Re:Zero - The King of Pride

In a large, well-furnished room in the Griest castle in Sanshi, a beautiful, dark-haired young woman sat a small table. She was dressed in a thin black and green robe that was decorated with drawings of large purple butterflies. Across from her sat a towering young man with sandy blond hair in a gray knight's uniform. He was built like an ox and his eyes were penetrating.

They both stared at the chessboard between them. Their hands gently caressed under the table.

The woman finally smiled and moved her rook. "Check!" She said triumphantly.

The man smiled. "Excellent move, Lady Deann."

The man moved his bishop in response.

Deann smiled impishly. "I keep telling you, Duncan, your technique is always defensive. That's a weakness," Deann said to him as she advanced her pawn to continue the attack.

Duncan smirked. "Your father has often said the same thing. And as I've always told him: Just a difference in style, Lady Deann," He replied with aplomb. He moved his queen with flair and then leaned back, looking very pleased with himself.

Deann scowled down at the board and then looked up at Duncan. "You always make the ickiest moves!" She complained with a pronounced pout but she made no move to remove her hand from his.

"Can you ever forgive me, Lady Deann?" Duncan asked in an amused tone. "I assure you, I am willing to work diligently in whatever fashion you dictate in order to regain your favor."

She gave him a winsome smile. "Truly? I must warn you, Sir Duncan. My favor is not easily secured."

"Anything worth its value is worth striving for. You will find me to be a most dedicated pilgrim on this quest, Lady Deann," He whispered, caressing her hand.

Her smile deepened into an amused smirk. "I suppose I could give you another chance. After all, you have greatly impressed me with your… 'diligence' in the past."

"I have no higher aspiration, Lady Deann, than to be considered worthy of your esteem," Duncan assured her.

She sighed and stopped playing games. "I certainly consider you worthy, Duncan. In a perfect world, that would be enough."

"We do not live in a perfect world, Deann," Duncan admitted seriously. "But any world that offers me a path to remain at your side is more than satisfactory to me."

Deann smiled at him but before she could respond they heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

They shared a resigned glance and reluctantly let go of one another's hands.

A moment later, the door opened and an enormous man wearing a gray knight's uniform entered the room. He had a short and neatly trimmed black beard. The man had a hulking musculature and looked as if someone had sneaked a bear into uniform. Today he wore a dour expression as if everything had gone wrong for him all at once.

"Father," Deann murmured.

"Greetings, Prince Malcolm-" Duncan began.

Malcolm ignored Duncan and turned his full attention to Deann. "Poppet, I have received the most dire news!"

Deann furrowed her brow. "What is it?"

"The village of Iruk and the military camp at Trolleheim have been attacked by Lagunica!" Malcolm said gravely.

Duncan and Deann shared an incredulous look.

"Father, that makes absolutely no sense!" Deann said.

Malcolm gave her an annoyed look. "Daughter, you may tell those soldiers just how nonsensical you think it is. We're still counting up the bodies!"

Malcolm walked over to a shelf that had several bottles of liquor on it. Malcolm quickly poured himself a shot of hard alcohol and downed it instantly.

Deann spoke incredulously, "Father, Lagunica has no king, the pact with the dragon is now in doubt, and rumors claim that they have recently experienced a pitched battle with the Witch Cult. The kingdom attacking foreign lands would be a ridiculous decision."

"And yet, it happened!" Malcolm growled, pouring himself another drink.

"What have you learned?" Duncan asked.

Malcolm gave Duncan a foul look before answering. "A witch attacked Iruk!" Malcolm said, tossing back his glass. "She fought an enemy there and managed to kill it. There was significant damage done to the village. Then her associates attacked Trolleheim. It was a massacre! The few survivors who managed to escape are traumatized."

"Casualties?" Duncan asked.

"Almost a hundred soldiers," Malcolm replied.

"What about civilians?" Deann asked.

"At Iruk? Apparently none," Malcolm admitted.

"Sir, I'm confused," Duncan mused. "How does Lagunica factor into this?"

Malcolm growled. "According to the Iruk peasants, the witch brought someone sick into the village with her. The peasants reported that they heard her refer to him as 'Subaru.' The survivors of Trolleheim confirmed the same name was born by their attacker."

Duncan frowned in thought. "Subaru… Where have I heard that name?"

Deann stared at Malcolm. "Father, are you suggesting that it was Subaru Natsuki?"

Duncan started. "The Butcher of Arlem?!"

Malcolm threw his shot glass across the room with a curse. "Yes! A royal candidate of the nation of Lagunica has attacked one of our villages and our armed forces! This isn't some maverick noble acting independently like Vlad an Voivode, this is a sign of open hostility from the Dragon kingdom!"

Duncan and Deann shared an incredulous look. "This is ludicrous!" Duncan protested. "Why in the world would Lagunica seek to start a war now?!"

"Perhaps it's simply retaliation," Deann mused.

"Retaliation?" Malcolm asked in surprise.

"Do you recall the matter of the Voivode last month?" Deann murmured.

Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "Daughter, I have a few too many things of actual importance to occupy my mind without worrying what Vlad and his band of bloodthirsty fools have been up to recently."

Deann gave her Father a skeptical glance. "The Arlem incident we just mentioned?" Deann clarified.

Malcolm frowned. "Ah. Now I remember. Vlad an Voivode sent his men to raid Arlem to test if the dragon's pact was still binding."

Duncan nodded. "He interpreted their successful arrival as a sign of the pact being in abeyance and has been rallying Gusteko to march south for pillage and plunder ever since," Duncan added. "I can't imagine what he expects to gain out of all this."

"Probably just more blood of his slain enemies to dip his bread into," Malcolm said dismissively.

Deann looked sick. "Father, are those rumors true?! Does he really…"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Malcolm admitted. "But we have more important matters than Vlad's peculiarities to analyze right now. Namely, how will we respond. This might finally be our opportunity to regain Ganaks!"

Duncan and Deann exchanged a worried glance. "With all due respect, Prince Malcolm," Duncan said deferentially. "I would recommend that we simply accept it."

Malcolm glowered at him. "A hundred good men have been slaughtered and you would urge us do nothing?" Malcolm said in a disgusted tone. "Those soldiers were good men! They were loyal servants to my house and their deaths cry out for vengeance!"

"Father," Deann broke in. "I agree with Duncan!"

Malcolm snorted. "I'll try to conceal my amazement," He grumbled.

Deann's eyes narrowed. "Father," She said in a dangerous tone. "Please, consider this situation carefully. From Lagunica's perspective, they were attacked last month by Gusteko."

"By Voivode!" Malcolm argued. "We bear Lagunica no malice!"

"Voivode and Griest are allies!" Deann shot back. "Don't act like you didn't know what Vlad was doing!"

Don't act like you didn't sign off on it, she means, Duncan thought.

"The fact remains that House Griest was innocent in this attack!" Malcolm protested.

Deann shook her head. "The southerners have never been willing to acknowledge the difference in our houses. From their point of view, they were attacked by Gusteko and now they have attacked Gusteko in turn."

Malcolm frowned thoughtfully.

"This was all Voivode's fault," Duncan grumbled. "If the Hierocracy had stepped on Vlad firmly when the incident first came to light, that could have been viewed by the southerners as evidence that Vlad was acting on his own and in defiance of the rest of Gusteko. Instead, the Hierocracy and the other Houses did nothing. How could Lagunica view this as anything other than evidence that Vlad was acting with the full permission and approval of Gusteko?"

Malcolm gave Duncan a withering look. "So that's one vote for appeasement then," Malcolm grumbled sarcastically. "I do not intend to permit a direct attack against my own people to stand unchallenged! We must respond with force!"

Deann looked alarmed. "Father! Voivode ordered a quick raid on Arlem and now Lagunica ordered a quick raid on Trolleheim. The dragon kingdom has gone out of its way to make its reaction a proportional response. Arguably, they tempered their response by attacking a military camp instead of a defenseless village. They even dispatched the same champion who routed the prior incident to ensure that Gusteko could not misunderstand their intentions! Now would be the ideal time to hold negotiations with Lagunica and restore normal relations before things deteriorate further!"

Malcolm shook his head. "Under normal circumstances you would have offered sound counsel, my Daughter. However, this is not a normal situation. I fear that we may have no other alternative… than to consider war with Lagunica."

Duncan and Deann were speechless. "Declare war on the dragon kingdom?!" Duncan gasped. "House Griest alone does not have the strength to oppose Lagunica!"

"And we are already at war with Siros!" Deann added frantically. "Father, only a fool fights a war on two fronts!"

Malcolm gave Deann a cold look. "Your father is not quite an old fool yet, Daughter. I have a plan to bring the other Houses into the fight, both against Lagunica and Siros. Our House will finally reclaim all of its lost glories!"

Deann stared at Malcolm incredulously. "Father," Deann said slowly. "You said that under other circumstances, my words would have held wisdom. What is different now?"

Malcolm sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We have it on good authority that the attack on Trolleheim was done in the company of a girl who was positively identified as Kairei vas Sirosse an Ithil!"

"The princess of House Ithil?" Duncan asked. "What was she doing with Subaru Natsuki?!"

Deann's face was grave. "This only has one explanation," She whispered. "House Ithil is forming an alliance with Lagunica."

Duncan gaped at her.

"Exactly," Malcolm said with a grim smile. "I always thought it odd that Lagunica hadn't taken action to capitalize on Gusteko's state of disarray due to the war between Sanshi and Siros. It seems that now they have."

Deann frowned. "They have sought out the losing party in this war and made them an offer of aid and support," She mused. "A sensible strategy. I would make the same decision if I were Lagunica."

"Err," Duncan muttered. "Lady Deann, why wouldn't you seek to ally yourself with the victor?"

Deann gave him a patient look. "Because Sanshi doesn't need Lagunica's help. If we were even willing to accept aid from the south, we would put strict limits on what we would permit from Lagunica and what we were willing to offer in exchange. House Ithil is in crisis. Siros will collapse in a matter of weeks and they know it. No matter what Lagunica demanded in exchange for aid, Siros would have no choice but to accept."

"Very perceptive," Malcolm complimented her. "I've feared that this day would come for a long time," He admitted. "The southerners are attempting to intervene in Gustekan internal politics. They seek to create proxy wars in the north. We can only speculate what were Lagunica's demands for Siros before they would offer any assistance but given how desperate Ithil was, I think that is is safe to say that Regent Radu and Princess Kairei are now nothing more than puppet rulers, their trade and foreign policies dictated by the Lagunican sages' council. They can in no way be considered sovereign over their own territory any longer."

Duncan looked pained. "Prince Malcolm, that seems… most unlikely," Duncan objected. "What House would willingly become a vassal of Lagunica?"

"A House that faces its own extinction in a matter of weeks," Deann said quietly. She shook her head. "Then we truly have no choice. We need to rally the rest of the Houses and prepare to attack Lagunica."

"What?!" Duncan demanded.

"Duncan," Deann said firmly, "Think carefully. If Lagunica succeeds in its gambit to gain control over one of the Great Houses of Gusteko, how long do you think it would be before they try it with another House? Why would Kararagi and Vollachia stay out of the game? They could organize proxy wars in the north to their hearts content without putting their own nations at risk."

Duncan bit his lip as he thought that through. "Prince Malcolm, I say again as I've said for months, let us send envoys to Siros. We have a solid advantage right now and the war is effectively over. Siros should have no choice but to sue for peace on your own terms. We should cut off this conflict before it has a chance to spiral out of control!"

Malcolm snorted. "Do you really think that Siros will be anxious to negotiate after concluding an advantageous alliance with a powerful neighbor? They will laugh in our envoy's face!"

Deann sighed. "On the bright side, Siros's attempt to involve foreigners in a domestic dispute is tantamount to treason."

"Exactly!" Malcolm shouted. "Finally all of Gusteko will be forced to unite behind us in our dispute with Siros and with Lagunica! This is a propitious day in the history of our line! I could almost thank Kairei for her treason!"

"Hold on!" Duncan protested. "Treason?! That's a rather big step, don't you think?!"

"No, I don't," Deann said sadly. "Father is entirely right, Duncan. If Gusteko doesn't unite in response to this outrage then it will continue to happen over and over again. The southerners must be taught a lesson."

Duncan looked dubious. "Opening a second front in the war?" He whispered to Deann.

"Needs must when the devil drives, boy," Malcolm said grimly. "We must prepare for war immediately before Lagunica has time to reposition its forces further." Malcolm shook his head angrily. "They moved entire armies to northwestern Lagunica, not far from our southern border while claiming they were fighting the Witch Cult! I never even questionedtheir story!" He cursed himself.

"Father, you must rally the other Houses immediately," Deann said. "House Griest alone has no chance whatsoever against Lagunica."

Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose. "We'll need to convince the other Houses to join in our war against Siros and a retaliatory strike against Lagunica. This is not going to be easy…"

Deann sniffed. "Ask the other Princes if they'd like Lagunica to be a player in their own next disputes," Deann said calmly. "That ought to get them motivated."

Malcolm nodded. "Excellent point, my daughter. And there is a bright side to all this, this conflict will prove that House Griest once again is honoring its responsibility as the guardian of order and purity in Gusteko. This should a significant boost in our attempt to once again claim the Holy Throne. Odglass was a fool to give such an honor to the decadent House Ulgo."

"How is your campaign going, Father?" Deann asked in concern. "You told me that you had a brilliant plan to put Canmore on the throne that you could not discuss with me. I can't recall the last time you did not seek my counsel before taking action, much less when you last kept secrets from me."

Malcolm shook his head. "Learn this lesson well, my Daughter, to achieve victory a leader must often do… questionable things. Accept that the burden of such duties is simply part of the price of leadership and then be prepared to take a long bath until you feel clean again," He said with distaste.

Deann and Duncan looked at one another in confusion.

"Prince Malcolm," Duncan said slowly. "Even with all the Houses united, both Siros and Sanshi have been exhausted by the fighting. I fear a war with Lagunica would be beyond our current strength."

"Have no fear, boy," Malcolm said coldly. "One day your balls will drop."

Duncan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

"Father…" Deann threatened.

Malcolm glanced at his daughter's cold face and muttered something under his breath that possibly could have potentially been considered an apology.

Deann took a deep breath. "Father, Duncan raises a very valid point."

"We'll need to strike hard at first and then adopt a defensive posture and wait," Malcolm replied.

Duncan looked at Malcolm with loathing. "Wait for what?" Duncan grumbled.

"For Vollachia to become active on the Lagunican southern border," Deann finished.

Duncan blinked. "What?"

"If Lagunica moves significant forces north to attempt to contain Gusteko," Deann continued. "The Vollachian empire can't help but take advantage of it. Lagunica's forces will be split between the north and south. This should give us ample opportunity to reclaim the disputed borderlands and perhaps acquire some new territory."

"Ganaks!" Malcolm said triumphantly.

Deann sighed. "Yes, Father. Ganaks as well."

"I must depart for Pardochel immediately. By the way, Poppet, have you seen Canmore today. I would like to speak to him before I depart," Malcolm mused.

Deann smiled. "I believe he was reading in the study. He is a very studious boy," Deann replied fondly.

Malcolm sighed. "We need to get him out of that damned library! It is my heir's destiny to be a warrior! Not some… bookworm."

"I dare say that the two are linked," Duncan commented. "The mind is the sharpest weapon in any arsenal."

Malcolm gave Duncan an annoyed look. "Stop corrupting my son," Malcolm grumbled. "I directly blame your influence for Canmore's fascination with reading and study!"

Duncan looked up at Malcolm, seeming almost flattered.

"Father," Deann said slowly with a concerned glance at Duncan. "What about Lord Gael?"

Malcolm snorted, looking out the window. "That fool is no threat to anyone! I denounced him as an unworthy knave when I first set eyes on him and he has more than proved me correct. He is nothing short of a degenerate now!"

For the first time in the conversation, Duncan's fists clenched and he ground his teeth.

Duncan started to rise to his feet but Deann grabbed his hands. She gave him a steady look and Duncan slowly sank back down into his chair. His face was still frozen in a snarl.

Malcolm turned around, having never seen Duncan move. "I will depart this very night to call for a conclave. Daughter, you must gather our forces and prepare for the march when I return. The forces of House Griest and two Acolyte Knights should be ample to handle any challenges. I hope to return with promises of more support from the other Houses."

"I will be ready to depart at dawn, Father," Deann nodded.

Malcolm gave Duncan a look of resignation. "And may I assume that you will be accompanying us?" He grumbled.

"Why, thank you for the kind invitation, my Lord," Duncan replied in a near growl. "I believe that I will. I'm certain that this will greatly aid my study of the wartime arts."

Malcolm shook his head. "You have been my daughter's protege for nearly eight years now," He grumbled. "Do you ever expect to become a fully qualified Acolyte Knight? Most Knights complete their novitiate in a matter of months. You may well go down in history as Gusteko's slowest student."

"Such comments would be unfounded, my Lord," Duncan replied, his voice softening slightly. "Your lady daughter is a jewel among women and her tactical mind is a wonder. With each and every day I find new facets to study and new depths to explore."

Deann's eyes glowed.

Malcolm growled at Duncan. "Daughter," Malcolm grumbled, not taking his eyes off Duncan. "I spoke to Lord Huntington this afternoon. He remains eager for your engagement to be established. He wonders when you will have the time available to deal with this matter."

Deann nodded. "As soon as possible, Father, naturally. I believe that Duncan is making leaps and strides in his studies. I am optimistic that his education will be completed… eventually," She replied.

Malcolm looked at his daughter with clear annoyance then walked away, shaking his head as he left the room.

The pair looked at each other with concern.

"Deann, do you think that this is wise?" He whispered.

"I'm not certain, Duncan," She admitted. "Say what you will about my father, he is decisive, able to take his own counsel and dare great risk at need. His strategy is both high risk and high reward."

"I'm well aware of that. But I wonder if this time he risks too much. If relations between Lagunica and Gusteko flame into a war, House Griest will suffer the most. It is even conceivable that the other Houses might wash their hands of you and force you to fight the dragon kingdom alone rather than become involved in a war that they see as not their problem."

"I have my doubts that they would do that," Deann replied. "Southern imperialism would threaten all the Houses, not just ours."

"Agreed, but it is possible."

Deann frowned and thought it over. "True but you realize that the die is already cast, do you not? Father never changes his mind."

"I know it well, Deann," Duncan said dryly.

She flashed him a rueful smile. She shook her head. "Then there is nothing to be done. We must gather the assault force tomorrow and hope for the best. I expect that we'll be living rough for the next few weeks."

"I refuse to consider long days and nights spent in your divine company to be 'rough,' Lady Deann," Duncan replied.

Deann laughed.

"On the bright side, I believe that despite our early start tomorrow morning, we do have ample time to finish our game," Duncan added.

The both turned their attention back to the game and their hands once again found one another under the table.

Late that very same night, Prince Malcolm an Griest found himself in a small council chamber with the other Princes.

By a staggering coincidence, all four Princes of the other Great Houses had been available in Pardochel to meet tonight.

"Malcolm, do you have any bleeding idea what time it is?!" Argus an Craite demanded. Argus was a thick-bodied man with a huge, bushy beard. "This had better be important. If the Witch of Envy hasn't broken free, then you'll be getting a piece of my mind for dragging us out of our beds!"

A stringy, weedy man with thinning red hair gasped. "Is she?!" He whispered in a quavering voice. "My horoscope predicted trials and tribulations this week!"

The other Princes grumbled. Patrick an Brokvar was a Prince from the northern wastes. Time spent in the many months-long darkness of the northern Gusteko winter had resulted in a House of superstitious people often judged to be not quite right in the head. All the same, under Patrick's superstition and paranoia lay an adapt mind able to see all angles and the other Princes had learned to listen to his words carefully.

"Let's not speculate," Donar an Hilde murmured. Donar was an old but still hale man. His hair and beard had long ago gone gray but he spoke with a demeanor of patient dignity and had earned the respect of nearly every Prince in Gusteko. "I'm certain that Malcolm would not have gathered us on such short notice without the matter at hand being dire. Prince Malcolm, I admit my curiosity is peaked."

Malcolm took a deep breath. "Before I begin, I must start with a bit of background information. A bit over a month ago, a village of Lagunican peasants was attacked by Gusteko soldiers."

Nobody needed to ask any more details. Every prince at the table turned to glare at the only man who hadn't spoken yet. Vlad an Voivoide was a hulking man with thin, scraggly red hair and a mouth full of misaligned teeth that always seemed twisted into a sneer.

"What the devil?!" Donar hissed. "What are you trying to do, Vlad?! Start a war?!"

Donar gave Malcolm a side-eye as well. Donar knew full well that if Malcolm hadn't explicitly authorized this action, he had at least been aware of it.

Vlad smirked. "I don't know why your blaming me for this. Some of my soldiers just got lost and wandered across the border. It was Lagunica that killed them. My men were just looking for directions," He said in a patently unconvincing voice.

"You must think us all fools to make your lies so transparent!" Argus roared, smashing his fist against the table. "Attacking civilians without warning or provocation?! The Hierocracy ought to have you strung up on a rope for this!"

"Unfortunately," Patrick murmured. "The Hierocracy is hopelessly divided due to Holy King Gillecomegain's incapacitation."

"If the Hierocracy is too busy to defend Gustekan honor, then I'll do it myself!" Argus shouted, leaping to his feet and reaching for his sword only to belated realize that it wasn't there.

It was customary at these summits for all the princes to be disarmed before entering the meeting room and it looked like both Argus and Vlad now rued that deeply.

Argus rumbled like an angry boar and stepped forward to throttle Vlad with his bare hands.

"Hold!" Donar said, standing up and grabbing Argus's arm.

Argus looked even more outraged. "Did you not hear-"

"I wish to hear more, Argus" Donar clarified, his calm voice silencing Argus. "Malcolm would not have gathered us all out of our beds to inform us of this. There must be more to this story…"

Malcolm nodded and Donar, Argus, and Vlad slowly sat down though Argus and Vlad continued to glare at one another.

"Just a few hours ago," Malcolm murmured. "My soldiers at Trolleheim were attacked by Lagunican forces."

The princes were all silent. Three faces were carved with deep concern and worry. Vlad's face was a caricature of glee.

"This is dire news to be sure," Donar murmured. "Was it intended as a proportional response or an effort to expand hostilities?"

"What does it matter?!" Argus demanded. "I'm not going to be the last one punched in a fight!"

"Let's take the battle to Lagunica!" Vlad argued. "The dragon pact is broken! We march our troops south to loot and plunder!"

The princes glowered at Vlad whose smile only broadened.

"Argus," Patrick said slowly. "If we attacked a Lagunican village unprovoked, it might be considered justice for them to attack one of our army camps."

Argus looked incredulous. "Are you daft?! I mean, I'm not defending what Vlad did but-"

"But what?" Donar asked flatly. "If Vlad's actions were unjust then what recompense should Lagunica have sought?"

"Can you old codgers pay attention?" Vlad sneered.

The princes all bristled.

"What does it matter?! The dragon isn't protecting the kingdom anymore! Lagunica is wide open for us to march in and take whatever we want!" Vlad proclaimed.

"Lagunica is protected by more than just the dragon Volcanica," Donar said in a steady voice. "It has a sizable army that's already been deployed in the north to deal with the Witch Cult. Also, how confident should we be that the dragon pact is broken? Perhaps Vlad's insignificant attack simply did not warrant the dragon's attention."

Patrick nervously scratched his face. "I say that we try to resolve this incident at the negotiating table instead of the battlefield. We've both bloodied each other. Honor is preserved. Let's head this off before it gets worse!"

Argus grumbled and Vlad looked incensed.

Vlad was about to explode in rage when Malcolm cut him off. "There's more," Malcolm said in a grim voice.

Donar and the others looked at him in surprise.

"The camp at Trolleheim was attacked by Subaru Natsuki," Malcolm said slowly. "This was done in the company of a positively identified Princess Kairei."

The princes were dumbfounded.

Vlad snorted. "And why should I care? Natsuki and I have a score to settle anyway. He killed a lot of my men at Arlem! When I catch up with him, he'll be one less problem for us to deal with!"

Everyone ignored Vlad.

"Ithil's made an alliance with Lagunica?!" Argus said incredulously.

"Exactly," Malcolm replied.

"Do you have evidence of this?" Donar said, his face grave.

Argus looked at Donar in disbelief. "The man just said-"

"I want to know what kind of alliance has been fashioned," Donar cut him off. "In candor, despite this action being highly questionable, I'm uncertain that I can blame House Ithil for their decision. Malcolm has already won the war but he refuses to accept envoys to negotiate. He means to crush Siros. I'd like to remind you, Malcolm, that the name of House Ithil is now duly entered onto the rolls of the Houses of this Kingdom and are deserving of the same respect and honorable treatment you would bestow upon any other House. Your 'total war' policy has struck me as inappropriate and maybe even dishonorable."

"War is a sacred contest!" Argus protested. "Two Houses locked in mortal combat where strength and valor determine the truth of any matter at issue! To recruit foreigners into such a conflict is dishonorable! Even treasonous!"

Vlad and Malcolm nodded fervently while Patrick and Donar shook their heads.

"I agree that Malcolm is at least as much to blame for this," Patrick mused, drumming his fingers on the table.

Malcolm jumped to his feet looking enraged.

"Be silent, Malcolm!" Donar grumbled. "If you'd simply let Ithil sue for peace once your victory was certain, none of us would even be here! This contest has nothing to do with honor or your 'vision' for Gustekan purity. It's all about Ithil threatening your trading monopoly. You're just trying to line your own pockets!"

"Agreed," Patrick muttered, fidgeting nervously. "We do need to do something about this though. We can't let Lagunica think that it can get away with this kind of interference unchallenged."

"But we can't escalate the conflict either," Donar replied.

"Hit them hard enough and they'll learn not to hit back!" Argus declared.

Donar looked Argus in the eye. "I spent my youth fighting in the wars against Lagunica," Donar said intently. "The better part of my marriage was squandered dealing with the battles between Hilde and Voivode. I lost two of three sons in the war against Karargi. I do not wish to lose the last son."

Argus had no answer to this and bowed his head.

Vlad was sneering. "I don't wish to lose my last son," Vlad said in a mocking, falsetto under his breath. Everyone pretended not to hear him.

"Alright," Argus sighed. "If not war then what?"

"A threat of war might serve us just as well as the real thing," Patrick mused. "If we march our forces to the border and dig in there, we'd be a threat that Lagunica could not ignore. Then we could invite them to keep their noses out of our business unless they'd like us to stop over in their kingdom for a bit."

"Sound strategy," Donar approved. "Let's be careful to get our message across without provoking escalation. Are we all willing to provide troops?"

"House Griest has an army of five thousand prepared to march tomorrow," Malcolm declared. "They were to march to Siros and end the conflict but let it be clear that House Griest is prepared to once again honor its duty as the primary defender of Gusteko."

The other princes looked unimpressed.

Argus shook his head. "I can't very well send all my soldiers. I have bandits and the like to deal with. The best I can do is send half. Say a thousand troops."

"I'll also offer a thousand," Donar added. "If House Griest is sending almost half of its army to the border then we should do the same."

"I can probably manage that," Patrick sighed.

"I can field two thousand troops," Vlad sneered. "I'm not holding back! All of my forces will march together to the border!"

The princes looked at Vlad with annoyance.

"Should we send out an envoy as well?" Patrick suggested.

Malcolm shook his head. "Let them come to us and sue for peace! They were the ones who escalated! If we approach them first it will make us look weak."

The others nodded.

"Is there anything else to discuss then?" Argus asked.

No one said anything.

Donar sighed as he stood. "A grim business, gentlemen. Let's hope that it ends quickly and bloodlessly," He said as he and the other princes filed out of the room.

Vlad stayed behind a moment, grumbling.

"Vlad," Malcolm an Griest said in a quiet voice.

"Malcolm," Vlad replied, in his standard growl.

"I view this situation as… an opportunity. I suspect that you do as well," Malcolm murmured.

"Aye. But I don't think anyone has the balls to take advantage of it," Vlad sneered.

"But I bet you do," Malcolm mused. "Once war is out of the box, there's no putting it back in."

Vlad snorted. "Those pussies won't attack! They'll stand their ground and turn to stone, no matter what insult Lagunica offers."

"You're probably right," Malcolm agreed. "That just means that we need to make Lagunica play the aggressor."

Vlad looked at Malcolm intrigued. "How would we do that?"

"None of the other Princes are going to talk to Lagunica," Malcolm said as if just thinking out loud. "But if Lagunica got a message claiming that we intend to invade, say one signed by all the Princes, they would have to interpret our presence on the border as an eminent attack."

Vlad scoffed. "Those prince pricks would never sign their names to a letter like that!"

"No," Malcolm admitted. "But, do you really think that anyone would recognize their handwriting? Lagunica certainly won't contact any of them to ask for details. All it would take is six signatures…"

Malcolm walked calmly out of the room.

Outside, each Prince was met by his honor guard and his weapons returned to him before they departed back to their own lands.

Vlad brought up the rear. His guard captain, Lear, handed him his weapon, a massive, double-sided battle-axe.

"Did everything go well, your highness?" Lear asked.

Vlad didn't respond.

Lear tensed. Vlad liked Lear as well as he liked anybody but Lear knew that it didn't take much for Vlad to go from 'slightly annoyed' to 'swinging his axe to kill.'

A moment later, Lear realized that he'd been mistaken. Vlad wasn't angry. He was thinking.

"Lear," Vlad growled a moment later.

"Sir!" Lear said, snapping to attention.

"Tonight, you're going to send a letter to Lagunica. This is what it will say…"

At daybreak, Subaru woke up without ever realizing that he'd fallen asleep.

Some sentry I am, Subaru grumbled to himself, gently moving Emilia off his lap. His arm felt much better although still not as strong as before.

Subaru walked over to Anri and gently shook her.

She moaned. "Subaru? That you?" She sat up with a yawn.

"Yup, it's sunrise," Subaru replied, sifting through the dying cinders of their camp fire.

Anri got up. "I'll change Emilia's bandages before we go then."

"Need any help?"

"Thanks but no thanks," Anri replied. "If you freak out at the wrong time, you'll do more harm than good."

Anri started to work on Emilia's bandages. "OK, this is great. The wounds are mending nicely with the help of a little magic. They should be all gone in a day or two."

Subaru sighed. "Thanks, Anri."

Anri thought for a moment. "OK, Subaru, I'm not going to give her another dose of the sedative right now. We can always give her another one later if she's still in too much pain but I think that it's time for her to wake up and eat something. Her body needs fuel."

Subaru's eyes brightened. "You think she's going to wake up?" He asked excitedly.

"Well, it won't be for several hours," Anri replied thinking. "Maybe even tomorrow morning."

Subaru had a huge smile on his face. "That's incredible news," He sighed. "I can't believe how much I've missed her, even though she's still with me."

"Hey, don't get too excited. I've been dosing her heavily with sedatives. She may not wake up until tomorrow."

Subaru's smile didn't flicker. "Got it."

Subaru put out the fire and started to pack up their makeshift camp while Anri changed Emilia's bandages.

Subaru scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, Anri, do you think that Emilia would be OK being carried in the saddle today?"

Anri nodded. "Sure, her wounds are mending nicely. I wouldn't go crazy with the bouncing though," Anri warned.

Subaru looked over at the yawning Patrasche who had just stood up.

"That sound OK to you, girl?" He asked pointedly. "Would you rather take it easy and not go crazy with the running on this trip instead of pulling the wagon for another day?"

Patrasche gave an enthusiastic hoot.

"Hey, Subaru," Anri muttered. "Do you really think we can carry all this stuff on Patrasche?" She asked, looking through the packed wagon.

Subaru shook his head. "We won't even try. We'll pack the food and whatever medicine we actually need into Patrasche's saddle bags. We'll hide the wagon in the trees here and then come back for it when we're ready to take you to meet up with Victoire. We're pretty far off the beaten trail. I doubt that anyone will stumble over the wagon by accident."

Anri thought about that for a moment then nodded. "OK so we'll double back here to get the wagon when we head to Stoneybrooke."

Patrasche whimpered in protest.

Subaru sighed. "Also, maybe we'll stop in Rixum and price another earth dragon to pull the cart…"

Crusch Karnstein stood before the sages' council in a private, closed session. She was dressed in her uniform and stood ramrod straight, trying to convince the sages of the seriousness of her report.

So far, this had proved difficult.

"Lady Crusch," Dore began with a sigh. "Do you truly expect us to believe that the Witch of Envy is free and roaming the world again? And that she has made an alliance with Subaru Natsuki?" Dore's skepticism was palpable.

Crusch took a deep breath. "Your excellencies, we know that this person was freed from a place referred to as 'the Witch's Tomb' in the Sanctuary. My officers and Subaru Natsuki's own faction can both attest to the powerful and dangerous magic that she possesses. She even managed to escape from Reinhard van Astrea! I would respectfully argue that assuming she is a threat to the Kingdom until we discover evidence to the contrary is wise and prudent."

The sages seemed to mull that over.

"That might make sense," Byrd admitted. "But what are you suggesting that we do about it?"

"We must immediately devote all of our efforts to locating Subaru Natsuki and ascertaining what is really going on," Crusch replied. "We can not make any kind of effective strategy for a situation that we do not understand. Whether Subaru Natsuki is a willing conspirator of the witch or a helpless captive, we must understand what the situation really is as soon as possible in order to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the kingdom."

There was a knock at the door.

McMahon looked annoyed. "Enter!"

A young functionary in an elaborate hooded robe entered carrying a scroll.

McMahon sighed. "Adjunct. We are in session!" He grumbled. "If you are going to insist on continually interrupting our councils, I begin to wonder why we bother having a door on the council chamber at all!"

Dore chuckled.

The adjunct flinched. "A thousand apologies, excellencies. However, I believe that this missive has direct bearing on your deliberations. It reached us from Gusteko just moments ago."

"Gusteko?" Crusch asked sharply.

The adjunct nodded and handed McMahon the scroll. She then bowed her way back out of the room.

McMahon read the scroll and his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Choi asked.

"Gusteko threatens war!" McMahon said incredulously.

The sages all looked shocked. "I thought that the Hierocracy was firmly against conflict with other nations!" Aghart said.

"This message isn't from the Church. It's from Vlad an Voivode," McMahon explained.

Byrd snorted. "Oh. Is that all? That blowhard threatens war three times a season."

"This may be a bit more serious," McMahon murmured. "He is demanding reparations for a cowardly attack by Lagunica. And this letter has signatures from allthe Princes of Gusteko!"

"An attack? What attack?" Aghart demanded.

"Voivode claims that Subaru Natsuki and a witch attacked and destroyed a small village in Gusteko called Iruk as well as savaged a military camp. He says that there were heavy casualties. He's demanding reparations for this cowardly attack and that Lagunica publicly accept responsibility for using a witch in warfare against all rules of civilized behavior. He claims that forces are already being gathered and that if their demands aren't met, they'll come and take it themselves."

The sages muttered among themselves. Crusch was already trying to consider what forces could be relocated from the southern border to the northern border without emboldening Vollachia.

"What kind of reparations is he demanding?" Dore asked.

"The city of Ganaks," McMahon replied, reading the letter. "And a great deal of our northern territory! Gusteko's southern border would be miles away from the capitol! He must know that we'd never accept this!"

"It's a pretense," Byrd said. "He sent us a demand that he knows we must refuse. It's just an excuse to goad the nations into a war. Voivode has been squabbling with the Holy King and the Hierocracy for years. He's likely hoping this would get him more leverage in that struggle. I've heard that the Holy King is dying. Voivode must want to take action and start a war with Lagunica before a new Holy King can be crowned to rein him in."

"This is a dire matter," McMahon mused. "Subaru Natsuki is a royal candidate. At least arguably, he represents Lagunica in foreign affairs, if foreign nations choose to view him so. If he truly is traveling the world in the company of a witch…"

"It would be disastrous!" Choi spat. "The other nations could accuse Lagunica of fostering witches which is against all international law and codes of good behavior! It would be all the excuse Vollachia and Gusteko need to attack us now that the dragon's pact is in doubt. Even Kararagi might become involved! Lagunica does not have the strength to oppose the other nations combined!"

"Subaru Natsuki should be removed from the selection immediately and declared an outlaw!" Aghart argued.

"With respect," Crusch interrupted, startling the sages. They appeared surprised to find that she was still in the room. "I submit that Subaru Natsuki is not the greatest problem. Our chief concern should be the witch. We would be remiss in not considering the political ramifications of her alliance with Subaru Natsuki but her powers appear to be growing steadily. In just a matter of days since her liberation, she is already capable of eradicating a large village! What will she be able to do in a year? The Witch of Envy nearly destroyed the world last time. We can't allow her to try again! We…"

Crusch trailed off as she realized that the sages were staring down at her with profound skepticism. "Lady Crusch," Aghart said with annoyance. "The fact that Subaru Natsuki has fallen in with a witch appears to be clear. That does not mean that the legendary Witch of Envy is free!"

"I'd like to point out that the fact that Subaru Natsuki is traveling with a witch at all is still supposition," Dore interjected.

"What about the report we just read?" Choi demanded.

"The report from Vlad an Voivode?!" Byrd asked scoffed. "Because he is a reliable source! Voivode has been trying to motivate Gusteko into attacking Lagunica for decades. We should send our own private inquiry to ascertain the truth of these allegations! Before we bow our heads and permit our names to be blackened in the eyes of the surrounding nations, we should at the very least confirm that these events actually took place!"

"Yes," McMahon said thoughtfully. "We must do that forthwith. Lady Crusch, can you send a small expedition north of the border to investigate?"

Crusch nodded. "They must move in secret. If they are discovered it will only fan the flames of Gusteko's rage. I'll need to send a small group of our best men."

"In the meantime, we must learn more about this witch and what Subaru Natsuki's relationship with her is," Byrd mused. "We should summon Miss Felt to provide testimony as soon as possible."

After several hours of deliberations, Crusch left the council chamber feeling that she hadn't convinced anyone of her concerns. She found Montefort waiting patiently for her outside.

"What news, Lady Crusch?" He asked.

"Vlad an Voivode threatens war," Crusch said grimly.

"Is it time to have the hedges trimmed already?" Montefort asked calmly.

Crusch gave him a perplexed look.

"I remind myself to call the gardener each time Vlad an Voivode threatens war. He is most reliable in his punctuality."

Crusch actually began to chuckle.

Montefort smiled. "Even in times of crisis it is always important to keep one's good humor, Lady Crusch."

Crusch shook her head with a smile. "I'm afraid that this time things appear to be a bit more dire, Lord Montefort. Prince Vlad accuses Subaru Natsuki and his witch of attacking a village in Gusteko. He is demanding that Lagunica pay reparations for the damages and war is in the offing if not."

Montefort frowned. "May I assume that the cost of the reparations Prince Vlad is demanding would be functionally equivalent to losing the war anyway?"

"You may. The sages' council is still debating what to do about the matter. In the meantime we must ascertain at the very least whether this attack actually happened or not. I need to send a small elite team to enter Gusteko in secret and verify Voivode's charges."

Montefort thought for a moment. "A suggestion, Lady Crusch?"

"Of course," Crusch asked.

"I was thinking that this might be a useful opportunity to allow the other royal candidates to… cooperate. I'd suggest that each camp send their champion to investigate and, if possible, free Subaru Natsuki from the Witch and bring him home. It would be the most effective strategy and the best optics for all three camps. It might even… reopen the royal selection somewhat," Montefort mused.

Crusch thought about it then nodded. "That makes sense. Anastasia and Priscilla apparently still wish to make an accommodation with Subaru Natsuki. They should be amendable to this plan as well."

"The royal assembly could simply make it a command, Lady Crusch," Montefort suggested.

Crusch shook her head. "I like to observe the niceties when possible, Lord Montefort. Poaching Anastasia's chosen knight will put her nose out of joint and Priscilla is contrary by nature. A small amount of respect will pay dividends in the future."

"Forgive me, Lady Crusch," Montefort said with a slight bow. "This situation has me all kerbobbled. I have forgotten the customary courtesies. You are right to rebuke me. Your father would have said much the same."

"Thank you, Lord Montefort," Crusch said with a smile.

"Splendid," Montefort replied. "Can I leave it to you, Lady Crusch, to explain our situation to the other candidates? I have a royal assembly meeting to prepare for."

"Of course, I'll see to it straight away, Lord Montefort. Good luck with your meeting and, as always, thank you for your wise counsel."

Montefort gave a reverent bow. "Of course, my Lady, of course."

Crusch exited the hall.

Montefort watched her leave with a thoughtful expression.

It was growing dark when Patrasche charged across the frozen river toward the village was just a few miles away.

They'd followed the edge of the Elior forest to nearly it's southeastern tip near Rixum before entering the wood and returning to the village along the route that Subaru knew.

Subaru held Emilia nestled against his shoulder, wrapped up in as many blankets as they could find. Anri rode behind them.

Patrasche reached Emilia's cottage and Subaru reined her in. He help Anri dismount. He then carefully carried Emilia down off the riding dragon.

Subaru gently carried Emilia into the cottage. The cottage was cold and pitch dark.

Oh right. We need to start a fire.

"Anri, can you start a fire?" Subaru asked.

Anri nodded and gathered a handful of kindling from the wood pile. She took out her flint and managed to strike a small flame. The kindling burned and she quickly fed it with twigs and small branches.

Subaru unwrapped Emilia's swaddling blankets and tucked her naked body into bed, wrapping the covers around her tightly and piling blankets on top. Her side was still tightly bandaged.

"Subaru," Anri said, stepping away from the growing fire. "I'm going to drop my bag off in the other cottage and bring Patrasche back to the stable. I'll be right back."

Subaru nodded. "OK. Say, Anri, how brave are you feeling tonight?"

Anri gave Subaru a worried look. "…Why?"

"Because I'm about to try to make supper," Subaru deadpanned, rummaging through the food bags.

Anri scowled at him and walked back outside the cottage, muttering curses under her breath.

Subaru sat beside Emilia for a long moment. "Don't worry, Mili," he said, stroking her hair. Emilia smiled in her sleep at his touch. He took a deep breath. "Mili, I never realized… how terrible this world has really been to you. I was completely blind to it the entire time we were roaming around the capitol. I mean, I knew that there were racists and fanatics who would call you names but until we went to Rixum, I never realized how…" He trailed off.

Subaru shook his head. "I'm going to protect you, Mili. That's why I'm on this world, to take care of you, not to compete for some stupid throne. You deserve a hero, Mili. Unfortunately, for the moment, you have nothing better than me to work with. But I can do it, Mili. I want to do it. Mili, since coming here, you've shown me who I was meant to be. Every day I watched you aspire to change the world. You never gave up. No matter what people said and did to you, you kept right on going. I admired you so much for that, Mili."

Subaru hesitated. "You know, I don't think I ever told you that," He said in surprise. "I need to tell you. I need to tell you how much I admire you. Mili, you're the kind of person that I wish I could be. But at the end of the day, I'm just me. I can't be like you, Mili. But I can guard, protect and love you. I can keep you safe on this journey we're on together. I can make you happy…"

Emilia kept right on sleeping.

Subaru chuckled ruefully and got up off the bed. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty boring when I try to be all philosophical and profound."

Subaru sat down at the table and pulled out some vegetables from the food bags.

Subaru inspected the vegetables with confusion. "You know, Emilia, I have no idea what most of these vegetables even are. After being on this world for two months, that's a little embarrassing."

Emilia didn't respond.

Subaru stood up and started filling a pot full of water. He grabbed a knife off the counter and started trying to peel one of the vegetables, a round plant with a tough black outer casing. Subaru cut through the casing and found that the vegetable was lime green inside.

OK. I'm not good at this. I feel like I'm less peeling off that tough outer layer of skin and more slicing through half the vegetable.

I need to get better at peeling vegetables and making food. Nobody else is going to feed us, after all.

"Well, Mili, we're home again. Home. This really could be our home. Still feels funny to say that word but the more I think about it, the more it feels like it fits. What a long, strange road we took to get here…"

Subaru kept struggling with peeling the strange vegetable. He knew this was good practice and he kept trying to get better at it. Before he knew it, almost forty minutes had passed with Subaru trying to peel the same vegetable.

Anri rushed into the cottage, panting and with a pale face.

"Anri?" Subaru asked. "What's wrong?"

She gasped for breath. "Subaru. People! People in the forest!"

"What?!" Subaru shouted jumping up.

Anri nodded. "My legs were feeling stiff so I decided to take a walk. I found tracks, Subaru. Lots of tracks. There are a lot of people in the forest!"

Subaru's heart stopped. Who is it? Reinhard wouldn't bring a crowd with him. Neither would Regulus. Who else might be here looking for us?!

Maybe those weirdos who destroyed the grove?

Hang on, don't panic, Subaru. Maybe this has nothing to do with you and Emilia at all.

But you had better check it out and make sure…

"Alright," Subaru said handing Anri the badly peeled vegetable and grabbing his hooded robe. "I'm going to go out and check this out! Where did you say you saw the tracks?"

"By the river," Anri answered. "Follow the river north. You can't miss them!"

"Right," Subaru muttered. "You stay here with Emilia and finish cooking dinner!"

"OK…" Anri stared at the vegetable that Subaru had handed her. She gave him a strange look. "Subaru, what are you making?"

Subaru shook his head, still preoccupied with Anri's news. "I thought that I'd make us a vegetable soup tonight. It's quick, easy, and it's even possible that it's a simple enough meal that I won't completely screw it up."

Anri had a dubious look on her face. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Anri said slowly. "But I've never heard of anyone putting an avocado in a vegetable soup."

Subaru covered his eyes. "That's what this is?!" He asked.

"Of course. You've never seen one before?"

Subaru shook his head. "I guess I never saw one raw."

"Well, you already peeled it," Anri said, picking up some of the peeled skin and looking at the healthy amount of fruit still stuck to it in disbelief. "Well, kind of. We might as well do something with it."

Subaru sighed. "Let's see if there's any bread in these bags. I've heard that avocado is very good on toast."

Anri laughed then her face grew serious. "Subaru, if you're going to follow those tracks you should really get going," She urged. "Patrasche is probably getting ready to sleep and it's just going to get colder outside."

Subaru nodded. "Look after Emilia while I'm gone," Subaru asked as he walked to the door.

"Of course!"

Subaru rode Patrasche down the frozen river, looking at both sides of the riverbank for tracks.

OK, no tracks so far. You'd think after a big storm like we had a few days ago, all the animals in the forest would be coming down to the river to get a drink… except that there are no animals in the forest. There are only mabeasts that don't need to eat or drink… right. Well, if nothing else, that should make whatever tracks I am looking for easy to spot.

Subaru rode down the frozen river at a leisurely trot for more than half an hour.

I've gone pretty far. Maybe I should have asked for better directions. I doubt that Anri could have walked this far down the river…

He was just about to give up on Anri's warning as being a false alarm when he spotted some marks in the show and urged Patrasche over to investigate.

He reined Patrasche in and studied the disturbed snow. "I'm not sure how fresh these marks are. They have to be no older than today or the storm would have covered them up. It looks like a large group of men and… five carts, maybe six carts are trying to come through the forest. Why are they doing that?"

Patrasche gave Subaru a patient look.

Subaru scratched his chin, "If they're carrying this many carts then they need to be merchants of some kind. Or maybe settlers? Hard to imagine anyone wanting to move into the forest but either one could put us in danger. We need to investigate."

Subaru rode along down the river, following the tracks as the evening deepened and the cold became sharp and bitter. It wasn't long before Subaru spotted a large fire burning in the distance. Subaru reined in Patrasche in the trees and slid down. "Stay here," He whispered.

Patrasche's cluck sounded somewhat petulant.

Subaru smiled, "Good girl," He said, patting her face.

Subaru stayed low as he crept toward the fire. His hooded robe helped him blend in with the shadows of the dark wood.

Subaru slowly moved closer to the fire in the clearing until he found that he could hear the men's voices. He stopped to listen, hiding in the nearby trees. There was a regiment of tents set up in the clearing. Subaru guessed it was twenty to forty men. A small group of them were clustered around the campfire. Most of the others seemed to be asleep inside their tents.

"Is anybody going to be able to sleep tonight?" One fat man with a short gray beard grumbled. He had the bright red nose of a hard drinker. He was dressed in patched, old clothes and he had a rusty sword belted at his side.

"Will you relax, Joe?" A younger man with a long face and large hands said. "We haven't seen so much as a squirrel since we came into these woods."

The fat man spat into the fire. "Young men. Their eyes look but they never see. Doesn't that seem ominous to any of you? When the animals avoid a place, there's probably a good reason for it!"

"Forget it, Bob," A grizzled old man with a pipe said to the younger one. "Joe's just that sort. Always throwing salt over his shoulder and talking about making money whenever his palm itches!"

"You may say so, Tim, but mark my words: Lady Koi has sent us all into peril just to save a few coppers! This forest is cursed and everybody knows it!" Joe snapped.

"All the better, Joe! The curse can't be meant for us," Bob pointed out, "But the local garrison isn't going to pursue us through a cursed forest. We'll be over the border and into Gusteko in half the time!"

"There are mabeasts in these woods," Joe grumbled. "Big ones. And my grandmother once saw the Witch of the Woods. She said that devils roam this forest and sometimes they come through the villages in the dead of night, tempting men into dark accords."

Witch of the Woods?! Do these men remember Emilia?!

…No, probably not. I'm guessing that they just have stories handed down to them about the other elves who lived in the forest before they were frozen.

"Is this the same grandmother who used to drink paint when she couldn't afford liquor?" Tim asked in a bored voice.

Bob waved a large hand dismissively. "We can handle a few mabeasts, Joe. We've got thirty men! There's nothing about us that should attract the attention of anything big and we can run off a few wolgarm," Bob said.

"Wolgarm are one thing, boy, but there are Guiltylowe in the forest. Rumors say that there's even a Snow Blight in these woods. Ever seen one? A small army would struggle to bring it down!" Joe growled.

I can vouch for that.

"Ignore this old fool, Bob," Tim muttered, refilling his pipe. "Snow Blights are attracted to mana. It takes a large amount of mana to get the attention of a Guiltylowe, much less a Snow Blight. That's why the Lady sent us instead of her best guards."

"You're an idiot, Tim," Joe snapped. "Not that that's news. I knew that you were an idiot twenty years ago. Lady Koi sent us because we're expendable. If we don't make it to Gusteko alive, she hasn't lost much."

"Forget it," Tim grumbled. "We'll be out of the forest by end of day tomorrow and over the border into Gusteko. We'll deliver the Lady's goods to the distributor and head back along the main road. No need for hiding then."

Bob picked at his chin. "You know, me and some of the boys were talking about doing a little hunting while we're in here…"

Tim squinted at him. "Hunting? Nothing lives in these forests except mabeasts. And mabeast meat would turn a rodent sick," Tim replied.

"Nah, Tim. They're talking about going hunting for the Witch of the Wood," Bob whispered.

The two older men sat there in stupefied silence.

Joe's jaw hung open. "Gods above. Lady Koi really is trying to get rid of all the mental deadwood in the organization," Joe mourned. "Why the hell am I here?!"

"Have you gone completelyinsane, Bob?" Tim asked.

"What? We got more than twenty strong lads with us, plus you old codgers," Bob snickered. "We sneak up on the witch real quiet-like and then: Off with her head! There's a big reward for captured or killed Cultists, you know."

"Witches and Witch Cultists are two different things, you slack-jawed gewgaw," Joe said in a pained voice. "If the whole lot of you go chasing after a witch, there won't be enough of you left to bury! Unless you she turns you into something unnatural or puts you in the stew. Didn't you hear what Tod said about that frozen woman he saw in Iruk?"

Bob laughed. "Don't tell me that you believe all that bullocks about the Bowel Hunter being turned into an ice sculpture by a witch. Besides, we have trained fighters with us. Men who do their fighting for the Black Silver Coins. Thirty men against one witch? We'll lure her out and then one quick slash will put an end to her."

Subaru's mind erupted in flames. For a moment he wanted to dash into that clearing and strangle the lot of them with his bare hands.

Subaru slowly unclenched his fists and slipped away from the clearing.

Alright, so these men are smugglers of some kind. From what I can remember from my reading and from what Anri told me, Gusteko charges outrageous tariffs on foreign products and there's big business in running goods across the border. Now it seems that these men are hoping to use the forest as cover when they sneak over the border into Gusteko. It's actually not a terrible idea. According to the map, the forest does run over the Gusteko border and most of the locals are afraid of it so it's an ideal route for smuggling. It sounds like this 'Lady Koi' has sent these men as a test run to see if the woods are as dangerous as the legends say. I think that I had better confirm her suspicions.

Still, thirty men is more than I can handle in a straight fight and I can't count on them panicking and running away while they're in a forest that they seem to be afraid of. If these smugglers stand their ground and fight then sooner or later, they'll wear through Indomitable. If the Authority's true power activated then there would be no problem but like always, it seems that it only works when it feels like it.

A cold voice from the depths of his mind commented, You can't let these men leave this forest. If this 'trial run' succeeds then more and more people will come into the Elior Forest and that will put Emilia in increasing amounts of danger. That even ignores the possibility that some of these men might actually be dumb enough to go Witch hunting. Emilia is a gentle soul. If these men spoke kind words to her, they could easily take her off guard. Emilia is a sheep vulnerable to any wolf that can put on a kindly face. That is a chance that you simply can not afford to take.

It's time that you faced reality. Ever since the Sanctuary you've been dealing with disaster after disaster because you've been trying to worry about too many people. If you'd learned to just say 'Sorry, can't help you. I have my own problems,' then you, Emilia, and the spirits, would be safe in Gusteko right now and planning a new life for yourselves.

There's no way around it. These men must die.

Subaru shook off the cold words.

I do need to face reality. I am not a hero. Being a hero is easy in the story books. No matter what stupid, self-destructive thing the hero puts himself through for the benefit of everyone else, the author always makes sure that things work out for him at the end of the day. What an easy job…

In real life, sacrificing for other people means actually sacrificing for them. You give something up and you don't get it back. That's what I kept trying to do out of some ludicrous fantasy that things would just work out somehow. Because of that stupidity, I've let my family get ripped in half!

I'm sick of trying to be a hero. It's a thankless, sucky job. Reinhard is a hero. He lives for sacrifice. Even if he knew who Emilia really was, I have no doubt that he'd sacrifice her in a heartbeat to protect the world. He'd likely even sacrifice Felt if it came down to it.

Me? I'm not a hero. I'd burn this entire world to ash in order to keep Emilia safe.

That is who I am.

Without even thinking about how to do it, Subaru sent out a call.