At the end of Bourdonne Street, Tristain's palace was being patrolled by a number of guards. The rumor that war was looming over them started to spread. The group that had taken over Albion, Reconquista, was said to be readying themselves to invade Tristain. As a result, the tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

The skies above the Royal Palace had prohibited travel from flying beasts and ships alike without being thoroughly checked. Even tailors, bakers, and traders were stopped and inspected.

Since such restrictions were so rampant, when a wind dragon suddenly appeared above the Royal Palace, the guards panicked.

The Mage Guards were made up of three corps, and each corps protected the palace one at a time. While one protected the palace, the other two were resting or training. Today, the Manticore Corps were on duty. Riding on their manticores, a group of guards flew up to the wind dragon. There were six figures on the dragon's back, as well as a mole in the dragon's mouth.

The guards warned the group that they were prohibited from flying, yet they ignored the warning and landed in the courtyard.

On the dragon was a pink-haired girl, a flaming red-haired girl, a blonde boy, a battered boy with spiky black hair, a petite girl with glasses, and a black-haired boy in blue.

The guards quickly surrounded the dragon and drew their wands, with spells on the ready. A strong-looking commander bellowed a warning to the intruders. "Drop your wands!"

The intruders seemed to get hostile, but the girl wearing glasses shook her head. "Royal Palace."

The intruders reluctantly nodded, and they threw their wands to the ground.

"Flying above the Royal Palace is currently prohibited. Didn't you know that?"

The girl with pink hair jumped off the dragon's back. "I am Duke of La Vallière's third daughter, Louise Françoise. I request an audience with Her Highness, the Princess."

The commander twirled his mustache as he watched Louise. He knew about the Vallières quite well as they were one of the most renowned families.

"You are Duke of La Vallière's third daughter?"

"Yes." Louise stood up straighter and stared directly into the commander's eyes.

"I see... you have your mother's eyes. Well, what is the reason for your meeting with Her Majesty?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you."

"Then, I'll have to deny your request. I cannot grant you an audience with Her Highness without knowing the purpose. I could lose my head over something like that."

"It ain't like we can say why we're here!" The spiky-haired boy jumped off the dragon. The commander looked over the boy. He had a young face. Clothes that he couldn't recognize. Ivory skin. A large sword on his back. Despite his country of origin not being clear, one thing was certain. The boy was a commoner.

"What a rude commoner. You shouldn't speak to a noble like that, so stay silent."

Kai's eye twitched for a moment as he turned to Louise. He couldn't deal with a haughty noble after what he had gone through.

"Hey, Louise, can I take care of this guy real quick?"

She let out a 'hmph'. "Stop boasting. Just because you beat Wardes, doesn't mean you can act so arrogant."

The commander's eyes widened. Wardes? As in Viscount Wardes? The commander of the Griffin Corps? Defeated?

The commander quickly raised his wand. "Who the hell are you people?!" The situation was starting to get out of hand.

Louise stared at Kai.

"What?"

"It's because of your blabbering that we're in this situation!"

"My blabbering?! You're the one that mentioned Wardes!"

"Shut up! You should have just kept your mouth shut!"

Seeing the two of them arguing, the commander took the opportunity to surround them with guards who raised their wands.

"Arrest them!"

Before the guards could cast any incantations a person with a purple mantle ran toward the group. Seeing Louise surrounded by guards, she frantically ran over.

"Louise!"

Seeing Henrietta rushing over, Louise's face lit up. "Princess!"

The two of them embraced each other in a hug.

"Aah, you came back safely. I'm glad. Louise Françoise..."

"Princess..."

Louise's eyes began watering with tears.

"The letter... it is safe."

Reaching into her pocket, Louise gently pulled out the letter. Henrietta nodded and firmly grasped Louise's hands.

"You really are my best friend."

"Your words are too kind, Princess."

Noticing that Wales wasn't present, Henrietta's expression grew somber. "As I thought... Prince Wales sacrificed himself for his kingdom."

Louise closed her eyes and nodded.

"...But what of Viscount Wardes? I don't see him, did he take another route? Or did he... fall by the enemy's hands? But it was the Viscount..."

Louise's face turned grim, and Kai stepped forward to explain so that Louise wouldn't have to. "Wardes was a traitor."

"T-Traitor?" Henrietta's face paled. She quickly noticed the stares of the Mage Guards around them. "These are my guests, commander."

"I see." Hearing that, the commander reluctantly put away his wand and commanded his troops to do the same.

Henrietta turned to Louise again. "What happened on your trip? No, let's withdraw to my room before we continue. The rest of you, please get some rest in the other rooms."

Kirche, Tabitha, and Guiche were left in the waiting room while Henrietta brought Kai, Louise, and Saito to her own room. Henrietta sat down on a small chair and put her elbows on the desk in front of her.

Louise and Saito began to explain their sides of the story.

How Kirche and the others joined them.

How Fouquet showed up, splitting the group up.

How the ship Kai and Louise took were attacked by pirates.

How they found out that the captain of the pirates was Prince Wales.

How Prince Wales refused to escape.

How they missed the ship because of the wedding with Wardes.

How Wardes suddenly showed his true colors... killing Prince Wales...

And how Reconquista had ambitions to unite all of Halkeginia to reclaim the Holy Land.

"Viscount was a traitor... How can that be? To have a traitor amidst the Mage Guards..." Looking at the letter she had written to Wales, tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"Princess..." Louise silently held Henrietta's hands.

"I was the one who took Prince Wales' life. No matter how you look at it, I was the one who chose that traitor to be the messenger..."

Kai shook his head. "The Prince was planning on staying the whole time. It wasn't your fault."

"Louise, did he... did he read my letter?"

Louise nodded. "Yes. Prince Wales read Your Highness' letter."

"Then, Prince Wales didn't love me."

"Then... even after you asked him to escape?"

Henrietta nodded while gazing at the letter.

Louise remembered Wales' words. He kept stubbornly saying that Henrietta hadn't told him to escape... it was all just a lie.

"With your death, there is no longer hope. What about me, my lost love?" Henrietta started to softly mumble. "Was honor more important than me?"

Kai interjected. "It's not like that, Your Highness. He didn't want to cause any trouble for Tristain, that's why he stayed behind. He stayed behind because he didn't want to cause you any trouble."

Henrietta looked at Kai with a blank expression. "To... not give me any trouble?"

"He said that his escape would give the rebels the perfect excuse to invade."

Henrietta sighed deeply as she looked out the window.

"To fight with bravery, and die with courage... He wanted me to tell you that."

Henrietta gave an emotionless smile. The air around them grew heavy, enough to make any heart start to ache.

Henrietta rested her head on her elbows. "To fight with bravery, and to die with courage... That's your privilege as a man, but what of those who are left behind? What are they to do?"

Kai stayed silent. He couldn't say anything.

"Princess... If only I had tried harder to convince Prince Wales..."

Henrietta stood up and held the muttering Louise's hands. "It's all right, Louise. You accomplished your mission. You shouldn't be worried about anything else. With the obstacle that could have broken the marriage now gone, our country will be able to make an alliance with Germania safely. Albion won't be able to invade us so easily. This crisis has passed."

Louise nodded solemnly and took out the Water Ruby from her pocket. "Princess, I want to return this to you."

Henrietta shook her head. "Please hold on to it. It's the least I can do to thank you."

"I cannot dare accept such a treasure."

"For such loyalty, an appropriate reward should be bestowed. Put it on."

Louise nodded and put it on her finger.

Seeing their exchange Kai remembered something. He quickly patted his pants pockets, and started to panic. He frantically patted the front and back pockets several times before checking the pocket on his hoodie. He breathed a sigh of relief as he placed Prince Wales' ring onto Henrietta's hands.

"Princess, this is a keepsake Prince Wales wanted you to have."

Henreitta gasped in astonishment. "Isn't this the Wind Ruby? Did you get it from Prince Wales?"

"Yes. In his dying moments, he gave the ring to me, telling me to give it to you."

Wales hadn't ever told him anything like that. Wales was dead when Kai pulled the ring off, but he believed it would help Henrietta if she had it, even if only a little.

Henrietta put the Wind Ruby on her finger, and started to lovingly stroke the ring.

"Thank you, kind familiar." She gave Kai a sad smile filled with grief, but it had gratefulness within it. "That man... he died bravely... Is that right?"

Kai nodded. "That he did."

Henrietta stared at the ruby. "Then I... I too will live on with bravery."

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

On the flight back to the Academy, Louise had remained silent. No matter how much pestering from Kirche she received, no words about what had been written in the letter had been let out.

"Hey, come on, won't you at least tell me what the mission was about? And the fact that the Viscount was a traitor, it's all so shocking."

Kai and Saito were having their own little conversation.

"So, you beat Wardes, right?"

Kai took a quick glance at Louise's face and then nodded. "Yep. Didn't stand a chance."

"How'd you do it? I mean, he did beat you in that duel, right?"

Kai's eye twitched. "Okay, first, screw you. And second..." That demonic roar echoed in Kai's mind. It had been enough to shake up the ever-composed Wardes, so how would other people react? "K-Kaioken times twenty."

Kirche eventually gave up on pestering Louise, and turned to Kai. "Defeating Wardes is quite the achievement... So do you know what the mission was about?"

Kai shook his head. "That fight with Wardes must've caused some brain damage, cause I forgot."

Kirche started to get more annoyed, but turned to Saito. "Darling, would you know?"

Saito shook his head.

Kirche turned to Guiche. "Hey, Guiche!"

"What?" Guiche seemed to have been spacing out with his rose wand in his mouth.

"Do you know what was in the letter Princess Henrietta sent us to retrieve?"

Guiche closed his eyes. "I do not. Only Louise knows."

"Louise the Zero! Why won't you tell me?! Hey, Tabitha! What do you think? I think I'm being treated like an idiot!"

Kirche shook Tabitha as she was yelling. Because of all the shaking, the dragon started to lose balance and suddenly slowed down. Guiche and Saito, who were both sitting on its back, lost their balance and fell down.

Mid-way, Guiche pulled out his wand, and cast the levitation spell on himself and Saito, avoiding near death.

Louise had lost her balance as well, but Kai reached out and held her, making sure she wouldn't fall off. Seeing his hand on her waist, Louise blushed.

This morning... Kai kissed me. When I was pretending to be asleep, he kissed me. But why? Why was I pretending to be asleep? Was it love...? No, it couldn't be, Kai is just my familiar... even then, he isn't a noble.

Loving someone who wasn't a noble was hard for her to imagine. Nobles and commoners are too different from one another... That was what Louise was taught while growing up, which made her feel confused about her current feelings.

In the end, Louise started to shout. "B-Being so bold! I'm going to get angry!"

"H-Hey! You were about to fall off like those two..." Kai's face was red as well.

"That doesn't matter." Louise didn't realize what she was saying.

"Well, those two would survive the fall... but since you can't use magic, it'd be a little bit of a problem."

"You dare insult your master despite being just a familiar?" Louise turned her head away from Kai, but she didn't seem angry. "You're being too daring. Hmph."

Though she grumbled and complained, she didn't shake Kai's hand off. Instead, she leaned closer to him. Though she was averting her face, Kai stole a quick glance at Louise's face.

Her white cheeks were slightly pink and she was slightly biting her lip.

Kai felt his heart beating faster, and slightly firmed his hold, pulling her closer to him. He felt her gentle warmth on him.

Kirche quickly spun around and smirked. "Since when did you two get so close?"

Kai and Louise's eyes widened as they separated from one another, and they both had furious blushes on their faces.

"W-Who got close? With a moron like him? Never!"

"M-Moron?! Who's a moron?!"

"You are! You moron!"

Kai's eye started twitching. "Fine then! This moron will take his business elsewhere! Good day, madam!" He quickly dove off of the dragon, not waiting for a response from Louise.

ㅤㅤ

When Kai softly landed on the ground, he started hitting his head. "Stupid stupid stupid! Why did you do that?"

From behind, Guiche and Saito caught up to him.

Guiche let out a snarky laugh. "You fell too?"

Kai stretched a little. "Nah, just came down here to see how you two were holdin' up."

Saito looked up toward the dragon. "They're not coming back, are they?"

Kai followed the dragon with his eyes. It soon disappeared into the horizon. "Nope, look's like we're gonna have to walk back."

Guiche let out a sigh. "Well, let's walk then. Hah... It'll take half a day on foot..."

As the boys started to walk, Guiche started mumbling while fiddling with his wand.

"B-By the way... well... There's something I wanted to ask you both..."

Kai and Saito looked at each other, and looked at Guiche.

"Did Her Highness... well... did she say anything about me? Will she reward me with a date?"

Kai and Saito looked at each other while wincing and biting their lips. Henrietta hadn't even mentioned the letter 'G' from his name.

"Wow would you look at the time, we'd best get going," Kai, pretending he hadn't heard anything, began to jog. Guiche chased after him from behind.

"Well, did she say anything?"

Saito jogged ahead of Guiche. "Come on, jog. It's good for your health."

"Wha-at, y-you, Her Highness, I..."

Under the warmth of the sun, the two kept on towards the Academy.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

Two days after the civil war had ended in Albion...

A tall noble inspected what used to be a battlefield, but was now land filled to the brim with corpses and pebbles. His hat had been pushed to the side, and his clothes seemed unusual compared to the others. He bore the uniform of Tristain's Royal Mage Guard.

It was Wardes.

A female mage with a hood over her eyes stood next to him.

It was Fouquet. She had escaped to Albion via a ship from La Rochelle. The previous night she had joined Wardes at a bar in Londinium, the capital of Albion, and now she had followed him to Newcastle's battlefield.

Around them, Reconquista soldiers were digging around for riches.

Fouquet watched the group with disgust. Noticing her expression, Wardes let out a cold laugh.

"What's wrong, Fouquet the Crumbling Earth? Aren't these men closer to your profession? Robbing nobles was part of your job, wasn't it?"

"Don't compare me to them. I have no interest in the riches of the dead."

"A thief with ethics." Wardes laughed.

"I only steal valuable treasure because I love seeing the look on those damn noble's faces... But these guys..." Fouquet looked at the corpse of a royalist through the corner of her eye.

"All right, all right. Don't be mad. Though these royalists may have been your enemies... Haven't you, under the name of the royal family, disgraced your family?"

Hearing Wardes, Fouquet remained composed and coldly nodded. "Oh well... Accidents happen."

Wardes turned a bit, exposing his lack of right arm.

"It looks as though you had a tough battle."

Wardes closed his eyes and his jaw locked. "An arm for Wales' life... A rather cheap trade." Despite his words, anger dripped from his voice.

"I know all too much about how much trouble that boy could be... though I had to deal with two of them." Realizing she had found a nerve, Fouquet decided to strike it.

"He may have been Gandalfr, but it turned out that he was The Golden Demon as well." As soon as he finished his words, Wardes squinted his eyes. He saw something scurrying off in the distance.

Fouquet froze for a moment. That old fairy tale was true? "W-Well, nothing in the castle could have survived..."

When Fouquet said that, Wardes smiled coldly. "He is Gandalfr after all. The corps that attacked the castle never reported finding someone that matched him prior to or after his transformation. Perhaps he had expended all of his power during our fight and was mistaken for a commoner. The soldier who killed him probably didn't even realize he had killed The Golden Demon."

An image of Kai sticking out his tongue flashed into Fouquet's mind. Could he really die so easily?

"What of the letter?"

"Somewhere around here." Wardes pointed to the ground with a new wand he had gotten.

That, a mere two days ago, had been the chapel where Wardes and Louise had tried to have their wedding. The place where Wales had lost his life. Though, now it was just a pile of rocks.

"That Vallière girl... Was the letter in her pocket?"

"Correct."

"And you let her die? Didn't you love her?"

Wardes had a neutral tone. "Love... I've already forgotten such emotions." He swung his wand and chanted a spell. The rubble in the area was scattered around. Soon, the floor of the chapel was revealed.

Between a portrait of Founder Brimir and a chair lay the corpse of Wales.

"Isn't that the dearly departed Prince Wales?" Fouquet sounded mildly surprised.

Wardes didn't pay attention to Wales and instead looked for the bodies of Louise and Kai. But... Their bodies were nowhere to be found.

"Did they die here?" Wardes started to search around the area closer.

"Oh, isn't that George de la Tur's work?" Fouquet picked up the painting of Founder Brimir. "I think it's a recreation. Come to think of it, this chapel was meant to worship him... Hm?"

Fouquet, looking at the ground where she had picked up the painting, found a large hole.

"Hey, Wardes. What is this hole?"

Wardes looked at the hole with a mix of emotions. A deep feeling of anger... Disappointment that the letter was gone... But most of all, he was glad that Gandalfr was alive... He could kill the boy with his own hand.

From the distance, a person appeared, and he had a cheerful voice. "Viscount! Have you found the letter yet?"

Wardes shook his head toward the man who had just appeared.

He seemed to be around his mid-thirties and had a round hat along with a green mantle. He seemed to resemble a member of the church, but he also had the face of a soldier.

"Your Excellency, it seems the letter had slipped through this hole. It was my mistake. Please, deliver whatever punishment you deem necessary." Wardes kneeled down while bowing.

The man patted Wardes' shoulder with a smile. "What are you saying, Viscount? You did a remarkable job! You single-handedly defeated the enemies' general, and fought off that Golden Demon! Isn't that our dear Prince Wales over there? Be proud!"

Wardes remained on his knee. "However, the mission to obtain Henrietta's letter that Your Excellency so desired ended in failure. I'm sorry I was not able to meet Your Excelleny's expectations."

"Don't fret. Compared to erasing the alliance, killing Wales was by far more important. A dream is something that has to be gained steadily, step by step." The man turned to Fouquet. "Viscount, please introduce me to this beautiful woman here."

Fouquet watched the man. He had made Wardes bow to him deeply... but something was unsettling about him. It was as if a sinister aura was wafting through his robes.

Wardes stood back up. "Your Excellency, this is Fouquet the Crumbling Earth, her name alone makes nobles in Tristain shudder."

"Oh! I've heard rumors! I'm honored to meet you, Miss Saxe-Gotha."

Hearing the name she had lost long ago, Fouquet smiled. "Did Wardes tell you that name?"

"That's right. He knows everything about Albion nobles. Genealogy, coats of arms, properties... it's hard for an aging man like myself to remember everything... Oh, let's not delay my introduction." The man opened his eyes widely and put his hand over his chest. "Reconquista's first general, Oliver Cromwell, at your service. You see, I was originally a mere bishop. However, from the votes by the baronial council, I was appointed as the first general."

"Your Excellency, you are no longer a general anymore, you are now Albion's-"

"Emperor, Viscount." Cromwell laughed, but his eyes didn't change. "I truly wished to prevent the alliance between Germania and Tristain, but there are far more important things. Do you understand, Viscount?"

"I cannot."

Cromwell's eyes bulged as he started making exaggerated gestures. "Unity! Unity of steel! Halkeginia is a union of chosen nobles that will take back the Holy Land from those dirty elves! It is a mission given by the Founder! Unity is our biggest duty. That is why I trust you, Viscount. There is no blame for such a small failure."

Wardes bowed deeply.

"For this great mission, Founder Brimir has blessed us with a special power."

Fouquet raised an eyebrow. "Your Excellency, what power has the Founder granted? If it is all right, I would like to know."

"Do you know about the four great elements, Miss Saxe-Gotha?"

Fouquet nodded. Children knew about such trivial things.

"In addition to the four great elements, there is another. The element that Founder Brimir used, the element of zero. Really, it was the first element..."

"Element of zero... Void?" Fouquet turned pale. That element was lost to time, but did this man know something about it?

"That is the power that Founder Brimir granted me. For that, the baronial council agreed to make me the emperor of Halkeginia." Cromwell pointed at Wales' corpse. "Wardes. I had wanted to make Crown Prince Wales my friend and ally. But alas, in life, he chose to be an adversary, but now in death, he will become a great ally. Do you see anything wrong with that?"

Wardes shook his head. "He should have never resisted Your Excellency's choices."

Cromwell laughed with a smile. "Well then, Miss Saxe-Gotha. I shall show you Void."

Fouquet watched as Cromwell pulled out a cane from his side. A low, silent chant escaped Cromwell's mouth. He was chanting a spell Fouquet had never heard before. When the spell was completed, Cromwell lowered his cane and aimed it at Wales' corpse.

All of a sudden... Wales opened his eyes. A chill ran down Fouquet's spine.

Wales slowly sat up. The once lifeless body sprang back to life.

"Good morning, Crown Prince." Cromwell flashed a smile.

The revived Wales returned Cromwell's smile. "It has been a long time, Archbishop."

"How rude, I am an emperor now, my dear Prince."

"Is that so? I apologize, Your Excellency." Wales kneeled.

"I think I'll make you my personal bodyguard, Wales."

"With pleasure."

"Then, let's be friends."

Cromwell began to walk. Wales, who looked full of life, walked behind him. Then Cromwell, as if remembering something, stopped and turned around saying, "Wardes, do not worry. Even if the alliance is formed, it is of no matter. In any case, Tristain is helpless. There is no change in plans."

Wardes bowed. "As you wish."

"Tristain is a necessary area to add. That royal family has the Founder's Prayer Book. I need to have it in my hands in order to retrieve the Holy Land."

After saying this and nodding approvingly, Cromwell left.

ㅤ

It was only after Cromwell and Wales were out of sight, that Fouquet was able to open her mouth.

"That... was Void...? To revive the dead. That's impossible."

Wardes muttered. "Void manipulates life... That's what His Excellency said, seems like he was right. Even though I can't believe it, after witnessing that... how could I not?"

Fouquet asked Wardes in a shaky voice. "A while ago you were acting very similar to that, were you affected by void magic too?"

Wardes laughed. "Me? I am different. This is a result of a sorrowful life that I have led since birth." After that, Wardes looked up at the sky. "However... many lives were sacrificed for the Founder's Holy Land... what if Void will revive them all?"

Frightened, Fouquet clutched her chest. She felt a light heartbeat. She needed to know that she was alive.

"Don't look that way. It was only my imagination."

Fouquet sighed, feeling relieved. Then she glared at Wardes.

"That scene was surprising, that's all." While patting the stump where his right arm had once been, he spoke softly, "However, I myself also want to know. Is it a mere fantasy? Or reality? The answer lies in the Holy Lands... that's how I feel."

ㅤ

ㅤ

It had been three days after Kai and company had returned to the Academy, and the marriage between Tristainian Princess Henrietta and Germanian emperor Albrecht III was officially announced. The ceremony would take place the following month, right before their military alliance was solidified.

The alliance conclusion would be held in Germania's capital Vindobon, where the letter of agreement was to be signed by the Tristain prime minister, Cardinal Mazarin.

The day after the alliance, a new Albion government was officially established. In an instant, tensions sparked between the two countries, but the Kingdom of Albion's First Emperor Cromwell sent a special envoy to Tristain and Germania at once, to sign a non-aggression pact.

As a result, both countries had a conference. Even with the two countries' combined air force, they could not oppose Albion's fleet. Though the non-aggression pact felt more like a dagger pointed at the neck, the two countries didn't have much of an alternative, and this offer was the best they could hope for.

However... peace was established in Halkeginia only on the surface. Politicians could not sleep day or night. And it wasn't just the nobles, the commoners tensely awaited each day, as well. Tristain's Academy of Magic was no exception either.