By the Sun's Side 4 - (Re:Zero, SI)

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One miscalculation I had not taken under consideration was that Yorna Mishigure was roughly Prisca's age... yet older-looking. Illusions, all for the sake of not connecting her peculiar young age to her extremely advanced mind.

To be fair, that didn't influence things by much considering that Yorna was a multi-reincarnator and someone from this world. She was several centuries-old and extremely 'simple-minded' when it comes to her survival: she would die again and again for her family, but she harbored no genuine loyalty to other relevant figures in the Empire.

Her arrival was a sober matter. I had been told already the Divine General didn't like lavish displays, with only Prisca getting special treatment (as usual) while the rest was granted the bare minimum of hospitality.

For some, that kind of welcoming party was an insult, but for someone like Yorna, this was just fine.

The pretty-looking orangette/white-haired kitsune came with a purple kimono that revealed some cleavage.

Her entourage was made by two weak-looking guards while she happily carried around a very 'scared' Arakiya.

I wasn't sure what was up with the puppy-girl's feral fearful reaction, but it sure looked like the eager doggo-girl had found a bigger predator than herself.

"Lady Mishigure, we humbly welcome you to Faradar as this settlement hosts the court of Lady Prisca Benedict."

I was kneeling on the dirt, filth ignored as I saw the kitsune walking forward, sparing me no look as she glanced at Prisca and then approaching her.

Arakiya was freed from the clutches of the kitsune, but that was a 'trick' so that Yorna could claim the one that she found the... cutest.

"You look so adorable!" The kitsune squealed loudly much to the embarrassment of her animal-eared entourage.

The rest of the group, those in Prisca's camp, were quite stunned to see a Divine General gushing over a very very very annoyed Prisca.

The girl had been lifted off her nice chair and pulled in a hug, her cheeks filling with air as she pouted at the outrageous situation, red eyes murdering me from the long-distance.

It is your fault, you dumb dog!

I could 'hear' her disdain for what was going on, but Prisca still conceded, swallowing her pride as she had enough common sense to not do any wrong move around a Divine General-tier kid-adoring kitsune.

And maybe she also knew that there was something familiar about Yorna that made her lower her guard.

I was the only one that knew of their connection, with Yorna's previous incarnation being Prisca's own mother.

So, for the two to reunite like this was incredibly bittersweet. Sweet because it was sweet, but bitter because... well, Prisca didn't know the truth. And I doubt it was ever coming out until the war was over.

We didn't need that drama, not at the moment at least.

I left the two to 'play around a bit', with poor Arakiya stumbling by my side, planting her face on my hip and groaning as she forced me to lean my head down so she could whisper to my ear.

"It was horrible. She had me try some yucky clothes!"

Ah yes, Arakiya. You and your displeasure for too much cloth on your skin.

"Tragic. I suppose you seek 'compensation'."

"Yeah. I want a lap pillow. And headpats."

What a gluttonous pup. But I accepted. "Deal. Also, Prisca has a new friend to introduce you. And yes, friend not rival."

I saw her briefly tense up at the idea of 'competition', but she melted again as I reassured of that. Maybe she was also tired, which is why she allowed me to pick her up. She had her legs wrapped around my waist, head on my shoulder and soon snoring on my ear.

Yup, poor girl had gone through the ultimate sacrifice. Really hope Prisca gives her the cuddles this one needs or she will demand twice the headpats from now on.

After that 'cordial and warming' display through the two leading elements of the two parties negotiating here today, there was a bit of a confusion from the Shadowflame's delegation about what was the main goal of this.

"Do you seek an alliance or not? Why is your side playing tough on that idea, Prisca-chan? It should be that simple."

Yorna's baiting was indeed grating on poor Prisca's mind. I couldn't blame either sides considering that this game was one that required attention on who offers what, and less on what was the end results of it all.

"On behalf of Lady Prisca, I have to stress that any attempt for us to personally approach Shadowflame on such a friendly manner may be perceived on two possible ways," I spoke up, deciding against beating around the bush. "If we were to offer the alliance, those other factions could stress the notion we had done so with non-negligible concessions. Which may prompt some of the more 'conservative' folks to antagonize with our factions. If Shadowflame was the one offering the alliance, it would send a sign of alignment and-"

"Simplify that."

Yorna's interruption caught me off-guard. Usually, I could speak up this highly without needing to render stuff dumb - I could tell Prisca had been following my trail of thoughts just fine but... this was a new situation.

"I-I see," I mumbled, frowning and fixing my collar. "Well... if we were to ask you if you want the alliance, some of our enemies may spread rumors we are too friendly with the Demi-Human tribes because in the past those demanded a high price for collaborations. If Shadowflame is the faction that does the offering, that kind of rumor is ineffective."

...

"That's dumb."

I nodded. "Quite."

"Yet you play by this dumb game. You and Prisca."

"A dumb game with a great reward," Prisca spoke for herself. "Which I intend to win."

Her bold interjection stole the spotlight off of me, and I felt relieved due to the glancing I got from Yorna. The woman mellowed at seeing the bold look on Prisca's face and...

"I guess it's a game. Shadowflame shall entertain an alliance with Prisca-chan's camp."

That was it. The first big step had been made. We had an ally/reliable southern border, and we could now focus on our capacity to truly make moves in the civil war altogether.

But while that sounded like the next likely situation, I half-forgot I had written that other letter to Yorna and-

THUD!

It was night, I was getting pressed on the wall as as Yorna had her right palm slammed beside me, forming a bit of an indentation with her fist. A very unamused smile on her face and cold blue eyes aimed at me, the kitsune looked not in the mood to play games at the time.

"So, how do you know of my real name, little prey?"

I am really hating this job of mine...

Lamia Godwin loathed this unpleasant turn of events.

In the first few hours following her most disastrous defeat in this competition, she had been able to flush out the anger she initially aimed towards her allies.

She thought that she had no fault for what occurred, but as she looked once more into her plans, she realized she had played too aggressively and got dealt a powerful hit on her own legitimacy by that bastard Vincent.

As a convoy of carriages rushed away from Lupgana, rapidly avoiding the interception efforts from Vincent and his Kararagian mutt, Lamia scowled over her plans: she had relocated her resources out of the ancestral home of the Godwin House to a mobile convoy of carriages before mobilizing her troops to destroy Vincent before he became too big of a threat.

She thought it was feasible - her Pruning Corps was battle-hardened and numerous.

She knew their worth when she sent them to besiege Vincent's castle... but she had erroneously assumed her half-brother was an oaf.

The little bastard from Kararagi that was hanging around him was way more powerful than expected.

By the time reports of their decimation reached her temporary camp, Lamia barely made it out alive with her suriving guard. She dashed with her remaining forces back to the convoy and she was now on the run.

Going back to her fief was not feasible at the time. She had a reliable garrison there, but the path was too long and that would be a move easy to predict by the bandits hired by that bastard Barthroy Fitts.

She thought the poison would have worked and killed him off, but he had seen through her ruse and survived. A shame really, but not that great of an issue- just a temporary setback.

Which is why going west was not an option and why, despite her foolish advisor, Berstetz Fondalfon, speaking against it, she had ordered to move south.

This move was not without its flaws since it opened to a path of uncertainty, but she knew one thing no one but her was aware of: her cute little sister Prisca had gone south rather than return to her fief. A move that had felt a bit suspicious, but Lamia was quick to concede how it had been a smart move due to Prisca's limited retinue: she needed to raise an army from the neutral south to get herself to stand up and...

That's where Lamia would sweep in and try to secure herself said army under her control - after all, her little sister was too easy to convince and she should have it easy.

AN

Lamia, what do you think of the tag 'Domination Loss'? Still, Prisca's standing survived beyond the time of her expected 'defeat'. Lamia too, but that's because Prisca wasn't around to stab her in the back (literally).

So, right now the game is shifting fast as Vincent is moving to win over the Lupgana's area, while Prisca, Lamia and another of their half-sibling have been pushed to the corner.

Of course, the 'winners' don't know that the worst animal is the one lashing out when it has no way out of a bad spot.