the conference. Possible need to increase the guard personnel. I'll talk to Estelle and Joshua first to find out more about Crossbell.

Once she was finished, Klaudia folded the new letter and tied it to Sieg's leg. "Sieg, can you deliver the letter to Julia in Leiston Fortress?"

An excited squawk was the reply she got.

"I see. Thank you. I'll give you a big treat later for doing me this favor," Klaudia smiled. The falcon that had been with her since childhood flapped its wings before going outside.

Klaudia sighed. "Now to talk with Estelle and Joshua..."

She went to the telephone in the corner of her room and called the Bright residence. After a few seconds, the call was picked up.

"Hello, Bright Residence, Joshua Bright speaking."

"Hello, Joshua. It's me, Kloe," she said softly.

"Kloe! Good to hear from you. How are-"

"Did you just say Kloe!?"

The voice changed into a girly one. Oh, Estelle... she never changed. Kloe couldn't help but smile.

"Hello to you too, Estelle. Did you grab the phone from Joshua?"

"Kloe! Boy, it's been a while since we heard from you. I know you're busy and all, but I missed you!"

She didn't answer her question... somehow this made her remember their adventures across Liberl two years ago. "I missed you too, Estelle."

She quickly went to the point. "Estelle, Joshua. Sorry for interrupting, but this isn't exactly a social call. I have just received a letter from Mayor Crois about the upcoming West Zemuria Trade Conference. I want to know more about Crossbell, and since you two went there for a few months, I thought about asking you."

"..." Estelle was silent.

"Estelle?"

"Sorry, Kloe. But may we know the content of the letter?" It was Joshua who responded.

Kloe bit her lip. Should she tell them of the problem? The moment she finished reading the letter, there were a lot of things in her mind. She did not want to bother the two, but it was Estelle and Joshua, her two friends who wouldn't mind being bothered at all. This was also a matter of national interest, and she would involve them with politics...

"Kloe?"

"Very well," Kloe made up her mind.

After telling them the content of the letter, she heard Joshua sigh. "So it really is about that, huh..."

"I'm sorry?" she asked for clarification. "What do you mean, Joshua? Something happened in Crossbell?"

"Yesterday, Renne and Tita went to Crossbell to offer her expertise in Orbal technology for an urgent project. The project itself is urgent because somebody in the police managed to find out that there is a big chance that the conference would be attacked by an irresponsible group of terrorists," Joshua explained.

"I see... so it is as I thought." The suggestion to increase security personnel meant they found something and warned the other guests about it.

"I think you should bring more royal guards with you, Kloe," Joshua advised.

"There is one thing I don't understand, though. I mean, you know I'm a straightforward person, so I don't really think much of the broad strokes, but Mayor Crois sending the letter bothers me a little," Estelle also chimed in.

"If you don't look past the message itself, you'll find nothing," Kloe answered. Estelle had the same suspicions as her. It wasn't that she thought the letter was deceiving. But sending the letter at all meant Crossbell was forfeiting its advantage.

"It shows weakness. Especially if Mayor Crois also sent the letter to Erebonia and Calvard." Joshua hummed in agreement with Estelle and Kloe's assessment.

"There must be an advantage gained from it," she concluded. "But what is it?"

"Ugh, if only Dad was here," Estelle muttered.

"That's a good idea, Estelle. Maybe I'll ask for insight from Lieutenant General Bright." His insight would definitely help her understand the reason behind Mayor Crois' letter.

"Yeah, you'd better do that," Joshua agreed.

"Anyway, the guilds are in it. Hopefully, some of us bracers could arrive there for the conference," Estelle informed. "Oh, but don't tell anyone else before any official announcement from the guild, kay?"

"Is that so? Then I hope everything goes smoothly."

If what Estelle said was true, then they'd gather together again. It had been a while since the last time they did. She would look forward to it.

Kloe frowned. If she looked forward to it, would it mean that she looked forward to the conference getting attacked?

"Kloe?"

"It's nothing. Anything else you can tell me?"

"Oh, when you're in Crossbell, you really should visit Mishelam Wonderland! Joshua and I only had one chance because we were so busy, but it was fun!"

And so Kloe spent time listening to Estelle and Joshua's tales about Crossbell. They weren't all related to the conference, but that was fine. Just listening to them like that reminded her of the fun times she had adventuring with them all across Liberl.

1204/08/25 11:00
Presidential Palace, Edith, Calvard

The door was knocked before President Rocksmith's assistant spoke from behind the door.

"Excuse me, Mr. President. Miss Rouran is here."

Ah, Kilika. It seemed like she wasn't as busy as usual to be able to come here when he summoned her. "Send her in."

With a creak, the door was opened, and the still impressive figure of one Kilika Rouran entered the room. Martial artists were built different.

"You asked for me, President Rocksmith?"

Nodding, Samuel Rocksmith, the current President of Calvard Republic, gestured to the seat in front of him. "Please take a seat, Kilika. I need your opinion on something."

Once the woman was seated, Samuel gave her an unsealed envelope with the contents still inside. He had already opened it and read it, but he wanted insight from someone who had come to Crossbell before he made any decisions.

Kilika's eyes moved from top to bottom before she massaged her temple and sighed as she finished reading the letter from Dieter Crois.

"What kind of scheme are you getting into this time?"

"Why, Kilika, that's the fun of politics!" He said jovially.

"So? I presume you want an opinion from me because I've scouted Crossbell before?" Kilika asked for confirmation. Seems like her sharpness was even better than when he first asked her to join his intelligence agency. Perks of the job, he guessed.

"That's right. From this letter, Dieter Crois seems like a formidable man. I'd love to have a fun talk with him."

Kilika snorted. "I'm sure what constitutes fun for you is different from me. Still, what have you found out about his intention, Mr. President?"

"Oh, plenty. He's a shrewd man. With his background as a businessman, I guess it was always in his blood." Dieter Crois was a former CEO of the International Bank of Crossbell. One couldn't achieve such a position without being shrewd or ruthless. "But the interesting thing is that letter itself. He won't send it unless he's really sure about it. If he was just bluffing, I can call his bluff, and he won't have anything left. So I want to know how he came to such a conclusion."

Kilika shook her head. "I don't know. From what I've gathered, Crossbell doesn't have its own intelligence agency. Maybe Dieter Crois hired some professionals, and they were entrenched deep into Erebonia or Calvard. The Agency will run a quick audit to see if there is any leak, though I doubt it."

"A shame," Rocksmith sighed. "I was looking forward to using the anti-immigration terrorist attack to show how small Crossbell is. And I assume the Blood and Iron Chancellor would do the same, so we struck a deal with Heiyue's Crossbell branch."

"Still, that wasn't the only weapon in your arsenal, isn't it, sir?"

Rocksmith smiled. "Oh, definitely. I would be a bad politician if that was my only card."

1204/08/25 12:00
Valflame Palace, Heimdallr, Erebonia

"Hm?"

Gilliath Osborne looked at the letter in his hands. Unconsciously, a smirk made its way onto his stern face.

"It seems that Lechter failed to get information about their informants." One part of Lechter's mission in Crossbell was to smooth his plan. But the other one was because Lechter was curious about some of the things that Crossbell's newest heroes knew. "But to think they had someone so good to predict the attack like this... interesting."

Osborne knew from the start that the Imperial Liberation Front would use his visit to Crossbell as a chance to attack him. He would presume that everyone who followed Erebonian politics and knew what was behind the scenes also understood the possible attack by the terrorist. He never expected that someone in Crossbell would be able to piece it all together.

"Now, I can't use the terrorist as a pretense to pressure them." He was so sure that President Rocksmith would play the same game, too.

"Lechter, I hope you can uncover who this person is." It would be interesting if this person was at least as challenging as the Debaucherous Prince.

"Now, what response would be fitting for the situation?" He wondered. If Crois sent this letter to him, he could assume the mayor also sent the letter to all the guests from Liberl, Remiferia, and, more importantly, Calvard. He had several contingency plans to pressure Crossbell if the terrorists didn't attack. He could pull one of them out of his sleeve.

His attention then went to the letter which was still in his hand. "I wonder if the informant is also the one who told him to send this letter."

Sending the letter might signal that Crossbell couldn't handle it or that Crossbell needed help with security. But that was exactly the message Crois wanted to send out. He wanted Erebonia and Calvard to underestimate Crossbell while determining the two powerful nations' intentions toward Crossbell at the same time. If Erebonia brought more guards, then Crois would know that Erebonia underestimated Crossbell's defense and might catch them off-guard, embarrassing the bigger nation in the process. If Erebonia had brought fewer guards, then Crois would have known that Erebonia had no intention of playing friendly with Crossbell. Crois might 'accidentally' forget to protect the VIPs and would blame Erebonia because he already sent them a head up.

Osborne grinned. It was quite a fun dilemma for someone in his position.

"I look forward to talking with you directly, Dieter Crois, and you too, mysterious informant. I hope we'll be able to trade words."

A/N: The daily life of Crossbell residents are still in the plan, but I want to get this out first because it would clash with the tone. It's why I'm setting up everything to have a place and time unlike the usual. Anyway, the Calvardian side was a last minute addition so tell me if there's something I got wrong. I know nothing about the Calvard games. I Intentionally stopping myself from reading any spoiler/plot points summary. I've taken both Kilika and Rocksmith characterization from the Crossbell and Cold Steel games. Also, did I explain the whole thing properly? Does anybody still not understand? In short, there are lots of misunderstanding behind this chapter, and of course, Dieter seizing an opportunity, too, but mainly misunderstandings.

The long version? Dieter is using Lloyd's naivete to send a multifunction letter declaring that Crossbell is not to be played with. How? By wording it vaguely and giving suggestions to increase their security personnel. If they followed the suggestion from Dieter, then Crossbell

should be able to one-up them and show them that Crossbell can stand on its own by rendering the extra security useless because everything's been covered by the combination of CPD and CGF. If they didn't follow the suggestion, then Dieter can determine that they're not about to play friendly with him, and if there's any 'accident', then it was their own fault because Dieter had already sent them a warning. This brilliant move only happened because Lloyd suggested Dieter to send the other nations a warning, so yeah... thanks, Lloyd. Or is it Mariabell?

Incidentally, everyone in the chapter got it right about the terrorists except Juna herself. Poor girl still didn't know that her deduction was wrong. Haha... anyway, isn't it funny that everyone is attributing Juna's deduction to some intelligence agency works? I wonder what kind of consequence would it bring...