Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter, providing feed backs, and provided some major edit & additional scenes between Azula and Iroh.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
Cross posted on AO3, for anyone who prefer that site.
Setting up a camp wasn't a problem for the retinue of the two heroes, neither is setting up a perimeter with sentries and patrols. (It might be unneeded with them camping right at the wall of the capital, but it's still a good habit to have in case when they really need it) There's enough experienced soldiers and knights from the crusader block, that Eclair could easily delegate all of her tasks if she truly wants to (not that she would), and they helped train the retinue members. Especially those who have humbler birth, whose only military training consists of doing whatever militia duty their villages and towns required of them. She wouldn't call them a proper army, because she doesn't know what one truly looks like, having never fought in an actual war. But they at least pass for the trainees she had when she was still a squire. But there are plenty of other problems for her to worry about.
Eclair looks around for her lieutenant Cardin. She's asked the young heir to House Winchester to inform the heroes and Princess Malty (Damn her queen's decision to sell their first born princess to that awful pig king of Faubley!), but that was a good quarter of an hour ago, and he should have returned unless he had trouble finding them for some reason. She looks around their camp, and sees Leopold and his common born friend sitting by an unlit bonfire, chatting with a dark haired cleric knight who has the holy cross of four heroes emblemed on his armor. She combs through her own memory, and remembers this man to be Hatch Belveproven, the son and heir of Count Ludwig Belveproven the Holy Blade, one of the Four Riders of Melromarc.
"As you two continue alone in the dark, damp cave. You see two paths ahead. One narrow, you can barely squeeze through one at a time. The other large and wide, but also with the scent of stench lingering in the stale air. What will you do?" As Eclair approaches the three unlikely companions, she begins hearing Sir Hatch narrating some kind of story. It's not rare for camp buddies to sit around, eating, drinking and exchanging some tall tales. What is strange is how she noticed they have some wooden figurines, and dice with them instead of food and drink.
"Captain Eclair." Sir Bright is the first to notice her approaching and stand up at attention. He's quickly followed by his friend Set jumping from his bottom to his feet. With both of them standing at ready, Sir Hatch let out a slightly annoyed sounding sign, as he slowly crawled up to his feet too. "What is your command?"
"Men, at ease. I'm not here on duty. Although I am a bit curious about these wooden carvings..." Eclair kneels down and picks up the wooden figures with her hand, and turns them around. They are simple, but delicate enough for her to vaguely recognize they are supposed to be Bright and Set respectively. She looks up at her men, wondering which of them has made these wooden carvings.
"Not me, or Bright and Hatch. We got them from the Bow Hero. He likes cutting wood pieces when there's nothing to do. There's a dozen guys in the retinue who asked him to curve up wooden pieces for themselves. Most of them think they are good luck charms. Hatchman here invented ways for us to make use of our figurines for some recreation." Set's mouth splits with a large grin that reminds Eclair a bit of Spear Hero Motoyasu. She looks down at the figure in her hands again, and realizes that she never truly got to know any of the four Cardinal Heroes beyond their surface traits and mannerisms. She never knew that the Bow Hero Itsuki apparently enjoys doing wood crafting as a hobby during his spare time, or that he's fairly good at it.
"I see... that's good. Having hobbies during spare time helps you keep sane in the army." Eclair nods her head along, not too sure what to say back to her subordinates to have them relax around her. It's honestly ironic the more she thinks about it... because some of her 'subordinates' are actually older and more experienced than her. "Have any of you seen Sir Winchester back? I asked him to go deliver a message to Lord Shield and Bow Hero."
"Winchester? He grabbed one of the slaves to deliver the message for him. I saw him grab that cowering manservant of little pinkie and went out on the field. Saying something about beating the man out of him, or something." Set continues to run his mouth with a scoff, and Eclair has no idea what he is even talking about.
"Set is talking about Sir Jean. The servant, and sworn shield of Lady Cute Reichnott." Eclair blinks her eyes a couple of times after Bright helped his friend explain. The only thing she can think of is a resounding what?!
Chapter 33: Family Feud
"I KNEW IT! I knew that scheming Ozai was lying through his teeth when he said his daughter was dead!" Kael'thas' voice roars behind Malty, but she didn't pay the phoenix prince any mind this time. She immediately pulls out the star wand and points it towards the previously harmless looking apothecary shopkeeper. To think... another spy of Siltvelt would so easily have her mother's shadows fooled, and has been hiding right under her nose at capital after one of the Siltvelt Raven Lords were able to establish a base for his spies... it makes her wonder why her Mother even bothered to keep her personal spy force. Other than to keep constant eyes and ears on her own family, of course. She feels more than sees from her peripheral vision that Lady Flare followed her example, and brings her own magic staff forward like she's holding a battering ram at the frail, dry looking old man.
"STOP THAT! What's the big deal?! We aren't killing anyone here! And Kael, SHUT UP!" Naofumi immediately steps between both Lady Flare and Malty herself, he pushes both of their magical catalysts to point at the ceiling. He also roars at Kael'thas, who immediately goes into silence after Naofumi's furious reprimand. "Somebody wants to explain to me what's the big deal with the potion shopkeeper who I used to do a lot of business with?"
"Iroh was the name of the Siltvelt general who commanded their southern campagin to capture the rest of Melromarc after the capitol, and the Crownland fell during The Great War. He put the city of Gallia under siege for a whole year, and came closest to taking the city that never falls." Malty's arm is still being held skyward by Naofumi. And he doesn't need the ATK boost of his [Crown Shield] to stop her from pointing the star wand at Iroh due to his monstrous DEF rating. Still, Malty doesn't dare to take her eyes away from one of the most accomplished Siltvelt general, even if he is much skinnier than she ever imagined.
As for the dragon general himself... he stays frozen, eyes locked with the one who he calls Azula. It appears that her gender isn't the only thing that's fake about 'Oku'. The former pirate's face is filled with indignant fury, while the gray haired general looks shocked, tired... and defeated. "It's... it's good to know that you are alive, and free, Azula. I wish the same could be said of your older brother Zuko."
"Free?! Yeah. I was free, no thanks to you! But Not anymore though." Oku, or Azula rips open her masculine style tunic, and shows her slave seal to the fragile, almost pitiful looking former general. Malty never imagined he would look like this as the one who pushed Prince Joseph, the Mad Tempest of Gallia into a corner during The Great War. Her words made Iroh avoid her gaze once again, but this quickly changed with her next sentence. "You tried to get Zuzu out of his bond of slavery from under her, but what have you done for me?! You left me for dead, or did you think I deserved to be a slave just because I always tried to make Ozai proud? Just like you to always ramble on, and on about your precious golden boy Zuzu, but never cared about what happened to me. Did you already forget that he tried to capture me, to bring me back as a slave to his new mistress. When the agreement he had with her was that I would be free if he pledged himself as her slave?!"
Malty feels she's severely out of her depth in a conversation, which doesn't usually happen. But she really needs to ask someone (probably Kael'thas, since he's acting like he actually knows what's going on) about what these two are even talking about. "Now, hold on here for a minute, Azula. You are being too hard on Zuko. All he ever wanted was to live with honor. He was probably forced to do what he had to because Lung forced him-"
"LIVE WITH HONOR?! What kind of honor is there to side with his new mistress, who never kept her words to him, over his own family?! And does that excuse how he-" Azula slams both of her fists onto the wooden counter between herself and Iroh. The piece of furniture cracks, and Malty could see blood underneath her fists. Did Azula hurt her own hand from some wooden splinters, or did her nail dig too deeply into her own flesh? Regardless, she takes a deep breath to calm herself. "At least he taught me a lesson Ozai never could. Family means nothing when a crisis truly happens. My father, my uncle, and my brother either all left me to die, or helped my enemy trying to capture me. In the end, the only thing I had to rely on was my own strength."
"Now you are just being too cynical, Azula. I know Ozai didn't care about you aside from what power he could gain from your talent. And... I admit I'm not the best uncle because I thought you followed too much after Ozai. But Zuko truly cared about you. He probably only tried to catch you for Lung because she forced him through his oath as a slave." Iroh slowly, and carefully extends out a hand towards his niece. Almost like he's trying to make her feel better by giving her some comforting touch, but is too unsure about the action to do so. Regardless, Azula slaps his hand away before he gets anywhere close to her.
" If Zuko truly 'cared' about me then that damned fool would have been smart enough to realize that Lung is an honorless entitled bitch who would never have upheld her end of the bargain to let me go free!" Azula spit pure venom at the old general, who flinched at the harsh words levied at his nephew.
"...That's not fair, Azula. Your brother did what he thought was right at the time. He didn't have the strength to go against Lung or your father, but he still did his best for you. It's not fair for you to-"
"FAIR?! You want to talk about fair, uncle!? My whole life I've been treated as either a trophy prize for my father to show off to the other clans or as a monster following in the footsteps of my dear father by some of my own family." Azula gave Iroh a particularly vicious glare at that." And then my own father sold me out for a cushy position with the same bitch he forced me to fight, my uncle ran away with his tail between his legs, and my own idiotic brother thought that if he made the sacrifice play like you always told him then maybe I could have lived happily ever after. But instead what actually happened is that he got turned into Lung's personal attack dog and I'm forced to go on the run! Don't you dare talk to me about fair!"
" I always tried to teach Zuko the best that I could, perhaps he may have misinterpreted it to some extent but-"
"Save it. Take your self-righteous bullshit and go peddle it to someone else, like Zuzu. At least you put in an effort to save him, so you don't come off as a complete hypocrite." Azula spins around on her heels, looking ready to storm out of the apothecary. Kael'thas' body twitches, like he's about to intercept the Siltvelt noble lady turned pirate (and now turned Shield Hero's slave). Naofumi steps in front of him, and holds him back with his arm. In the few seconds this transpired, Azula had already slammed her way out of the apothecary. With a loud screech, the hinges fly right off the door frame as the door shoots out onto the street like a ballista bolt. Malty could hear a shout of angry surprise from some poor, unlucky sod as Azula disappeared out on the street. She looks back, and sees Iroh simply looks down in dejection.
"Maybe now is a good time to explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Naofumi looks between Kael'thas, and the newly introduced apothecary shopkeeper. Itsuki runs over, kneels down by Iroh and helps him pick up all the books that's scattered around him.
"I probably need to explain a bit of Siltvelt's political power structure so you have a basis of understanding first, my king." Naofumi gives him a nod, so the red phoenix prince continues with his impromptu history, and politics lesson. "In Siltvelt, there are many families within the fifty-six great clan, fifty-seven if we count the remnants of Kyutenrou who pledged their loyalty to The Great Conqueror Mikage under Shogun Isshin. But of course, only one family is allowed to act as the head of any Great Clans, representing all of their interest in the great assembly. And the political fight within a great clan can be as brutal as a conflict with the other greater clans. That was why The Kingtaker's betrayal cut so deep in the Great Clan me, and my fellow Vermili princes came from. All of our families gave up our authority, our voices so he had the political power to challenge the Lady of the Azura Dragon Great Clan. And he repaid our trust with the worst treachery, forever shaming all of us."
"Let's not pretend you Vermilis didn't enjoy the short period of time when The Kingtaker was in absolute power. And allowed all of the atrocities done to us. Because I was old enough to remember how the Vermili families plundered the vaults and treasuries of us Azuli, taken away both riches, and our knowledge." Iroh lets out a short scoff before he goes back sucking on his smoke pipe. Kael'thas shot the disgraced general a glare, but he didn't say anything to confirm or deny the accusation... which was probably enough said. The phoenix prince continues with his explanation.
"For example. I am a Vermili of the red phoenix descent. Prince Cleose is a white phoenix, while Prince Mohammed is a Bennu. All of us belong to the Red Sparrow Great Clan, the highborn Vermili. On Azuli's side, the one who has the highest power is the Azure Dragon clan. Its head is the blue serpent dragons, while Lord Ozai, and Iroh here are the red serpent dragons. And Lady Azula who left us a little while ago. She was a prodigy since her birth. Lord Ozai's pride. In fact, he is so confident in his daughter's abilities, he challenged Lady Lung's right as the head of the Azure Dragon Great Clan in a duel between his daughter Azula and Lady Lung. Supposedly, Lady Azula died not too long after from her injuries." Kael'thas never takes his eyes off the former dragon general even as he recounts the past event. "Which obviously isn't what happened, as the very alive Lady Azula showed. Then again, General Iroh was also supposed to be dead after a rebellion against Lady Lung after The Great War. Which leaves me most curious about what really happened in that Great Clan."
"I don't suppose we can pretend none of this happened, and go back to being an old, humble apothecary shopkeeper, and his resourceful supplier?" Iroh ignores Kael'thas' obvious hostility aimed at him. He sucks in another breath from his smoke pipe, as he looks at the Shield Hero.
"That obviously can't happen now we know you are, or at least was a high ranking Siltvelt army officer. I suggest you tell us your entire backstory. And depends on if it sounds convincing or not, we might not bring you in front of the High Queen of glorious Melromarc. It'll be her majesty's decision to toss you into the dungeon and rot, or make a more thorough example of you." Malty crosses over her arms in front of her chest. She stares at the disgraced former Siltvelt general with the same glare Kael'thas is having, although probably for a different reason. "And don't even think about trying to kill us to have us stay quiet. I might have lost my royal status to escape my forced betrothal to my distant uncle, but I'm still someone who inherited the blood of the high queen, and the Wand Hero. Her majesty no doubt assigned one of her shadows to constantly monitor over me. Your secret is likely already passed over to her majesty as of now. Your best bet to live is to be honest with us, and beg for Lord Shield and Bow Hero's protection."
"I know, I know... I just thought that maybe I could preserve the last bit of pride for Azula. She wasn't wrong in that I haven't exactly been fair to her. And the story I'm going to share isn't going to paint her family... or herself in a flattering light." The disgraced, and exhausted looking former general turned his smoke pipe around, and hit its head a couple of times on the edge of the wooden counter. Ashes fall down, like snow. "What Prince Kael'thas said is true. Azula had always been my brother's favorite after she awakened the blue fire at a young age. And he's right about one thing. Ozai is a man who allows endless ambition to consume him, like a serpent trying to swallow an elephant. And it's easy for him to put on a strong, dignified exterior to influence a young, malleable mind like Azula. She's not like her older brother Zuko, and never cared about more important pursuits in life like honor, and nobility."
"Strength without honor is senseless violence. Honor without strength is a vainglorious lie." Kael'thas actually nods his head, agreeing with Iroh's stance in spite of the clear distaste he's been showering the disgraced former general.
"What Prince Kael'thas said was true, up to the duel Ozai manipulated Azula to have with Lady Lung. It's true, Lady Lung bested my niece in their battle, and she wanted Azula as her personal slave. That woman..." The tone from Iroh made Malty realize that what he wanted to call the Claw Hero is much more derogative than a simple 'woman'. "...likes to collect individuals who are beautiful, and strong. Especially when they are both. Azula happens to fill her fancy."
"I knew she was bad news back on Cal Mira island. The way she acted like a total... a total..." Malty noticed that for some reason, Naofumi kept stealing glances at her from the corner of his eyes. Yes, Lung was clearly a very promiscuous, and a very decadent woman. That is clear for everyone to see he really doesn't have to worry about her feelings when stating this fact.
"When Lung tried to force Azula into bondage under her. Zuko stepped in to pledge his own fealty to her in an attempt to spare Azula the pain. But it didn't stop Lung from pursuing my niece. She even forced Zuko to help catch Azula for her in an extra display of cruelty. Ozai did nothing to help his own children. Chosen to sell them both for his own political gain within the Azure Dragon Great Clan." Malty shudders at how similar the situation Lady Azula found herself in the past. The circumstance was different, but the result was almost an exact copy she faced with her distant Faubley uncle.
Cousin Emily must also realize it, or perhaps it's something Malty showed on her face, because she suddenly stepped on cloth and wrapped her arms protectively around Malty's shoulder. She also vaguely recognized that Lady Flare's body was shaking. Surely, she wasn't also sold out to some old lords, or thirsty heroes by her family as well?
"I have tried to get my nephew away from Lung, but I was no match for her power as the Claw Hero. And that whole mess everyone calls The Great War made me realize there's no honor, no glory on the battlefield for the greed of the few. That's why I have been living the simple life of an apothecary shopkeeper here this whole time. At least I'm helping out people selling cures to their ailment, not taking away their lives." Iroh sits back in his seat behind the shattered wooden counter. His words made Malty wonder that perhaps her Mother, and the Queen's Shadow isn't as ignorant about Iroh's existence as she first assumed. Perhaps they knew Iroh's existence, and had allowed him to hide right underneath their nose in case they could use him later, since he supposedly isn't spying for Siltvelt, or causing any actual harm to Melromarc. But it's also just as likely that the Queen's Shadow are simply that incompetent considering how Towair the Deceiver was able to build his underground spy network within the border of Melromarc. "As for Azula herself… I admit that I didn't even know about her survival till now. I was busy running for my own life after my failed rebellion against Lung. I... suppose it's a good thing that she survived."
"You 'suppose'?" Naofumi's eyebrow raised up into his hairline. "You don't sound too happy, or enthusiastic to see a long lost family alive again after all these years. You definitely cared more about your nephew than your niece. What's going on here?"
"LIke I said. Azula had always been Ozai's favorite, and she always adopted his ideal of ambition, and conquest through strength more than Zuko. I can see her becoming more like Ozai, possibly someone even worse." Iroh takes another puff from his smoke pipe, only to suddenly remember that the herb inside had already been reduced to dust, which he cleaned out. He puts the pipe down and shakes his head. "I haven't seen her for a long time. But with how she acted... I don't think she has become better after all this time. She still blames Zuko after all this time when he was the only one who tried to help her."
Iroh's words make Malty look down at her own feet. The situation isn't exactly the same, but she too had blamed Melty for so many of her own problems. In return, Melty had never harbored malicious thoughts towards her. And her younger sister genuinely looks up to her.
"Aren't you being too hard on your niece? She got used to it, gave up, and was betrayed by her father. Almost made a slave by her enemy. And now you are trash talking her about being too cynical? I'd be cynical if I'm in her shoes." Naofumi's eyes twitch as he looks at the former Siltvelt general up and down. He squeezes his eyelids shut, and pinches the bridge of his own nose for a brief moment before dropping his arm down and looking at Iroh again. "Look... I understand we all have our biases. You probably didn't like your brother Ozai, and your bias carried over to your niece. But at least don't treat her like she's someone born evil, or something? Because I already saw how that turned out..."
Naofumi's eyes leave Iroh and move on to Malty. Right. She's clearly not the only one who saw similarities between Azula's past, and her own. Lady Flare also turns around on her heels, looking ready to dash out of the shop. Malty takes a step forward and grabs her apprentice. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going after Lady Azula. She needs some comfort after what she's been through. Like what you once gave me, Lady Malty." Malty was slightly surprised by Lady Flare's answer. Did Azula's past give her some sympathy pain as well. She still doesn't know what Lady Flare's family life is like, but with how easily she perks up from even an off hand compliment... it's probably also terrible.
"Just make sure you don't try to give Azula a hug. She might burn you alive for it." Iroh's off hand, snarky remark instantly makes Lady Flare's face turn white.
Regardless of what Malty thinks, there's something more important to settle. "Master Naofumi. I don't think we should leave him without supervision here at the capital. He could do a lot of damage if he really was the 'Dragon of the East', one of the former Twelve Diva Generals of Siltvelt. And that's assuming he isn't trying to actively harm someone. I don't know why the Queen's Shadows either didn't know his existence, or allowed him to stay in our capital. But there would be mass hysteria, maybe even open riot if the people learn he's here running an apothecary. Some might even think he's been selling poison to them all."
Malty takes a short pause as she thinks about what to do with Iroh. She's not kidding, or trying to scare Naofumi about the potential revelation of Iroh's true identity. Because the unenlightened masses could do something truly self-destructive when they are gripped by fear. Pope Balmus wasn't being completely unreasonable when he said they can't be allowed to make all of their own decisions. She looks at Kael'thas. The Phoenix Prince twitches at the corner of his mouth, clearly not happy that he's being used by her to solve this problem. But he steps out all the same. "I agree with Lady Malty. As Iroh is a deserter, and traitor of Siltvelt. I suggest you let us keep his custody, if not Lady Azula as well. We shall keep him close to you, ensure his captivity, and make sure he can't harm anyone according to your wishes."
"Aren't we being too cruel to this man? He didn't do anything wrong as we know it. And we are already passing judgment on him like he's some criminal." Itsuki turns his head to look at Iroh with a frown on his face. He turns to look at Naofumi next. "He looks like a harmless, weak old man. Maybe we should cut him some slack?"
"It's not about him, Master Itsuki. Didn't you hear what we just said?" Malty can feel another headache slowly creeping up her own skull. Itsuki's response reminded her of the first time they had their talk, where his obsession with the ideal of justice nearly left her with some mental trauma. Although this time, it's for a different reason. "He was a Siltvelt general who fought in The Great War from twenty five years ago. He was right there during the occupation, and probably were responsible for some atrocities to Melromarc people..."
"I doubt you will believe it. But in my honor, I personally didn't allow my army to cause any unreasonable cruelty to the people of Melromarc. I'm not proud of participating in that senseless war. But a sense of honor and nobility meant something among the men I commanded. And the people, and the land we take over are people and land under our protection, not our slaves." Malty feels like rolling her eyes at Iroh's excuse. He's acting like the mistreatment and abuse Siltvelt occupation caused on Melromarc people wasn't common knowledge. Or that he himself is supposed to be above it because he doesn't actively participate in it. Even if that's true, his action still helped and perpetuated the cruelty Siltvelt forced upon Melromarc during The Great War.
"Right. I'm sure the Melromarc people will feel the same once they learn who you really are." Naofumi's snarky remarks instantly makes Iroh's back hunched over much more. He turns to Kael'thas next. "Don't mistreat him... not yet at least. I want to see if he's useful, and trustworthy. If he's this great general years ago, I want to see if he can still help us fight the Wave of Catastrophe. We are getting more and more followers now, but I'll need someone who can unify them together to fight The Burning Legion. Also, if someone asks questions, tell them I needed the expertise of a potion maker with my growing retinue."
"As you wish, my king. Come with us, General Iroh." Kael'thas waves his hand at the other two Siltvelt Princes behind him. It's ironic how he technically is below them now in his enslavement, yet the other two seem to follow his command. Or perhaps to them, him being a personal slave of the Shield Hero actually elevates his position? Malty can never tell with the strange power structure of Siltvelt. "It's not us, Vermili's place to judge you on what you did to your own people, the Azuli. But you still deserted your post as one of the Twelve Diva Generals, that makes you a traitor to our rightful king The Shield Hero. You are being shown grace by our king so far, but we can always give you back to the Azura Dragon Great Clan if he changes his mind."
The two Siltvelt princes move forward to flank Iroh, and take him away. He didn't fight back as he moved out. Malty doubts Naofumi's excuse would truly fool many, if any people. But hopefully they'll soon forget about the old apothecary shopkeeper that's been conscripted by the young heroes. "We should get a replacement for him, Master Naofumi. People still need their apothecary service. Having this position empty makes people ask questions."
"Good point, Malty. I'll go ask Granny Dolores to see if she has any recommendations. A magic shop owner shouldn't be that different from an apothecary who sells magic potions, right?" Naofumi's understanding of the topic is so hilariously misconceived it even gives Malty a headache, let alone anyone who actually works in the profession. Although he might not be wrong on someone like a fellow shopkeeper might have some recommendation.
When Eclair found her lieutenant and Cute's servant, they had already started sparring together. Or rather, Cardin seems to be enjoying a beat down on the timid boy. A few other knights in heavy metal plates, and fighters in lighter, chain or leather armor stand or sit around them, watching while chatting with each other. Eclair herself had done a few training sessions with Jean back when she met Cute again at the town of Trumpet while traveling with the Shield Hero and Princess Malty towards her family home. She knew that as a fighter, Jean has extremely good reflex and fighting instinct. But he is also very shy, with an almost... cowardly personality means he can't fully utilize his natural talent as a fighter. And right now, he's being smashed into the ground by Cardin's mace. The heavy armor wearing knight is sneering down on Jean while slapping the head of his mace in his other hand. "Get up, boy! You call yourself a protector of your lady!? A man?! I've seen girls half your age fight better than you!"
"Sir Cardin Winchester! Stop abusing Lady Cute's personal servant and sworn shield! This is not training anymore. It is an act of cruel torture!" Eclair screams out at the young heir of House Winchester. She knew that Count Valentine is a very stern and strict man, and he doesn't exactly have the best opinion towards demi-human. But he is at least fair, and wouldn't actively abuse his own men. She was prepared for his son to be prejudiced, and likely more difficult to deal with than himself, but not the boy being a vicious bully.
"Ah. Captain Eclair. Right on time." Cardin turns around and gives Eclair a smirk. She doesn't enjoy courtly affairs as much as her friend Malty, but the last Seaetto can still tell sarcasm apart from a genuine greeting. "I heard from my new squire that you had some experience training with this little waste of breath. Honestly, you are much too soft on him. Boy like him can't even protect himself, let alone his lady he swore to protect."
Eclair wonders where Winchester heard the 'rumor' before. Since she trained Jean, she was still using her 'Eclea of Port Harp' identity because she wasn't pardoned for her (false) crime yet. She notices a young man around Cardin's age raising his arm on the grass. He wears a set of leather armor, and his light green hair stands on top from the middle of his skull in a mohawk. "I used to be an agent working for former Spymaster Lord Notches, before he recommended me for knighthood."
"Not everyone is made of iron ingots, and gets molded into weapons through fire and hammer." Eclair feels her mood darken, likely her face too. She ignores the former spy while delivering a reprimand to Winchester. "Jean is someone who needs more delicate handling to grasp his natural talent. His reflex and agility means he should focus on his skill, not being your personal sandbag! If you don't have the patience to help him, don't pretend you do! Go back to doing duties I give you, and don't load it to someone else."
"So that's what got your loin twisted in a nott. You were unhappy I had a slave do my work for me. What did you expect, Captain? It's delivering a message. A very simple message. Any idiot with a pair of legs and a mouth could do it." Cardin turns his head away to look at Jean shaking underneath him. He moves his foot around, tipping Jean's chin up a little above the ground using the tip of his armored metal boots. "And you are wrong about the scaredy boy here. He isn't some robe wearing healer hiding behind the frontline fighters. He is a cleric knight. Someone who is supposed to fight at the frontline while healing others and provide miracle support. He needs to be built like a shield. Right now, he's a disappointment because everyone cuddled him too much."
"Get away from Jean, you fat bully!" Eclair turns around and sees Cute charging at Winchester like a petite, human-shaped ballista bolt, with both of her cleavers held high above her head. Out of the spectators, two knights quickly stood up and held their shield out in front of them. The young daughter of Lord Reichnott couldn't break through their defenses, no matter how much she furiously hacked at them.
"Stop this display of cruelty not befit a Melromarc knight! As your captain, I order all of you to stop!" Eclair steps forward and pulls her own sword out, but is not ready to strike the two young knights around her and Cardin's age yet. They have thrown the honor and courtesy of a Melromarc knight away, but she won't. However, she will be ready if they try to hit Cute back.
"Sorry, Captain. But we are just defending ourselves. As you can see, Lady Reichnott isn't entirely right in her head. She might actually kill one of us." One of the knights replies back to Eclair even as he continues to block Cute's increasingly hectic attacks. "Surely you aren't asking us to not even defend ourselves, and just like Lady Reichnott hurt, or even kill us?"
Eclair can't rebuke his words, because the knight did speak the truth. Cute is attacking them with the clear intention to kill. And they are doing nothing but blocking her attacks. A voice from behind them suddenly brings over everyone's attention. Cute, and the two knights blocking her ways included. "I am my lady's sword... I am MY LADY's SHIELD!"
Jean, who was previously lying and shaking on the ground suddenly stands up. He brings his iron wand up, looking like he's about to strike Winchester with it. But he over-committed his strength, and didn't grab his own weapon strong enough that it escaped through his grasp and flew into the air instead. Winchester let out a scoff at the display, till the head of Jean's iron wand fell right down on his head, knocking him wobbling on his feet. Jean catches his wand mid-air, wacks Winchester on the side of his head with it, making the much larger young man spin on his feet. He doesn't stop at this, he continues to scream more like a madman, or an animal as he furiously strikes at Winchester all over his head and body until the armored knight finally topples to the ground on his back.
Everyone around forgot what they were doing, and simply stared at Jean who stood triumph over the much larger, better armored and armed Cardin Winchester. The young cleric knight doesn't seem to realize what has happened. He held onto his iron wand with both of his hands, arms pressed tightly into his chest while breathing heavily. After a while, his eyes finally regained their focus as he looked at his opponent lying on the ground. "Did I do that...?"
"JEAN!" Cute tosses away her own weapons. The two knights who were blocking her way previously step aside, and let her through. So they were speaking the truth after all? They were only trying to stop her from hurting someone (More than Winchester already hurt Jean anyway)? For a brief moment, Eclair wonders if she's going to throw herself at Jean, give him a hug, maybe even a gentle kiss on the cheek. She instead kicks him onto the ground, and begins to furiously stomp on his head and back more than even Winchester did. "YOU STUPID IDIOT! IF YOU AREN'T IN ANY DANGER, WHY DIDN'T YOU BEAT THAT BIG LUMP FROM THE START!?"
"Well done, little scaredy cat. You do have the fight in you when pushed into a corner." Winchester's voice makes Cute stop abusing her own sworn shield and personal servant before Eclair was able to shake from her stupor to stop Cute herself. They all look at the heir of House Winchester who is slowly sitting up from where he lies on the ground. The smirk on his face didn't fade like Eclair assumed. "You'll train with me for two hours in the morning, and before sunset from now on. Because as a blunt weapon user myself, your pathetic form is an affront to the weapon I favor. If you want to be your lady's sword and shield, you need to pick up some actual skill. Don't rely on your desperate flailing from now on."
In spite of supposedly being everyone's captain, Eclair feels completely lost. She wishes that Lucatiel is still with her, or she can openly communicate with 'Grandfather' Ariona if she was more in tune with spirit magic so she can ask them for advice. She previously thought the bully would have been angry that Jean beat him, but Sir Cardin seems to be genuinely... happy? Was he... speaking the truth earlier? That he only wanted to help Jean in his own way, even if it's not nice, or his action is flat out against the code of chivalry?
Where does that leave her? Was she... wrong for trying her best to live up to the code of honor?
Home, sweet home. Keith thinks back to himself without a shred of irony as the not-so-ancient (because his family technically only became its own great house, and not a distant branch of House Claes about two hundred years ago after marrying the Saint of Spear Son Goku) ancestral estate of House Claes slowly reveals itself in his sight. He still vaguely remembers his childhood, when he was shut in his small, dark room like a captive bird simply because he was 'the filthy son of a whore', and later 'the monster' because of his out of control earth magic.
He would have spent his whole life as a prisoner among his own family, if not having been privately executed if not for Duke Claes adopting him into the main family. But the one who made them a real family was Katarina. Lord, and Lady Claes were too timid around their own marriage to clear up the misunderstanding that he's Duke Claes' bastard son with Her Majesty Queen Mirellia. If Katarina didn't bring it up to her parents openly, they would ironically never have become a true family that cared about each other. And that's why he would not hand Katarina to someone who can't protect her, or make her unhappy, even if (or perhaps because of) said suitor is a legendary hero (because they often have a harem of the fairer sex following them around aiming for their 'powerful bloodline').
Not that he's content with Katarina only as his sister... It's not like they are not related whatsoever, since they are still definitely born into the great House Claes even if they are very distant in the family tree. But the highest level of nobility tend to marry each other's many times removed cousins due to wanting to preserve their bloodlines. So he's probably as directly related to Katarina as the two royal princesses by now. Who says that he wouldn't get a chance to spend the rest of his life with his sister, if she doesn't marry one of the heroes?
"Look there, Master Motoyasu! That's the river I used to go fishing in, and looking for shiny pebbles with Keith when we were young!" Keith looks to the side, and sees Katarina jumping up and down atop of Kou's saddle, while pointing animatedly at the small, unnamed river that runs south down from House Claes fief and through their family estate. "And the tall oak trees... we tried to climb all of them! I was really good at it, even better than Keith! The view is simply breathtaking if you climb atop one of them!"
"This place does look very nice. Very different from where I grew up." The Spear Hero pulls his black filorial Kuro to a stop and looks around. He closes his eyes, spreads his arms, and takes in a few deep breaths. "I've been a city boy my whole life. We do have rivers... Tokyo even has a beach because it's a coastal city. But it's different from this place. The water is very clear, and the air is fresh."
"Maybe you should stay home for a few days, sister. Mother, no doubt, is worried sick about you." Keith takes a brief pause, thinking over his words. He knew Katarina wanted to be a companion of the hero since childhood because of all the romance novels she read as a kid. It's an even bigger, not to mention longer infatuation she had than the fascination she developed for Prince Gerald Stuart of Faubley when she began to hear some of his exploits as a boy genius through gossip with her friends. It wouldn't be easy to get her away from one of the Cardinal Heroes.
Keith steals a glance at the Spear Hero. He might not have a problem with Katarina following after one of the heroes, if he's actually competent, or willing to treat Katarina as his only love like the Saint of Spear did for their ancestor Catarina Clause (who Katarina was definitely named after). But the Spear Hero is neither. He is clearly the most childish and clueless even among the four Cardinal Heroes. And out of the four of them, he has the most female companions chasing after him. He even already proposed to the heiress of House Amelia, and Katarina would at most end up being his second wife if she stays with the skirt chasing fool. It's best for his sister to get her away from this current Spear Hero, even if she ends up marrying someone else.
"You think so, Keith? But..." Katarina's attention is taken away from the Spear Hero, and focuses on him. There is definitely a sense of nostalgia, and maybe even shame for leaving. Katarina has never been good at keeping her emotions to herself even as the future heir of House Claes. But her attention is taken by the Spear Hero when he speaks again.
"I think your brother makes a good point, Katarina." The Spear Hero reaches one arm over Katarina's shoulder on his black bird. Touching her in a comforting, but not possessive way. "Family is important. Especially a family that cares about you. Because trust me when I say that simply because you were born into a family doesn't mean they automatically care about you. You have a lot to be happy here at your home, things and people to love. And we are against an invading demon legion who throws super powerful kaiju at us. Who knows how long till this Wave of Catastrophe comes to your home and destroys everything, and you'll lose so much so quickly? You should spend some time with your family, appreciate them."
"But is it alright for me to do that? Everyone is busy training for the Wave of Catastrophe like you heroes, or rebuilding our country back like Princess Melty and Iris. I'm not sure I should just kick back and spend time with Keith, or my mother..." Katarina's eyes fall back and forth on Keith, and on the Spear Hero, looking unsure of what she should do.
"Hey. Don't worry. Katarina. The situation we are in isn't so bad, we can't have any free time to ourselves. Even us heroes need to take some time off training and fighting to relax. I think it's a great way, one of the best, for you to spend some free time with your family." The Spear Hero gives Katarina another shake on her shoulder.
"Master Motoyasu... the way you talked about having a family that cares about you... Were you talking about yourself? Were you mistreated by your family?" Bertia's timid questions makes Keith and Katarina turn their focus first on her, and then onto the Spear Hero. The earth mage looks at the summoned hero up and down. It's impossible to imagine someone almost as happy and cheerful as Katarina having a similar upbringing as himself. He's not exactly openly sulking all the time in his past thanks to Katarina, but he can never be as optimistic about life as her either.
"I have a family." Being the simple answer the Spear Hero gives, which doesn't explain anything... but also implies everything. Regardless, he didn't dwell on it. "And it's not about me. It's about Katarina here. Let's not lose what's important here."
"...Yeah. I think you are right, Master Motoyasu. I really have been leaving Keith out for too long. Keith is a big boy, no, a big man now. But he still wants attention from his older sister." Katarina turns to look at him, smiles, and reaches over to scratch his head like she's petting a baby bird. The action makes Keith's heart sink low. Because of course, in Katarina's eyes he will always be her adorable, but needy little brother.
"KATARINA CLAES!" The familiar and furious voice of their mother makes Keith cringes, and Katarina instantly slips under Kou's belly with a scared 'meep'. Keith turns his head forward, and sees their mother standing on the road outside of their family estate, with a full squad of the famous House Claes 'Onion' knights, and more of their men at arms behind her. Their mother most definitely wasn't happy about Katarina running from home and joining one of the legendary heroes. No surprise here. "Come over here! I already saw you! Or do you think having the favor of a legendary hero makes you free of my wrath?"
"No, NO! Of course not, Mother!" Katarina quickly slips out from Kou's feathers, runs over in front of Lady Milidiana and hangs her head low. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Mother. But Iris and Bertia were both talking about helping the heroes... you know the two of them! I can't leave them to go by themselves and not be there to protect them-"
"SILENCE, FOOLISH DAUGHTER OF MINE! I knew Lady Amelia and Lady Notches well enough! And I know they would have brought their own protection if that's the case." Katarina stands straight with a shudder, and Keith turns his head to look at Bertia again. Katarina's childhood friend is looking away from the ensuing scene of Claes family reunion. Meanwhile, Lady Bertia's personal maid... and protector, Glass, is staring at her lady almost accusingly. No, Lady Bertia definitely did not bring enough protection with her. "Your excuses would almost work if not for one thing: You lied to, and sent away your own sworn shield Sir Sieglinde. You were not here to protect your friends. You were there because you wanted to have fun without having to follow any rules."
"Hey. Katarina's mom. I'm really sorry to interrupt you. I know it's not polite... but I think you are a bit too hard on Katarina." The Spear Hero seems to have also slipped off his steed while Keith wasn't looking, as he carefully squeezed his way over near Katarina while waving his hand at their mother. "She should have been honest with you about wanting to follow her friends. But she really did help us a lot on our journey. It wasn't a lie. Katarina was one of the most loyal friends anyone could ask for. I think you should trust your daughter a little more... not to say Katarina shouldn't trust you back a little more too. What I meant to say is... family's important. I think the two of you need to trust each other more."
"Ah... Lord Spear Hero. I'm sorry I have neglected to show you the proper courtesy due to my frustration with my idiotic, wild daughter." Mother turns around to face the Spear Hero, pulls up her own long dress to give him a proper courtesy. Which the childish man returns with a furious wave of bowing his upper body. "But I'm afraid that I have to disagree, my lord. You see, I have pampered and spoiled my daughter since childhood, and she is a no-good, wild, monkey-like girl who can't even act like a proper lady most of the time. Unlike her friends Princess Malty, Lady Iris and Lady Bertia. Someone like her has no place following one of the revered heroes. Please, allow her to come home and I shall find ways to compensate you for all the damage she no doubt caused."
"That's not true, Mrs Katarina's mom. Katarina is a very valuable member of my companions, and one of the best friends to have for Iris and Bertia. She's brave, protective, and loyal. Never back down to help anyone even when there's danger. She always places her trust in me like Iris and Bertia, even when I can't live up to their trust. I am the one who is in her debt." The Spear Hero speaks without any sense of deception in his voice. "Anyone who says bad things for Katarina is merely jealous of her sincerity and goodness. She is not some wild monkey girl, but a saint. Never let anyone convince you otherwise about your daughter."
Both Mother, and Katarina stare at the Spear Hero for a brief moment, before they fall backward with their backs straight like two pieces of planks. The Spear Hero jumps forward to grab them before anyone else, Keith included, had the time to react. That's the moment that Keith knew he lost... or perhaps he never had a chance to begin with.
"Here is the bakery I was talking about. We can wait for Hayate here." The Bow Hero points at the small shop made of bricks at the corner of Silver street. It looks unremarkable, aside from the fairly good condition it's in when so many other buildings have suffered minor, or extensive damage from the riots and sieges caused by the Three Heroes' Church's rebellion. Naofumi didn't say, or do anything to object to Itsuki's suggestion, so he pushes open the door and enters. Malty gives an extra look at the bakery, it has a very typical glass panel at the front to show all the goodies inside to attract customers. Which makes the fact that it's still standing quite lucky considering the kind of disaster the capital faced before her Mother's return.
"Welcome to my- MASTER BOW HERO?!" A young feminine voice quickly went from unenthusiastic to loud and excited as Itsuki disappeared behind the door. Malty follows the Shield Hero inside, and sees the shopkeeper. In her mind, she imagined the woman to look as unremarkable as her shop, or her sister Maron. So she wasn't exactly this Rino (unless that's someone else behind the counter right now) to be a woman with golden blonde, curly hair that wouldn't look out of place if it belonged to a noble lady.
"Sorry I didn't keep my promise earlier. That whole mess with the Three Heroes' Church happened." Itsuki waves at the woman while Maron runs out from behind herself, and throws herself onto her sister. A scowl of annoyance, almost disgust appears on Rino's face for the briefest moment before she puts on a smile at both heroes. "But I'm going to introduce you to the Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi right now. He's quite the fan of your baked goods, by the way."
"It's true. They are really good! Some of the best I had." Naofumi looks around the shop, his eyes moving from one sugar treat to the next. It's not often for him to act this carefree and happy, so Malty allows him to look over the assortment of cookies, breads, cakes and other pastries. "Where I'm from. Most bakeries sell mass produced stuff they make in a factory. Guess you can't beat home cooking in the end."
"Well. In that case I'm glad to satisfy the taste buds of you honored heroes. Being a baker and pastry chief wasn't my first goal in life. But I'm glad to help you in some way. Take what you like!" Rino straightens her back, ignoring Maron who is hanging around her shoulders.
"This is great, Rye-Rye! Your baked goodies are a big success among the heroes! A step closer for us to open our own bakery somewhere else once the Wave of Catastrophe is over!" Once again, Malty noticed the look of disgust in Rino's eyes at Maron's words. It appears that sibling rivalry doesn't only exist in her own family.
"What can I say? I put in that little something to die for in every item I create. It's my secret to success." Rino's boast almost sounds ominous in Malty's ears, or perhaps she's being paranoid and thinking the worst of everyone she meets once again. But then again, her next words make Malty feel extra uncomfortable. "Not all of us are lucky to be born with a pretty face, and hot body that seduces the heroes."
Okay... that definitely sounds hostile for a baker. Or perhaps she's simply jealous of her sister being able to go on adventures with a hero. Still, hasn't she looked into a mirror, or at her sister Maron? Because between the two of them, Maron is definitely the more plain looking one. Unless... Rino meant for someone else in this room other than her sister? Malty turns her head around, making it look like she's trying to talk to Lady Flare but conveniently showing her burn scar towards Rino. Just like she thought, the envious little bitch lets out another quick scowl before schooling her expression. "Lady Flare, perhaps you would like to pick something since you weren't happy with the ration we have? I'm sure Master Naofumi is willing to pay for you... and carry the goods for you in his legendary weapon."
"Oh yeah. By all means, go ahead. Treat yourself. Everyone deserves a reward after all of your hard training. I'll pick up all the bills." Naofumi looks up from the counter, clearly missing Malty's real intention this time. But it's not like trying to bribe- no, rewarding Lady Flare with sweets is a wrong move in an attempt further to win her loyalty over.
"I can?! Oh, thank you, Thank YOU!" The pampered little lady of House Consevatie immediately dips her head between all kinds of cream covered, fruit topped cakes to hungrily look them over. Malty still remembers when she wasn't so different from someone like Lady Flare - forever living in her little fantasy land, not realizing how common people are like.
"Still... I really wish I could go on an adventure with you honored heroes like Maron." Rino looks through the gathered companions of both heroes inside her shop, and lets out a disappointed sigh. "This has been my dream as a little girl. It's not fair that I can't do anything because of that dumb mistake my father made."
"You might be able to... I still need some time to get better at it. But look at this." Malty's attention is turned to Itsuki again, and sees him placing what looks like a wooden doll on the counter. Aside from the doll clearly looking human, yet is dressed in a style that's similar to those Q'ten Lo raccoons, the doll is pretty unremarkable- why is it moving on its own? Did the Bow Hero make a golem when no one was looking?
"Ah. A Karakuri, right?" Naofumi suddenly looked up from the glass display case again. "Didn't realize you can make one of these. They can be pretty complex."
"I can't. It's thanks to this [Saw Bow] giving me extra affinity for woodworking." Itsuki pulls his legendary weapon off his back, at which point it turns into a wooden saw. "You have your potion making, and Motoyasu is getting better at making cloth. Who knows. Maybe if I keep working with wood as a hobby, I'll find ways to help all of us too."
Malty has no idea what the two heroes are talking about. But before she has a chance to ask, the Shield Hero's sworn shield Yatsuhashi enters the bakery. "Master Naofumi. Hayate of House Malfoy is here to see you."
"Ah. Good timing. Let him in." The Shield Hero nods to his bodyguard, who immediately steps out. The raccoon eared valet steps a few moments later. Malty looks at Rino the baker. She wonders if it's okay for her to hear whatever question the Shield Hero wants to ask the servant of Lord Malfoy. Granted, there's probably one of her Mother's Shadow somewhere close to listen in, but it's still best if he interrogates the servant of a Faubley noble family with as little witness as possible. Although his first question certainly isn't something to take note of. "Mr. Hayate. Before your master returned to Faubley, he promised me that I can ask you for any help. I was wondering if that's still the case?"
"Of course, Master Shield Hero. My lord is the descendent of the First Shield Hero. It is his, and therefore my duty to help future Shield Heroes in any way we can." The light blue haired valet kneels down in front of Naofumi, as he reiterates his oath. Privately, Malty doesn't think being the descendent of the First Shield Hero was that big of a deal, since supposedly every single one of the fifty-six Great Clans of Siltvelt have his bloodline with them giving one of their female members to him. But then again, House Malfoy is supposed to be the only pure human heir to him.
"Very well. Then I wish for you to go follow the Throwing Weapon Hero, as my representative. But don't listen to everything he says. He supposedly wants to help me, because he thinks I'm someone special. But he also constantly picks fights with Malty, and my fellow heroes. I want you to reel him back when he looks to fly off the handle. But make sure he is busy helping others grow stronger to face the Wave of Catastrophe. If he schemes against Malty or my friends, let me know. Stop him, if the situation truly calls for it." Malty was more than a little surprised at Naofumi's request for Hayate. Yes, she had suggested to him to find a way to keep the Throwing Weapon Hero too busy to undermine Naofumi's fellow heroes or herself, but she certainly didn't expect Naofumi to get inspired by her idea... and essentially dispatch a spy of his to his self-proclaimed fan.
Hayate might not be fully trustworthy, especially to Malty herself. His master is a Faubley noble after all. But that's the beauty of this arrangement. He would make sure to monitor the Throwing Weapon Hero of Zeltoble closely regardless of whether his loyalty lies in the Shield Hero, or Lord Malfoy. She feels proud that Naofumi is growing as a Player of The Game on his own.
End Note:
So, we get one of the longest chapter of this story here. Normally, I would try to cut the chapter off after 7k words since I don't like to read over long chapter myself. But it really feels like this chapter should stay the way it is because it's internal problems from different families.
Azula and Iroh's scene is obviously the meat of the chapter, where we finally gets an idea on what happened to Azula in this version of the story. And yeah... for those who know about Avatar: The Last Air Bender's story, you probably got it even if I didn't reveal everything in this chapter. This basically came to me as an idea of 'What if Azula and Zuko has their canon roles reversed but they still keep to their original characters' (kind of). And of course, by Kael'thas explaining to Naofumi what's going on between Azula and Iroh, I get to toss some additional exposition of how I imagined Siltvelt society functions in my story. I hope it comes off as somewhat exotic compared to Melromarc, since I definitely decided to put more eastern (especially Chinese since that's obviously the culture I'm most familiar with) influence into it.
And of course, the scene with Azula and Iroh isn't the only scene from this chapter. As we get a bit more going on between Katarina's family, and Rino's increasingly apparent grudge towards her twin sister. Also... we get to see more conflict between Eclair and her lieutenant Cardin, and her increasing sense of obsolecence. Oh yeah, and we get a scene where Naofumi gets to enjoy someone else's cooking (baking) for once, and a bit more scene where Itsuki gets to show what he does on his spare time too to hopefully flesh out his character.