Tales of Xalthia

by xXGhostStalker

*DISCLAIMER: This holds no relation to Tales of VS. This is an original story* A mysterious lineage. An unimaginative power. Oblivious to Tsuki Himura, he defends his kingdom from evil and learns of a sinister plot. Forced to seek help, he travels the globe for much needed allies. Join him as he learns more about the world and about himself as something awakens inside him

42. Mercenary Codex

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 41: Mercenary Codex

Roughly two hours had passed since Tsuki and the others arrived at Ustrisu Fortress and met up with Raiku and the Council. It took a bit longer than expected to get things ready, but Tsuki and the others were eventually sent off on a carriage with the Velika being the destination. By the time they left Ustrisu Fortress, the sun was already starting to set. They had hoped to be able to arrive in Velika by sundown, but due to various reasons, that wasn't going to happen. The trip to Velika from Ustrisu would take two hours. Which means, by the time they arrived in Velika, it'll already be late into the night.

Thankfully, the trip across the open, dark fields were calm and eventless. There were a few monsters that came out at night and blocked their path, but nothing too crazy. On the upside, it gave them a chance to rest and relax. Half of the group ended up falling asleep during the trip to get some shut-eye considering it had been a long day for them. When they finally arrived at the gates of Velika, it was late into the night as expected. Most shops and businesses were either closed or in the process of closing. People were in their homes eating dinner or preparing to sleep.

The carriage rode through the streets and soon pulled up to the Mercenary Guild Branch building. Unlike most businesses, the Guild Branch buildings are typically run 24/7 and the local mercenaries need to react at a moment's notice at night if something were to happen which means there were some people that operated at night and others during the day. When they arrived at the Guild Branch building, Tsuki and his companions were tired and exhausted. Those that had managed to fall asleep didn't want to wake up.

The group soon got out of the carriage as it pulled off the street and came to park in a side street next to the Guild building. Tsuki and the others walked up to the doors and took a deep breath before opening them and stepping into the lobby of the Guild Branch building. The Guild Branch building was a three-story; the first floor had the front desk with bookshelves lining the walls behind it, several bulletin boards off to the right side that had bounties and various other requests and jobs for mercenaries to accept with a small seating area off to the left side of the lobby. The second floor was primarily a lounge area for the mercenaries. It had more seating arrangements, a number of tables and a fully furnished kitchen and other necessities they might need such as a few showers separated by gender. The third floor was a rest area for the mercenaries if they needed a place to rest and sleep. The number of beds were limited though, so it was only temporary lodging. It was mainly for those that were passing through and those that needed to rest for a while. Mercenaries that work there full-time had to find their own lodging with the exception of the Branch Leader.

When they stepped inside and closed the door behind them, the main lobby was empty except for one person. It was a woman with braided, light orange hair in her twenties who looked very familiar. She looked to be in the process of cleaning the lobby area which was left in a bit of a mess. When she heard the front door open, she turned around to greet whoever it was that entered. "Hello, welcome to the Guild branch. How can I help you?" she asked. When she saw Tsuki and the others standing there, it took her a few moments to recognize their faces. She had flashbacks play through her head of when Tsuki, Ramza and Allie came to help out a while back with a bunch of A-ranks abusing their standing. "Hey, I remember you guys! You helped us out a few weeks ago. It's been a while!" she said with a smile and wave.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit as she greeted them. As with her, he didn't recognize her at first. But then, when images of Enzo, the Branch Leader, flashed in his head, she did as well. "You're the Vice Leader, if I'm not mistaken?" he asked.

The girl nodded, putting the stuff she was carrying down on top of the front desk and patted herself on the chest. "You bet! The name's Odette Chantel. We didn't really get to talk last time, but I'd almost never forget a face. You guys were quite the topic of discussion for a while, you know" she said.

She remembered that day clearly. A party of four consisting of three A-rank mercenaries and a single C-rank mercenary had just gotten back from fulfilling a job request to retrieve a rare artifact that had been stolen away to a nearby cavern. Normally, three A-rank mercenaries would have been enough for a simple retrieval job, but they had no idea where to search for it when a young male had mentioned that one of his skills was tracking. This C-rank mercenary was brought into their group and with his assistance, they found the artifact and returned it to the Guild Branch. However, due to the difficulty of the caverns with it's monsters, the A-ranks had to do to most of the fighting while protecting the young C-rank mercenary which caused significant damage to their equipment. Because of that, when they got the rewards for completing the job, the three A-ranks took their profits and refused to give the young C-rank his share. This caused a bit of a fight amongst the party which resulted in the use of unnecessary and unsanctioned force. Thankfully, the fight was resolved without serious incident because Ramza, Tsuki and Allie had intervened.

Word of them spread amongst the local mercenaries as they all grew an interest in Tsuki and Allie. Two people who were unaffiliated with the Mercenary Guild brought down two A-rank mercenaries in a single blow. It made everyone wonder what kind of people they were and how strong they really were. Those that were present at the time of the incident and witnessed the whole thing knew that they were holding back. One of the lower ranked mercenaries that was watching from the crowd noticed that instead of Tsuki swinging his sword at the A-rank mercenary that wielded a katana, he used his sheath to bring him down. The same thing applied to Allie; another mercenary from the crowd who specialized in Magical Artes had sensed a surge of power had suddenly appeared when Tsuki was about to be attacked from behind. When Allie appeared suddenly in front of everyone and moment's before she fired off her blast of wind, she held herself back at the last minute just enough to cause minor injuries. If she had fired off her attack at full power, there was a good chance the woman A-rank that tried to attack Tsuki would have died right then and there.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit as he thought back to that moment in time. That was when they were simply passing through Velika to reach Esseand after first arriving on Ersheath. "I didn't realize we made such a big deal. What about the guy that was with them?" he asked. He remembered that a young girl who appeared to be the guy's sister tried to protect him from the corrupt mercenaries. "There was that one girl as well. Were they okay?" he asked.

After the incident concluded, the two of them had shared their appreciation for their assistance. The young boy was given the full rewards from the job while the three A-ranks were taken into custody by Enzo, stripped of their ranks and thrown out of the Guild sometime later. They never saw the two of them again once things had settled down back then.

Odette nodded with a smile. "The boy was inspired by the strength and courage you demonstrated that day. You guys jumped in without hesitation despite who the opponents were and used that to serve as motivation to improve himself. He has since moved up to B-rank and is making good pacing on becoming an A-rank himself" she said. She looked over towards the wall next to the front door. There were pictures of several individuals pinned up and two of those pictures belonged to the couple in question. "Believe it or not, the girl that protected the boy is an A-rank and a pretty popular one around these parts, despite her odd choice of clothing" she said. She had referred to her maid attire. She occasionally wore casual clothes, but she normally wore maid-like clothing on a regular basis. "The two of them are brother and sister; The boy's name is Sota Sawatari and the girl is Myah Sawatari" she said.

Tsuki stroked his chin in thought as he looked at their pictures on the wall. "Sota and Myah, huh?" he mumbled to himself. He soon shrugged his shoulders a bit before turning back to face Odette. "Anyway, we came here to meet up with Enzo. Is he available?" he asked.

Odette nodded at them. "So, you guys were our special guests. Enzo mentioned that we were going to have visitors earlier" she said. She turned around and headed towards the stairs leading up to the second floor. "Follow me. I'll take you to a more appropriate place for you guys to talk" she said. She then headed upstairs.

They followed Odette up to the second floor where they were taken to an empty lounge area. They sat around as she went up to the third floor and was gone for several minutes. After a short while, she came back into the lounge area with Enzo behind her. He was carrying a folder containing several sheets of paper along with a letter. When he laid his eyes on Tsuki, you could almost see them light up.

Enzo walked up to Tsuki and stretched his hand out to him. "Well, look who it is! It's been a while, boy!" he said enthusiastically. The letter he got from Raiku simply stated to expect a band of local heroes along with the reason for their visit.

Tsuki stretched his arm out as they shook hands. "It has. Feels like it's been ages since we passed through here" he said. Thinking back on it, they never really got a chance to explore Velika. He was a little curious about what the city was like.

Enzo nodded with a wide grin on his face as he gave him a look over. He definitely saw significant growth since they first met. He was almost like a different person. "Looking sharp, lad. I've heard word of your exploits through rumors and various people. It seems that my eye didn't lie, after all. I knew I spotted potential" he said.

Cheria scratched her cheek a bit with a slight tilt of her head. "Are we really that well-known around here?" she asked. Considering they have been moving around from place to place, they haven't really taken the time to listen to rumors and news being spread around.

Odette nodded with a small giggle. "You really didn't know? I don't know much about the public eye, but your names have been cropping up quite a lot in recent days in the mercenary circle" she said. She reached into the folder that Enzo had brought with him and laid out a few slips of paper. Each paper had detailed descriptions of their exploits in Chesberry and Haven Village. "A certain Pirate Lord has been spreading the word of you guys" she said.

Ramza sighed heavily, dropping his head and shook it. It was obvious who that person was. "Seara…she's at it again, I see" he said. This was her own way of contributing to their cause. The more people knew about them, the easier things might be for them as their journey continues.

Enzo nodded, looking at each of them before walking over to the couch opposite of them and sitting down. "Seara is a well-respected and popular figure amongst us. If you have garnered her seal of approval, then you can bet that people will grow an interest in you" he said. He sat back in the couch and folded his arms. "I recently had a talk with some of the other Branch Leaders around here and they've all expressed an interest in recruiting you. Talents like yours are pretty hard to come by" he said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head and mumbled a bit. In ordinary circumstances, this would be a good thing. Any average adventurer would love to be a mercenary since it gave them benefits they wouldn't have otherwise like exclusive access to places. However, considering their mixed backgrounds, it was a different story for them. "There's a reason why Tsuki turned down your offer the first time…" he said. He then glanced over towards him and Cheria. "If we're going to get anywhere, it's best we tell him the full story" he said.

Tsuki and Cheria both nodded in agreement. The group then took the next several minutes to explain who they were and what their backgrounds were. They left out some of the more complicated stuff and tried to keep things as simple as they could. Naturally, Odette and Enzo were pretty shocked when they were told who they were. By this point, word of what's happened in Cayhill has already reached them. With the takeover of Eresseas, Basilwell and Briswater, Guild operations around the whole continent have essentially came to a grinding halt. In the days that had followed Honegroth's takeover, the mercenaries that had fled Cayhill migrated to other parts of the world, some of which wound up in Velika. From an operations standpoint, at least 80% of the total mercenaries have fled while the remaining 20% have either stayed behind to fight back with Taichi and the remnants of Eresseas knights or were either missing or killed. These events have also reached the Mercenary Guild Headquarters, which was located not that far off the coast of Cayhill to the northwest on a small island. However, due to their strict adherence to Mercenary Code, they refuse to budge on anything.

For Odette and Enzo, they had clung onto the hopes that the stories they heard from various refugee mercenaries were embellished and the rumors that people were spreading around were exaggerated. However, after hearing the story from Tsuki and the others, those hopes were dashed. This was especially hard for Enzo as he needed several minutes to process everything.

Enzo rubbed the sides of his head, gazing down towards the ground. He had tried his best to hope, but it seems his worst fears were true. "I really wished that they were all just baseless rumors…" he said. He stood up from the couch and walked over towards a nearby window to look out in the direction Cayhill would be in. "I knew a lot of people over there. Max, Rush, Natasha…I hope they're all okay over there" he said. He sighed heavily as he continued to stare out the window for a bit longer. Eventually, he turned back around and held up the letter he was holding. "Which brings us to this letter I received from King Raiku. He tells me that he's formally enlisted your aid in order to deal with what's been happening around Nargelond and in order to do that, you guys need to become mercenaries" he said, facing the group.

Lynette nodded. "That's the gist of it. Apparently, we wouldn't be able to pass through the gates in Border Town without this…Mercenary Codex" she said. She still didn't understand what this Codex was. By the sounds of it, it seemed like some form of ID card or something akin to a passport.

Odette nodded as she reached into her pocket to pull out a gold, laminated card. It had her name on it along with her picture, Guild ranking and affiliation. On the card, it showed that she was an A-rank mercenary with the title and affiliation of Vice Lead of the Velika Mercenary Branch along with a few other details regarding their status along with an official seal. "Each mercenary must always have one of these on them at all times. It identifies them and shows their affiliation with the Guild. The Codex you carry varies on your ranking. Mercenaries that are F-rank through D-rank carry a Bronze Codex, those that are C-rank and B-rank carry a Silver Codex and those that are A-rank carry a Gold Codex. S-ranks carry a Platinum Codex, but as you may know, S-rank is exceptionally rare and difficult to attain, so these aren't handed out as often" she said.

Ramza took out his own Codex and set it down on the table between them. His was a Silver Codex to go along with his B-rank standing in the Guild. "The Codex is your lifeline, basically. You can't accept any jobs or partake in any without one. Even if you're someone as well-known as Shana or myself. It also serves as your immunity pass when it comes to kingdom affairs. Granted, there are some restrictions for the lower ranks regarding that" he said.

Allie tilted her head a bit as she looked at the two different Codex that were laid out. Aside from the color difference and design of the Codex itself, they looked the same to her. "What kind of restrictions?" she asked.

Enzo reached into the drawer next to him and pulled out a blank Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Codex and laid them on the table. He put his finger on the Bronze Codex for a moment. "All levels of Codex grant immunity when it comes to kingdom affairs. This is what allows mercenaries to go about their business without having to worry about the various kingdoms. For those who hold a Bronze Codex, however, the rule is a little different. In order to get the full effects of the immunity clause, one must be accompanied with someone that has either a Silver, Gold or Platinum Codex" he said.

Ramza leaned back in his seat as he folded his arms. "At first, it was the same across the board when it comes to immunity. However, people abused that and meddled in affairs that they had no business being involved in which ended up bringing in a lot of scrutiny from the public as well as the kingdoms. As a result, F through D-rank mercenaries have to be accompanied by a C-rank or higher in order to gain the full benefits" he said. Back in the early days, many young mercenaries wound up getting into trouble that caused them to be detained by authorities. While the kingdoms don't tend to interfere with mercenaries, they still rule their respective lands and have an order to maintain. If need be, they will confront mercenaries if they are deemed a threat to the public or a danger to society. Many of those young mercenaries, as one might expect, were of a low standing within the Mercenary Guild that abused the immunity clause, so this was changed at some point.

Ruko stroked his chin in thought as he mumbled to himself. The ranking system of the Mercenary Guild had similarities with the ranking system of knights. "The higher your rank goes, the more freedom you earn. With that freedom is higher recognition as well as a greater responsibility" he said.

Enzo nodded. "It's not so different than what you're probably familiar with. I suppose the only difference between this system and yours is the fact that you have freedom to do what you want whereas a Knight Commander or a General are still reigned in" he said. He glanced over towards Tsuki, Phi and Elle for a moment. "Though from what I've heard about the Royal Eight and the Silver Knight, you guys are given a bit more leniency in that regard" he said.

Phi shrugged her shoulders a bit. While it was true that the Royal Eight operate a bit differently than the average knight, it's not as if they could go out and do what they like mercenaries could. "Considering the Royal Eight is an elite unit within the Eresseas military, most average duties as a knight are typically redirected to others. The Royal Eight are essentially a second line of defense, so to speak. Anything the average knight can't handle tends to fall on us…"she said. These things would typically involve the extermination of a dangerous monster or fugitive or the safe transport of dangerous cargo.

Elle nodded a bit to herself before picking up where Phi stopped. "And anything that the Royal Eight can't handle would fall on me, the so-called 'wild card' up the royal family's sleeve. As per my duty of the Silver Knight, I answer to no one but the royal family. Not the Commanders, not the various Generals, not even Eresseas' own Round Cabinet" she said. The tasks that fall on her are things that normally are kept out of public view. While there hasn't been much need for them over the last several years, some of these tasks would involve things like assassinations, espionage, and sabotage. A lot of dealings that involve the Silver Knight typically don't leave the family circle. Since Eresseas had been at peace for so long though, she's basically had a lot of free time on her hands, so compared to the Royal Eight and the average knight, she had far more freedom as she's only called upon if a situation deems it necessary. As for when she's on standby, she typically went around to the various places in Cayhill in less conspicuous attire to do her own patrols.

The Round Cabinet that Elle had mentioned were the council that oversees all matters regarding political and national. They operated in the same way as Esseand's Council Board, but without the stiff and rigorous attitudes. The Round Cabinet consisted of 12 people which included Taichi and Emma. The 10 remaining seats were occupied by people that were in charge of various things across Cayhill. Military operations, foreign and domestic trade, economy, matters of society, agriculture, land development, security, intelligence, finance and liaison. One person is responsible for overseeing each of these tasks and those people build their own teams within those respective fields in order to prosper and grow. All of which would eventually answer to Taichi and Emma who would always have the final say in various matters of attention. Each person was handpicked by the two of them, so they were pretty competent as what they were assigned to do.

Enzo cleared his throat and shifted the conversation back to what they were previously talking about. "To make things short, you all will need your own Codex if you want to get past Border Town" he said. He then took out several sheets of paper which were all blank application forms. "Fill these out and I'll have them ready for you by the morning" he said.

Ramza tilted his head a bit. "Wait, what about the Ceremony of Rites?" he asked. He seems to have skipped over that bit of information.

Enzo shook his head slowly. "Due to the circumstances, I'll waive them. The Ceremony's process would take too long if we were to do it for the whole group" he said. Ordinarily, it's a required process when accepting new applicants, but it's a process that can take a while.

Cesela tilted her head a bit. She was curious about what this Ceremony of Rites was. "What is that?" she asked.

Odette looked over towards Cesela. "The Ceremony of Rites is basically a live test in order to make sure new applicants are capable enough to fend for themselves. It's something that's conducted by the Branch Leader which varies on the person. It could be something as easy as a simple gathering job or even a mock battle with another mercenary" she said. The Guild was always open to receiving new mercenaries, but there are some that are just not cut out to be one. There have been people that don't have the mettle or confidence and thus, their applications are denied. "While the Guild doesn't look at past achievements of the individual, it does look at a person's capabilities and whether or not they'll be an asset to the Guild. We don't just recruit anyone off the streets, as much as others would lead you to believe" she said. She glanced over at Enzo for a brief moment. "Are you sure about this though? You'd be breaking protocol…" she said.

Enzo looked at Odette and nodded, grinning as he patted his chest. "It'll be fine…" he said, trailing off at the end of his sentence. He was more concerned about something else. "I'll have to reach out to a few of the other Branch Leaders out in Nargelond about matters going forward. In the meantime, fill those applications out and hand them to Odette when you're finished and she'll get them processed. You're welcome to make use of the beds upstairs for the time being. Get some rest and explore Velika in the morning. When I have updates for you guys, I'll call on you" he said. He left the blank applications on the table before standing up and heading towards the door, stopping just before heading out. "I would suggest using this time to settle any affairs you have around here. I can't shake the feeling that you won't be able to come back for a while once you set out" he said. With that, he left the room.

Odette still wasn't sure if this was the right way to do things, but he was the Branch Leader. She could only hope things turn out okay. She scratched the back of her head as an awkward silence filled the room. "Well, since you'll be here for a little while, why don't we get you all fed before bed? You all must be hungry" she said. She turned and headed towards the small kitchen area on the side of the room. "Feel free to fill out those forms while I get the food ready" she said.

Tsuki watched her head to the small kitchen before looking down and examining the blank application form. "To become a mercenary, huh…?" he mumbled to himself. If his life hadn't gone the way things had, there was a good chance that he would of became a full-fledged mercenary. As a kid, he was always fascinated with adventure and discovery, so the prospects of an adventurer and a mercenary had appealed to him.

Allie tugged at his sleeve with a slight tilt of her head. He had a strange look on his face. "Master? What is it?" she said.

Tsuki soon shook his head. Whether or not this was fate playing games on him, it would seem that he would have to fulfill his once childhood dream. "It's nothing. Just thinking about the past, is all" he said. He then took one of the pens that were laid out for them and started to fill out the form.

Everyone else, except for Allie and Ramza, hesitated a bit but soon followed suit and filled out their forms. Since this was a necessary step in order to cross into Nargelond, there was little choice in the matter. The application forms were simple to fill out as it had only asked for some of their personal information such as name, date of birth, any past affiliations, what their skills were and what goals they wanted to achieve as a mercenary. Most of them had to come up with things on the fly since majority of the group had no real intentions of becoming a mercenary. Once the forms were all filled out, they stacked them all together and sat around to talk amongst themselves while Odette made food for everyone with the eventual help of Cheria and Lynette.

After about 40 minutes, the three of them came back with plates of various food. Meat, vegetables, sweets and all kinds of things. Thinking back on things, they hadn't really eaten anything since the day before when they first arrived in Imil and even then, it was rather plain due to the lack of electricity. This meant that everyone was feeling pretty famished and didn't really notice until now because of all the adrenaline from the events around the Glacier and Melte as well as their flight to Ustrisu and discussions with Raiku and the others. Once the food was laid out and set for them, the group wasted no time and dug in.

Odette took the applications they filled out and put them in a folder as the group ate. With how they were eating, she was surprised they hadn't collapsed from hunger by now after all they've gone through. "I guess it's a good thing I made a little extra food. I won't have to worry about leftovers, at least" she said.

Phi was eating a drumstick when she looked over towards Odette. She was curious about something regarding their status as mercenaries. "So, what happens when everything is all said and done? When our business in Nargelond is finished, I mean. Should we return our Codex?" she asked. Unfortunately, herself, Tsuki, Elle and Ruko were unable to fulfill their obligations as a mercenary so long as they served Eresseas and Cheria was the Princess. The would only leave Lynette, Nagi and Melphi to decide what they wanted to do. Cesela was too young to fill out the application and Allie was a Spirit, so there was no need for her to do so.

Odette shook her head. "You don't have to. The Codex are yours to keep, regardless of how the application process went. If you don't want to walk the path of a mercenary longer than what's needed, then that's fine. If you decide to do mercenary work on your own time, you can do that as well" she said. Unless the Guild officially requests them to hand over their Codex, there was no reason for them to part with it. There are many mercenaries out there that are both full-time and part-time mercenaries. Some look at mercenary work as a side job for extra profit even.

Lynette scratched her cheek a bit with a slight tilt of her head as she mumbled to herself. Being able to do mercenary work on their own time might not sound so bad. It would help bring in profits for gear upgrades, enhancements and keeping stocked up on items. "It would help keep us afloat…" she said.

Ramza nodded as he ate the meat off his plate. "We'll need to take advantage of any and all opportunity if we're going to get far going forward" he said. It wouldn't hurt to build up connections amongst the Guild either. They wouldn't get on the same level as someone like Seara, but it'll be better than nothing, which is what they have now.

Melphi was in agreement. There were a few bumps in the road, but that's all going to change very soon. "We've had it pretty easy up until this point, believe it or not. Nargelond is a whole different beast, so things aren't going to be as easy for us over there" she said. Not only was the terrain a drastic change from what they were used to, but the people there weren't exactly top models, especially the closer one gets to Dolothlond.

Nagi looked over towards Melphi after she took a sip of her drink. "What can we expect in Nargelond?" she asked. Since she was the local expert, she would know what things to watch out for.

Melphi crossed her arms and fell into a bit of thought. Nargelond was a bit of a harsh environment that foreigners and even some of it's own residents have trouble with. "Unlike the grassy fields of Cayhill and Ersheath, Nargelond is known for it's mountains, high peaks and canyons. Several towns have been built into the mountains themselves while the more major cities are nestled into the various mountains and canyons. The further south you go, the more poor and tough basic living becomes. Basically, anything south from the Merchant Town of Marstead is basically the land of outlaws" she said.

Cesela tilted her head a bit. "Land of…outlaws?" she asked. She was curious to know what she meant by that.

Melphi nodded in response to her before looking over towards Odette. "Do you have a map of Nargelond?" she asked.

Odette nodded. "Of course. One second…" she said. She got up and went into another room for a few minutes before coming back with a rolled up sheet of cloth. She laid it out across the table for them. "It's a little outdated, but you'll find all the major landmarks on there" she said.

The map of Nargelond matched what Melphi said. The vast majority of Nargelond are all mountains, canyons and ridges. There were a few flat areas, but those were mostly all towards the south near Mt. Praxik. The land looked almost barren the further south you go. Particularly around Mt. Praxik and what appeared to be a nearby town that sat at the foot of the volcano where there was desolate land effectively destroyed by the active volcano caused by the Wellspring.

Melphi placed her finger down on the map towards the center of Nargelond. "Marstead is the biggest commercial town in Nargelond. It's the place you would go if you were looking for exotic or imported goods. Merchants expand their businesses to the north while the south suffers due to low business and economy. Most necessities south of Marstead are locally built and grown with what they can get their hands on" she said. Her eyes trailed south along the map and saw a familiar name that had been crossed out. "My hometown, Elkhorn used to be right here. Plans to open a trade route to Marstead would have helped the town prosper, flourish and survive. Now, all that remains is rubble and rotting stone" she said. She let out a deep sigh before continuing what she was saying from before. "For those who live south of Marstead, you are not guaranteed protection from the kingdom nor should you expect it. Everyone is on their own and that creates a lawless land of sorts" she said.

Odette nodded and looked down at the map. There were even more places south of Marstead as there were north of it. "Because the current state of affairs of Dolothlond and their negligence to the southern region, the Mercenary Guild saw fit to move in and assert their dominance. You can basically say that the Guild offers it's own protection and security to them. This is why there are several Guild Branches spread all throughout. They help maintain order" she said.

Cheria was almost disturbed by this. To willfully neglect such a vast majority of your own people was a despicable act. It went against all forms of ethics and morality. "That's…so wrong!" she said, slightly frustrated.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit, shaking her head. In the eyes of the more fortunate, they didn't see anything wrong with this. "This is the result of what happens when a corrupt War Council seizes total control of kingdom affairs" she said.

Odette has always been uneasy with how drastic Dolothlond has changed since the previous king passed away. "Unconfirmed rumors say that the newly appointed Queen had gone missing and without anyone to fill that seat, the War Council took temporary control. There are those that believe it was an inside job" she said. Considering the background of the newly appointed Queen and not having any royal blood in her, it wouldn't be all that surprising if someone on the inside took matters into their own hands.

Ramza stroked his chin a bit. They had heard about what happened with the missing Queen before and if the rumors had spread to the Mercenary Guild, then there might be something behind it all. "So, what we heard from Lux wasn't just smoke and mirrors, huh?" he said to himself.

Odette shook her head slowly as she leaned forward against the table. "Apparently, the matter is being looked into by a Guild Branch, but their search hasn't turned up anything as of yet" she said. If they are able to locate the missing Queen, assuming that she was still alive, and aid her to retake the throne, then things around Nargelond will settle down significantly. "Based off his past, I wouldn't be surprised if Kaito did something to her" she said.

Melphi shook her head a bit as she could relate to that statement very well. It brought back some old memories of her hometown when she was younger that she'd rather forget. "Kaito is a man that will do anything for more power, even sacrifice his own allies. I wouldn't put it past him one bit" she said.

Ruko scratched the back of his head. The more they learned about Kaito, the more senile he seems to become. "Kaito is sounding more and more like a harsh dictator. How, exactly, was he a once well-respected General?" he asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit, shaking her head. The reveal of his true nature was a major eye-opener for everyone. It really showed others that people aren't what they seem to be. "That's the ignorance of human nature, unfortunately. People fail to see what's beneath the surface and let themselves be fooled by sweet words. Just like we were…" she said, trailing off at the end. She had referred to the time when Kaito came to her hometown under the pretense of trade expansion and how he had fooled everyone which resulted in all of their deaths.

Odette picked up the pieces pretty quickly. Her reactions and her mentioning of Elkhorn were obvious. "You refer to what transpired in Elkhorn all those years ago, huh? From what I heard from others, news of what took place there rocked all of Nargelond and some of the outlying surrounding regions. It's an act that's on par with what Draxus does" she said. The fact that Dolothlond officials tried to cover up what happened made things far worse instead of owning up to simply negligence. It's one of the reasons why relations between people in different regions of Nargelond are so tense, and at times, hostile. Especially out in the lawless lands, it's hard to gain trust amongst the people.

Phi had finished eating and had been examining the map with great intensity. Given the situation all around Nargelond, they would need to plot a course that would provide the most safety. "So, we shouldn't take what people say to us at face value then, huh? Lawless lands, indeed…" she said. Her eyes scanned the map carefully as if she was trying to commit it all to memory. "I imagine there are probably a lot of would-be thieves, kidnappers and other nefarious people hidden amongst the canyon walls" she said.

Odette nodded in response with a grim look on her face. "…Word has it that people are secretly doing dealings with the Shogunate of Sirione" she said.

This news surprised Tsuki, but in retrospect, given the state of Nargelond, he shouldn't have been too surprised. "The Shogunate have a presence there too, huh?" he asked.

Melphi didn't like the fact that the Shogunate were conducting business on behalf of the Syndicate on her home territory. "If I had to guess, they're probably trying to capture Dragonkin in order to use them for their talents and strengths. After all, Dragonkin fighting in their dragon forms can be more dangerous and powerful than wild dragons, and even the Dragon Riders themselves" she said. She then recalled what Kesuke had told them about forbidden genetic research. "Let's not forget what Kesuke told us about what the Syndicate did to him. Even though he destroyed all of their research notes and materials, I wouldn't be surprised if they found some way to start anew with their forbidden research and genetic mutations" she said.

Lynette shook her head a bit. Hopefully, that wasn't the case. The world didn't need anymore victims like Kesuke who had their lives forever changed. "Humans really are insatiable, huh?" she mumbled to herself.

For reasons she can't explain, Allie felt this topic hit especially hard on her. This caused her to have several flashbacks that she's had previously back in the Glacier. These were the flashbacks where she found herself floating in some glass incubator tube while people in white lab coats talked amongst themselves. She placed her hand over her chest with an awful look on her face. "Why does this feel so…familiar…?" she mumbled to herself.

Tsuki noticed that Allie was looking a little strange and grew concerned for her. "Allie? You feeling okay?" he asked.

Allie quickly snapped back to reality when she heard Tsuki's voice. "H-huh? Y-yeah…I'm fine. I'm just…a little tired, that's all" she said with a fake smile. She didn't want to cause them any needless worry over some passing feeling that she can't fully recall.

Odette looked up at the time. She didn't realize that they had been talking for so long. "Well, I should get these applications processed for Enzo. Take your time to finish eat. I'll clean things up when you're done, so feel free to get some rest when you're ready" she said. She took the folder that had their applications and started to head towards the hallway, looking back at them one more time before leaving. "Goodnight" she said. She entered the hall and returned downstairs in order to get their applications sorted out.

Ramza finished eating not long after she had left and soon stood up to stretch. "We should get some more sleep and then prepare for tomorrow. Who knows when we're leaving, so we should be ready to go at a moment's notice" he said. For him, he was particularly interested to see how this plan of theirs was going to work out. There was something when it came to operating as a mercenary in new lands that they hadn't been told about yet. "It's best we wake up bright and early in order to prepare ourselves" he said.

Everyone was in agreement with this sentiment. If there was one thing that they knew, it was the fact that traversing around Nargelond was going to be more difficult than Cayhill or Ersheath. Not only because of the tensions amongst the people, but the environment and it's local wildlife and monsters. They were going to enter territory where dragons could be found and they needed to be prepared to tackle such a foe. Their fight with Caius' dragon back in Nobuo Shrine showed how ill-prepared they were.

Ramza was the first to leave the room and everyone else slowly started to make their way out to sleep after they had finished eating. Thinking about the journey ahead made Tsuki feel antsy and he didn't know why. He found himself staring up at the ceiling and alone with his thoughts for roughly two hours after everyone went to sleep. With all that's happened recently, it's given him time to think back on it all. His thoughts were soon stuck on the mysterious individual that appeared at the Glacier and interrupted their fight with Utaru. He had no idea how long he had kept to his thoughts.

Before Tsuki knew it, he found himself floating in a strange, familiar celestial space. Moments later, the spirit forms of Alexander, Cliff and Fumiko. Ever since what that power surge he experienced that they called "Soul Fusion", he felt the bonds and connections between him and the three spirits had grown much stronger. Before, he would struggle to try and communicate with one of them, but now he's not only able to communicate with them, but also to see them.

Cliff looked like he was a bit distraught. Naturally, being a part of Tsuki, they all overheard everything that they talked about. Cliff was once a native of Nargelond, so news of it's current state was disturbing. "What has happened to my homeland? I get that it's been 1,500 years since I had died, but to think that after all the forefathers did to maintain Nargelond as a whole, this is what the modern day looks like" he said. Back when he was alive, Nargelond as a country was unified. Everyone took care of one another and at one time, trade and commerce flourished to elevated heights because of the successful mining industry. There were a few skirmishes here and there along with some bad blood amongst people, but that was just basic human nature. What he sees, or at least hears, about it now makes him believe they're talking about a completely different place.

Alexander shrugged his shoulders a bit, slowly shaking his head. "Time's have definitely changed, that's for sure. The world today is not the same world we all lived in" he said. For him, his homeland was, and still is, fairly isolated and small. The kingdom he hailed from and served was more of a scholastic sort rather than a militant force.

Fumiko sighed heavily, her head hanging low with a dejected expression. "Must be nice to know that your former homeland hasn't been tainted. Loné may not have a strong military force, but the scholars know how to maintain order, even in this messed up world of ours. I wish we could say the same for ours. Dolothlond is a chaotic mess and Sirione has become deformed and twisted" she said. It scares hers just how much has changed. Though, considering the time periods that the three of them were still alive, it was expected to see some form of change. This was the change that she didn't want to see.

Alexander wasn't sure if he could fully agree with her. "I'd like to believe Loné hasn't changed. We don't know much about it's current state of affairs right now, but considering just how much each nation has changed, some of them for the worst, it's probably best we keep an open mind and not get our hopes up too much" he said. At some point in their journey, they'll make that discovery since they would need to get to the Isle of Nula regardless. Those were future worries that he may have to confront.

Tsuki shook his head a bit, shaking his head. Based off the stories that the three of them told him over time, the world back then used to be a much better, more technologically-advanced place. Things like the ComLink were common tools of everyday life, the existence of "magic weapons", fortresses and strongholds of steel and iron, and so much more. They even talked about the prospects of flying ships powered by a mixture of steam, water and electricity. They were apparently called "Airships", a concept that is now foreign to the world and borders the realm of imagination. "I can't tell if Lorategia has gotten better or is getting worse with each passing century. The world today seems vastly different than what you all lived in" he said.

Fumiko shrugged her shoulders a bit. For her, she didn't have many of those aspects. She was born in Year 2000, so by that time, most of the world's technology and advancements had degraded. She still lived in a technologically-advanced time, but not the same as the one Cliff lived through. "If you ask me, I think I much prefer the world like this. It's a simple, robust lifestyle not marred by having too much growth" she said.

Cliff had to agree with her. Back when he was alive in Year 1500, technology and civilization was still at it's peak. While it wasn't at the same level as it was in Year 1000 prior to the Sarex's initial invasion, everyday life was still mostly unchanged. "Lorategia has been retaken by nature, as it should be. When there's great technological advancement, there comes repercussions and unintended results. Pollution, habitat loss, a scarce on resources, things of that nature" he said. He lived in a time where most cities in the world had to create artificial nature within the vast cityscapes to bring back "nature's touch". "Of course, this also opened the window to more nefarious deeds. Illegal experimentation, the dive into forbidden research and the exploitation of Spirits. Probably the most dangerous thing at the time was the development of special, powerful weapons that were once known as Artifacts" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. "Artifacts?" he asked. Based off the tone of his voice, it sounded like a heavy topic.

Cliff nodded and extended his hand out in front of him. Moments later, red sparks and energy started to form in the air in front of him before his axe had appeared in his hand. "You could say that this is the last "existing" Artifact in the world. They were weapons created from a special ore called Orichalcum and were imbued with powerful magic. These weapons had the capabilities to kill just about anything, even that of a Great Spirit with relative ease. There were many different forms and variants when it came to Artifacts. However, Orichalcum became difficult to come by due to the high demand and eventually, the development of Artifacts ceased" he said. He stared at his axe for a moment before several sequences of memories played through his head. They were flashbacks that contained himself surrounded by corpses, holding a young male in a white lab coat in his arms. It appeared that he had been shot several times. What was most interesting about this flashback, however, was the person that was sitting next to the young male. By all accounts, the person was the spitting image of Allie herself, though looking a little different than how she was now. She looked extremely upset and distraught as she appeared be crouched down next to the young male, crying. "I once had a friend sacrificed himself in order to learn more about the development of Artifacts from a particular faction of people as well as gather information on a certain "special project" that they had been conducting" he said. Because of certain events that occurred much later in life, Allie didn't remember the fact that two of them were once bitter enemies. They had fought with each other several times on various battlefields. He couldn't count the number of times they had fought. There were several of which that Allie had gotten the upper-hand and almost killed him. The memory of him holding the dying male was the moment they were no longer enemies.

Tsuki scratched his head a bit. He didn't quite understand what he was talking about. "Weapons that are capable of killing anything? How could they have achieved that?" he asked. While he didn't understand the topic, he was curious on what methods they used.

Cliff shook his head. What he was about to say was something that still disturbed him to this day, even centuries after the fact. "These Artifacts weren't just ordinary weapons. They were weapons created by the very essences of Spirits themselves. To simplify an otherwise difficult topic, Spirits were "converted" into weapons" he said.

Tsuki's eyes widened with shock. He was at a loss for words. "Spirits…converted!?" he shouted.

Cliff nodded, looking at the axe he wielded in his hand as he nodded slowly. He had a look of heavy remorse as he stared at his energized, Mana-infused weapon. "This weapon of mine is no different. While this is just a manifestation of what it once was, it was created at the sacrifice of a Spirit I was once close with" he said.

Fumiko remembered when he had first told her about Artifacts, It was an extremely gross act with a complete disregard to life. "The old, ancient world was a scary place. Probably more so then than it is now…" she said.

Cliff couldn't help but laugh at himself a bit. The world back then, despite how nice it may have been to live in such an advanced age, but the realities weren't quite what it seemed. "I've heard that so many times from people and I couldn't agree more. Back then was a vastly different world" he said.

Alexander shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. Thinking back at all the times that Sarex had been resurrected, it may have been a blessing in disguise. "I hate to admit it, but Sarex played a vital role in the sudden shift of the world. Who knows where our world would be now if not otherwise" he said. There were times he'd find himself thinking about an alternate reality where the Daemons didn't emerge to lay waste to the world. It was a curious thought that would never provide an answer.

Fumiko shook her head a bit. Contrarily to what little knowledge has been preserved by the Elves, Sarex wasn't directly involved in most of the instances that almost brought Lorategia to it's knees. "While you're not wrong, the Hands of Sarex caused the most destruction. They were the ones that led the charge to level cities and town. They were the ones responsible for the heavy losses of innocent lives" she said.

Tsuki folded his arms, tilting his head slightly. He couldn't help but think back to their encounter with the robed man back in the Glacier. The intense feeling of dread and the smell of blood was beyond palpable. "You said that the Hands of Sarex were "handpicked" by Sarex himself. But, what exactly are they?" he asked.

Alexander waved his hand out in front of him as images of four individuals in black robes appeared, each of them holding a sword, spear, axe and staff. Unfortunately, because of the hooded robes, no facial or distinguishable features could be made out. "The Hands of Sarex are highly intelligent Daemons almost in a class of their own. They have the ability to retain human form and speech, which makes them dangerous. Many cities and organizations fell to them, single-handedly" he said. He glanced towards Tsuki for a moment. "Remember when one of them fired that blast of energy at us? How I said we wouldn't have survived? I wasn't joking; there would have been nothing left of us" he said.

Tsuki recalled that event as it played out in his head. He remembered feeling beyond overwhelming pressure as he was only barely able to repel it. "You're right. At just a single glance, I knew that he was an opponent far beyond our caliber. But, just how powerful are they?" he asked.

Alexander shifted his gaze over to the four images he formed. "As you know, there are four tiers of Daemons. You have the Lesser Daemons, which you've all fought before. Then, you have Daemons known as Devils. That man, Gepard, turned into one in the desert, if you recall. Next, you have Hell Lords, which are much powerful and serve as the Daemon's Generals. Finally, you have the Archfiend" he said. He had formed images of various Lesser Daemons and that of what Gepard became. "The Hands of Sarex were, at one point, on the same level of that as Hell Lords. I can only hope that remains unchanged, but considering the fact that every time they've been brought back, they've became stronger, I don't have much for high hopes" he said.

Cliff shook his head a bit as the axe in his hand disappeared, lowering his arm back to his side. "And what's striking is the fact that the Hands of Sarex seem to be in league with Caius, to a degree. This alone raises some concerning questions about who Caius actually is" he said. The Hands of Sarex would never involve themselves in human affairs unless it resulted in mass destruction and slaughter on behalf of their Lord.

Tsuki raised a curious eyebrow as he looked over towards Cliff. "So…what, you're thinking that the Caius that's been behind all of this…isn't the real Caius?" he asked.

Cliff once again shook his head. This wasn't a topic he should lightly speculate on, especially with how much little information they had. "I can't say for certain, but the Hands of Sarex aren't exactly the type to extend their hands out to people out of goodwill and charity" he said. It was a head scratcher, but there wasn't much they knew so speculating was all they could do. "Regardless, they're enemies that aren't to be trifled with. If at all possible, I highly suggest avoiding them. At your current level, it'll be suicide to take them on" he said.

Fumiko nodded in agreement. She thought back to her previous encounters with them back when she was still alive. She remembered being pushed to her limits almost every time she had fought with them. Even towards the end of her own adventures after all she had experienced, she would still find herself and her friends being thrown through the wringer. "What I find odd is the fact that they're showing themselves now. Before, they didn't make their presence known until Sarex was fully revived and awakened. What they're doing is rather risky and rash" she said.

Tsuki tilted his head slightly with a confused look. "What do you mean, risky and rash? You mean, this isn't normal behavior for them?" he asked.

Alexander shook his head, folding his arms. That was his first thought when one of them suddenly appeared at the Glacier. "Recall back to what he said back in the Glacier. So long as the essence of Sarex exists, they will never die" he said. He briefly dove into his memories and thought back to his own adventures. He had killed them before already, or at least, so he thought until they suddenly reappeared during the final confrontation. "The Hands of Sarex are, quite literally, an extension of Sarex himself. If they were to be killed, it'd be an easy task for him to revive them. That trait alone was probably the most deadliest of them all. They're just as much of a threat to the world as the Archfiend himself. However, because Sarex hasn't been revived yet, they can die" he said.

Fumiko stroked her chin a bit as she thought about what he said. Given their shared personalities, her thoughts wouldn't be too far off the mark. "Maybe they're just blinded by arrogance. Again" she said.

Tsuki did his best to process everything they're saying. As he did, a curious thought came to mind. "I'm curious now. How did you guys defeat them last time?" he asked.

The three of them fell silent with his question. They knew that this would have been brought up eventually, but for some reason, they found it difficult to say anything. After about a minute or two of awkward silence, they decided to speak but the way they spoke sounded off as if they were trying to avoid most of the subject.

Alexander took a moment to speak, taking a deep breath. "Back in Year 2500, me and my own band of friends and comrades came together in an attempt to bring an end to their reign. It was a tough battle, but we emerged triumphant in the end, or so we thought. Sarex took in the collective power of the Hands and quickly turned the tables on us. In all regards, we should have been killed. We were too worn out and exhausted to fight any longer…" he said.

Memories flashed through his mind in this instance. These images in his head contained himself along with 7 others on the ground, either too injured or exhausted to fight as the menacing figure of Sarex stood over them. In one of the images, he was just about to strike down the group when a young female figure stood appeared in front of them. This young female figure stood her ground and allowed herself to be pierced by Sarex's blade. This brought great thrill and amusement to Sarex, but that would all change when he suddenly found himself unable to move or remove the blade from the girl's body. The girl bled heavily, coughing up blood as she held onto the blade with one hand and her other hand held out, holding a strange, spherical object that glowed. The girl had a smile on her face as Alexander and the others of his group found themselves forced to abandon the battlefield, leaving the girl behind. Then, in an instant, the entire area was engulfed in a massive black sphere that stretched for miles in all directions and soon resulted in an explosion so powerful that it could have been felt across the continent they were on. In the aftermath, all that remained of the surrounding area, which originally had a large forest with a small, ruined town, was now a massive crater that looked like a giant meteor had hit.

When Alexander and his group returned, they found the young female lying on the ground, bleeding heavily along with Sarex who was barely alive. While his friends did their best to tend to the young female, Alexander, along with the souls of Cliff and Fumiko, used the last of their strength to finish off Sarex. At first, they thought they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but the weight of what had just occurred hit them. Certain events happened with the young female and as a result, her physical body perished and her soul was laid to rest.

Alexander soon shook his head as these memories finished playing through his head. "Someone sacrificed themselves by causing what's known as a Spatial Quake in order to defeat Sarex" he said.

Tsuki has never heard anything like a Spatial Quake before. Not even in the history books was this term ever mentioned. "What's a Spatial Quake?" he asked.

Alexander thought about how he could explain this to him without divulging too much. He wanted him to figure out things on his own. "It's something that happens with Spirits. When their Spirit Core is overloaded, whether intentionally or not, they become a literal bomb. The area is surrounded by a black sphere where the gravity and air within becomes extremely pressurized to the point it's almost bone-crushing. The area is then compacted tightly before the ensuing explosion. The size and power of a Spatial Quake depends on the Spirit that caused it and this one was exceptionally powerful. It was the largest Spatial Quake to ever occur to date" he said. He glanced over towards Tsuki for a moment. "In fact, you've been to where it had occurred once already. The crater where Briswater is now located at" he said.

This news came as a shock to Tsuki. He was always curious on how the giant water-filled crater that Briswater was built on was formed. No one seemed to have an answer or would even tell him. Briswater was a big city, but it only took up a small portion of the crater. "THAT'S how it happened!?" he shouted. He saw just how big and deep the crater was. Thinking how a single individual caused so much wide destruction and devastation was almost terrifying.

Cliff was silent for a good while. Events of that day were things he would never forget. It was the day where he had failed to uphold the promise he made to a dying friend. "Given the history of this Spirit and how much power they accrued over the years, it's no surprise a Spatial Quake caused by them would be nothing short of pure devastation and destruction" he said.

Fumiko put her hand up against her right arm with a saddened expression. "It was the very last resort that we all tried to prevent. Unfortunately, even our best efforts weren't enough" she said. It pained her to see it all happen before her eyes and being powerless to stop it.

Alexander slowly shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. "It couldn't be helped. Sarex had a trump card up his sleeve and we failed to see it. Given the fact that he had already lost against humanity two before, we should of seen it coming" he said. It was a major oversight for them considering everything they had experienced.

Cliff thought back to the times they each fought against Sarex. With each time he was resurrected, he came back stronger. The first time, he became more aggressive and forceful. The second time, he focused more on the magical side of things, delving into ancient magic. Finally, the third time, he decided to take a more defensive and strategic approach. Strength, magic and defense. Not only did he adapt in the areas he lacked, but also improved on the ones he excelled in. Which means, this time, things were going to be a whole lot more difficult. "We'll need to be extra prepared for the inevitable showdown this time around. He'll have the perfect offense with a perfect defense to boot" he said.

Tsuki looked down at his hands as he lightly clenched his fists. "Then, we need to become stronger. Sarex seems to be a recurring plague and it's high time we rid the world of him" he said. He didn't know the first thing about Sarex aside from what he's heard from others, but that's a future problem they will eventually have to tackle.

The four of them continued to talk amongst themselves for a bit longer before wrapping up their conversation. When Tsuki came to his senses, it was already early in the following morning. At some point, Tsuki wound up falling asleep, though he doesn't recall when. When he woke up, he felt weighted down on the bed. When he looked around, he saw that Allie was sleeping next to him, practically holding onto him. She had a peaceful expression on her face as she slept. He tried to wake her up by gently shaking her, but she wouldn't wake up.

While she didn't wake up from him nudging her, Allie did start talking in her sleep a bit. "Ashe…tell me why…why did you save me…?" she mumbled softly in her sleep. Suddenly, a single tear ran down her face as she grew a bit restless.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit when she heard her mumbling in her sleep, but before he could react further, there was a knock at his door. Cheria's voice could be heard calling out to him from the other side, asking if he was awake before opening the door. When she saw the two of them sleeping in the same bed, she was about ready to scold them, but Tsuki held his finger up, telling her to stay quiet without saying anything. Cheria sighed softly before walking over to the side of his bed and saw her seemingly crying in her sleep.

Allie continued to mumble in her sleep as she grew more restless, her facial expressions shifting from being sad to anguish. "Melkhor...Artiface Project…a living weapon…" she mumbled. She appeared to now be having a nightmare from her squirming.

Tsuki attempted to wake her up again by shaking her a bit harder. "Hey, Allie. Wake up" he said. Whatever she was dreaming about clearly wasn't pleasant.

Eventually, Allie soon settled down and groaned before slowly opening her eyes. She saw that Tsuki and Cheria were looking at her with concerned looks and she didn't know why. "Mmm…Master? Cheria? What's wrong…?" she said. When she went to rub her eyes, she saw that she had cried at some point. "Huh? Why am I…?" she asked herself. Naturally, she couldn't remember what she was dreaming about.

Cheria was sitting on the edge of the bed with a hand resting on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You were having a nightmare, it seems…" she said. It was the first time she's seen her like that, so it was a little concerning.

Allie slowly sat up on the bed, yawning a bit as she rubbed her eyes. "I was…? I don't remember anything though…" she said. Not remembering one's dream was a normal phenomenon. Some people may be able to recall what they dream about, but many others can't.

Tsuki stroked his chin a bit as two words seemed to stick in his mind for some reason. Melkhor and whatever this Artiface Project was didn't seem like just any other standard terms. There was also the mention of someone named Ashe and how they supposedly saved her. These were curious thoughts that seemed to be hints relating to her lost memories. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything he could do, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. "I guess Spirits can have dreams too just like a Human could" he said. He scratched the back of his head a bit, turning his thoughts back to prior ones. "Why are you sleeping in my bed anyway…?" he asked.

Allie stretched her arms over her head a bit, tilting her head a bit. "I'm not sure. I felt drawn for some reason and I ended up falling asleep" she said. She climbed over him and got off the bed. She was wearing a small, child-size white night shirt and not much else. She held her arm over her head and spun her body around as she started to emit a white glow. Moments later, the shirt disappeared for a brief moment before her normal cherry blossom miko clothing formed to cover herself up.

Tsuki averted his eyes when she suddenly changed her appearance in front of him. Even if she was a Spirit, she still had the appearance of a Human and a child at that. "Must you change right in front of me?" he asked.

Allie turned to face Tsuki, putting one hand on her waist and the other over her chest, puffing it out a bit. "What's the harm? I would of thought Master would like to see my growth" she said. Obviously, she meant something more than just her height.

Cheria shook her head and put her hands on her hips. She then proceeded to give her a scolding look. "Allie! It's not appropriate to do that in front of guys! It's shameful and indecent!" she said.

Allie turned her head towards Cheria, tilting her head a bit while putting a finger to her chin. "But I recall you and Master holding each other pretty intimately in the hot springs back in Basilwell, wearing nothing but a towel…" she said.

Cheria's face turned bright red when she recalled that moment. It was after the fled Eresseas and she vented to him while using the mixed baths of the hot spring. She had realized what had happened after it had happened and made her feel incredibly embarrassed and it still does to think back on it. "Th-that was-I-I mean….!" She said, feeling a bit flustered.

Allie turned her head back towards Tsuki, pointing her finger towards Tsuki. "And then, there was that time in Imil when Master pushed you down to the ground. You do know that I could pick up on any feelings of fluctuations, right?" she asked. Obviously, this was when Cheria had stumbled carrying too much, causing her to trip. Tsuki had attempted to catch her but ended up falling with her, pinning her down to the ground. She remembered how fast his heart had been beating at the time. This is what had caused her to wake up back then.

Tsuki didn't know what to say in response. He tries not to think about that time as it served to be quite distracting for him. "I'm not sure I like what you're seemingly trying to imply" he said. He scratched the back of his head a bit before getting up off the bed. He stretched a bit before looking out the nearby window. "So, we're on standby until Enzo gets back to us, huh?" he said.

Cheria nodded at him. He was the last one to wake up as everyone else woke up before sunrise. "Everyone left earlier to do their own thing. Ramza and Phi went to go check up on something with the Merchant's Association, Lyn and Ruko went out to explore the town together, Nagi and Elle went to stock up on any supplies and Melphi and Cesela to gather information that might help us understand Nargelond better" she said. Being in a big city like Velika that's famous for merchants, the flow of information and rumors would be easier to come by.

Tsuki stroked his chin a bit in thought. Enzo did say that it would take a while for him to get back to them, so they took the opportunity to do what they can to prepare for the road ahead. "Everything was decided before I even woke up, huh?" he said. Seeing as they all had the bases covered for what they could do, that pretty much left them with sitting back.

Cheria had told them that she would stay put and wait until Tsuki had woken up. Considering what happened back in the Glacier and the strain his body was put through, she figured that he could use the rest. She tried to get Melphi to also stay put, but she refused to listen. "Why don't you go wash up? I can make you something to eat in the meantime" she said. She looked over towards Allie. "Would you like to help?" she asked.

Allie gave her a casual salute with a wide grin on her face. "Sure! Just you wait, I'm going to make Master the best omelet you've ever had" she said. She quickly spun around and left the room in a mad dash.

Cheria giggled a bit at her excitement before heading towards the door. "Come to the lounge when you're ready, okay?" she asked. She then left the room as well.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head as the two of them left. Thinking back on it, he hadn't gotten the chance to properly bathe since Haven Village. "I guess I am a little overdue for a little R&R…" he said. He left the Caliburn and grabbed a change of clothes before heading out of his room and toward the baths.

Since no one else was around the Guild Branch, the baths were empty, so he took his time in them. The hot water helped his muscles relax and did wonders to any stress he may have had. They were no hot spring, but the baths served their purpose. After about 30 minutes, he eventually returned to his room holding onto the shirt in his hand and had a towel hanging over his shoulder. He finished drying off his hair before looking at himself in a nearby mirror. Because of all the fighting they've been doing, he could see that he was becoming more fit with some added muscle. The scar that was inflicted on him by Caius was still there and showed no signs of healing.

As he stared at the scar across his chest through the mirror, he couldn't help but think back to the discussion he had with Fumiko, Alexander and Cliff. As he did, his own question played back through his mind. "So then…what, the Caius that's been behind all this…isn't the real Caius?" The statements that they said about the Hands of Sarex also lingered in his mind. Why they are siding with him and what were their intentions. He put his hand over his scar as another memory played back through his mind.

Time goes back several weeks to the hours prior to the Festival of Blossoms starting. Tsuki was having a talk between Taichi and Emma and the topic seemed to be able Caius. Whenever Tsuki had brought up Caius, he could see their facial expressions become saddened and troubled. He had noticed this the first time when he was debriefing them of the events that took place during his mission.

Tsuki, who was still wrapped up in bandages, was stroking his chin as he had decided to address something. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your relationship with Caius? Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, but you two didn't seem all that surprised when I brought up Caius" he said.

Taichi sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. Since he had decided to play some of his cards, it was best to tell him what they knew. "Unfortunately, you're correct. We've known about the suspicious activity going on in Honegroth for quite some time and the sudden behavioral shift of it's king, Caius" he said.

Emma nodded slowly. She was still adjusting to the fact that Caius was the one truly behind all of this. Deep down, she had hoped the information they've learned through various investigations weren't true. "He wasn't always like this. We were old acquaintances back when we traveled the world 25 years ago. We didn't travel together, but he did help us out quite a lot back during the Four Lords fiasco" she said.

Tsuki held his hand up to his chin with a slight tilt of his head. Details about what happened with the Four Lords made international headlines and exposed many things to the public. It was a testament to how bad corruption and people hungry for power and control can become. "The Four Lords…if I remember correctly, you and your companions were the ones to expose them to the public and brought them to justice" he said.

The conflict that ensued regarding the Four Lords was deadly. Many people ended up losing their lives through blind faith and unwavering devotion. The Four Lords and the kingdoms were almost constantly at each other's throats. The Four Lords had great influence among the people in Seford, where the Principality of Loné is located, across various communities in Megrove and all around Ersheath and Cayhill with outliers in certain places in Nargelond and Menorion.

Taichi shrugged his shoulders a bit, sitting back in his chair. Thinking back on it, he initially didn't want to become involved in the whole ordeal. He was just a normal adventurer that liked to do things his own way without the help of others. After his initial run-in with Emma, he had found himself being entangled in matters that he typically avoided. "I've always thought about where we would be if I just walked away when I had the chance to" he said. There came a point in their journey where he could have wiped his hands clean of Emma and everything else that came after meeting her.

Emma shook her head a bit before looking towards him. "Well, one thing is that Cheria wouldn't have been born which would also mean that Tsuki most likely wouldn't be standing here right now" she said. Back then, the two of them didn't really get along well. Her lack of confidence in herself had gotten on his nerves quite a lot throughout their time together and his rough, and often times, rude demeanor had made her upset with him more times than she could count. Two people that were total opposites of each other in the beginning and now they were happily married with a daughter of their own. "You might not believe it, but Tai used to give people the cold shoulder a lot. He'd vehemently oppose getting involved with others and preferred to work alone" she said.

Taichi sighed heavily as she talked about his former self. Naturally, he couldn't deny what kind of person he was. There were reasons why he was a lone wolf adventurer and wanted it to stay that way and not get involved with royal affairs. A reason that wasn't revealed to her or their companions until late into their journey. "Must you bring that up again? I got enough of that from your folks before they went off to their remote island paradise" he said. He didn't change his behavior and attitude until later on after their journey started. This was also around the time that the both of them started to develop feelings for each other despite the fact that they didn't get along well for a good while. "We're still trying to figure out just what changed Caius. He wasn't like this before and would certainly not have resorted to dirty tactics" he said.

Emma knew that whatever it was that caused the change, it would had to have been pretty significant in order to bring about such a drastic change. "I'm the sure the answer lies out there somewhere. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this. It's the least we could do for all he has done for us in the past" she said.

Time soon returns to the present as his flashback came to an end. He stared at himself in the mirror, sighing heavily. In that moment, there was a knock on the door as the voice of Cheria soon called out to him. "Tsu? You okay in there?" she asked. She soon opened the door and saw that he was only half-dressed. "O-oh, sorry. I guess I should have waited" she said. He had everything but a shirt on, so she was able to see everything from the waist up. Along with some muscles, there were a number of minor bruises and scratches along his arms and then there was the scar across his chest.

Tsuki snapped back to his senses when she came into the room, making him turn to face her. "It's fine. I shouldn't have taken so long" he said. He had lost track of the time.

Cheria shook her head a bit. "It's fine. I did tell you to take your time, after all…" she said. She fell silent for a moment before approaching him. Her eyes were locked on at the scar across his chest. The injury he received from Caius could have been life-threatening and even though most of the force from his attack was absorbed and weakened, he still got a pretty serious injury.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit as she locked her eyes on him. "What's up?" he asked.

Cheria shook her head slightly. "I think this is the first time I've seen your scar…" she said. The last time she could have seen it was when they were at the hot springs together back in Basilwell. However, her thoughts were too focused on dealing with the present circumstances at the time and didn't really pay that much attention. She reached her hand up and placed it against his chest and gently ran it along the scar. "Does it still bother you?" she asked.

Tsuki shook his head in response. The scar hasn't bothered him for a while, not since leaving Cayhill. "Not at all. Though, I'm pretty sure I'll be stuck with it for the rest of my life" he said. If anything, it was a battle scar now. No adventure or journey comes without it's share of risks.

Cheria placed her hand over the scar once more, pressing it against his chest. "The rest of your life, huh…?" she mumbled to herself. "Sometimes, I wonder if I shouldn't have went out to find you that day after you saved me" she said. She had referred back to when he had saved her from being abducted by the Syndicate. "If I hadn't, then you wouldn't of had your body permanently marked" she said.

Tsuki reached up and took hold of her hand. "What are you talking about? If it weren't for you, then I'd probably be sleeping in a ditch or worse. Compared to what could have been, a measly little scar like this is nothing" he said. There was a good chance that he would either be dead by now or became a criminal of the underworld if it wasn't for her persistent intervention. It took him a long time to realize it, but he would have been nothing without her. "All things considered, I owe you my life and more and I'll stay by your side for as long as I have to in order to repay it" he said.

Cheria blushed lightly with a soft smile as she let out a slight giggle. "A life debt doesn't just "go away", you know. What will you do then?" she asked.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders a bit and patted his chest. "Well, then I guess you'll be stuck with me forever" he said.

Cheria pulled her hand away, taking a few steps back before turning around to face the door, holding her arms behind her back. "Forever, huh?" she mumbled. With another giggle, she looked back at him one more time with a light blush on her face. "I'll be looking forward to it then" she said. She made her way back towards the door and soon left the room.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head before putting his shirt back on and gathered the rest of his things. Once he was ready, he left the room to join up with the two of them for some breakfast. The three of them talked amongst themselves at the table while they ate the food that was prepared. The minutes seemed to fly by as they didn't realize how much time would pass. Meanwhile, the scene shifts over towards Ramza and Phi who had just arrived at the main building in the center of Velika. This fortress-like structure was where the Merchant's Association operates out from. If there was any place where they could acquire reliable and recent news from Nargelond, it would be here. This is where many merchants flock to from all over the world. Here, you'll find lots of exotic goods that were imported from other places outside of Erhseath. It was also the place where illegally smuggled goods and contraband was kept under lock and key.

Phi looked up at the fortress-like structure and almost couldn't believe that it was just a place of business now. Since Phi was unconscious at the time when they first came through Velika, she hadn't seen the city before or the very structure standing before them. "So, they repurposed an old fortress into a bunch of offices and storefronts?" she asked.

Ramza nodded, looking up at the walls of the building. "The Merchant's Association casts a wide net amongst the world of trade and revenue. Many people wish to set up shop here in Velika because of all the influx of people from all over. In order for them to do that, they would need a permit issued from here. Otherwise, they run the risk of having their business shut down and ran out of town" he said. Many merchants tend to make big profits around these parts, but that also comes with it's own downsides. You have a wide variety of competition from all the town sectors. Some businesses ran others into the ground because they were so successful. Independent vendors have the hardest time around here as there's a good chance that whatever they sell is sold at another place, but at a higher quality. Someone really had to know what they were doing before setting up a shop here.

Phi looked around the area and saw all the people coming and going from the repurposed fortress. Many of them were carrying large sacks or pulling carriages full of crates and other things. The area was flooded with merchants, both small and big. It was truly a merchant's hub. "So, what are we doing here again?" she asked.

Ramza put a hand on his hip, looking towards her. "I reached out to Seara last night and asked if she had any connections in the Merchant's Association that we could ask for some information" he said. His gaze soon shifted towards the main entrance to the Association Building. "Apparently, she has several, though I shouldn't be surprised. Thankfully, one of them is able to meet with us" he said.

Phi continued to look around the area as people continued to walk by them. "Where are we suppose to meet them?" she asked.

Right after she said that, an older male's voice spoke out from behind them. "Right here is perfect, Miss" the voice said.

When the both of them turned around, they saw an older gentleman seemingly in his late 50s with pure white hair with a full beard to go along with it. He wore attire befitting that of an experienced merchant along with a pretty hefty-looking backpack stuffed to the brim of various goods. Despite his seemingly old age, he looked as fit as someone in their 20s. The man had well-defined muscles and looked like he could climb up a mountain and make it look easy.

Ramza examined the man and could tell at a glance that he was well-traveled. He definitely had the experience to back up the claims that Seara made. "Seara sure knows how to pick 'em…" he said. She always had an eye for potential when it came to forming connections with others.

The old man let out a hearty laugh. "She does have a keen eye, doesn't she?" he asked. He then held his hand out towards him. "The name's Rocco Thorne, merchant extraordinaire with enough experience to fuel a lifetime. You must be Ramza. I must say, it's a pleasure to finally meet the man that Seara constantly talks about, not to mention this country's top General" he said. He's heard so much about him from Seara that he's been eager to meet him for some time now. He had grown curious about the man that had captured her heart under tight lock and key.

Ramza reached out and shook Rocco's hand with a firm grip. "Hopefully, she hasn't said anything too embarrassing about me" he said. He was almost afraid to ask what she had been telling him. "Anyway, you have anything you can tell us about Nargelond?" he asked.

Rocco nodded at him slightly. The information he has isn't exactly the best news mainly because there's a lot of unsubstantiated claims about it all. "According to a few of my colleagues in and around Dolothlond, the people are on edge. Prices and tax on even the most basic goods have been steadily increasing at alarming rates most likely due to the potential prospects of war. People are unsatisfied with how the War Council is operating things. Lots of civil unrest has been taking place in the various towns and there are even talks of inciting rebellion" he said. To be blunt, Nargelond as a whole is in a very bad place. Not only did they have to contend with possible open war with Esseand, but a potential civil war outbreak in the process. The situation only deteriorates with each passing day. Who knows when things will hit their boiling point.

Ramza stroked his chin as he thought about situation. They were already aware that they were heading into hostile territory, but he didn't things were this bad. "With how the Council and Kaito are handling things right now, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that the public suffers while the elite prosper" he said. While the situation was bleak, it could eventually work in their favor later on if they ever needed to garner support to take down the War Council and restore proper order to the kingdom.

Phi didn't exactly like the idea that they about to walk into the midst of another war. "It'd be a war from all sides. Soldiers from both Esseand and Dolothlond on the frontlines while the public incites war from within their own borders" she said. To think such a scenario could come to potential fruition. "Will we be alright going there?" she asked. It was going to be inevitable that they would be involved in a wide-scale conflict again. She just didn't want it to be so soon.

Ramza scratched the back of his head a bit, mumbling to himself. Regardless of the situation happening around Nargelond, they still have to go. "Hey, if we can take on an Elder Behemoth and live to tell the tale, then nothing can stop us" he said. That said, it would be them against a whole army plus multiple squads of Dragon Riders. They had to be careful on who they picked a fight with and how deep they got themselves involved in affairs. The last thing they needed was a legion of Dragon Riders breathing down their necks.

Phi glanced over towards Ramza when he made that comment, causing her to let out a heavy sigh with a slump of her shoulders. "Someone sure sounds confident. I think you've been spending too much time around Tsuki. His optimism can be a little contagious, after all" she said. It was nice to be optimistic during times like these, but it was best to keep it in moderation. While taking on something like an Elder Behemoth and managing to walk away with a few scrapes and bruises was a feat in and of itself, challenging an entire army was a whole different beast. Rather than fighting a monster that fought with pure instinct and brute strength, they will be going up against high levels of coordination, tactics, resources and intelligence along with power.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit. He couldn't deny that, at least to a certain degree. "Well, it's better to be a little optimistic than otherwise, you know" he said. That said, it would seem that they would need to stay vigilant of their surroundings once the cross the border.

Rocco folded his arms as he looked between the both of them. "So, you guys plan on venturing into that whole mess. Word of advice, I'd stay away from Dolothlond for the time being, if I were you" he said with a scowl on his face.

Phi tilted her head a bit. "Why's that?" she asked. Ultimately, that was their destination, so they couldn't avoid it forever.

Rocco reached into his bag and pulled out a notice letter that had the official markings from the War Council and Kaito. "It would seem the officials are heavily cracking down on the public in order to stem the unrest. Cease & desist notices, threats of prosecution and some even going as far as drafting people into service. Some of my colleagues customers have fallen victim to these notices" he said.

Ramza took the notice letter from him and skimmed through it. It was the War Council's way to gain support and bring an end to the internal strife all in one go. They were dirty tactics that violated certain constitutions. "I knew that the War Council was a corrupt organization, but I didn't think they'd stoop to this low" he said. He handed the letter of notice back to him. "What about the Mercenary Guild Branches? What do they have to say about it?" he asked.

Rocco shook his head. Unfortunately, aside from his connections with Seara, he didn't exactly have a good lead into them. "I couldn't say, sadly. It's not like the Guild Branches are willing to talk about such matters with passing by merchants. The only thing I can say is that whatever is going on behind the scenes across Nargelond, the Guild Branches seem to be preparing themselves for something. Whether that's to aid the public and fight back against the War Council or if it's just a matter of racking in that wartime cash rewards, I couldn't say" he said. The Mercenary Guild thrives off things like this. It wouldn't be too crazy to think that they're planning a way to use the situation to their advantage. Wartime has always been the best time for mercenaries because it brings in a lot of business and with that business comes renown. Since they don't typically align themselves with royal affairs, it could just be the usual business for them.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit. He should have had expected it wouldn't be that easy to get any information on the various branches. "I suppose it wouldn't have been that simple. I guess we'll have to wait for information on that when Enzo gets back with us" he said.

Rocco nodded and walked past them towards the west side of town, looking back at them for a moment. "If you'd like, we can talk more about this at my shop. There are certain things I really shouldn't say out where others could hear me, you know. If you're going out there, then it's best to be prepared. It's the least I could do for all Seara and her crew has done for me" he said.

Phi stroked her chin a bit as she thought about his offer. It wouldn't hurt to know more about the present circumstances in the other towns. "That's not a bad idea. Better to be safe than sorry" she said.

Ramza nodded in agreement with his offer. "Sounds good. We'll take you up on that then" he said.

Rocco patted his chest with a wide grin on his face. "Perfect! Let's head on over to my shop then and we'll get you two settled in" he said.

Rocco proceeded to guide them back into town to where his shop was located. There, they spent an untold amount of time chatting with him and going through various documents and such to learn all they can about what was happening in the surrounding towns. It would seem that the more they read into the situation, the more complex it started to become. What had started out as a small problem gradually became a pretty big issue. Hearing and reading everything he had to say helped shed some light on the gravity of the situation more.

Meanwhile, the scene shifts over to the other side of Velika with Lynette and Ruko walking through a busy street. Off to the side, they were passing by a moderately sized park where kids were running around and playing. There were a few small shops and food stalls strewn around the area with a few different cafés and restaurants. It was a good chance of pace, seeing people go about their ordinary day-by-day lives rather than the constant bouts of struggle that they've seen. Everyone went about their business without a care in the world.

Lynette took a step over towards the park and looked around the area. It wasn't a very big space, but it was well-maintained. With the appeal and aesthetics, one could easily find a tree to sit under and fall asleep. "Well, this is a nice little area. Looks like a good place to come to if you want to relax" she said.

Ruko watched all the people doing their own thing around the park. "It's definitely a nice little change for once. Nice and quiet and away from all of the hustle and bustle of the markets" he said.

Lynette could smell the food being sold at the different food stalls. The smell of taiyaki permeated in the air so much that it started to make her hungry. They had been walking around for a good while and wound up working up an appetite. "Mmm…it smells so good around here too" she said. To be expected, her stomach started to growl so much that one close to her could almost hear it. This caused her to feel slightly embarrassed as she covered her stomach and let out a nervous laugh. "I guess the smells are getting to me…" she said.

Ruko could smell the taiyaki as the wind carried the scent. Hearing her stomach growl so loudly, he couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Didn't you eat a big breakfast though?" he asked.

Lynette puffed her cheeks a bit, folding her arms and looked away from him, her face red from embarrassment. "Sh-shut up! I can't help it, okay!?" she said.

Ruko patted her on the shoulder a bit. "Why don't you find us a bench to sit at? I'll go get us something to eat. We could use a little break anyway" he said. He was actually wanting to try some taiyaki himself. Eating it while it's hot and fresh is the best way to enjoy it.

Lynette's eyes lit up a bit as she looked back at him and nodded. "Okay!" she said. For her, it has been years since she last had taiyaki. Just thinking about it almost made her salivate over it.

Ruko walked past him and headed towards the food stall that was selling the taiyaki. There was a bit of a line though, so he had to wait for a bit. As he stood in line, Lynette walked into the park and strolled around for a short while to find a place to sit. Eventually, she found an empty bench near a small water fountain. She sat down and stretched her arms over her head. They've been walking around since sunrise, so they needed break.

As she sat back on the bench and relaxed, Lynette watched all the people walk by her. While she did that, she thought back to all of their adventures thus far. When she started out, she would become fatigued pretty quickly from all the walking and fighting that they've been doing. However, over time, she found that hasn't been happening as of late. Her thoughts were soon focused on her life back in Crescentia. While the park around her was rather small in size, it almost reminded her of home. It almost made her feel a little homesick. "I wonder what Reia and everyone else are doing right now. I hope they're all doing okay" she said.

Considering the fact that Crescentia was the next closest settlement after leaving Eresseas, there wasn't any doubt in her mind that it became occupied by Honegroth. All she could do now was hope everyone was able to evacuate to safety or at least doing their best to stay strong during the hard times. She was worried about not having a home to go back to, but after thinking about the solidarity that the villagers share and how much of a tight-knit community they are, she tries her best to remain confident that won't be the case. It was in that moment that she remembered something that Reia had once said to her in the past.

Time flashes back to a time long before she met Tsuki, back when she was still in her early teens. At the time, she was still struggling to grasp the basics of Healing Artes. She and Reia were sitting on a bench near the main plaza of Crescentia and watched people come and go. It was there that she had asked her a certain question about the village.

Lynette looked towards Reia after spending an untold amount of time watching people go by. "Hey Reia, tell me something. What makes everyone's spirit here so strong?" she asked.

Reia stroked her chin a bit in thought so she could come up with a good answer. "People out here tend to rely on themselves and the people around them. Unlike in big cities like Eresseas or Briswater, we live rather simplistically. We grow our own food and all of our materials are gathered and crafted locally. You can say that the success of our little village thrives on community and cooperation" she said. It was a bit of a broad response, but she wasn't sure how to make it sound any easier to understand. After all, she was still a girl in her adolescence.

Lynette tilted her head a bit, lightly scratching her cheek. "Wouldn't life around here be easier though if we had things that Eresseas or Briswater do?" she asked.

Reia shrugged her shoulders a bit. Having spent a good amount of her days in Eresseas, she knew what it was like to live in such a place. While it did have it's comforts, there were downsides to it all. "In a number of ways, sure. Better methods of farming and agriculture, appliances to make daily life easier, things of that nature. While there are things that people here may benefit from, there are a certain groups of people that don't want that. It takes away the land's heritage and poisons the land. I'm not saying that what Eresseas or Briswater do in terms of development and daily life are bad, but sometimes, simple is best" she said. Life in Eresseas was cozy and she did have many fond memories, but she would much prefer a rustic, quiet life in the country than a thriving city.

Lynette scratched her head more as she tried to understand what she was saying. "So, everyone here likes the simple lifestyle?" she asked.

Reia nodded a bit, patting her on the head. "Something like that, yeah. Everyone here has lived their fair share of the high life and now just want to live out the rest of their days in peace and quiet. That's why everyone tries their hardest everyday here to make sure they can keep that simple life going. We all work together to maintain the livelihood" she said. There are many villagers that would never leave. Many that would much rather die in their own simple homes rather than in a bustling city. Crescentia was home to many people who had ancestors that grew up on this land and feel like they didn't need to be anywhere else.

Lynette mumbled a bit to herself, pressing the knuckles of her hands against the sides of her head. "Mmm…I still don't quite get it…" she said.

Reia giggled a bit and ruffled her hair up a little bit. "Don't worry. You'll understand as you get older. In the meantime, enjoy our simple lifestyle as much as you can. There may come a point in time where you will no longer be able to and you will wish that you did" she said. No one knew what the future held in store for them. They could wake up tomorrow and have their entire lives turned upside down. It was best tackle each day as if it were their last so that they wouldn't have any regrets.

Time soon shifts back to the present as those final words of Reia echoed through her mind. She had spent the last few minutes staring off into space in a daze. Thinking back to those words, she couldn't help but laugh at herself a bit. It was a little funny that those words would eventually come back to bite her in the butt. The slow days in Crescentia may have been uneventful and boring at times, but considering what was happening now, she'd welcome those days back any day.

Lynette shook her head a bit with a slight smile on her face. "Enjoy the simple days while they last, huh?" she said to herself. She took a deep breath before leaning her head up to look up at the sky. "I bet you didn't expect those simple days would be shattered like this, did you, Reia?" she asked.

As she gazed up at the sky, she could hear the sounds of multiple footsteps approaching her. The chatter amongst the nearby people grew strangely quiet and before she knew it, three men in thuggish clothing stood in front of the bench she was sitting on. They were effectively blocking her in, so she couldn't get away. She could hear the people nearby talking quietly amongst themselves, seemingly expressing a great deal of concern.

Lynette looked at the three men and was almost immediately on edge. "Um…can I help you with something?" she asked.

The man in the middle with the cut sleeves and exposed muscles let out a soft chuckle. "Well, what's a pretty little thing like you doing, looking all down in the dumps?" he asked.

The man next to him, who looked the scrawniest of them all, stroked his chin a bit as he gave her whole body a lookover. "You have quite body. How would you like some company to make you feel better?" he asked.

Lynette almost felt violated by the looks the three of them were giving him. Unfortunately for them, she wasn't interested in the slightest. Given the reactions from the nearby crowds, these three appeared to be local troublemakers and creeps. "Sorry, but I'm waiting for someone right now. I appreciate your concern though" she said. The best thing she could do right now is remain calm. After taking on many dangerous opponents, ordinary thugs are of no threat to her. She still had to be careful how she handled this interaction, however.

The third man with bandage wraps around his arms grinned a bit. "Aw, don't be like that, beautiful. I promise you we can show you a good time" he said.

Lynette shook her head at their offer. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure what they meant by showing her a good time. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to have to decline" she said, waving her hand in front of her.

The muscled man in the center looked like he was starting to lose his patience and instantly reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her up off the bench. "C'mon, you're single, aren't you? By the looks of that staff on your back, you're a mage of some kind. That means, you won't be able to fight back with all these people around. Come with us and we'll show you a real magical time" he said. There was a creepy and perverted undertone to what he said in that sentence.

Lynette tried to break free of his grip, but wasn't able to. The man did have a point though; there were too many people around for her to do anything. Despite that, she stood her ground and stayed calm. "I'm only going to say this once. You better unhand me otherwise, you'll regret it" she said.

The muscled man laughed a bit at her threat. She didn't look that strong and mages aren't known for their physical strength. "Oh, I love me a feisty girl. It only makes things more fun and exciting" he said. He only tightened his grip on her wrist as he pulled her towards him. "I just love breaking girls like-" he said.

Before he could finish his sentence, Ruko appeared and broke his hold of Lynette by slamming his right metal gauntlet against his arm with enough force to break his arm. The man released Lynette, throwing her back towards the bench as he let out a pained scream that echoed through the area. Ruko then grabbed the man's other arm and threw him over his shoulder and slammed him down onto the ground. The man was still conscious through it all as Ruko stepped over the man and next to Lynette, putting his arm around her and glared at the three men. The two others were frightened by the frightening look he was giving them and after seeing their companion being thrown to the ground with a broken arm.

Ruko held onto Lynette with his arm closely as he kept his eyes on the three of them. "I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to hit on my girlfriend. If you walk away now, I'll pretend like this didn't happen" he said.

Lynette's face turned slightly red when he held onto her and made even more red when he said that she was his girlfriend. Naturally, this made her a little flustered. "G-girlfriend!?" she shouted out.

The two remaining men were scared by Ruko and backed away a bit. They soon quickly grabbed onto their fallen companion and ran off, both of them shouting out that they were sorry. When the three men left, the atmosphere around the park seemed to lighten up. The people around them started to clap and cheer for what Ruko did for a little bit before getting back to normal business.

Ruko sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose every town has their share of bad individuals. To think they were brazen enough to try something like that in broad daylight and in public too" he said. He let go of Lynette before turning to face her. "Are you okay?" he asked. She was a tough girl, so something as small as this should have been nothing after everything they've been through by now, but he just wanted to make sure.

Lynette's face was still red as she tried to keep herself composed. "Y-yeah…I-I'm okay. Thanks Ruko" she said. She had seen him approach the three men from behind, but didn't expect him to resolve the situation like that. "G-girlfriend, huh?" she asked.

Ruko's face also turned slightly red as he turned his head away for a brief moment. "Well, I…thought it was the best way to get them to back off" he said. Maybe shouting out that she was his girlfriend wasn't the smart move to play, but he had to live with it. He cleared his throat and reached down to pick up the bag of taiyaki he had bought before handing her one from the bag. "H-here, eat it while it's hot" he said. He sat down on the bench and pulled out another and started to eat it.

Lynette nodded slowly and took the taiyaki from him before sitting down next to him to try it for herself. She could feel her taste buds light up at she took the first bite. "Mmmm ish sho good!" she said with her mouth full. She's had the chance to eat some pretty good food while they traveled, but nothing beats the old, classic snacks.

Ruko also seemed to really like the taiyaki. "No kidding. I think this is better than the kind we sell in Basilwell" he said. Before he knew it, he had already finished eating his taiyaki.

There were four more in the bag so the two of them shared the taiyaki together. As they did, they enjoyed the peace and quiet as they watched people play around the fountain. Time seemed to fly by for them as the minutes went by. They talked amongst themselves for a little bit as they ate and once they were done, they found themselves full. Apparently, the taiyaki they got were pretty filling. Of course because of what happened earlier, people kept talking about the two of them. They both could hear people whispering about them about how the two of them made a cute couple and some thought that they should get married with how the two of them look good for each other. All this whisper talk started to eventually get to the both of them, making them feel slightly awkward.

Lynette let out a nervous laugh as she scratched her cheek. "People are really interested in us, huh?" she said.

Ruko sighed heavily, scratching his head. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said that" he said.

Lynette shook her head a bit with a light blush on her face as she smiled a bit. "No, it's okay. I understand why you did it…" she said. She lowered her head a bit, putting her hand up to her chest. "It…really made me happy…" she said softly.

Ruko tilted his head a bit as he didn't hear what she said at the end. "Hm? Come again?" he asked.

Lynette shook her head again and looked up at him with a soft smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it" she said. She then stood up and stretched her arms up over her head, groaning as she did so.

Ruko tilted his head a bit and finished the last of his taiyaki. He then took the trash and walked over to put it in a nearby bin. He returned to Lynette and set his sights back onto their city exploration. "Shall we continue exploring?" he asked.

Lynette nodded with a smile on her face. "Sure!" she said. She grabbed hold of his arm and started to pull him along as she made her way out through the park.

Ruko found himself practically being dragged by her as they continued on with the exploration. "Whoa! Hey!" he said. He didn't understand why she was so excited all of a sudden, but he didn't complain.

The two of them soon left the park and continued to explore the different parts of Velika. As one would expect, they had their fun around the city to the point they lost track of time. They had spent the next several hours wandering around, checking out the sights that Velika had to offer. It was a fairly big city that was split into different sections, so there was a lot for them to see. Meanwhile, the scene shifts over to Nagi and Elle in another section of the city where all the markets and shops were. The two of them had been spending most of the day window shopping and stocking up on any necessities they were going to need for the road. This included things like various types of Gels, medical supplies for emergencies, food and ingredients. They also took the time to upgrade their equipment as best as they could while they had the opportunity.

Once their shopping was all done, they decided that it was best for them to head back to the Guild Branch and call it a day. On the way back, the two of them decided to stop at a nearby family restaurant to have some lunch. By this time of the day, it's already past lunch. They both worked up an appetite from all the shopping they've done. The place they decided to eat was a small ramen shop that was operated by an older couple. Compared to the other establishments out there, the ramen shop looked rather humble. It was a little shop that got a few regulars though it didn't seem to be as popular as the others.

The two of them enjoyed several bowls of ramen that were prepared for them. Before they knew it, they both had several bowls piled up on top of each other. Since no one else was in the shop, they had plenty of time to talk with the owners. It may be just a simple ramen shop, but the food they made tasted better than you could find at a five-star restaurant. According to what the owners said, business hasn't exactly been good for them the last few days because of another ramen shop that opened nearby. Because of that, the both of them decided to spend as much as their stomachs could handle in order to help them out. In the end, they ended up paying more than they should have.

When they were finally done eating, Nagi sat back in her chair with a satisfied look on her face. "Mmm that ramen was so good! I don't think I could eat another bite" she said, patting her stomach.

The old man behind the counter let out a hearty laugh after seeing her satisfied expression. "I wouldn't have thought someone with your figure would have such a bit appetite" he said.

Elle shrugged her shoulders a bit. If there was anything she knew about Nagi, it's that she had an insatiable stomach when it came to certain foods. "You'd be surprised at just how much she could eat. She could eat a whole barrel full of ramen and not gain a single pound" she said.

Nagi looked at Elle with a slightly irritated expression as she puffed her cheeks out. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?" she asked.

The older woman came out from the kitchen area, laughing a bit. "It's nice to see the fires of youth especially coming from a young, adorable couple such as yourselves" she said. She didn't seem to care in the slightest that they were both girls. Love works in mysterious ways and there's nothing wrong with being attracted to the same gender.

Nagi looked at the old woman, slightly flustered as her face turned a bit red. "C-couple!? W-we aren't…" she said, trailing off at the end.

The older woman tilted her head a bit. Perhaps she was mistaken, but considering the vibe the two of them give off, she couldn't be blamed for making that assumption. "Oh? Are you not? I'm sorry, you two just looked like you were made for each other" she said.

Elle shook her head a bit with a bit of a smile on her face. "It's alright. We tend to get that a lot from people. We're just friends, that's all" she said. There was still the matter of what she refers to as the Eternal Grass, which is basically the Elvaan way for a couple becoming a couple with marriage in the future. However, now wasn't the time for such old traditions. Not only that, they made that pact together back when life was still at it's simplest. Things have changed since then. "You two aren't that old yourselves, you know. You're still young" she said.

The old man let out another hearty laugh at her comment. "I guess in the eyes of a High Elf, we would be pretty young. You look pretty young yourself, but my eyes can see that appearances can be deceiving. I can tell you're no spring chicken. Just how old are-" he said. Suddenly, he was hit on the back of his head with enough force that you could almost see a goose egg with a bandage on it as he fell forward onto the countertop.

The old woman had apparently hit him on the back of the head with a frying pan as she stood behind where he was. "Dear, don't you think it's rude to ask a lady how old she is? And to a customer, might I add…" she said. She then bowed slightly to Elle apologetically. "I'm sorry. Sometimes, he just doesn't think before he speaks" she said.

Elle let out a nervous laugh as she watched things from the other side of the counter. It was almost like a comedy routine for the two of them. Despite taking a frying pan to the back of his head, the man looked completely fine and unfazed. "Don't worry about it, really. No need to get worked up over something as trivial as age" she said.

The old man soon leaned up from the countertop, groaning as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ugh…what's to get worked up over when you can still hit as hard as someone in their early years?" he asked.

The old woman shook her head a bit, pointing the frying pan towards him. "Well, if you didn't ask stupid questions, then I wouldn't have to hit you" she said.

The old man put his hand up to his chest while pumping his other arm out in front of him. "Human curiosity is what drives us! To seek or learn new things that we wouldn't have known otherwise!" he said with passion in his voice.

The old woman sighed heavily, shaking her head again. "It drives us, yes. Most of the time, straight into the ground" she said.

The old man shook his head and had a fire lit in his eyes. "Come now, does the thrill of the unknown not excite you!? Just think of the possibilities out there!" he shouted passionately.

The old woman simply shrugged her shoulders and patted the man on the shoulder. "Yes yes, I hear you. Now, settle down, would you? Otherwise, you'll lose what hair you have left remaining on your head" she said.

Nagi scratched the back of her head as she found the two of them to be pretty funny. "You two seem to get along very well, at least" she said. They appear to be old, but they both clearly still have the spirit of youth inside them.

The old woman glanced over towards Nagi, folding her arms. "Spending the last 40 years with this man has probably been the most trying thing I've ever done. I still love him though despite his…crazy tendencies" she said. After spending so much time with him, she's gotten used to it. Though, there are times that it does get a little overbearing.

The old man shrugged his shoulders a bit. "A man lives to explore the curious. There's a certain thrill to it that you can't get elsewhere. It's like venturing out to some far out, remote location to explore what could be hidden away" he said. When he was younger, he used to be an explorer. He's been to the bottom of ravines to the peaks of mountains. If it wasn't for him getting older along with a back problem, he'd still be out there exploring today.

Elle was able to discern what kind of person the old man used to be. Given his obsession for the curiosity and unknown, it was a just a matter of simple deduction. "The heart of an explorer, huh? I bet you've seen a lot of sights and places" she said.

The old man had a wide grin on his face and reached down to pull out an old photo album. He opened it up and flipped through the different pages. The album contained a much younger version of himself in various places like the mountains, grassy plains, the ocean, swamps and canyons. "I've explored just about every region you could think out. Well, except for the volcano over in Nargelond. Or the Great Falls" he said.

The Great Falls refers to the rift that separated them from the rest of the world. Travel to the Great Falls comes with many perils such as powerful currents and whirlpools. The Great Falls was a mysterious place. Despite all of the ocean's water being dumped into the rift from both sides, it never fills. It's almost like something was preventing the rift from closing. However, no one knew what it was. There were no signs of any kind of barrier and it was too dangerous to study the rift up close. It was truly one of the biggest wonders of the world.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. Since he used to be an explorer, maybe he could tell them about Nargelond. "What's Nargelond like?" she asked.

The old man stroked his chin and mumbled to himself as he collected his thoughts. Nargelond was the first area he really got the chance to explore back in his youth. Unfortunately, with how much has changed, much of what he could say most likely wouldn't serve her question any good. "That's a tough question. It's been almost 30 years since I last set foot in Nargelond. So much has changed with the terrain that I honestly couldn't tell you anything. Back then, it didn't used to be all canyons and mountains. There used to be grassy hills and various lakes spread across the region. Now, most of those grassy hills are gone and the lakes mostly dried up" he said. It was truly unfortunate to see how much nature has changed around Nargelond. It was as if the Great Spirits, Gnome and Undine, completely abandoned it.

Elle recalled a similar story told to her once by her village's elder. The Nargelond of yesterday was almost unrecognizable now. This was attributed by several things like Human expansion, a gradual increase in the overall temperatures and different forms of weather patterns and natural disasters. "I've heard Nargelond used to be a thing of beauty with all of it's grassy canyons and deep lakes. It's a shame I never got to see it" she said.

The old man flipped a few more pages and pointed to a series of photos. They were pictures of what she was talking about. "It was, indeed. Maybe one day, Nargelond will be able to regain it's natural splendor" he said.

Elle stretched her arms up over her head before standing up from her seat. "Well, I think we should get going. We shouldn't get in the way of business any more than we have already" she said. She didn't notice it while they were talking, but people started to come into the restaurant. She took out her wallet and paid for their food.

Nagi nodded in agreement and soon stood up as well. "Thank you again for the food. It was a pleasure talking with you both" she said.

The old woman took the money and stashed it away in the register. "You're welcome, dear. Come back anytime you want more ramen" she said.

The old man waved at them as they prepared to leave. "You two take care now. We'll be looking forward for your return" he said.

Nagi and Elle waved them goodbye before walking out of the restaurant. They proceeded down the street from the restaurant as they got back to what they were doing before, returning to the Guild Branch. Along the way, they saw some more sights of the town and many more shops and restaurants. While they did some window shopping, they didn't spend anymore money. They had already spent plenty on supplies and equipment and only emptied their wallets more by eating all that ramen.

Meanwhile, the scene shifts over to Melphi and Cesela in a not-so pleasant part of town. They were wearing shabby, old brown robes to disguise themselves as they appeared to be tailing a group of people. These people were dressed in black robes and looked very out of place. The two of them had to watch every step they took because the people they were following weren't your average group of thugs or gang members.

Melphi and Cesela stuck to the dark alleys and did their best to stay as close to them as possible without alerting them. Considering where they were located, they could have people ready to jump from anywhere. Thankfully, with Cesela's Aetherflow ability and Melphi's heightened sense of hearing and smell, no one was going to be able to ambush them easily. Eventually, they followed the group of black robed people into an empty space at the far end of one of the alleys and they weren't alone. They seemed to meet up with another group of people in black robes. When they had all gathered, they took off their robes and the both of them were pretty shocked to see who they were.

Melphi knew they weren't tailing just anyone. Considering their job description though, it's unclear as to how they hadn't picked up on the fact that they were tailing them. "The Shogunate? What are they doing here?" she asked in a whisper.

Cesela had a feeling that's who they were following. The Aer they were generating seemed way too familiar to her. "More kidnappings, maybe? But, we're right in the middle of the city…" she said softly.

Melphi shook her head slowly. "I'm sure the Shogunate don't care if they kidnap someone in broad daylight or under the cover of night so long as they achieve their goal. However, I don't think that's what they're doing here. There's just too many of them in one place…" she said. She used her heightened sense of hearing in order to listen in on their conversation from the corner they were hiding behind. They were hiding in a place that was out of view and used the cover of darkness to conceal themselves which allowed them to get as close as they are now.

One of the Shinobi from the group that met up with the others stepped towards them. He had nasty burn scar on the side of his face. "We've secured a few Demi-humans and are currently being transported out. How goes things over by the volcano?" he asked.

Another Shinobi stepped out from the other group. This one has a scar running down the length of his neck and wore an eyepatch. "Smoothly. The lava caverns have an abundance of Prismatic Crystals. Once we mine them, we'll be able to use power of the dragons with our own" he said.

The Shinobi with the burn mark had a pleased look on his face. "What about the two runaways? I heard they were spotted chasing down the group in the caverns" he said.

The other Shinobi shook his head slowly. "Let them give chase. They're only walking right back into our hands. Once recaptured, we can finally make that pesky king of Esseand kneel to us" he said. He chuckled, cracking a wide smile as he rubbed his hands together. The thought of their hard work was soon going to pay off. "I can almost taste the satisfaction right now" he said.

The previous Shinobi didn't look all that convinced. He had a hint of concern on his face. "But what about that interloper? From what I heard, he's becoming a major thorn in our side. What if he gets in the way?" he asked. Based on what he heard, several members of the Shogunate have been struck down, putting some of their operations on a standstill.

The other Shinobi shrugged his shoulders. Despite all he's done to them, he didn't pose much of a threat in the grand scheme of things. "You mean that fledgling little prince? I'm not too concerned about him. In fact, he's probably dead by now. According to what the others said, he was seriously injured after a recent battle. Considering the location where he's at, I wouldn't be surprised if he stumbled into a river of lava or finished off by monsters" he said. As far as he was concerned, the guy was a goner.

The Shinobi with the burn mark stroked his chin. "Hmm…I see. Well, that's one thing we don't have to worry about" he said.

The other Shinobi nodded before reaching into his pocket to pull out a slip of paper. "We have things under control there. In the meantime, your squad as new orders. It appears that a group of escaped slaves have been discovered near the coastline not too far from here" he said. He handed the man the slip of paper.

The Shinobi with the burn mark took the paper and opened it up and saw an image of a certain individual in the form of a wanted poster. "This is that Shinobi that's been running around and freeing slaves!" he said.

The other Shinobi folded his arms, nodding again at him. "Correct. The individual who dubs himself as Shadow was also seen amongst the group of escapees. The orders have changed. The Shogunate want him dead. Do what you must in order to get rid of him" he said. Shadow has been a major thorn in their side for too long. They've lost too many Shinobi and slaves and the Shogunate will not tolerate it anymore.

The Shinobi took the paper and put it away in his pocket and saluted him. "Understood. Leave it to us" he said. He then turned to face the group behind him. "Alright, you have your orders. Let's move out!" he said.

The Shinobi all followed with his salute before jumping high up into the air and used the rooftops to leave the area. Moments after they had left, the other group did the same as well. Melphi and Cesela stayed where they were for a few minutes after both groups had left to make sure that they were all gone. After sensing that no one was in the area anymore, they came out of their hiding spot.

Melphi took a moment to think back at what they overheard. The Shogunate were on the move and something about what they said with "using the power of dragons with their own" caused her to become concerned. "They're definitely planning something and I have a bad feeling about it" she said. The mention of Prismatic Crystals was especially alarming for her.

Prismatic Crystals are crystals naturally formed in specific environments that are heavily rich in Aer. These crystals are notoriously used in illegal experimentation and are outright banned all throughout the world. Anyone that is caught in possession of them, even if it's a small fragment, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Cesela was a little worried when Shadow was mentioned. They haven't heard anything about Shadow since he disappeared from Haven Village. "Do you think Shadow will be okay…?" she asked.

Melphi thought about Shadow for a moment. She wasn't all that concerned for him. A man of his talents is quite resourceful and knows how to take care of himself. After all, she's seen what he could do during combat. He wasn't your typical Shinobi. "He'll be fine. Compared to the guys we just saw, he's in a whole different league. I may not have a clear idea on his exact kind of person, but I can see that he hides a great deal of strength" she said. They've really only seen him in action twice; during the slave auction and when they had to fight through a group of Shinobi just outside of Spiral Woods. It was obvious that during both times that Shadow was holding back.

Cesela wanted to believe that was the case, but a part of her couldn't help but worry. "I hope so…" she said.

Melphi's thoughts turned to what they said about the events going on around the lava caverns. There was only one place that they could be referring to and that was the caverns connecting to Mt. Praxik, particularly when they mentioned the three individuals that got in their way. "I wonder who they were referring to with the two escapees and this 'fledgling prince'. Whoever they are, they have guts for taking on the Shogunate" she said.

Cesela didn't know who they were and considering what the Shogunate were capable of, she couldn't help but also express concern for them too. The fact that the referred to two of the individuals as "escapees" was also interesting as they didn't refer to them as slaves. As for the fledgling prince that they had mentioned, she was worried for his wellbeing since they stated that he was 'seriously injured' after a recent battle. "I hope they're going to be okay, whoever they are" she said. She then looked up towards Melphi. "What do they plan on using the Prismatic Crystals for? They seemed really eager to get their hands on them" she said.

Melphi shook her head a bit as she collected her thoughts. The way they said that they'd be able to use a dragon's power as their own almost reminded her of what Kesuke had to say. About how they did forbidden genetic experimentation and gave him the ability to transform into an Elder Behemoth. That was basically making an Elder Behemoth's power one's own and she couldn't help but refer back to this. While the method they used to undergo the experiments wasn't shared by Kesuke, she wondered if the process they are using with the Prismatic Crystals played a part in it, or at least to a similar effect. "Nothing good, I can tell you that much. If the Shogunate, and by association, the Syndicate, get their hands on a steady supply of Prismatic Crystals, it could spell bad news for everyone" she said. While they didn't gather any information about what's going on across Nargelond, they did manage to stumble upon some potentially vital information. "We should head back to the Guild Branch and inform everyone of this" she said.

Cesela nodded in agreement. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was looming over the horizon and the fact that they were walking straight towards it. "Yeah…" she said.

The two of them made their way back through the back alleys, ditching their brown robes and soon returned to the busy streets. They pushed their way through the crowds as they had to go all the way across to the other side of the city in order to get back to the Guild Branch which would amount to about an hour's walk considering that the crowds have gotten bigger. By this time, it was already past noon and into the late afternoon.

The scene soon shifts back to the Guild Branch where Tsuki, Cheria and Allie have stayed. They did their own bit of exploration around the nearby area, but they didn't go very far. The three of them were sitting in the first floor lobby area near the bulletin board where jobs and bounties are posted for mercenaries. While everyone was out doing their own thing, they decided to help out around the Guild Branch as they appeared to be backed up in various bits of work. They were taking a break and had some tea and snacks that were prepared for them by Odette. As they talked amongst themselves and enjoyed the refreshments that were provided, the door to the Guild Branch opened up. Two people, a young male in light armor and a woman in a maid's outfit, walked in and looked around the lobby.

The maid stepped forward and saw how clean the lobby looked. "Wow, what happened to this place? Did you guys finally hire a cleaner to spruce the place up?" she asked in a joking manner.

Odette was working behind the counter when the two of them entered into the lobby. "That's a bit rude to ask right out the gate, don't you think?" she asked. She scratched the back of her head a bit, letting out a sigh. "That maid outfit can be very misleading" she added.

The young man walked up to the girl and tugged at her arm. "Hey, Sis! You're going to make Odette mad. I'm sure she put in a lot of effort to clean the place up" he said. Odette may seem like a docile person, but she can be quite scary at times when she's upset.

The maid shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Ah, it's fine. She's thick-skinned so something like this won't bother her" she said.

Odette stacked a pile of papers on the counter that stretched pretty high as she smiled at them. The smile, however, was very misleading because there was almost a cold, icy look to her facial expression as she smiled. "You're absolutely right. A poor joke like that wouldn't upset me that easily. By the way, there's just a few papers that you need to sign" she said.

The maid took a few steps back as she let out a nervous laugh before almost immediately giving in. "Y-yes ma'am…" she said, hanging her head down.

Odette's expression went back to normal as she pointed over towards Tsuki, Cheria and Allie. "If you want to thank someone for a good job on the clean-up, those three over there did most of the heavy lifting" she said.

The two of them looked over towards where they were sitting at and the boy almost immediately recognized Tsuki and Allie and ran over to them. His eyes were lit up with excitement. "Hey, you guys were the ones that saved us before!" he said.

Tsuki looked a bit confused at what he said. "S-saved you?" he asked. He had trouble remembering who this person was. He's saved a lot of people, but he couldn't tell you who was who if you had to ask.

The boy nodded at him. "Yeah! You know, when those three A-rank mercenaries were giving me a hard time outside!" he said. It's no surprise he didn't remember him. They never really interacted or exchanged looks with each other, but he'd never forget about him.

The maid walked up behind the male and put her hand on his shoulder. "Alright, that's enough. You're only going to make them more confused" she said. She had a completely different expression on her face than when she walked in. She had a more serious look to her face as she bowed to them slightly. "I'm sorry about him. You may not remember us, but you two and Ramza stepped in when we got into a bit of an argument with a party of A-ranks a while back" she said.

Allie soon recalled what Odette had told them last night as well as the framed pictures on the nearby wall. "Ah! You're the brother and sister Odette told us about. Sawa…tarry…I think?" she asked, tilting her head.

The maid giggled a bit and shook her head with a smile. "It's Sawatari. I'm Myah and this is my younger brother, Sota. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. We never got to say thanks from when you helped us back then" she said, bowing slightly to them.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. At first, she seemed like the type to cause trouble, but it seems that wasn't the case. In fact, she looked to be like a pretty earnest person. "No thanks are needed. We just did what needed to be done, that's all. My name's Tsuki Himura. These two are Cheria Tsubasa and Allie" he said, introducing them to her.

Sota has been wanting to meet with Tsuki. After seeing that display of power that hey used to bring down three A-rank mercenaries, he's been working hard to improve himself so he could be just like him. "I was hoping I'd run into you again! You served as my inspiration to become stronger!" he said. He could tell that he has gotten even stronger than before.

Cheria looked at Tsuki and couldn't help but laugh a bit at his expense. "Looks like you got yourself a fan" she said.

Tsuki wasn't sure how to react to this. This was the first time he's experienced something like having a fan, or at least someone that admired his skills. "Uhh...is that so?" he asked.

Sota nodded, his eyes lit up with excitement. "How did you get to be so strong? What motivates you?" he asked. He was eager to know what Tsuki did in order to get to where he was at now. He's asked many people how he could get stronger and they've all given him various advice about things like his strength, his fortitude and things of that nature.

Tsuki found himself put in the spotlight and that threw him off for a bit. "Uhh…through…hard work and…devotion?" he said. He couldn't possibly tell him that his skills with a blade originated from the fact that he was a former thief living off the streets. His time as a knight only refined those skills and helped soften the rough edges. "As for what motivates me, I suppose it would have to be ensuring the safety and well-being of Cheria and Allie" he said.

Myah looked between the three of them, stroking her chin. "I feel spiritual energy coming from Allie, so she's a special case. What about Cheria though? You two lovers or something?" she asked. Because she's spent so much time around Enzo, who also had a contracted Spirit, she was able to tell that Allie wasn't a human.

The mention of lovers made Cheria's face turn slightly red as she grew flustered. "L-lovers!? N-no, it's not like that yet…" she said.

Myah raised her eyebrow with a look of curiosity. "Hmm…yet? So, that means at some point, it'll happen?" she said, teasing her.

Cheria's face only got more red as her head sunk low. "N-no, that's not…" she said. You could almost see steam rising from the top of her head.

Myah didn't need her to give her a proper answer. She was able to tell how much she loved him. Though, she wasn't sure if Tsuki picked up on it. Something tells her he has, but she could see the wall he's built up around himself so there was a chance he hasn't. "Well, regardless of the relationship, I think protecting those you care about is wonderful motivation. It's almost a necessity when it came to adventuring in groups" she said. She glanced down at Sota and smiled a bit. "One needs to be strong in order to protect their friends and loved ones, after all" she said.

Sota looked up at Myah, tilting his head a bit. He looked like he didn't understand something. "What is it?" he asked.

Myah shook her head a bit. "It's nothing" she said. She glanced over towards Tsuki for a moment. For some reason, she can feel a sort of kinship between the two of them. "My gut tells me you've been through a lot and that's helped make you who you are today" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. She was right that he has been through more than his fair share of troubles and tribulations. "My childhood…wasn't exactly an easy one. Certain things happened that almost ended up causing me to take the wrong path. It was thanks to Cheria and many others that I was able to straighten myself out" he said.

Myah's instincts about him were right. They did have something in common, after all. "You too, huh?" she asked. She glanced down at Sota for a moment before continuing. "Ours wasn't so easy either. We lost our parents when we were at a young age. It wasn't easy for us, but we found ways to manage. The Guild also helped out a lot too" she said. The people at the Velika Guild Branch had been taking care of them for a long time now. The previous Branch Leader was like a father to them and Enzo, who was that Branch Leader's Vice at the time, filled in those shoes when he retired.

Odette scratched the back of her head a bit as they talked. "And eventually, those reigns would fall into my lap" she said. While she hasn't known the two of them as long as Enzo has, they were still important members to the Velika Branch and good friends, so the idea of becoming the "mother" to them when she becomes the next Branch Leader wasn't a bad thought.

Myah turned to face Odette and bowed slightly. "That they will and when that happens "mother", I hope you'll continue putting up with us" she said sarcastically.

One could almost see Odette physically cringe after being called "mother". While she didn't mind taking the reigns from Enzo, being called or even referred to as that was something she would not accept. "Please, don't ever call me that again" she said.

Sota wasn't sure when to butt into their conversations since they seemed to be enjoying themselves, but they couldn't afford to just stand around forever. He walked over towards the counter and pulled out a number of different hides and minerals along with a sheet of paper with details of a job. "Anyway, we came to fulfill the job we took. This should be enough" he said.

Odette took the things that Sota provided her and examined the job posting. The job posting requested hides from a specific breed of wolf and bear along with herbs that grow in a number of remote, hard-to-reach places. After sorting through the materials that was provided, she was able to give her mark of approval. "Excellent. You got all the materials that the poster was asking for. The quality of the hides are in excellent condition too" she said. She took the materials and stored them away for pending delivery. "I'm sure the poster will be quite pleased with what you've provided. Great job. As for you guys, here's the reward for the job" she said. She took out a small brown bag and set it down on the counter with the sounds of coins rattling inside of it. "10,000 Gald plus an additional 5,000 for the high-quality hides for a grand total of 15,000 Gald" she said.

Myah took the small pouch of Gald and stashed it away into their bag. "Thank you very much. Pass on my regards to them when they come for them" she said. She then looked over towards the bulletin board where Sota had wandered off to in the meantime. "What's next off the chopping block, Sota?" she asked.

Sota pulled a job posting off the bulletin board and walked back over to the counter. "This one seems easy enough" he said.

Odette looked at the job posting that he brought over. It was a simple extermination job of an outbreak of seaside monsters such as jellyfish, crabs and a special breed of fish called Sandfish that thrive on both land and in the water happening along the nearby coastline. "Sounds good. I was hoping someone would pick this one sooner or later. The outbreak seems to have worsened a little since the job was posted, so the rewards have been adjusted from 20,000 Gald to 35,000 Gald" she said. The local city guards have tried their best to contain the outbreak, but it's been getting out of hand. It was listed as a B-rank job posting, but it was about to cross the line into A-rank territory.

Sota's eyes lit up to hear about the increase in rewards. "Great! Maybe I'll finally be able to afford a new set of equipment! There's been a certain sword on the market I've had my eye on recently" he said. The equipment he has been wearing is starting to show signs of wear and tear, so it was a good idea to upgrade sooner than later.

Myah was in agreement. Even her own gear was starting to reach it's limits of usefulness. They've been saving up on Gald and have more than enough to afford new gear, but the want to get what will serve the most bang for their buck. "Then, we'd better get a move on before someone beats us to it, shall we?" she asked.

Odette nodded and stamped the job posting, labeling it as officially taken before handing it back to them. "As proof for the job completion, provide as many materials from the beasts in question. As usual, anything high-quality well net you with a bonus" she aid.

Sota took the job posting and put it away in his bag. He was pumped up and ready to go. "Got it. Let's get going, Myah" he said. He turned to face Tsuki and the others once more before leaving. "We'll have to talk next time we see each other. Until then!" he said. He waved them off and then left through the front door.

Odette laughed a bit at Sota's excitement. She didn't have many mercenaries like him that shared the same level of energy. "Still an excitable one as always. Be careful out there, okay?" she asked.

Myah patted her chest with a smile that radiated absolute confidence. "Don't worry, he'll have me there. We'll be fine" she said. She faced Tsuki and the others and bowed slightly. "It was a pleasure meeting with you. Hopefully, we'll run into each other again sometime" she said. After saying that, she left through the front door to follow Sota.

Silence filled the room after they had left and lingered for a few moments before Allie spoke up. "They came in and left like a storm" she said.

Odette let out a soft sigh, sitting down in the chair behind the counter. "They're a unique pair, but they mean well" she said. They were some of the few mercenaries that solely operate on a local level. Most mercenaries come and go wherever the job takes them but a handful choose to stay with a particular Guild Branch. While this does limit them itn terms of jobs and availability, the two of them have made it work out for them in the few years they've been signed up with the Velika Branch.

The Guild Branch received a couple more visitors from other mercenaries that were mainly passing through, looking for a job to take on. Other than that, things were pretty quiet. The day slowly started to go by and as it did, Lynette and the others have started coming back from their exploration around the city. Upon returning, they reconvened up to the second floor where they could talk in private and shared what they learned, or at least what they could learn. Melphi and Cesela had informed them of what they overheard from the Shogunate and Ramza and Phi told relayed what Rocco had to say regarding the state of affairs revolving around some of the towns. It brought some level of concern to hear whispers of a potential civil war on their hands on top of what was already going on between Esseand and Dolothlond. If that were to happen, it would only make things more difficult for them.

Tsuki didn't like the fact that the Shogunate were up to something again. It made things worse when they had mentioned that Shadow appeared to be involved too. "So much seems to be happening all at once that it's almost hard to keep track of it all" he said.

Ramza nodded in agreement. With potentially two separate wars awaiting them on top of what's happening with the normal state of affairs across Nargelond on top of Shogunate intervention, he could foresee themselves being quite busy for some time. "In all regards, Nargelond is in a very rough spot. Kaito and the War Council strive for more power while the people under them suffer the consequences" he said.

Cesela couldn't help but make a few parallels with the current affairs taking place in Dolothlond and Sirione. "It almost sounds like the War Council is taking a page out of the Syndicate's book and turning Dolothlond into it's own dictatorship" she said. She held her arms close to her stomach with a troubled expression on her face. "I don't want that to happen again" she said.

Phi was in agreement with her. The Syndicate was already enough of a problem and they didn't need Dolothlond to dip in as well. "What are we going to do? We can't let the War Council and Kaito continue to do what it is they're doing, but we also can't ignore what the Shogunate are up to either" she said.

Then, the voice of Enzo soon spoke out with the sound of footsteps entering the room they were using. "Well, I'll be glad to narrow it down for. Though, you may not find that it very suitable" he said.

Enzo and Odette soon came walking into the room together. Enzo looked like he hasn't had any sleep with the bags under his eyes. It appears that he was up all night sending out letters to the different Guild Branches around Nargelond. After spending several hours going back and forth with the various other Branch Leaders, he was finally able to come back to them for a course of action. He just wasn't sure if it was something they would want to do.

Tsuki looked over towards Enzo and Odette as they entered the room. The look on his face wasn't exactly one that screams good news. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Enzo walked up to the table that they were sitting at and set down a few sheets of papers bound together. "I'll get to that in a minute. For now, I have everyone's Codex ready" he said. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of cards as he distributed them to everyone around the room. When he reached Tsuki and Ramza, he hesitated a bit before handing them over. "As for you two, these are for you" he said.

The two of them took their respective Codex and they were nothing short of being shocked and surprised. Rather than receiving a Bronze Codex like everyone else, Tsuki received a Silver Codex and Ramza received a Gold Codex. It wasn't just the different Codex that surprised them, but the rank that was affiliated with them.

Tsuki was at a loss for words and didn't know how to react to what he was holding. "Huh? Wh-what is this?" he asked.

Ramza stood up from his seat, holding his new Gold Codex. "Enzo! What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

Enzo looked at the both of them and put on a serious look. "On my authority as the Velika Guild Branch Leader, I hereby promote Ramza Tokatsu to the status of A-rank and grant Tsuki Himura the status of B-rank" he said.

Odette took a deep breath before continuing where he left off. "I stand witness as the Velika Guild Branch Vice Leader and offer full approval. We hope that you'll continue to support the Guild with your future endeavors" she said.

This was the ceremony that is conducted between the Branch Leaders and mercenaries when it came to rank promotions and the induction of new mercenaries. Rank promotions and new mercenaries have to be approved by both the Branch Leader and the Vice Leader. If one rejects were to reject it, then the ceremony wouldn't be happening.

Ramza shook his head a bit. Regarding his own rank was one thing, but Tsuki's B-rank was entirely unprecedented. "Hold on a second! Do you two understand what you're doing!? Every new mercenary starts out as an F-rank and have to work to rise in rank. Granting someone B-rank violates a number of procedures!" he said. He didn't understand why he would make Tsuki into a B-rank mercenary right out the gate.

Enzo nodded as he spoke. He understood everything he was saying. If headquarters were to find out what he was doing, there would be serious consequences. "Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct. However, things have changed a bit…" he said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. "Changed how…?" she asked.

Enzo scratched the back of his head and sighed. "As you may notice, I've spent the last several hours reaching out to the Branch Leaders out in Nargelond. While I've told them of your situation to the best of my ability, practically all of them refused. Not because they don't trust you, but more so the fact that they can't afford to have space occupied by, essentially, temporary mercenaries, aside from Ramza" he said. Deep down, he had expected something like this might happen. Especially around wartime, the various Guild Branches try to welcome any and all mercenaries that are eager to work and provide services. It's understandable that they were reluctant on accepting people who only needed to operate under the guise of a mercenary.

Nagi was a little confused on what he meant. "What do you mean by occupied space? I thought anyone could apply for work at a Guild Branch" she said. As far as she understood it, all it took was to fill out paperwork in a new region and then they'd be all set to go.

Enzo shook his head slowly. "It's not that simple. Each Guild Branch has a capacity limit to how many mercenaries they can have operating under them. If that capacity limit has been met, they can't accept anyone else, regardless if they were new or current" he said. He took one of the sheets of paper and set it out on the table. The paper listed a number of Guild Branches throughout Nargelond. "With the instability happening across the region, mercenary counts have been on the rise as of late. Practically every Guild Branch in or near the vicinity of Dolothlond will not accept anyone else right now" he said.

Elle sighed heavily, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. "So, this plan is a bust then. Why give us a Codex then if we can't use it?" she asked.

Enzo looked over towards Elle. "That's why I contacted everyone I could. While I couldn't get your transfer requests approved by some of the more well-known and reputable Guild Branches in Nargelond, there was one that is interested on having you, regardless of your mercenary status" he said. He took out a second sheet of paper and placed it down over the previous one. "It's located in a small, remote village called Jibril. They seemed to be quite interested in your skillset and experience after I told them of your involvement with the slave auction in Chesberry" he said.

Melphi tilted her head a bit. She recognized the name of the village and while it was a humble little village, there was a problem. Several problems, in fact. "But wait…Jibril is located on the far southern coast of Nargelond located at the base of Mt. Praxik. That's quite the distance from Dolothlond. Not only that, but that place has been greatly affected because of the recent volcanic shifts" she said. It was also in the same area where the Shogunate are mining for Prismatic Crystals.

Enzo nodded at her, acknowledging what she was saying. "You're correct. It's out of your way and unfortunately, they're the only Guild Branch that are openly willing to accept you. Despite that though, I believe this may serve as the better option" he said. While it was a remote village, it would provide them with a method of going about business while staying out of the War Council and Kaito's eyes.

Ruko stroked his chin a bit with a curious look in his eyes. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

Enzo, once again, took out more sheets of papers and spread them across the table. The papers described what kind of place Jibril was and it's little predicament involving the government. "Mt. Praxik used to be a dormant volcano up until a few years ago when it suddenly became active again. This was around the time a Wellspring showed up inside of it. This has caused a number of small eruptions as well as seismic activity since then which has brought extensive damage to the town. Under the former king, aid would be regularly distributed out in various relief efforts. Now, ever since the War Council took control of kingdom affairs, Jibril, along with everything south of the Merchant Town of Marstead has been relatively ignored" he said. He pointed to several news articles about how Jibril suffered serious damaged from recent seismic activity around the volcano, but no aid was rendered to them by the War Council. It was as if Jibril had become cut off from the rest of Nargelond with having all of it's support and trade routes almost effectively severed. "The War Council probably views Jibril, and everyone living in it, as disposable assets and not worth their time" he said.

Lynette couldn't believe what she was hearing. She read some of the news articles that addressed this issue and were practically calling out the War Council for their gross, inhumane tactics. "That's just…so wrong!" she said angrily.

Cesela also couldn't come to terms with the treatment they are receiving. The more she learned about what's going on in the minds of Dolothlond's officials, the more she gets reminded of Sirione. "It really is becoming like a dictatorship. Keep those that deem themselves useful and toss out the rest" she said.

Phi was curious on why the Jibril Guild Branch accepted them. Being in such a precarious position, one would think they would want as many active mercenaries as possible. "But why accept us then instead of others?" she asked.

Enzo placed the last sheet of paper he brought with him out on the table for them to see. "For the past few weeks, Jibril officials have noticed men in black robes going in and out of the lava tubes with Dragonkin in tow. They've tried to intervene with them, but were all quickly cut down. No one knew who the people in robes were. But, now we do thanks to what Melphi and Cesela overheard earlier" he said. It has gotten to the point that the Jibril officials made a statement that they wouldn't get involved with them anymore after losing a number of people to them. The mercenaries tried to take matters into their own hands, but they all met a similar fate too.

Tsuki stroked his chin in thought. If Shinobi were spotted entering the lava tubes with Dragonkin in tow, it was obvious what they were doing. "They must be using the Dragonkin in order to mine for these Prismatic Crystals. With their physical strength and fortitude against intense heat, they would have no problems" he said. Considering that the officials and local mercenaries are unable to do anything, it was clear to him what the Jibril Guild Branch wanted from them. "They want us to eliminate the Shinobi threat once and for all" he said.

Odette nodded in response to him. It wasn't just the fact that their presence was a threat to Jibril society, but also to the volcano. "Prismatic Crystals are found in the depths of Mt. Praxik. Mining them takes special care and one false move could potentially trigger a violent reaction with the volcano. They want to put a stop to it before they trigger an eruption" she said. According to the report that the Jibril Branch Leader sent over, this has been an ongoing thing for the past few weeks now and has been directly blamed to be the cause of the recent instability around the volcano.

Ramza thought about the information carefully. It was true that they'd be going out of there way from where they really needed to be, they also had other business to attend to as well such as Efreet's re-awakening. If they could accomplish that, then any and all volcanic and seismic activity in the region should cease. "Thinking about it all, it might be our best option. We can't just storm into Dolothlond right away without some hands-on investigation anyway. At least with this, we can knock out two birds with one stone; revive Efreet and put a stop to the Shogunate before they get their hands on anymore Prismatic Crystals. I say we go for it" he said.

Cheria nodded in approval of this plan. "I think so too. We would need to address the Wellspring problem in Mt. Praxik at some point anyway, so this may be our best opportunity" she said.

Ramza looked over towards Enzo once more. "That still doesn't answer the question of why you granted Tsuki B-rank" he said.

Odette nodded and placed a job posting that she had just made earlier. "As a newly appointed A-rank, you have been given to task to escort a group of newly appointed mercenaries to Jibril. Considering the dangers that you may face on the road, a single A-rank may not be sufficient. That is why Enzo granted Tsuki B-rank" she said. After clearing the gates in Border Town, they would have to travel to a place that offered aviation travel via tamed dragons and wyverns in order to expedite their travels to Jibril. It would be difficult for one man to ensure the safety of 8 people who were new to the mercenary game as well as to Nargelond's terrain.

Ramza glanced over towards Enzo for a moment. "You do realize what will happen if headquarters finds out about this, don't you?" They'll strip you both of your Codex and remove you from the Guild" he said. The both of them were putting their very own livelihoods on the line for their sake.

Enzo nodded. They both knew the risks of doing this and will fully accept the consequences if they ever come to pass. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from them. So, how about it? Will you accept this?" he asked.

Tsuki thought about it for a bit more before nodding. "We will. As it was said earlier, we would eventually be addressing those issues at some point. The sooner we do, the better it'll be for us in the long run. Perhaps maybe we can garner some support for this that we can use when we confront the War Council" he said. If they were going to fight against the War Council, then they're going to need a lot of support. That's something that they'll have to work on as they move through the region. They could possibly even use the rising tensions and aggression towards the War Council in their favor.

Enzo clapped his hands together, thrilled that they were willing to accept the conditions. "Excellent. I'll send out a letter to the Jibril Guild Branch to expect your arrival in the next few days then" he said. He turned to face the door and glanced over to Odette. "I'll leave finalizing the whole process to you in the meantime" he said.

Odette nodded at him, putting an official stamp on the job posting that she had showed them. "Understood" she said.

Enzo soon left the room to work on sending out that letter. While he did that, Odette did her best to fill in any holes that may have been left unfilled and tried to answer as many questions about the region around Jibril as best as she could. Considering that they will be spending a good amount of time in and around Jibril, they were going to need to know as much as possible. They not only had to contend with the various natural threats that the environment poses, but also the monster variety around the region. Because most of the region has been left unchecked, the monster population has been on the rise with new variants of species cropping up out of nowhere.

The trek to Border Town from Velika would day about two days by carriage ride. After they cross the border, they would need to make their way to a nearby settlement that offered aviation transport which could range from a one to three day hike through the canyons and ridgelines depending on their stamina and what paths may lie ahead for them. With their goal now set in stone, they had an idea of what to expect going forward for them in the upcoming several days. The group then made sure that they had everything they needed for the long trek ahead as it will be a while before they will have another chance to rest. A new part of their journey lies in wait for them and one that will soon open them up to even greater dangers than they have faced before.

To be continued…