“What do you mean, she’s dead?” Justin suddenly spoke up, his voice shaky and furious, as he walked towards the lady, ready to strike her. As he was about to punch her, however, Sora grabbed his fist

  “Enough, Justin” he sternly stated: “You’re mad? We all are livid because we couldn’t save her. Just tell me, will unnecessary violence bring her back?” He added, looking at him dead in the eyes, tears welling in them

  “No, you’re right. I let my fury take over. I’m sorry” he replied, looking down, as Sora let go of his wrist, turning towards the white-greenish haired messenger

  “So, how did she… Actually, nevermind. We have other business to attend. The Qīnshí Lì matter in Bellum, And this. How do we handle everything?” Sora pondered, as he laid his back towards the wall

  “We will handle that in a matter of days. I hate to admit it, but I’m the only one who could handle the Bellum crisis. No offense, but you guys aren’t nearly as capable as me” Kettei replied, looking at Sora: “Me, Yui, Riku and maybe Alice are the only one who can, in fact, handle the Qīnshí Lì’s overwhelming presence” he added, looking at everyone

  “Ugh, I hate when you’re right, Kettei” Rosalba retorted, looking down: “We trained these past few months, but it looks insufficient. So, what should we do?”

  “It’s crucial you guys train for this and improve your skills, that’s true. I’m glad you did, due to the short timespan we have” Kettei complimented, relieved: “Yes, some of you are still behind. Justin and Tom especially. That’s why you’ll stay here for this mission. I can’t risk you two getting corrupted by the Qīnshí Lì. That energy is far too dangerous. I’m sorry” Kettei explained gently, as he looked at them

  “You’re right. Again. We’d be better off here, delegating with the other associations in case there will be reunions” Tom sighed, smiling. Just then, the mysterious lady walked towards Kettei

  “Kettei, wasn’t it? You got a moment?” She asked, as Kettei turned around

  “Sure. Let’s step outside. I believe it’s something private” Kettei replied, as the two stepped outside. Once there, she took off her mask, revealing a gorgeous pair of yellow eyes

  “Before we go any further, let me introduce myself. I’m Saori Von Haltz, daughter of Alejandro Von Haltz and Lydia Al Kaibitari.” Saori started off, bowing her head: “It’s a pleasure meeting you. My aunt told me good things about you”

  “Pleasure meeting you. Now, as to why you’re here. Except from delivering the news?” Kettei asked, calmly

  “Yeah. My dad, he will want to take control of the kingdom. Like my aunt, he’s a reasonable man, so, any chance you can strike a deal?” Saori asked, with a silly smile

  “Not now, maybe once everything is settled down, yes. The Qīnshí Lì isn’t an easy thing to deal with, for what I’ve seen” Kettei replied :”Besides, I don’t have the best dealing skills in the association. Rob does”

  “I see. Once everything’s settled down, I’ll hope you keep your word” Saor icommented as the two walked inside. Once there, Alice rushed to Kettei

  “What was it all about?” She asked, looking at Kettei

  “Right. She’s Saori Von Haltz, the queen’s niece. Please treat her well” Kettei replied, as he then turned to Rob: “What’s the budget for the stay in Bellum?”

  “Well, not much. Any plans?” Rob replied, as he turned towards the association

  “Hey, I asked. For. A number. We’ll deal with the rest later” Kettei firmly stated, as his tone dropped

  “Okay, okay. About 50 ulukes, think they’d be enough?” Rob replied, turning towards Kettei

  “We’ll find a way. Obito, any runway hotels where we can reside?” Kettei replied, as he calculated: “With 7500 targuis, I doubt we’d be able to afford much”

  “Holy shit, you did that multiplication in a whim, ye accountent” Alice commented, sarcastically: “ Had I known ye were that good at calculi, I would’ve kidnapped ye personally fer me crew’s budget control”

  “That’s one way of saying you’re interested in someone, redhair” Obito smugly stated, as he turned to Kettei: “I doubt you’d find something for more than 3 nights with that. Prices are very high. 400 a night in one of the most rundown hotels, and it’s gonna be a bit tough given the situation we’re in. Which is pretty deep in shit” he explained

  “Yeah, we had that figured. I don’t wanna ask Saori because, whilst I respect the Von Haltz family, asking something to her in this time of grieving for them… Yeah, would feel disrespectful. I remember a wooden shack just outside the city. Is it still there?” Kettei wondered, as Alice stayed close to him

  “Oh yeah. The former owners recently moved to Necorot. With no one buying it, it’s pretty much abandoned. As of now, you can get it for 1500 targuis, a damn bargain.” Obito explained, lying against a wall

  “Well, we don’t really need to buy it right now, but it’d be nice to have somewhere to stay at the moment” Rob explained, as he looked at Obito

  “The main cult will be getting into motion in two days. One of their sacrificial lambs is called Quon Dongfang, if I’ve heard it right” Obito replied, as Rosalba’s eyes widened and she clenched her fists

  “Quon Dongfang, you say? That happens to be my boyfriend, so we should probably hurry. Right, Kettei?” She chimed in, her tone worried

  “Not so fast, Rosalba. Right now there’s a big chance we might get caught. And also, we can’t quite go there without a plan. Eve, you were doing some research on the Qinshì Lì alongside Manuela” Kettei replied, as he turned towards Evelyn: “Any chance you’ve had a breakthrough?”

  “Me, personally, no. However, Manuela, with her falkian resources, may have gotten something. I suggest you go there and check, youngster” Evelyn said, her arms crossed: “Right now, someone needs to stay behind, and I’m by far the weakest” she added

  “You’re not the weakest, but having three people here while we deal with everything seems fair. Makes me less worried” Kettei admitted, relieved, as he turned towards the board: “So, Rob, Rika, Obito, and Rosalba will be moving towards Bellum. Me, Alice, Sora, Martha and Yui will go to Falkia. Might be good for us to keep the latter with Riku and his fiancée Sophie, and join us if things get dire. Obito, you’ll be needed in case your sister gets out of control. Qinshì Lì is an extremely volatile energy” Kettei explained, as everyone seemed to agree on

  “What about Saori?” Rob asked, putting his chin on his hand

  “It’s best for her to stay with her family. I will not, under any circustamces, have any other Von Haltz getting hurt” Kettei replied,firmly

  “Alright, alright. Got it” Rob commented, as he headed out

  “You didn’t tell me Riku had a fiancée” Sora muttered under his breath

  “He does. Actually she’s expecting, but in that moment, Falkia was in distress, so how could we have the time to even relax? Between recruiting Alice and all, we were busy a lot” Kettei explained, his arms crossed and his gaze: “Martha has connections in Falkia, so her help will be necessary. Maybe she can also hook us up with a master to refine our techniques”

  “You… have a point. Let me call her up. Although, can we take the bus there? Last time your teleportation made me a bit naseous” Sora admitted, scratching his head sheepishly

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Sure, you do you. I’ll catch up with you” Kettei shrugged, as he pointed at Alice: “I first owe this pirate a rematch” he smugly admitted, as he headed outside with Alice, towards the forest surrounding the association, whilst Sora and Yui went to get Martha

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why are we sparring now?” Alice asked, hand on her chin: “Knowing you, there’s more to it than just a rematch, as you say”

  “Quite observant. Yes. We members of the Goloa clan handle mourning by fighting, especially when it comes to murder or a sacrifice” Kettei explained, calmly: “But also, we need to understand how you cope under magical pressure. The Qinshì Lì is nothing to mess with. The next two days will be crucial for that development” he added, as he got into a battle stance. Alice did the same as the two clashed. Alice attacked first, with a punch to Kettei’s face. He narrowly dodged it, before retaliating with a kick to Alice’s face, which she blocked, before tossing his leg aside and counterattacking with a kick of her own to his stomach, which Kettei dodged narrowly

  “Phew, gotta say, ye surprise me every time, Kettei” Alice admitted, repositioning herself as she wiped off some sweat off her brow: “Yer fast for your height”

  “Likewise. You’re not the shortest either, but you’re an amazing fighter. Now, can you withstand my magic?” Kettei asked, smirking, as he launched an Arcana spell that Alice didn’t see coming, as she knelt down after getting hit

  “Tch… Didn’t see that one coming” Alice admitted, standing back up

  “There’s still a lot of work to do. And you know it. Come on, back to work now” Kettei replied, as the two clashed. As they trained, Rob, Rika, Obito and Rosalba hopped into a train for Bellum

  “So, remember, we need to act carefully. Rob, if I catch you making out with Rika, I’ll kick your ass to Tempest and back” Rosalba stated, as Obito gulped

  “Is she that terrifying?” he asked, looking at Rob and Rika

  “No. I’m still going to kiss her, but not on her sight. Also, the same goes for you. Start making out with your boyfriend and I’ll kick your ass to Sakura Empire” Rob sarcastically replied

  “I- Uhm… Fair enough” Rosalba muttered, as Rika laughed and Obito giggled before getting more serious

  “Anyways, while all humour is good, we need to act carefully. We’ll have some work to do once there, and I don’t think the others will be fidgeting their thumbs. We better prepare a strategy once there. The travel should be 7 hours long on train” Obito seriously claimed, as the others agreed on

  “More so, I think the king and his little sidekick are not going to sit idle either” Rika commented, as Rob looked at her concerned

  “You do know that sidekick, as you call her, is Hotaru Yorishima, the greatest mage in the latest three hundred year, and Kettei and Yui’s mother?” Rob questioned her, as Rika’s face went pale

  “Y-You mean… Those two are Hotaru’s offsprings? I mean, I get Yui, but Kettei… he looks nothing like her. Who’s their father?” Rika asked in shock

  “Their father is the former head chief and military genius Shanyuan Izawami” Rob responded, as this time even Obito’s eyes widened in horror

  “I remember him… fifteen years ago, he outsmarted our army of 210.000 men with one of barely 45.000. Between the victims, there was… my father. Everyone in Bellum calls him ‘The deadly migrator’” Obito admitted, as he clutched his fists, before exhaling: “But Kettei helped us, so I have no remorse towards him whatsoever” he added, smiling warmly

  “Kids shouldn’t pay their parents’crimes, that’s for sure. If that was the case, how many of us should pay for past wars?” Rob questioned, as he relaxed: “Enough of that for now. Let’s rest. We have a long journey ahead… And a couple to reunite, right Ros?” he added, smirking smugly at Rosalba, who blushed profusely

  “Sh-Shut up already!” She exclaimed, as she laid back and rested. As the quartet continued their train crusade, Yui, Sora and Martha arrived in Falkia at around 7 p.m, heading to the Lawrence Estate thanks to Yui’s directions

  “Here we are. Riku should be here” Yui said as she knocked at the door. There, a purple haired lady with blue hair opened the door, her baby bump indicating she was in her first trimester

  “Ah, lady Izawami, welcome. What brings you here?” She kindly asked, her voice soothing despite her thick, northern Falkian accent

  “Evening, Sophie. We were looking for cousin Riku. Is he home?” Yui responded

  “Oh, he’ll be finishing in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, why don’t you guys sit down here?” Sophie warmly invited them, as the trio sat down

  “Don’t mind if we do” Martha replied kindly, as Yui joined Sophie to make some tea

  “You should rest, Sophie. Remember you’re expecting a kid” Yui firmly, yet gently, stated, helping her to the couch

  “Yep, that’s Kettei’s sister” Sora and Martha thought as they smiled, as the latter laid her head to Sora’s chest, resting up

  “Soph, do I make one extra cup for cousin Riku or?” Yui asked, kindly

  “Oh yes, that would be nice. He always comes home tired and cooks because, and I quote, ‘you shouldn’t push yourself too hard’, so it would be nice for him to sit down and enjoy it” Sophie replied, as she rested on the couch

  “Well, good to know that everything’s working out between you two” Yui commented, as she finished preparing tea for everyone. Just then, Riku walked in the estate

  “Hey honey, I’m home. Sorry I’m late, there was a case who needed to be solved” Riku tiredly said, before noticing Sora, Martha and Yui

  “Woah, you don’t look so good” Yui stated, rushing there and helping him sit down to a nearby sofa: “Take some rest, Riku”

  “Thank you, Yui” Riku responded, sitting down as he looked at Sora: “What’s the matter?”

  “We were looking for miss Saavedra. Any idea where she’s at?” Sora calmly asked, as he looked at him

  “Oh, Fei-Yang’s partner, right. At the moment, she should still be busy in her researches. According to him, she should finish her research by tomorrow. Make sure to inform Kettei though” Riku answered, tiredly, before falling asleep

  “Well, you heard him. Also, someone may want to order takeout” Martha sarcastically remarked. Back to Tempest, Alice and Kettei stopped their training for the day, the former’s handling of magic improved lightly

  “Weird. Everyone can cast magic, but in your case, it’s almost like you’re dried out of it, yet your physical strenght is insane. I can’t quite put the finger on it in your paradoxal state. Nothing to be ashamed of, instead I saw you more often than not destroying the spells I threw at you with mere physical attacks. That’s awesome” Kettei stated, happily, as he lit up a small fire for them

  “Say, I have a question, Ket’ ” Alice asked, calmly

  “What’s up?” Kettei retorted, turning his head towards her

  “Why do ye help everyone? Are ye looking for advantages?” Alice asked, looking at him

  “Yes. I wanna kick the king out of his undeserved throne. And I’m aware I can’t do it alone, I need to make some noise through my actions before putting this plan in motion” Kettei explained, calmly: “I have to. This government already disposed of my dad, so I will dispose of it”

  “I see. Yer clever, so ye’ll figure it out” Alice admitted, before looking away as Kettei stabbed a rabbit first, then heard someone cry not too far

  “Alice, can you wait here? I’ll be right back” Kettei asked, heading deeper into the forest. There, he saw a man in his mid 20s, with a knife pointed at his own throat, which Kettei promptly kicked aside: “What’s the matter, bud?” he asked, kneeling before the person

  “I-I feel like my life is losing its meaning, you know? I lost everything. My wife and my unborn kid, and my house” The person explained

  “Your life doesn’t lose meaning because you lose someone or something, no matter how close you are to them. The fact of existing already is the most precious gift, so why throw that away for some suffering?” Kettei explained, placing an hand on the man’s shoulder: “Your friends will be sorry, and your parents will wonder what they did wrong. So don’t do it, please” he added, looking at him

  “You’re right. Thank you, sir” the person said, standing up and grabbing the dagger, handing it to Kettei: “I believe this would be of better use to you. It’s a lost Al-Kaibitari family relic”

  “Thank you” Kettei politely replied, bowing as he saw the man leaving the forest. After, he came back to Alice, who by then had deskinned the rabbit, and put it over the fire

  “Oh, yer back. Everything solved? What’s with the dagger?” Alice questioned, looking at Kettei, who was sitting down

  “Yes, everything has been handled. This is a lost Al-Kaibitari family relic. I’ll make sure to give it back when this ordeal is over” Kettei explained, calmly, as the two ate the cooked rabbit: “We can rest at my dorm, if you want”

  “Still better than here. Fuck, it’s freezing cold out here” Alice admitted, as Kettei accompanied her to his dorm, where he slept on the couch as she took the bed. Meanwhile, at Manuela and Fei-Yang’s house, the former was studying the effects of the Qinshì Lì against some plants, until she noticed something

  “Manuela, it’s 10 p.m, you have to be up early tomorrow for your shift” Fei-Yang yawned while saying that

  “Hold on, look here. I think I reached a breakthrough. See, the Falkian Phoenicia flowers wither the corrupt energy” Manuela explained, tiredly

  “But you’re not considering one thing: Phoenicia Flora is an hard plant to manage, and the only way to synthesise it is by using a balance of fire and ice magic. Many call it the paradoxal plant, for that peculiarity” Fei-Yang retorted, promptly, his eyes looking at her: “Better if I inform Riku right now though” he added, calling Riku, but ended up being Yui answering

  “Hello, who’s there?” Yui asked, calmly

  “Um, is Riku there?” Fei-Yang demanded, with a confused tone

  “Oh, yeah yeah. Cousin is asleep at the moment. Sora and Martha are here too, resting. Do you prefer talking to one of them maybe?” Yui explained, sweetly

  “Wait, is that Yui on the phone?” Manuela asked to Fei-Yang

  “Who?” Fei-Yang asked confused

  “I’ll take that as a yes then. Sora, someone’s at the phone!” Yui cut in, before calling Sora, who walked downstairs while Martha took care of Sophie, before picking the phone

  “Fei-Yang, Manuela, what’s up?” Sora promptly asked, yawning

  “You see, Manuela had a breakthrough on the Qinshì Lì study. She noticed that Falkia’s Phoenicia Flora can survive the corrupt energy” Fei-Yang explained, as Sora grew ecstatic

  “Really? Aw, that’s awesome! We need to tell Kettei!” He exclaimed, his smile beaming excitement

  “Not… so fast” Manuela interjected: “See, as Fei-Yang was showing me, synthesizing and breaking down that plan requires a great balance of ice and fire magic, although I believe the best course of action would be… a cold flame” She added, as everyone fell silent, processing the information, before Sora spoke up again…