Sorry for the delay. A lot happened last week and I had no time to write this chapter. But here it is now finished.

The Yuber Poll is officially closed. Thank you to everyone who voted. Here are the results:

Humanize him: 6

Don't change him at all: 2

Well, this is an interesting result. I'm looking forward to the direction I'll be taking Yuber in this fanfic.

Part Eight

"Where is Imbuka?!" Tamara shouted. "Did she flee the battlefield too?!"

"I don't see her anywhere," Nigel said gravely. "Nor do I see Sheikh Lažov."

"We're riding for the capital now," Tamara seethed. "This is unforgivable! I'm going to file a complaint against—"

There was an explosion of light before their unit and the soldiers cried out as three large rats, each of them easily three meters long and nearly as tall, suddenly appeared in their path. "W-What is going on?!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Someone wants you dead, Lady Sheikh!" Nigel shouted, quickly drawing his flyssa sword.

"I-I don't under—"

"My Lady, we have been abandoned by your second-in-command and a fellow Sheikh! And some unknown force other than the Liberation Army is bringing monsters to the battlefield! Clearly someone does NOT want us to leave this battlefield alive!"

"But how do you know it's not—"

"Because the monsters are attacking the rebels too!" Nigel interrupted her in a harsh tone. "I will do everything I can to get you out of here alive, so stay back and let us take care of this! And damn it all, leave us if we fall!"

Tamara stammered at her soldiers rushed towards the rats. S…Someone wants me dead? Imbuka abandoned me? Sheikh Lažov abandoned me too? Why?! Why are they doing this?! I haven't done anything wrong!

Her soldiers were fighting fiercely against the giant rats but they monsters were overwhelming them. Tamara sat frozen in horror and fear, her breath coming in fast and harsh. W…What do I do? Father, what do I do?!

"BERATE!"

The unfamiliar shout startled Tamara, but to her immense relief she saw the three mice become hazy from the force of the powerful spell. Her unit had only injuries and no fatalities, and with the monsters in a much weaker state Nigel and the other soldiers easily slew the monsters.

But where did that spell—

"Now!" Caesar shouted, and Daunte didn't waste a moment. Gunther's horse charged towards Tamara at high speeds and the young Sheikh turned at Caesar's shout, just as rose up into a kneeling position on the saddle. Her eyes went wide but before she could scream Daunte jumped from his horse, launching through the air and tackling Tamara off her horse.

"Lady Sheikh!" Nigel shouted as he spun around. The force of the tackle knocked Tamara's hood off and twin plaits smacked against Daunte's arms but he hauled her to her feet by her collar. She was shaken up but uninjured, as was he. "You bastard, let her go!"

That's Priscilla's bodyguard from Baltas! Daunte thought.

"You're in no position to be making demands," Caesar said calmly as he came to Daunte's side. "Furthermore, it's quite rude of you to insult my lord after he saved your lives just now."

"I…" the words died in Tamara's throat as the Liberation Army forces formed a large circle around her unit.

"You are defeated," Daunte told her. "Will you surrender?"

Tamara quickly shook her head. "I will not. I am a Sheikh, and surrendering—"

"We know that you would be executed for surrendering," Caesar interjected. He looked at Daunte. "Then the safest option would be to capture the surviving forces and bring them back to our headquarters."

"You can have my life," Tamara said defiantly. "But please let my soldiers go home to their families."

"My Lady!" Nigel protested. Several other soldiers shouted in protest as well but Tamara shook her head at them. "I'm not going to be taken as a prisoner. I refuse to be a political hostage of any sort!"

"Sheikh Nuori." Keiran rode up with his unit and Tamara gaped in horror when she saw him. "Tamara," he said informally. "The—other Sheikh withdrew without ever joining the battlefield. And we have reason to believe that he was with someone who summoned all those monsters."

"I cannot believe that!" Tamara exclaimed. She struggled a little in Daunte's hold. "W—Why would Sheikh Lažov do that?!"

"Why did he kill my family?!" Varnaz said harshly. "I'll tell you why; to serve his own selfish interests. It is no different than now!"

"It wasn't just the Sheikh," Surya said gravely as his unit joined the group. "The woman on horseback…she killed soldiers in her own unit."

Tamara's mouth hung open in shock. It opened and closed soundlessly for a few moments. When she finally spoke, it was in a small voice. "Imbuka, she—she killed my soliders?"

"She did," Allise said grimly. "Right before our eyes a few of the soldiers turned their blades on each other. The ones who initiated the attack fled with her. Or at the least the ones that survived my—"

"You're lying!" Tamara shouted. She struggled harder against Daunte and Ceasar quickly waved to Varnaz. The other man flew off his horse and grabbed Tamara's hands. He began to bind them together in front of her, much to the outrage of Nigel and the rest of the soldiers, but they were kept at bay by the rest of the Army. "T—That doesn't make any sense!" Tamara tried pulling on the ropes. "Why would Imbuka do that?! Why would she kill the soldiers who served under us?!"

Daunte noticed that Nigel did not look shocked by any of this. He debated if he should ask about it or leave it alone, but ultimately decided to say something. "Did you suspect something about this Imbuka?"

"…Yes," Nigel said in a reluctant tone. He was still holding his flyssa. "She was secretive, condescending, and cold. I—" he looked at Tamara briefly before looking at Daunte. "I…never once felt that she had the Sheikh's best interests at heart."

"Nigel, you are speaking treason!" Tamara scolded him but Nigel shook his head. "My Lady, we were left to die on this battlefield. Does anything I say matter in this moment?"

"But—"

"Where is she?!"

The shout behind Daunte startled him and he looked over his shoulder. He saw Shou pushing his way through the crowd towards Daunte, but the murderous rage in his expression left Daunte speechless. "The woman named Imbuka Liger! Where is that evil bitch?!"

Caesar was also taken aback by his uncharacteristic anger and approached him slowly with raised hands. "Please calm down and tell us what happened."

"We have a situation," Oboro said as he came up behind Shou, interrupting him before he said anything. Georg and Umeko also squeezed their way through. "But yes, it's important to know the whereabouts of the Sheikh's second-in-command. She's highly dangerous and a threat to the people around her."

"What?" Tamara asked numbly. Daunte felt his heartbeat in his throat and he swallowed before he spoke. "What did you find out?"

"The woman known as Imbuka Liger is actually a highly skilled assassin from Nether Gate named Azamuku," Oboro said in a grim voice. "She is very skilled in the art of killing, but she is also a sadist. She loves killing so much that she willingly brainwashed and trained orphaned children to be killers. Truthfully she had very little patience with children and did not like it if any of them talked back to her, but she was brutally sufficient at her job."

"Do you remember my mom?!" Shou interrupted. His tone had shifted to one of anger and sorrow. "And those—smiles she always has?! That woman did that to her! She brainwashed my mom into having a permanent smile on her face!"

"W-Why would she do that?" Tamara had a note of disbelief in her voice, but she seemed unable to help herself from asking that question.

"Because people associated smiling children with innocence and joy," Goerg said. "If you were approached by a smiling child, would you expect that same child to casually slit your throat?"

An unexpected tremor shook Daunte's body but he quickly shook it off. He was speechless. He remembered Sagiri, and the nearly-permanent smile on her face. How it faded from time to time but always seemed to return to that frozen smile. That's so awful. Shou's mother was conditioned to smile so she could kill people more easily. Wh—What kind of monster does that to a child?!

"That's horrible," he said finally, not knowing what else to say.

Murmurs of shock also broke out across the Liberation Army, but Tamara's soldiers gaped in horrified silence at Oboro. Tamara's complexion was becoming pale and she swallowed thickly before she spoke. "A…Do you expect me to believe that the High Clerics assigned an assassin to me?"

"Yes, because what we are saying is true," Oboro said, holding up a letter. "I would never forget this handwriting."

"W-Where did you get that?!"

"Your government building, of course.

"What?! You—"

"I let that woman around my kids!" one of Tamara's soldiers shouted.

"Yeah, me too!" another exclaimed in horror. The panic and anger quickly rose within the ranks of Tamara's soldiers.

"Oh Nagar, what if she hurt our children?!"

"Gurit has been acting withdrawn lately. Did that woman hurt my child?!"

"Silence!" Tamara shouted. Her soldiers quieted down and she turned to face Daunte defiantly. "You don't need to fill our heads with lies. I will not be taken prisoner, so you may as well execute me right this moment. My only request is that you release the soldiers under my command."

"We didn't come here to execute you," Caesar said.

"Oh really?" Tamara asked incredulously. "You brought 600 soldiers and an aerial monster to my provinces and you're pretending that you never meant any harm to us?"

"We haven't killed a single soldier of yours," Allise pointed out. "At most we've injured them but we've also healed them and let them retreat. The only fatalities that were suffered in this battle was caused by your second-in-command."

"We came here to recruit you," Daunte said. "We want you and your soldiers to join the Liberation Army."

Tamara looked stunned by the offer, and then angry. "W—Are you insane? Why would I ever join you?"

"Because our government doesn't have our best interests at heart Tamara," Keiran said, dismounting his horse.

"We are soldiers of Nagar!" Tamara protested. "We fight for Him and the High Clerics speak for Him! They are the voice of Nagar, and we must obey them! They will protect believers!"

"No they won't," Keiran said. "They blackmailed me into attacking Uaminifu. They tried to get me to kill believers of Nagar to manipulate the government. This is why I joined the Liberation Army."

"I don't believe you," Tamara said.

"They caused the Plague that destroyed Farna," Felicity snapped. "My hometown. That was their fault!"

"I don't listen to conspiracy theories," Tamara responded.

Daunte grabbed Felicity's shoulder before she could move forward. "And what about the Dark Chasm?" He asked her. "What that a conspiracy theory? Were the conditions you subjected us to satisfactory to you?" Daunte pulled the glove off his left hand and showed her his fingers. "How about this? Do you think this is appropriate for a child? What your government has done to us? What you have done to us?!"

Tamara stared at Daunte' battered hand in silent horror. Daunte forced his emotions under control and put his glove back on. "If you haven't noticed, you were abandoned on the battlefield. Your allies betrayed you. And it took very little effort to recruit the men and women under your command because of how scared they were of stepping out of line. They didn't fear for their own lives, but for their families. And we saved you when your allies summoned monsters to kill you. I think it should be clear to you who has your best interests at heart. It's not the Theocracy."

Tamara looked conflicted. Ill, even. Her face was becoming paler and paler, almost as though she were about to faint. She looked at Nigel, but the soldier said nothing. Daunte heard the other soldiers murmuring in her unit but their harsh words were directed at Imbuka. Directed at Ramiro Lažov.

No harsh words were directed at Daunte.

"I—" Tamara began, but her voice cut off when something fell to the ground beside her. It made a loud 'thud' and dust and dirt rose into the air. Nigel and the other soldiers shouted in alarm for Tamara, and Daunte grabbed her to pull her away from the perceived threat. The dust settled quickly though, and everyone approached the object carefully. What they saw made Daunte' brow furrow in confusion.

It was a large white duffel bag.

"T—That's my bag!" Tamara exclaimed. She pulled herself free from Daunte and fell to her knees beside the bag. She opened it as best as she could with her hands tied, but when she pushed the flap back to see what was inside she quickly grabbed the flap and yanked her bag closed.

"…My clothes are in here," she said quietly. She looked over her shoulder at Daunte. "My personal items are in here. What's going on? Why did you steal my possessions from my Garrison?! Is this some sick means of getting me to join you?!"

"We haven't been near your Garrison," Daunte said. It was a struggle to keep his voice calm because he was unnerved by the duffel bag's appearance. "This was not our work. Yuber!"

Yuber quickly appeared beside Daunte. "What?"

"Go after the person who dropped that bag from the sky!"

"All right," he said dully before disappearing again.

"The demon," Tamara whispered, her eyes wide. "He's the one who slaughtered Sheikh Faakhir's men!"

"Yes he is," Caesar said. "But he did not kill a single one of your soldiers today. Maimed them certainly, but they have their lives intact."

"Look!" Mokuren shouted, pointing skyward.

Daunte looked up and gasped in confusion. Dozens of pieces of loose leaf paper were raining down from the sky. Daunte reached up and caught one as it fell. He saw Tamara's picture on the page first. Then an excert from a handwritten note. Then he saw the title at the top of the page and read it out loud. "'Sheikh Tamara Nuori is a Traitor' by Quasim'."

"What?!" Tamara shrieked, jumping to her feet. "Who said that?! I'm not a traitor!"

"This page says the same," Gunther said, holding his page up. Others who caught pages (including Tamara's own soldiers) held them up to show identical information on Daunte's paper. "Well darling, your government has truly turned on you."

"'Holy Army forces were dispatched earlier today to execute a warrant for the arrest of Sheikh Tamara Nuori'," Daunte read out loud. Caesar moved over to Tamara to helpfully show her one of the pages. "'Suspicions of Nuori's treachery was first brought to the attention of the Cabinet of High Clerics by her own second-in-command, Lady Imbuka Liger. Sheikh Ramiro Lažov bravely carried out the arrest warrant himself'—"

"Bravely," Varnaz scoffed sardonically.

"—'but the soldiers were ambushed by the disgraced Nuori and the heathen devil Daunte, leader of the Liberation Army. It is reported that Sheikh Lažov fought bravely against the heathens before he was forced to withdraw'."

"It's quite funny how this didn't actually happen," Jeane said amusedly.

"'A searched of the Garrison of the Southeast Provinces showed that Nuori had packed her possessions before betraying her country'," Allise continued. "'She took with her other heathens brainwashed into standing against Nagar. Those who defied her were put to the sword. It is indeed a sad day in Nagarea, for yet another Sheikh to betray Nagar'."

"Oh, are they talking about about those soldiers Azamuku killed?" Surya asked.

"And the rest is more lies as you can see," Caesar said to Tamara. "But you get the idea. They betrayed you and have now painted you as the traitor. You cannot go home, and neither can your soldiers, or else the whole lot of you will be arrested or executed on the spot."

"I could not follow the person who dropped the bag," Yuber said as he returned.

"It's okay, we're returning to HQ," Daunte told him. He looked back at Tamara. "Will you come with us?"

Tamara looked at Nigel again but the soldier did not look hopeful. Then she looked back at Daunte. "I…have no choice, do I?"

"It doesn't look like you do," Daunte said, pulling out the Blinking Mirror. "Everyone, you know the drill! Grab hold of each other and do not let go!"

"I don't need that flimsy mirror to get back," Yuber said, disappearing again.

"I'll get that woman," Shou vowed harshly. "I'll make her pay for what she did to my mom!"

"From what I remember of Sagiri," Georg said. "I don't think she would want you to do that. Not because she forgives the woman who abused her, but because she would rather you not kill anyone."

"It's too late for that," Shou said sheepishly. "I've already killed people." but his anger cooled considerably.

Oboro was barely paying attention to his surroundings. His eyes were locked on the newsletter that reported Tamara's "betrayal". On the excerpt of the handwritten note penned by the leader of the High Clerics. This handwriting…

His frown deepened and he clenched his fist around the paper. I can always rely on you spreading poison and pain, Takefute…

Daunte successfully teleported all 600 of his soldiers back to the headquarters, along with Tamara and her forces. They were met with cheers, fanfare, and confetti raining from the rooftops of buildings. Daunte laughed in shock, though his heart was pounding in joy. He had just won his first war battle, and he didn't lose a single soldier. He knew that the Army was celebrating so much because they all returned home safe and sound, with a Sheikh in tow.

We were victorious. It feels good having this total victory.

"Brother!" Arin shouted, running to him and hugging him. "You made it back!"

"We all made it back," Daunte said. He saw Virgil and Dylan and hurried over to them. "Are you both okay?"

"Yes, we're fine," Virgil reassured him. "Futch brought us here safe and sound."

"Riding dragons is amazing!" Dylan gushed, looking significantly more cheerful than he had earlier that day. "You saved my dad, my Lord! Thank you so much! I'll do anything to repay you!"

"You both joined my Army and that's repayment enough," Daunte said. He looked at Virgil. "I'm glad to have helped you both."

"Daunte!" Lysander ran over to them. "Daunte, I h-h-h-heard," he said shakily. "That you got T-T-T-Tamara Nuori. W-Where is she?"

"Over there," Daunte said, pointing to the center courtyard. Tamara stood with her hand still bound, and for safety reason Nigel and the other soldiers were also bound. Some of the soldiers were jeering at them. "Okay, I need to put a stop to that."

"I w-want to talk to her," Lysander said gravely. "I want to know w-w-w-why—" his voice broke off and he heaved out a sad sigh. "Never mind."

"If you want to talk to her that's fine," Daunte said. "She has been betrayed by the Theocracy and left to fend for herself, so she really doesn't have any other option than to join us. But if you want to tell her what you've been through, don't be afraid to do so."

Arin's hands curled into Daunte's shirt as he watched Tamara. "She's pretty," he said sadly. "She's pretty but she's bad."

"Beauty does not always equal goodness," Virgil said solemnly. "But she is young and as fair as she could be given the circumstances."

"Let's go and talk to her," Daunte said. Lysander nodded. Roen and Felciity joined them as they headed over. And Eamon hurried to greet Daunte. "Welcome back, Lord Daunte. We faced no attacks and in fact received 200 volunteers shortly before your arrival."

"Those would be the soldiers who fled the battlefield," Daunte confirmed.

"We should be wary of her though," Roen said. "If she joins us it will be because she has no choice. It would be better if she actually believed in us."

"Then let's see if we can convince her," Daunte said.

Daunte reached Tamara and her forces, and the Liberation Army immediately silenced at his arrival. "We're a rowdy bunch," he told her. "But we're good people and we want what's best for this country. I think you've seen by now that the current Theocracy is not what's best for this country."

"I will not object if my soldiers join you," Tamara said. "But as a believer in Nagar, and as someone who comes from a long line of Sheikhs, I cannot join you."

"My Lady!" Nigel protested, as did the other soldiers.

"This grandstanding is not necessary," Keiran told her. His tone was soothing. "I come from a long line of Sheikhs as well, and I want what's best for this country. There is no shame in taking a stand against a government that betrayed you, Tamara. You should have faith in us that we are doing what's right."

Tamara closed her eyes, and held them closed for a long time. Daunte saw that she was fighting back tears. When she opened her eyes they were reddened, but no tears fell. "Did you kill my father?"

"What?" Daunte asked.

"Did. You. Kill. My. Father," Tamara enunciated feelingly.

"No, I did not," Daunte quickly answered. "I never even met him. I was imprisoned when he died."

"If the Liberation Army didn't kill my father, then who did?"

Daunte knew the answer, even if it was a suspicion. He had heard it ages ago. He debated if he should tell her or keep silent, but he knew his silence would further upset her. "The Theocracy did."

Tamara laughed loudly, the sound painful. "Y—You just blame everything on the Theocracy, don't you?!"

"That is what is believed," Caesar said. "Your father objected to the conditions in the Dark Chasm, but before he file his complaint in the Grand Citadel he died. Then he was replaced with you, who did not know the conditions of the Dark Chasm."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Tamara quickly protested, and though Daunte saw the regret in her expression his anger quickly flared up.

"You're evil!" Arin shrieked, lunging for her. Daunte grabbed him and held him still. "You evil, awful person! You made me sick! I almost died because of you!"

"Did you see my Lord's hands?" Caesar asked, his tone calmer. "That was caused by the conditions of the Dark Chasm."

"Y-Y-Y—You—" Lysander stammered, further startling Tamara. "You—stupid bitch!" he spat out. "Not s-so bad?! I was t-t-tortured! I—" he wheezed loudly and grabbed at his throat.

"Lysander," Daunte said as Roen and Felicity rushed to his side. "Thank you. Please go and see Dr. Yu—"

"I'm here," Dr. Yulin said, rushing forward to Lysander. He looked at Tamara. "It's been a long time, my Lady."

Tamara looked between all of them frantically. "Dr. Yulin? W…What exactly are you all talking about? The Dark Chasm was a prison for children."

"It was a torture camp," Dr. Yulin said. "It was the most horrendous suffering I've ever seen in my entire life. Children with broken bones. Children who were malnourished. Children with pneumonia. Children with cholera. Children who died. I wouldn't have wished such a fate on my worst enemy." he gestured to Daunte, Arin, Roen, Felicity, and Lysander. "I witnessed the suffering that was inflicted upon all of them. It was real and it happened."

Tamara swallowed hard. "If this is true, then why was I not aware of this?"

"Because then you would have objected to it as your father did," Caesar said. "And judging from the actions of the Theocracy, they don't think it's worth killing you. You matter so little to them that they hid important information from you and framed you as a traitor."

"I know why," Tamara said feelingly. "I wasn't told any of this. It's because I'm a failure. I'm a silly girl who was pretending to be leader with whom no one respected or held in any regard. I worked hard to live up to my father's legacy and what do I have to show for it? I was treated like a child. No one respected me, and my second-in-command—the one person who I was supposed to trust more than anyone—sold me out for her own selfish interests."

Tears were starting to spill out, and she tried to wipe them away but it was difficult to do so. Daunte almost asked for a dagger to cut her loose when she fell to her knees in front of them. Her soldiers also scrambled to kneel as well.

"I know nothing of what you went through," she said quietly. "But whatever it was, it was my fault because it happened in my provinces. I'm truly, truly sorry for everything you all have gone through. I-I know my words are meaningless, but…" she ducked her head. "I worked so hard to try and be a good leader for my people. I was loyal to my country. I prayed to Nagar daily. I wanted to display honesty and fairness but all I did was fail everyone…"

Tamara's soldiers looked on her with sorrow. None of them had an ounce of contempt in their expressions. Daunte stared down at her, wondering if he should continue to condemn her for her ignorance or still extend an olive branch as an ally. After thinking about it he gently pushed Arin away. "I forgive you."

Tamara's head shot up and murmurs of shock broke out across both the Liberation Army and Tamara's forces. "I forgive you for what happened to me," Daunte said. "I cannot speak for my friends or my brother. It is their choice whether they want to forgive you. But I believe you when you say you want to help people." He held out his hand and Felicity gave him one of her daggers. He cut Tamara loose. "I want to help people too. You have seen that the High Clerics and the Theocracy see no value in the people who serve Nagar. From the common civilian to the Sheikhs, you are all disposable pawns to them. I'm not like that though. I see value in the people who serve in this Army no matter their rank. I want to make this country a better place. I will do anything to help the people of Nagarea, even those who don't understand our motives."

"He's right," Dylan said as he ran over. Tamara looked startled to see him. "My father wasn't a soldier of the Liberation Army, but Lord Daunte still came down personally to save him. We matter to him, and we know it."

"He also acted to save Uaminifu, even when the city tried to attack him," Keiran said. "He put himself at risk to save those citizens."

"I will vouch for that," Eamon said. "We did not believe Lord Daunte until it was too late, but even after we attacked him he still tried to save us."

"He saved my family," Surya added.

"And ultimately he stopped the suffering in the Dark Chasm and liberated hundreds of children," Dr. Yulin said. "Lord Daunte is indeed a wonderful leader we can all put our faith in."

"All of you are giving me too much credit like you usually do," Daunte said, raising his hands. "All of these achievements were a group effort of the Army. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of that without you."

"Aww, don't be so modest," Caesar teased him.

Tamara abruptly stood up. Her soldiers followed suit. "Lord Daunte. The faith your subordinates have in you is awe-inspiring. I have only ever seen that with Keiran Umed's forces, and even he is singing your praises. You're the leader I always wanted myself to be."

"T-Thank you," Daunte said.

"I cannot go home," Tamara said. "And since I have been branded a traitor and my possessions were almost dropped upon me, it's clear that the Theocracy doesn't want me back. I must do right by the people of Nagarea, and it's clear to me now that the only way I can do this is if I join you." she bowed. "Of course I have my own selfish reasons of self-preservation. If I leave here then I will surely die. But I want to redeem myself for my shortcomings. And I know the surest way for me to do this—would be to join your cause." She straightened and offered her hand. "I leave my fate in your hands."

Daunte smiled and shook her hand. "Welcome to the Liberation Army."

"If Lady Tamara is joining you, then so will I," Nigel said, stepping forward. "I was disillusioned with the Theocracy with how terribly they treated Lady Priscilla, but after everything I witnessed today I cannot be one of their soldiers any longer. You have my sword, Lord Daunte."

"I'm happy to have you," Daunte said. Mihr cut him loose and Daunte shook his hand. All of Tamara's soldiers stepped forward and made their pledges to the Liberation Army, and everyone moved forward to welcome the new recruits.

"We have to go back though Lord Daunte," Tamara said. "The families of my soldiers may have been arrested under Original Sin."

"Not to worry, my Lady!" a soldier ran up and saluted. "When we retreated we went home and got our families out! We also warned the families of other soldiers of what was going on, and they fled to come here as well!"

"I'm happy to hear that," Daunte said. "They are welcome here."

"Niiiiiigel!" Priscilla raced over and threw her arms around the man in question. "Oh, how lovely to see you! I'm so glad you are all right!" She kissed him on the cheek, but her lipstick left a smear. "Is Thea okay?"

"S-She was unfortunately assigned to Sheikh Lažov," Nigel stammered. "We have sent letters to each other, but I haven't seen her since our public demotion."

"Oh, damn…" Priscilla looked crestfallen for a moment before positively beaming at Daunte. "Thank you for rescuing one of my best friends, Lord Daunte!"

"I-It wasn't a rescue, though—" Nigel protested, but everyone laughed in response. Including Daunte.

"Y-You are the woman who caused Nigel's demotion?" Tamara asked. She looked Priscilla over. "You are still wearing the clothes of a condemned adulteress. Why are you still wearing that?"

"Oh, but isn't this just the most delightful color?" Priscilla laughed, twirling around.

"I…suppose the color suits you," Tamara said uncomfortably, causing more laughter around them.

We did it, Daunte thought. I successfully recruited another Sheikh. Now it's a true victory.

"So Tamara Nuori is gone," Takefute announced before the Cabinet of High Clerics. "And Azamuku has taken her place. This will be good for us. Azamuku has always been a valuable asset to us. She will efficiently squash any bugs that try to annoy us."

"So I have heard," the Matron said irritably. "But I do not understand why you went to the trouble of "exposing" that little girl as a traitor. Why not kill her like you killed her father?"

"Because my Lady," Takefute said slowly. "We were careful with disposing of her father but it still caused rumors to spread. By painting Nuori as a traitor it will cause the populace to retroactively see her father in a diminished light."

"Except that it didn't," Ziya interjected. "The citizens here in Mlkwt Alsmwat believe the story we distributed, but new riots have broken out in Kader. In protest of Azamuku's promotion."

"Then we'll kill the most vocal agitators," Yuuto said dismissively. "That will shut them up for a little while."

"The protests seemed to have only been confined to the southeast," Kayanu said. "There have been no such outbreaks of violence and protest elsewhere. But we can trust Azamuku to keep things that way."

"I don't think any of you understand the mistake you made," the Matron spoke up sharply. "By framing Tamara Nuori as a traitor and not outright killing, you have added forces to the Liberation Army. Four hundred soldiers and their families have joined the Liberation Army. If you're not careful, his forces are going to grow greater with your carelessness. And even if they don't—even if they aren't able to recruit any other people after today—they still have Yuber at their disposal. By himself Yuber can slaughter whole armies. You should be thankful that I insisted you put up a barrier around the capital, otherwise Yuber would have killed all of you already."

The High Clerics grumbled and looked amongst themselves. They weren't happy about being dressed down by the Matron, but none of them made a move against her. It was Takefute who finally spoke. "Is there anything you can do, my Lady?"

"No," the Matron replied bluntly. "Yuber is bound to the contract of the person who summoned him. His loyalty is held to that person only, his master. Until they free him from the contract or if his master loses. Yuber does not being on the losing side of a battle, and so he will abandon his master if they start to lose."

"Then it's simple," Takefute said, folding his hands on the table. "We'll have to work harder to ensure the Liberation Army loses. Or make them so weak that Yuber will abandon them anyways. With a weakened Army, and no Yuber to back him up…we can kill that boy and get the Rune of Restoration once and for all."

"Then you need to take them as a threat seriously," the Matron told him. "And stop giving him opportunities to gain allies."

She was keeping a secret from them. She knew she was, but she kept her mouth shut. She remained silent because if they knew the truth…

If they knew the truth…then they would try to take her True Rune, too…

"Are you feeling better?" Daunte asked.

Leknaat nodded slowly. "I am much better now. I apologize for not helping you earlier."

"No, it's fine." Daunte looked over the Tablet of Stars. "Tamara and Nigel are now here, but we still have a lot of empty Stars…"

"You will find them. I believe in you, Lord Daunte."

"It's suppertime. Would you like to join me for supper? Yasaka is making a dish called katsudon. I've heard positive feedback about it."

"Oh, no thank you. I will be all right, my Lord."

Daunte looked at her for a long moment. "Lady Leknaat?"

"Yes?"

"I sensed something in the war battle," he said. "I felt power, and then the monsters appeared."

"The person who summoned those monster wielded a lot of power," Leknaat said grimly.

"Do you know who could have summoned them?" he asked carefully.

Leknaat's brow furrowed. "I—"

DING!

Daunte jumped and turned as the elevator doors opened. Caesar raced out of the elevator holding several envelopes. "My Lord! We heard back! We heard back from all of them!"

"H-Heard back?" Daunte asked. "About what?"

Caesar was wearing his usual lazy smile as he handed one of the envelopes to Daunte. "I took the liberty of reading the messages first. Things look very dire over there—dangerous, even—but the message is the same."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. We've been formally invited to Zexan and the Grasslands."

"She's sleeping standing up!"

"No, she must be faking it!"

"She is not! Look at that snot bubble!"

Two Liberation Army soldiers were standing before Viki. Viki was indeed fast asleep while standing up, snoring and swaying slightly. And she had a snot bubble that was roughly five centimeters in diameter.

"She must be faking," the first soldier said. "No one is allowed to sleep on the job!"

"But Lord Daunte doesn't ever get angry if he catches soldiers sleeping on the job," the second pointed out.

"That's because Lord Daunte is an amazing leader. But…you're right." he leaned in close to look at Viki. "I can't imagine a woman standing around voluntarily looking so undignified."

"She might catch a cold. Should we wake her up?"

The two soldiers silently contemplated this before the first nodded. "Yeah. That's the right thing to do."

"Should we yell or shake her?" The second soldier asked.

"We probably shouldn't touch her. Yelling should suffice." The first loudly clearly his throat. After a moment he shouted, "EXCUSE ME?!"

"A-CHOO!" Viki shrieked, suddenly waking up and sneezing violently as the snot bubble loudly popped. The Blinking Rune on her hand reacted, and the two soldiers before her screamed as they were enveloped in light and disappeared into thin air. "W-Wha…" Viki pressed a hand to her forehead as she looked around herself. "Wait—there were people here, weren't there?"

"You."

"Wah!" Viki screamed again in shock, but thankfully her run did not activate this time. She jumped back and turned to her right to see Yuber towering over her. "W-Where did you come from?!" she exclaimed.

"Those two soldiers," Yuber said, affixing his cold gaze upon her. "You teleported them away in your sleep. Where did you send them?"

"Ah…" Viki looked around the first floor helplessly for a moment before she looked back at him. "I…don't know?"

"You don't know?" Yuber echoed coldly.

"…Yes?" Viki said helplessly.

Yuber said nothing more, and in a flash he was gone, further startling her. "W-What's going on around here?!" she blurted out.

Yuber returned to his position on the fifth floor outside of the war room. After a few moments, a smile rose to his lips.

"Heh."

End of Chapter Six