“Don’t let the ring of fire distract you, Neph. Liliara’s true power is a bit more complicated than that... My only hope is that she controls it properly.”

-Ira when asked about Liliara’s power by Nephele.

...

Liliara was clearly very happy to see Casimir seeing as she went to greet him herself as soon as he entered the manor.

“Brother,” Liliara spoke warmly.

However, every single trace of joy vanished when she laid eyes on Horace and Gwendolyn. The Dragonkin she sent to scout the city of Argos informed her of his presence as soon as they discovered him. There was also a report about the two individuals in his company, but she didn’t have a solid information network available to discern the origins of the Ravenport's.

Sensing her coldness toward them, Casimir began to speak, “It’s good to see you, Liliara… I half-expected you to attack me.”

Liliara softly laughed as she turned her attention back to Casimir, “Raveria, Zephyr, and Valeryn fought in the pre-exodus war so they definitely deserve that amount of precaution. So remember, if you encounter either one of them, it’s better to attack first.”

There was a brief pause as Gwendolyn and Horace struggled to understand what she meant by ‘pre-exodus’ war. From their knowledge, there was no such conflict, or at least, none that were given the same name.

“In any case, I presume you being here has something to do with these two, no?” Liliara asked.

“That’s part of the reason, yes,” Casimir answered with a nod.

“I see.” Liliara’s red eyes flickered over to Gwendolyn before moving to Horace who found himself shivering.

Even if the young woman in front of him stood at a level of completely unprecedented beauty, he didn’t have enough courage to admire it, let alone meet her eyes. Liliara’s presence alone was more than enough to drive fear into Horace and Gwendolyn. In the case of the latter, her lack of sight didn’t prevent the spine-chilling sensation that came with Liliara’s gaze.

“Very well,” Liliara finally spoke before turning on her heels and gesturing for them to follow.

“I’ll have someone carry your belongings in,” Liliara said, nodding to one of her nearby servants. “In the meantime, why don’t you begin to explain what you need of me?”

“Well…” Casimir tried to figure out where to start. “You see, I was wondering if…-”

“Excuse me, I am Lady Gwendolyn Francesca Ravenport and I was hoping to establish a trade contract with you. Your brother has been very kind but I do not intend on relying on goodwill alone. I am more than ready to discuss terms with you.” Gwendolyn spoke up.

Casimir flinched, the Dragonkin grimaced viciously, and Liliara stopped walking.

“Lady Gwendolyn Francesca Ravenport, was it?” Liliara asked slowly.

“Y-Yes?” Gwendolyn answered shakily, suddenly feeling as if the same confidence she used to convince Casimir had suddenly fled.

Before anyone could react, Liliara had stood in front of Gwendolyn, gripped her neck, and lifted her into the air.

“Gwendolyn!” Horace cried out but was immediately pounced upon by the Dragonkin who restrained him.

“Liliara,” Casimir said with a frown. It was more than enough to transmit his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Gwendolyn could only gasp for breath while held by Liliara.

“Who are you to interrupt us when we are speaking? You are not on equal footing with me, human,” Liliara spoke in a chilling tone as her eyes narrowed in disgust.

Her rage made the entire room turn cold and it seemed as if she would execute Gwendolyn on the spot.

“Liliara,” Casimir said again as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“If not for Casimir, I would have snapped your feeble neck and beheaded your uncle without a second thought, Lady Gwendolyn.” Liliara’s expression loosened into a smile as she gently released Gwendolyn.

The Dragonkin let go of Horace and he immediately went to help Gwendolyn who was busy coughing. Casimir, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief.

“Well, you do have a certain quality about you that I find pleasing Lady Gwendolyn. At least, enough for me to allow you to remain in my younger brother’s company.” Liliara softly laughed as if she hadn’t tried to kill Gwendolyn only a few seconds beforehand.

“Liliara... Gwendolyn’s territory is in a bind and she needs financial help. The merchants at Argos wanted to drive her out of her territory so I thought that you would be the best option.” Casimir rushed the point of his visit along so no other life-threatening events would occur.

“Hm? I suppose you’re right… This land of mine is barren, without a single fertile pile of soil to be found. If you have something to remedy my starving people, I will offer you silver ore in return.”

“W-We have a surplus of grain from this year’s harvest… We also can provide enough fish to feed several dozen households, though it would need to be salted and dried so we can transport it without it spoiling.” Gwendolyn rubbed her aching neck as she spoke.

To her credit, it did take a certain type of person to ignore their near-death experience and continue on without missing a beat. It drew some slight approval out of Liliara, but not very much.

“Very good,” Liliara replied.

Even as her people were on the verge of starving, she didn’t seem to show an ounce of desperation or concern.

“Now, Casimir, there is something I want from you in exchange.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to be there with me when I take Argos.”

Horace and Gwendolyn quietly gasped, but Liliara ignored them.

“You’re going to siege that city?” Even Casimir seemed a little surprised.

“Indeed, I am… The information the Dragonkin provided shows that Argos is now a corrupted husk of its former self. The truly skilled opponents who once stood guard are nowhere to be found. The ones who you were entangled with are much smaller on the food chain.”

“Really?” Casimir asked, astounded. He underestimated the humans of this world greatly if there were individuals who held more strength than the few opponents he faced.

“Do you think I would lie to you?”

“I suppose not.”

“I’ve been looking into the recent history of this continent and there are some very notable figures about, but they tend to keep away from the more mundane circles of society.”

“Ah, speaking of, did you know that Valeryn was in Argos long before me?”

“I had no idea. I wasn’t able to send my people to Argos until recently since my Imperium isn't stable at the moment.” Liliara became a little more serious at the mention of her older brother.

“Well, all I know is that he killed three swordmasters before heading west.”

“Did he? If I know Valeryn, he’s looking for sword-wielding opponents to gain enlightenment of some kind.”

“Does that mean I should still be wary if I run across him?”

“Of course you should. Valeryn will test you the moment he lays his eyes on you.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Oh, there was another thing I wanted to ask you about.”

“Then ask.”

“I’ve managed to obtain an aura manifestation technique.”

“Ah, lucky you.”

“Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, I was wondering if there was somewhere quiet where I could try to practice it.”

“Do you remember the focus technique my mother taught us?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I set aside a room that I can use to hone my focus. There won’t be an issue if you use it for the time being. I’ll have my head servant, Beatrice, show you there.”

“Thank you.”

“This much is nothing, Casimir. However, there is something I’d like to request of you at the moment. Since we haven’t seen each other for quite a while, I’d like to have a friendly match with you."

“I expected that much.” Casimir smiled wryly.

Liliara’s smile brightened at his response and waved to her head servant, an older brown-haired woman.

“Guide my brother’s guests to their rooms. They are allowed to go anywhere except for my quarters and my study.”

“Yes, Sovereign.” Beatrice bowed before gently grasping Gwendolyn’s arm as to guide her. It was done so naturally that her actions almost escaped Horace’s notice.

He wanted to speak up about Liliara’s attitude, but he wisely chose to remain silent. It was clear that she only cared about Casimir.

“I’ll see you both later,” Casimir said to them as they disappeared down a hallway.

“Now, shall we?” Liliara asked with an excited grin.

...

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the courtyard where a group of Liliara’s soldiers was busy training. Casimir immediately noticed an almost fragile looking girl among them who was covered in a few bruises. Margo, the only ordinary human among the bunch was being trained by Reva Greymoon. It was an experience that Margo hadn’t enjoyed since the start, but she knew she had to persevere.

“Again!” Reva called out to Margo. The lycanthrope left herself wide open for an attack as if taunting Margo.

“Ah!” Margo shouted wildly as she rushed toward Reva. She threw a punch with all of her might, but it was easily intercepted by Reva’s palm.

“Quiet down,” Reva growled. “Your shout only served to reveal your intention. If you are weaker than your opponent you do not have the luxury of being so frivolous with your actions. Remain composed at all times.”

As she spoke, her grip around Margo’s hand tightened until the poor girl was forced to kneel.

“You kneel for no one but your Sovereign.” She lifted Margo into the air before tossing her back onto the ground.

“Ah, I presume training is going well, Reva?” Liliara’s voice was met with an instantaneous kneeling by all of her knights.

“As well as to be expected, Sovereign. Without undergoing the blood rite or the bone inscription, there is a limit to what she can learn."

"She'll undergo it when she's ready. Now, you all are dismissed, I wish to spar with my brother.”

The soldiers immediately stopped whatever they were doing and left without question. Even if they were dying to spectate, they wouldn’t dare ask it. As they passed Liliara and Casimir they made sure to bow to the latter. The children of Ir'rah were met with as much reverence as Ir'rah himself.

“You’re doing well, Margo.” Liliara smiled as her newest knight went by.

“Thank you, Sovereign,” Margo repeated with a shy grin, briefly glancing at Casimir before giving a polite but awkward bow.

“So... Where’d you find her?” Casimir asked curiously now that the courtyard had been emptied.

“In the territory of some lord. I burned the town to ashes and she tried to kill me for it.”

Casimir’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he never knew his sister to show mercy. Even back in The City of Ir’rah, she went out of her way to execute those who had forgotten their place and became overly-ambitious. In her own words, it was a necessary course of action since Ira hadn’t shown himself to his people for quite some time.

“You’re surprised I didn’t kill her?” Liliara inquired as she removed her black coat and placed it on a nearby bench.

“A little, yeah,” Casimir spoke honestly.

“This isn’t the city of Ir’rah, brother,” Liliara replied as she rolled up her sleeves.

“Are we using weapons?” Casimir asked while rotating his shoulders.

“This is only a light spar so, no, we are not,” Liliara answered before looking off into nowhere.

“Envoy,” She called out.

A black shadow formed out of thin air before it took the form of a veiled woman wearing long black robes.

“Ah, I didn’t know we were allowed to speak to the Envoys,” Casimir said with a hint of realization.

“This is a sparring session between my brother and I. Therefore the outcome shouldn’t have a negative effect on our positions in the competition, correct?”

“That is correct, Daughter of Ir’rah. As long as both of you recognize it as such, the outcome of your fight will not harm your standings.” The Envoy spoke softly.

“Good.” Liliara moved to stand opposite of Casimir some distance away.

“Take a moment to gather your focus,” Liliara said as she raised her arms slowly before bringing them to complete her stance. As she finished preparing, a strong gust of wind swept past her causing her ponytail to sway. Seeing as they were both in an enclosed courtyard, it wasn’t an act of nature, but rather Liliara bringing out a portion of her own power.

Her expression which was relaxed only a few moments ago became still while her eyes became extremely sharp.

Casimir inhaled deeply before performing a similar action. He raised his arms in front of him and took a stance causing a soft breeze to blow right past him, causing a few strands of his hair to sway. His expression also became similar to his sister as they both entered a state of unparalleled focus.

However, unlike Liliara, veins appeared on Casimir’s arms as they swelled indicating he was planning on using the fullest extent of his strength, or at least, somewhere near it.

The Envoy seemed to take their actions as her signal to leave and slowly faded into nothingness. The moment she disappeared, they moved, causing a loud shockwave to echo through the manor.

In the span of a few seconds, they already had begun trading blows. Casimir’s swings were heavy and wild, but there were obvious hints of practiced discipline within them to a discerning eye. Liliara, on the other hand, was direct, foregoing feints and evasion, choosing to block whatever came toward her instead and counter with attacks of her own.

As Casimir swung his fist, Liliara blocked it with her forearm before accurately striking his chest with her palm. It sent him tumbling backward, but he used the momentum to disperse the power behind the tack and rolled back to his feet only to be greeted by a kick aiming directly for his head.

Casimir clenched his teeth and blocked, but the strength behind Liliara’s kick was nothing to ignore. Another shockwave spread throughout the courtyard as a plume of dust rose up around both of them.

Liliara took the opportunity to leap backward and give Casimir a few moments to catch his breath.

“Don’t do that, Liliara,” Casimir spoke angrily, incensed by her actions. “You wouldn’t retreat for any of the others so don’t do it for me.”

Sensing turbulent emotions stirring within in Casimir, Liliara slightly frowned before nodding her head.

“Forgive me, Casimir, I truly didn’t mean to upset you... I can use a larger portion of my power if you wish for it.” Liliara said in a soft voice.

“Do it then,” Casimir replied while bracing himself. In his memory, there was only one time he had witnessed Liliara’s power before and that was when he called himself weak which caused her to attack without warning.

Without knowing his thoughts, Liliara closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, a ring of red flames rose up around them, but they burned nothing. The scarlet colored fire gracefully danced around them without burning a single thing.

“Make sure you’re prepared,” Liliara spoke grimly.

Casimir was silent in response, choosing to rush directly toward her but as soon as she took a step forward, an unassailable force pressed down on him, stopping him in his tracks. It was as if gravity itself conspired against him, but that wasn’t all. He felt as if his strength was slowly being drained away from him and quickly began to exert more force.

Part of Liliara’s ability revealed itself and very true to her nature, it demonstrated she could suppress anyone within the ring of red fire. It was unknown how her other siblings might have reacted, but Casimir was unable to resist. He felt his entire skeleton creak as he put every ounce of strength he could muster into fighting Liliara’s suppression. He growled deeply as more veins appeared on his arms and neck. As he began to stand, Liliara took another step forward and he was pressed back down.

Liliara kept quiet as she observed her brother. She felt anticipation toward his struggle, hoping that he would possibly awaken to his power or at least, gain another level of strength.

“Doesn’t this feel familiar to you, Casimir?” Liliara’s voice seemed to be accompanied by a sonorous hum while within her suppressive fire. “There was a time where you could only withstand a single step.”

After saying so, she took her third step forward which increased the pressure on Casimir. A sound resembling a hammer striking an anvil reverberated loudly.

“You called yourself weak that time,” said Liliara as she took her fourth step.

Although she moved lightly, her fourth step pushed Casimir to the ground, but he propped himself up with a single arm.

“At this moment, I see no sign of weakness. You have grown so much, Casimir and I wish for you to grow even more. I want to see you go far beyond your current strength and become something much more. I wish to see that more than anything, brother.”

As if spurred on by Liliara’s words, Casimir let out a bestial howl and rose to his feet before shakily approaching his sister.

To Casimir, it felt as everything in the world was acting to restrain him, but he forced himself to move. With great effort, he raised his hand and reached toward Liliara, only a step away from her. It was such a short distance and yet, he couldn’t move anymore. So, Liliara closed the distance for him, taking her fifth step.

A thunderclap rang out while the ground around Casimir was cracked apart. With Liliara’s fifth and final step, Casimir could only faint before falling into her arms. The flames quickly dissipated and any damage done to the courtyard with the radius of the suppression ring disappeared with it like an illusion. It seemed Liliara’s ability had some effect on reality, but Casimir wasn’t awake to take notice.

“You’ve truly grown, brother.” Liliara took Casimir’s unconscious body into her embrace, supporting him so he didn’t fall onto the ground. She looked at her younger brother with pure affection as she brushed his hair aside.

“You’ve earned your rest,” She carefully carried him out of the courtyard.

When she entered the manor, anyone who saw her approaching quickly stepped out her path before kneeling. No one offered assistance as she would order them to help if she needed it, so they also remained silent as she passed.

“Retrieve the Sovereigns’ coat,” Reva nudged Margo who belatedly nodded before rushing into the courtyard.

She made sure to handle the black coat with care as she went off to find Liliara. After a few minutes, she arrived at one of Liliara’s private rooms.

She softly knocked before a voice replied to her, “Enter.”

Margo walked in and discovered Liliara sitting at Casimir’s bedside. She seemed to disregard all notion of maintaining the standing of a ruler when it came to her brother.

Seeing her Liliara’s gentle expression as she looked over her brother, Margo couldn’t help but be stunned.

“I-I’ve brought your coat, Sovereign,” Margo managed to finally speak.

“...Put it down and leave us.” Liliara replied without turning her eyes away from Casimir.

“Yes, Sovereign.” Margo bowed, sending one final glance to the two siblings before leaving.