Well, methods aside, they managed to find magi Nina a lot faster than they anticipated. Though it didn't look like Alicia was happy to see her and vice versa.

“ Anyway, just what are you here in this town for Alicia Rand Philistine? Surely it's not to come and see me, is it?”- Nina

“ Of course I'm here for you! I'm here to make you my slave again! And that's Madam Alicia to you, what impudence!”- Alicia

“ SCREW THAT! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SLAVE? ARE YOU LOOKING TO DIE WOMAN?”- Nina

“ DIE? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE LAST TIME? IF YOU WANNA RELIVE THAT MOMENT, THEN BRING IT!”- Alicia

The two of them began drawing in a lot of magic to perform a massive spell.

“ Watch out Mr Felix!”- Sakura

“ I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW ALICIA!”- Nina

“ STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN UP THE SAME DREAM, HUH NINA?”- Alicia

“ Stop! You two mustn't unleash your magic in a small town like this!”- Majin

They both finished drawing in their magic and prepared to unleash their spells. Felix felt this had gone on long enough and decided to take action.

“ ENOUGH!”

Felix took his massive sword and brought it down between the two before their spells could collide, causing a small crater that knocked them back. The shockwave left them a little jarred.

“ Who” “ Wha”

“Knock it off! If you two wanna fight, find a freakin coliseum! This is a town for crying out loud.”- Felix

“ Nina what's going on? You didn't get yourself in a fight did you?”- male voice

“ Wha? Thomas!”- Nina

“ Who?”- Alicia

There little scuffle was completely interrupted by a young man with light brown hair and above average looks. He looked to be completely out of breath like he just ran a marathon. The minute Nina saw him, she completely gave up her bloodlust and acted a little timid. Alicia was shocked to see this side of her.

“ Nina who is this guy.”- Alicia

Ahhhh, well?”- Nina

“ Yeah, I think we should discuss this elsewhere.”- Felix

Clearly this was going to be a long conversation and Felix didn't want these two to draw any more attention. Thankfully the new arrival Thomas offered them to stay at their house for a meal. It took a lot of convincing, but Alicia grudgingly agreed to it. After they got their, Alicia continued her questioning of Nina while Thomas left to make food preparations.

“ Let me get this straight Nina, this random guy is actually your fiance?”- Alicia

“ Yeah, what about it?”- Nina

“ He looks like an idiot.”- Alicia

“ What's that supposed to mean?”- Nina

“ IT'S EXACTLY AS I SAID! HE LOOKS DUMB! HE LOOKS STUPID! NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK, HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S SHORT A FEW SCREWS!”- Alicia

“ You! To dare speak that nonsense! I'LL FREAKIN KILL YOU!”- Nina

“ ALRIGHT, BRING IT!”- Alicia

(And we’re back to this.) Majin just what is the history between those two- Felix

“Well as you know, Nina is one of the most powerful mages in history. She was believed to have as much mana as Alicia. While they had similar attributes, they both had different opinions. Be that as it may, it's still a fact that Nina fought alongside us. She always complained and fought with Alicia, but she was a kind woman who cared about her companions.”- Majin

“So basically their comrades through rivalry huh?”- Felix

“By the way, I want you to remove this immortal seal on my forehead! It doesn’t always appear, but it's always a pain in the neck when it does!”- Nina

“Hah, as if I would do something like that! That seal is proof that you’re my maid for life! I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of such great blackmail material, HAHAHAHA!”- Alicia

“That’s it! I've had it up to here with you! If you won't do it, then I'll just kill you and remove it that way!”- Nina

“ Hah, keep dreaming! You couldn't beat me then and you won't beat me now! And even by the slim chance you do, that mark will never disappear! You'll carry it forever and ever!”- Alicia

“ GRRRRRR”

“ Eh”

“ THAT DOES IT ALICIA! I'M FINALLY GOING TO ELIMINATE AN 1000 YEAR- OLD MISTAKE!”-

( Whoops, to far)”- Alicia

“ NINA!”- Thomas

“ EEEEK”- Nina

Thomas took this time to appear before Nina could begin her massacre. That apparently didn't sit well with him from the look he had on his face.

“ I asked you to entertain our guests, not kill them! Just what were you thinking?”- Thomas

“ Well….. it's just…..she…”- Nina

No excuses! Here's the water, so just please go prepare dinner!”- Thomas

“ Yes hon.”- Nina

Nina depressingly got the water and trudged her way to the kitchen.

“ Sorry about all this, we're supposed to be the host.”- Thomas

It's alright.”- Felix

Let me properly introduce myself. I'm Thomas Blake and I'm living here with Nina in Merrifold.”- Thomas

“ My name is Sakura.”- Sakura

“ And I'm Felix Drake”- Felix

“ It's a pleasure. I'm happy to finally meet Nina's friends. Please make yourselves at home.

“ Hey, I've got some questions for you. Are you really Nina's fiance?”- Alicia

“ Uh well yes, that's right.”- Thomas

“ Then since you're together, that means you do ‘this’, ‘that’, and ‘ the other’, right.”- Alicia

“ Umm, I'm not sure what you mean by that, but since we're in a relationship, I think so yes.”- Thomas

“ IN THE NAME OF-- WHY DID NINA AGREE TO MARRY AN IDIOT FARMER LIKE YOU? DID YOU TRICK HER OR SOMETHING? TELL ME THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I BURN THIS PLA-- OUCH!”- Alicia

“ Cool it hothead! We're guests here, don't be so impolite!”- Felix

“ Whose side are you on?”- Alicia

“ N-no it's alright. But I guess this shows that you all have known Nina for quite a long time.”- Thomas

“ That's right. We’ve known her for so long, it could even be called fate.”- Alicia

“I figured as much. Truth be told, I don’t really know so much about Nina’s past. I do know that she has a lot of secrets. She definitely not a regular terran, but something more.”- Thomas

(Well he’s definitely an observant one to say the least.)- felix

“....Right, the atmosphere here is a little too depressing. In any case, your Nina’s friends, that makes you my friends as well. Nina should finish cooking soon, so why don’t we all settle down and eat.”- thomas

“Little punk-- your quick to change the topic. I bet that’s how you managed to win Nina over.”- alicia

“Alicia, knock it off.”- felix

While they were taking a seat a keeping preoccupied, Thomas went to check on Nina to see how she was progressing.

“Hey honey how’s it going? Remember we have more people so be sure to cook a lot.”- Thomas

“Okay”- nina

“Could I be of some help?”- sakura

“Oh there’s no need for that. You’re the guest after all.”- Nina

“It’s fine, I’m a homunculus after all.”- sakura

“Oh, well in that case, do you mind keeping an eye on the fire please?’- nina

“Sure, no problem.”- sakura

While this was going on, the others continued to watch this display with mixed expressions.

“Unbelievable. To see that girl do housework for a farmer--and eventually plan to marry him? Ridiculous.”- alicia

“Clearly it’s because she loves him Alicia. Just look at her. I've known that woman for a couple of hours and even I can tell that she won't take any crap from anyone. Yet here she is moving so naturally. I can easily read people's emotions really well, and I can clearly see she's enjoying this. The only reason for this is if she truly loves him.This isn’t the kind happiness you can fake.”- felix

“ Love huh? I never really understood such a feeling.”

“You may not, but all terrans have this feeling Alicia. Love is a very powerful emotion Alicia. It can make an empire rise or fall. It can make you jealous, angry, sad, or even respect someone. The fact that you dislike that farmer pulling Nina further away from you is proof that you feel it even if you don’t understand it.”

“H-hold on, are you saying that I care for Nina.”

“Well you’re definitely jealous that Thomas took her away from you, that’s for sure.”

“N-no way! I don’t have such foolish emotions!”-

“..........”

“HEY, WHEN’S DINNER GOING TO READY! I’M STARVING OVER HERE!”

“So easy to read.”

Soon the meal was prepared and everyone was seated. It was nothing major, just some soup and some homemade bread, but it was a nice change of pace. Alicia got the least hospitality for obvious reasons.

“HEY, YOU JUST SPILLED THIS ALL OVER! WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS!”- alicia

“THEN JUST LICK IT UP! BE GRATEFUL YOU’RE GETTING A HOME COOKED MEAL!” Nina

“DO YOU WANNA DIE?”- alicia

“LIKE YOU CAN KILL ME!”- nina

“Please try some. I know it’s not much but--”- thomas

“No,no, don’t mind them. Thank you for the food. It’s really good.”- felix

“Yes, I’m really enjoying this.”- sakura

“Oh, thank you for your kind words.”- nina

“Indeed this really isn’t bad. Who knew that Nina would become a good cook.”- alicia

“I was alway a good cook! I just never cooked for you!’- nina

After the two of them calmed down it was relatively quiet during the whole meal. Halfway through it, thomas finally decided to break the ice.

Excuse me Miss Alicia, I’d like to know for what purpose did you come to visit my wife?”- thomas

“To leave.”- alicia

“Pardon?”- thomas

“I plan to take Nina with me as my magi knight.”- alicia

“Alicia, you--!”-

(Way to drop the bomb, Alicia)”- felix

“By my right as magi, I call upon my magi knight bound by the immortal seal.

A moment of silence permeated the room, as looks of shock surfaced on Nina and Thomas. Not a word was said from either side, the only movement coming from Felix as he was counting down the seconds on his fingers.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU DISAPPEAR FOR SEVERAL CENTURIES, AND YOU COME ASKING FOR THIS NOW? IS THIS A JOKE?’- nina

“Nina Delta, have you forgotten that Alica Rand Philistine is our eternal master. You made an oath to serve her and you must honor it.”- majin

“SCREW THAT NONSENSE! I FINALLY FOUND PLACE WHERE I CAN HAVE PEACE, AND NOW YOU WANT ME GO BACK TO ALL THAT MADNESS? I DON’T WANT TO BACK TO THOSE TIMES OF WAR AND GET MY FAMILY MIXED IN WITH ALL THIS! SO JUST DO ME A FAVOR AND LEAVE! HONESTLY, CHAOS FOLLOWS YOU LIKE A PLAGUE AND YOU WELCOME IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY! I’M AT PEACE HERE SO JUST LEAVE!”- nina

“Peace, do you really believe that. You're completely delusional Nina. For us magi, the only place that can be settled peacefully is the land I create. Have you completely forgotten this?”- Alicia

“I…..I….”- Nina

( Well that struck a nerve)- Felix

“ Even if what you say is true, you have no right to take away someone's happiness! Look, I am begging you, I'm happy here Alicia. Please just leave me be!”- Nina

Alicia was shocked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Felix continued to keep a straight face. He already expected something like this to happen so he thought it was best to see how it played out.

“ Nina,do you remember the demon horde.”- Majin

“ Demons?”- Nina

“ Yes, we once did research on them back in the old days. Now, the country of Sylvania has that research and have taken it a step further. They have officially declared their intent to rage war on all races and dominate them all.”- Majin

“ What!”- Nina

“ Merrifold is definitely within range and will most likely be one of their first targets. So there's good chance you'll be engulfed in the chaos of war whether you like it or not. You should know full well what happens to terrans when they collude with demons. If we allow this to continue, it would be pandemonium. The only one who can prevent all this is miss Alicia. We have to help her prepare for the day she strikes. That is our duty as magi knights. ”- Majin

“ So what! Demons? Sylvania? They mean nothing to me! If they just try to act, I’ll eliminate them without any trouble!”- nina

“Don’t be so arrogant Nina! There’s no way you can do this on your own! You’ve got to trust us!”- majin

“ SHUT UP!’- nina

“Nina, please.”- thomas

Nina was in the verge of tears. Unable to take the atmosphere in the room she ran out of the house. Thomas tried to call to her, but his voice just wouldn’t come out. A heavy silence soon filled the entire room. All Felix could do was just sigh. He had a feeling something like this would happen, but he just decided to let things play out.

“Nina you fool. You think you’ve found your oasis, but there is no such place. Not for beings with power like yours. Not here on Avalar as it is right now.”- alicia

Felix was shocked to say the least. He had never seen this side of Alicia before. She had always appeared full of pride and arrogance, but seeing this sad and depressed side of her gave him a different perspective. It left everyone else with many different expressions too.

“I’m going to go get some air.”- alicia

“I’ll go with you.”- felix

Alicia then got up to go someplace else to contemplate.felix, deciding to be nice to her for once, decided to follow her and tag along. This left everyone else to stop eating and go through their own thoughts. While this was going on, Nina found her way over to a hill overlooking the town. She was struggling to hold back her tears. Thomas finally took this time appear not far from her. As he watched her at a distance, he thought how sad and lonely her back appeared. It was the same way when he met her all those years ago when he was still just a boy. Thomas had lost his parents at a young age, and having no relatives, was left alone in the street. One winter, while he was shivering in the snow, a cloaked woman with a ferocious look appeared before him. After a moment of silence, the woman offered him some bread. Like that, the two of them became inseparable. Years would pass and the two would grow closer and closer, with woman opening up to him more and more. That’s when he decided that she was his paradise and he couldn’t separate from her.

“Nina.”- thomas

“H-honey.”- nina

“Nina, you shouldn’t just runout on your guests like that. Please, let’s go back now.”- thomas

“No, I can’t! I’m sorry, but I just can’t hold myself together!”- nina

Thomas saw she still wasn’t ready to move, he decided to just give her comfort. Feeling a chill, he decided to give her his coat.

“ isn’t it cold?”- thomas

“I- I’m fine.”- nina

“Nina, I knew for the longest time that you weren’t a normal terran. I had a feeling that something like this would happen and you may have to leave. Despite all that though, I still loved you.”

“I’m sorry Thomas. I’m sorry for being a magi and not a regular terran for you. Now that Alicia is here, there’s a good chance that I will be leaving you. I really don’t want to, but her orders are absolute. Even back then I was never her match and I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”

“Nina, don’t go if you don’t want to. You are my one true love Nina and I’m not going to let her take you away from me. Remember, all I want is for you to be happy. I won’t let anything get in the way of that.”

“Thomas. Thank you.”

Clearly Thomas knew how to calm her down. Those words were just enough to put her troubled mind at ease. The two stood with their arms around each other for quite some time. While this was going, Felix was about to do some comforting of his own. He had followed Alicia all the way to a nearby lake. He didn’t need to be an empath to know there was a lot troubling her mind.

“So got anything smart to say to me?”- alicia

“Not really. Just a little surprised to see you this flustered.”- felix

“I seem pretty pathetic in your eyes don’t I?”- Alicia

“If anything, you look more human to me know. Kinda puts you in a different light.”- felix

“Hmph. what’s your opinion in all this?”

“Honestly, this is a matter between the two of you. I don’t really have any say in the matter. But if you want my honest opinion, I think best if just let her stay. Even if you are her master, she’s still got a will of her own Alicia. Trying to go against it will only do more harm than good. Our quest is a perilous one, if her heart isn’t in it, then she’ll just become a liability. And personally, I agree with her. You really shouldn’t try to rob her of her happiness Alicia. If you care about her even a little, you will respect that.”

While Felix didn’t know her that well, his heart went out to her. She has lived filled with nothing but bloodshed. Finally escaping all that was next to impossible.

“Then I won’t take her. Honestly, as she is right now she’s just to weak. She just prefers to live her life like a normal terran when she knows she’s beyond that. The woman I need was fearless, strong, and was dependant on absolutely no one. The person I saw before me can’t protect anything, not even herself.”

“So you do have a heart.”

However, this doesn’t matter. Even if I don’t do anything, what fate has in store for her even I can’t stop.”

(Ain’t that the truth)

Closing in on Merrifold

Five shadows move silently through the night.

“I can definitely feel strong source of mana nearby. It’s definitely an amount no normal terrain can wield.”- person 1

“No doubt, it has to be one of the magi knights that Clarion said was near here.”- person 2

“With the powers granted to us by Clarion, we can easily pinpoint the mana source. We must act upon this now and eliminate her without hesitation.”- person 3

“Hehehehehe, I finally get to consume a magus with such massive power, it’s truly my lucky day.”- person 4

“What we do with the mage doesn’t matter. What matters is eliminating her before she can add her powers to Alicia. That is the sole mission we received from master Clarion .”- person 5