“Archaeologists from Oxford and Harvest Universities have proudly announced the discovery of the tomb of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra in Central Alexandra, Egypt. The location of the tomb of the power historical couple has been a mystery for centuries but thanks to the latest advancement in Artificial Intelligence in deciphering the ancient texts found in the recently discovered hidden chamber in the Pyramid of Giza, the tomb had been successfully located in the middle of Cairo - Alexandria Desert Road.

Inspection of the tomb showed the staggering amount of treasure; hundreds of ancient scrolls as well as the sarcophagus of both General Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra lying together with both of the bodies being mummified. This fact makes Mark Antony to be the first and only Roman to be mummified. Dr. Henry Synder, head of the expedition stated that the ancient scrolls found in the tomb are speculated to unveil more about the mysteries and histories of the ancient Egyptians that can change the perception of ancient Egypt forever.

***

--- Zeith Trade Path, Elies Region ---

Date: July 31, 2026

The night was peaceful while on the path. For the locals, peaceful nights like these were only a pipe dream as just one and a half years ago as the region used to be a hotspot for banditry and monster attacks. Then came NATO.

At first, people expected that there would be plundering by NATO for the 'war effort' and they would be subjected to harsh treatment and slavery as the people of the defeated nation as past conquerors had done. But instead, the opposite happened. Not only did the rate of bandit and monster attacks drop significantly thanks to NATO, but harvests were also much more bountiful than ever despite the fact that they had no slaves tending the fields. All thanks to the Americans providing equipment, knowledge, and the seeds and fertilizers to tend their farms and restart their paralyzed economy due to the sanctions enacted by the current and the previous emperors.

People knew that it was a propaganda effort by the Americans. Even they were skeptical when the Americans planned to abolish slavery in the region and replace it with merchant technology. But after seeing the results, they started changing their minds. Now, fields of tall wheat stalks that stretched to the horizon painted the peaceful night scenery of the Elies region. Stars dotted the sky, while the sounds of insects and other local fauna, along with the sound of the water flowing from the Agaront river just a distance away accompanied the night. It was only momentarily interrupted by the sound of a Neko running through the night. It was none other than Lartia, who had been on the run for almost two days straight.

Unable to stop crying from the recent betrayal, Lartia had to remember that she must keep running. Her husband possibly sacrificed himself so she could escape. When things finally began to feel safe, that sense of security was broken each time by the shouts of her pursuers. A few of her husband’s loyalists outside the city assisted in her escape, but it did not take long for the Oprichnina to catch up. According to her comrades, Katsuo wanted to keep this coup against her husband a secret from the rest of the army. Why? She had no idea, but she knew that she must escape, which proved harder than expected.

At first, Lartia started her escape with Fabius’ loyalists from their camp near Arugo ruins, heading east towards the NATO-held territory via the bridge southwest of Lake Carthid. But the Oprichnina was expecting them there, forcing her group to head north before turning east, crossing the Epplis stream using local fishing boats. While the group was preparing to cross the Agaront stream towards NATO territory on the southern bank, they got ambushed yet again by Oprichnina agents riding on wyverns, forcing Lartia to be separated from Fabius’ loyalists as she crossed the stream alone while they stayed and lured the Oprichnina towards the northeast. Thankfully, she was able to get across both streams and was now heading east down the Zeith trade path and towards Rondel, or so she hoped. She assumed the Oprichnina would have given up the moment she crossed the frontline, but they would not relent.

Turning around, Lartia hoped to see that she had lost her pursuers, but to no avail, seeing three centaur’s beasts, each having a human riding them. She believed that once she reached NATO-occupied territory, people would help her, but she shortly discovered discrimination against her kind was still commonplace.

Lartia kept running with all her energy while on all fours. All four of her paws were bleeding, aching, and blistered but stopping would result in her death or going back to the slave market.

“Why does no one help me?” She asked herself tearfully. “I thought this place would be different.”

Seeing a possible path that led into a forest, giving her the advantage in this chase, Lartia turned right. As she ran up the path, a rock that she stepped on was loose causing her to slip, rolling back down the path and onto the main road.

Feeling every muscle scream in pain, Lartia laid there, catching her breath. That was until she saw three shadows hovering over her.

“No, please,” she whimpered, shielding her body with her arms.

The three Oprichnina got off their centaurs. Of the six, a man and centaur approached both laughing. The centaur carried a spear while the man pulled out a sword.

"That's right, cower like a proper Neko that you are,” mocked the man.

"So, what should we do with her?" Asked the centaur.

"Well, Katsuo said we can do whatever we want with her. As long as she doesn't talk to NATO." Replied the man. "I always wanted to know just how it feels, the wife of that incompetent Legatus. She must feel nice to snatch up a man of his position. Let us see for ourselves"

"Hey!" Said one of the other men at the back. "Either kill her or take her with us. But we cannot stay here for too long! We are in NATO's territory."

"Well, we can bring her with us if you want." The centaur suggested.

"No, he's right. We don't know if we can cross the river back to our territory while carrying this Neko." The man close to her sighed. "So much for 'having a taste. Well, I will make this quick for you, Neko. Consider it mercy from me because I do not give it away often."

As her mind kept telling her arms and legs to move, her body kept rejecting to do so from being too sore. Unable to stop crying, Lartia covered her eyes, realizing her life was about to come to an end.

Feeling the ground shake, Lartia opened her eyes and saw the man lying on the ground, an arrow had pierced his neck. Confused, she looked up and saw the centaur tense up in a defensive position. Looking past him, she saw the others in fear.

"Shit! Where did that come from?!"

"There! Over there!"

"You two! Get them!"

In the panic, the other two centaurs tossed their spears, but a sudden burst of wind blasted over them, knocking the ranged weapons away.

"They got a siren with them!"

"Damn it! How many of them are there?!"

"It does not matter! Charge!"

The moment after the man barked his order, another arrow hit him right in the chest. As they regrouped and were about to charge, a loud cry was heard before a mysterious figure landed next to the group with long blades.

Unable to tell what was happening, Lartia could hear screaming and clashes of steel. With the thumps of bodies hitting the ground.

A sense of relief began filling her up as her pursuers fell one by one, but the Centaur that stood over her turned to face her once again. Realizing his imminent death, he still planned on completing his mission by raising his spear against her. But before he could strike, a shimmering small ball of light flew forward toward the Centaur. He swatted at the ball as it changed course and darted around his hand as a sharp pain pierced his eyes. He flailed around while holding his face while the shimmering light swarmed his body, slicing and poking wherever it could.

Lartia shielded her eyes once more as he stomped all around, nearly crushing her. Another spell breezed past her that forcibly knocked the Centaur backward. Before he could get back up, another sharp pain was felt down on his horse half, and it continued down to his lower stomach. The frightened Neko’s ears twitched as she heard the man frantically squirming with a blood-curdling scream until it slowly subsided

Once silence took over, Lartia peeked and only saw two towering figures along with that same light overhead. As her body shook from fear, she said, “Please, don't kill me. Please!”

“We are not going to kill you Neko,” a female voice said. “Maybe extract some information,” she continued while clanking her claws together.

“Be nice Kryuune,” said the small ball of light.

“Indeed,” another female voice said. “It is not every day you are chased down by the Oprichnina. It is not a pleasant thing. The question is why would they come way over here in NATO-occupied territory just to chase down a Neko.”

Lartia’s vision improved with the fear of her life being taken was gone. She noticed one was a Warrior Bunny, another was a Siren, and the last ball of light was a fairy, all three being female. A new fear gripped her, who were these people and why would they help her. “Are you all slave traders?”

An elf approached and the four laughed before the Bunny spoke, “We are not slave traders. We are just an oddball group who hires out their talents.”

“You’re in luck.” Kryuune chimed in. “We were escorting a merchant convoy to Havcristen when I saw these Oprichnina agents chasing something into this forest, and it turns out it was you.”

Lartia looked at them while still sitting on the ground, still terrified and untrusting the group. After a moment, Malena and the others caught on to this.

The little fairy bubbly flew her way to the Neko, stopping a few inches away. “There, you are okay little kitty,” she said while playfully patting her head to Lartia’s confusion.

“Malena, maybe we should get Nelia to deal with her?” the elf said. “Maybe by being with fellow Neko, she’d be more at ease.”

“Assuming she is awake, Aldon,” Kryuune added.

“I swear, since living among these Americans, all that woman does is sleep and drink milkshakes.”

“Wait, what’s wrong with living like Americans? I personally enjoy all their distractions, especially their country music, clothes, food, shows, jewelry-,” Kryuune trailed off before being interrupted.

“Not you too. It’s not bad but take care not to overindulge. Now Kryuune, go check on the convoy. Aldon, see if there is anything of value these bastards are carrying. Sebille, you-

“Keep petting the kitty, I’m on it,” the fairy interjects while smiling at Lartia.

Malena merely shook her head as they went on their assigned tasks.

As the group talked, Lartia sat there, ignoring the pestering fairy while gathering her strength. Something the elf and bunny said started to bother her. It was the name one of them said that was bothering her however her exhausted mind was refusing to recall.

“Nelia, wake up! The Blade Master… the madam boss wants you” Kryuune corrected and shouted at their wagon. “Don’t make me blast you out again,” the siren warns as one of her hands shimmers a bit.

Watching the spectacle unfold, Lartia couldn’t help but focus on that name once more. Something about it sounded so familiar, but she struggled to remember. Like an itch in the back of her mind, one she couldn't scratch. “Nelia?”

“Yes, that is our Neko in our group,” Sebille replied as Malena helped pull Lartia up from the ground.

“It is ok now, you are safe with us,” the Fairy reassured her as they began to slowly make their way toward the convoy.

“Why are you here?” Lartia asked. “I thought this was a war zone?”

“You are not from around here, are you?” Malena asked. “Well, yes this is a war zone with the Empire just on the other side of the stream, but they haven’t dared cross it for some time now. You must have just been spotted by some agents that were looking for a good time. But I don't think they would risk their lives for just a fun time.”

Picking up on the hint, Sebille landed on top of the Neko’s shoulder in case she decided to run while Malena eyed her, curiously. ‘Why were they really after you,’ the Warrior Bunny thought to herself.

“Is it like this on this side of the Stream?” Lartia groggily asked.

“Strange way of asking your question,” Malena commented. “Have you recently escaped? But yes, the Other Worlders hire locals to provide security for trade and that is why we are here as freelance mercenaries. While it has become safer these days, there are always some bastards every now and then. From some lowly crooks to Imperial soldiers who crossed the river and snooped around.” she finished as the three approached the wagons.

Right after they arrived at the convoy, Aldon caught up from behind. “Malena. Other than standard Oprichnina sweeper uniforms and armors, their swords and spears, along with some Suwani coins, they got nothing else. Looks like they were merely grunts.”

Malena sighed before replying. “I thought we would score something big, considering they were crazy enough to cross the river. Alright, it’s better than nothing. Gather the swords, armors, and the coins. It’d give us a nice extra bonus for this job.”

“Even the coins, Malena?” Aldon asked. “You know those coins are almost worthless these days.”

“They may be worthless as currencies, but they’re still made of gold. We can always melt them at the blacksmiths in Alnus or Valtris. Sebille, Kryuune, you help as well, Nelia and I will take it from here.”

Before she could protest, the Fairy noticed her demeanor and knew she wanted to be alone with her. “Understood boss!”

“On it!” Kryuune adds.

“Got it!” Aldon responded before they all went jogging back to where the Oprichnina bodies laid.

After listening to their conversation, Lartia asked Malena. “Excuse me. Did you say the Imperial Suwani is now worthless?”

“Wow, you really got cut off from the outside world that long, huh? I guess your owner was really adamant to not let you go if they kept you in the dark for that long.” Malena sighed before replying. “Well, it’s only natural. Imperial soldiers were always carrying them into battle before they got bombed by NATO, forcing the Empire to keep on minting them. Then there’s the fact that NATO has been diligently bombing important Imperial cities and their facilities, like Proptor harbor and bridges connecting Sadera to other regions. Making the prices of goods soar and the value of the currency tank. And the fact that slaves have been running away to Alnus in droves, causing farms and mines to stop their production, also didn’t help the situation at all. The situations in some regions were so bad, I heard they resorted to bartering and gave up on the Suwanis and Sinkus entirely.”

Lartia was left speechless after listening to Malena’s explanation. She knew that the war was not going in their favor, but she didn’t know that the situation was this dire. She couldn’t help but wonder if Fabius knew about this. She also wondered if their dream of buying a house using Fabius’ retirement money would have even been achievable had they stayed.

At the thought of Fabius, Lartia felt a sharp pain in her heart. She gripped her chest while holding her tears. ‘Fabius… Please, gods. Anyone. I don’t care what would happen to me, but please. Keep him safe.’ Lartia prayed in her heart.

Not noticing Lartia on the brink of crying, Malena turned to the lead merchant wagon. “Now, Nelia. Get up.” Malena ordered while giving the wagon a couple of bangs on the side.

“Okay...” a tired feminine voice replied before the owner of the voice popped her head out from the wagon while rubbing her eyes.

“We found another one of your kind, take care of her until we reach Dolis,” Malena ordered as she turned to Lartia. “There, you can find a tavern and figure out where to go next.”

Lartia’s ears perked up as a dazed Neko peaked over the wagon. “What boss? I was having such a great nap,” Nelia yawned.

“Why do you Nekos always seem to sleep all day? I thought Atilius had broken that habit,” Malena said. “You are supposed to be our scout.”

“These roads are friendly,” Nelia responded nonchalantly while motioning with her hand. “No need to worry.”

“If these roads are safe, NATO would not be contracting us to provide trade protection. Heck, we just took out six Oprichnina agents while you were sleeping.” Malena replied in an annoyed tone. “Now, get down here and help her.”

As the two bicker, Lartia took a closer look at the other Neko. Something seemed very similar about this woman. The name and her very appearance. Her orange hair, the brown stripes, and her playful demeanor. Then it hit her, remembering ten years ago(1) of a long-lost friend. “Nelia, meaning Nelia?”

Hopping down from the wagon, Nelia looked toward her, confused. “Well yeah. I think my name Nelia means Nelia. What a strange thing to say.”

“Be nice Nelia,” Malena said. “Look at her paws, she looks like she’s been chased for hours.”

“That was not what I meant,” Lartia said as she pulled her paws away. “Nelia, my name is Lartia. Do you remember someone called that? Do you remember me, and our Neko clan that was raided a decade ago? We were thrown into slavery.”

Once said, Lartia saw this horrific look grip Nelia’s face. Her ears perked up and eyes wide in shock. She wanted to continue to speak but she couldn’t find the right words. It was as if a lump had formed in her throat. She tried desperately to continue to speak but her exhaustion mixed with her dry throat made it near impossible.

“Is... I... is that actually you Lartia?” Nelia choked out, tears beginning to form. “No. No, it can’t be, but it has to be, no one else would have known.”

“It... is... me,” Lartia dryly responded.

Nelia quickly rushed over, pushing Malena out of the way to help her long-lost friend. She moved Lartia to the wagon and helped her lay down. “It will be okay. You are safe now. I will take care of you.” She then proceeded to give her water and bread.

After drinking some water and eating the bread in seconds due to starvation, she coughed and slowly breathed.

“Lartia, what are you doing out here?” Nelia asked.

“I would also like to know,” Malena interjected. “It is not common for Nekos to venture out alone, even under the occupation. And I can’t shake off the feeling that you are being chased by those Oprichnina agents was not a mere coincidence.”

Lartia hesitated to respond, something both of them noticed. While Nelia was her old best friend, it had been a decade and she had just experienced a betrayal of her own, so she wondered if she could trust them. However, with the realization that she could not reach Pina, let alone find the Princess without help, she didn’t have many choices.

“Lartia,” Nelia said while holding her childhood friend’s hands. “Please, I have a duty to my brethren now and these Other Worlders. So, for now, just tell me. Tell me you are not conspiring against us. Trust in me like you did when we were children and I promise-”

“I am on a mission to find Princess Pina Co Lada,” Lartia said.

“You mean Empress Pina?” Malena corrected.

Confused, Lartia looked toward the Warrior Bunny and asked, “Empress? I guess we have been cut off for a long time?”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Nelia asked.

“Wait a moment,” Malena said. “Who are you? Besides Nelia’s long, lost friend. Your hands are soft, and I mean rich soft. Your fur, besides the current dirty look, is well-groomed. Were you some high-class slave that was working for the Empire? How did you even escape?”

“I am no slave,” Lartia boldly stated while slightly offended. “My full name is Lartia Aulus, wife of Legatus Fabius Aulus.”

"What did you say?!" Malena yelled while grabbing Lartia's shoulders, squeezing them to the point Lartia flinched in pain. Seeing this, Nelia immediately intervened.

"Malena, stop! You're hurting her!" Nelia said as she pulled Malena's hands off of Lartia's shoulders.

"Oh…," Malena mumbled as she recovered from her shock. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

“Is he that much of a big deal to the point you had to react like that? Who is that guy, anyway?” Nelia asked while she checked on Lartia.

Malena sighed at Nelia's ignorance before replying to her. “Legatus Fabius Aulus, the Ten of Spades according to the Americans.”

Malena then pulled out a stack of cards from her pouch belt that Lartia assumed was made by the Other Wolders. From the card stack, Malena then pulled one card and showed it to Nelia where Lartia also peeked. On the two corners, Lartia could only make out the number ‘10’ with a symbol underneath it that was alien to her. However, in the center, she could easily recognize what was on it, it almost made her heart sink. It was the picture of Fabius taken from a high angle, possibly from NATO’s aircraft. Right underneath the picture, there are Latin alphabets making up Fabius’ name on it, along with sentences written in language that was alien to her but next to it were sentences that were written in Saderan language that was the identification of who Fabius was and his title. Lartia glanced at the rest of the card that was still on Malena’s hand and quickly deduced that those cards were something akin to a most-wanted list, composed of the Empire’s top figures.

“He is the head of the Imperial legions in this region, Nelia,” Malena said. “You need to pay more attention to the news from NATO and their briefings. Heck, you think they gave us these cards just for us to play games with?”

After scolding Nelia and storing her cards back, Malena then turned to Lartia. “But still, I did not know he was married to a Neko.”

“But how?” Nelia asked. “I thought you were sold into slavery. I honestly believed you were dead.”

“I was sold into slavery, many times,” Lartia responded. “Legatus Propraetor Pelue Muilk then bought me and gave me to my husband. We fell in love after some time and got married, too much of his humiliation at the time.”

“I am so sorry, Lartia,” Nelia said. “If I knew you were still alive, I would have come and saved you.”

“I did not need to be saved,” Lartia corrected. “I love my husband.”

“I didn't mean it like that,” Nelia replied. “It is just strange that a Neko slave ended up as a wife to a powerful man like-.”

“Alright, you two can catch up later,” Malena interrupted. “She has to be telling the truth. Her tone and words are too noble, using proper names and titles. But what makes no sense is why you are here. There is no way a powerful man like Fabius would allow his wife to be all the way out here, this far away from his grasp. It would be seen as an embarrassment that someone in his position would misplace his wife.”

“And if you love him, why are you away from his side?” Nelia added.

“And what was the deal with you and those Oprichnina?” Malena added.

With the questions, the memory of what happened at Thaluilas came rushing back. She could not help herself but broke down and cried, placing her paws on her eyes to hide the streaming tears, confusing the two. Seeing her long-lost friend break down in tears, Nelia embraced Lartia to calm her down.

“It’s okay, Lartia” Nelia said as Lartia wailed on her shoulder. “You don’t have to force yourself. We can wait until you have rested if you want.”

Hearing her friend’s words, Lartia tried her best to stifle her cry. “Thank you. But I'm fine, Nelia.” Lartia says before taking in some breaths to calm herself down and continuing. “I’ll explain everything. If you are really on NATO’s side, you have to know this.”

She then told the story of what had happened. That her husband was preparing to surrender to Empress Pina Co Lada, but the Oprichnina betrayed him, framing him with a capital crime he didn’t commit. Her hellish journey to sneak past League lines, being ambushed and chased by the Oprichnina, and how she ended up here.

“I cannot imagine the hell you’ve been through,” Nelia said while embracing her friend, while her eyes too, were starting to become teary after listening to her friend's story.

Removing the sentimental elements from Lartia’s tale, Malena realized the significance of this information, and why she was so relentlessly pursued. This could be the chance she had been waiting for.

“Alright, this changes things. Lartia, I’m sorry. I’m sure your journey was very difficult, and you really need some rest, but the information you are carrying is more important,” Malena added.

“Malena, she needs to rest,” Nelia responded defensively.

“There is no time." Malena defended. "If we wait, we will lose our opportunity. This could change the war, and we don’t know how much the Oprichnina and the League know about all of the information that Lartia has. The longer we wait, the more time for the League to start making contingency plans. And if these Katsuo and Gagnog fellows are as insane as she said, then they would send every man they can find into battle against NATO. It’ll mean more unnecessary bloodshed.”

“So, will you help me find the Empress?” Lartia asked.

“We cannot,” Malena answered. “There is no way they will allow you anywhere near that self-proclaimed Empress, at least if you're trying to barge in directly. It would also take too long to get to Alnus, and Rondel is off-limits right now. We have to go to the Fortress of Legrath if you wish to see her.

The feeling of fear ripped down Lartia’s spine. She had no idea what the Other Worlders would do to her once they learned she was the wife of Fabius. But right now, she saw no other path forward and the possibility of saving her husband if she corroborated was worth the risk.

“Okay. Let us go there.”

Malena nods in response before barking her order to her group. “Alright! Everyone, mount up! Nelia, you’re in charge of her. Let me just report the situation to our commander first, then we will head out.” Malena said as she grabbed something on the cart. Lartia then saw Malena holding a small book in one hand while holding a small black box on the other, connected to a bigger box in the form of a backpack which she assumed was a radio.

“Uhm, let’s see… Frequency, check. And then… the protocol… What is it? Got it!” Malena mumbled as she alternated between fiddling with the radio and the book. “Uhm… Checkmate, this is Patrol 3-14. Do you read?” Malena pauses for a couple of seconds before realizing her mistake. “Over?”

“Checkmate to 3-14, reading you loud and clear. Go ahead.” replied a voice coming from the radio.

“Yeah, we came across a Neko girl while we were escorting a merchant convoy, she was being chased by Oprichnina agents at Zeith highway at, Uhm… north-northeast of Dolis.” Lartia watched as Malena fumbled through her notebook while trying to communicate to whoever was on the other end of the radio. “Uhm… Break, hostiles were terminated, and the girl secured. And uh… Be advised, we have a positive ID on the girl. Break, she’s identified as Lartia Aulus, wife of Ten of Spades and she has Priority One intel for NATO. There is quite a lot for her to tell, so now we are taking her to Fortress via Havcristen. How copy, over.”

“Solid copy, 3-14. Wait one.” Malena then moved the smaller box away from her mouth as she waited for the response. Meanwhile, Lartia was in awe seeing a native Falmart using an Other Worlder’s piece of equipment, albeit with some fumbling every now and then. She couldn’t help but wonder if given enough time, how adept they would be with using Other Worlder’s tech? How deadly would they be by then when they were pitted against the Imperial army? Against Fabius? But then she glanced at Malena’s swords and her elf companion’s bow that was clearly not made in this world, she guessed that it was already too late. Lartia hung her head while smiling dejectedly, thinking that her beloved husband was fighting a futile war.

“Lartia? What’s the matter? Are you okay?” Nelia, who was sitting next to her, asked her worriedly while holding onto Lartia’s shoulder.

“I’m fine, Nelia.” Lartia tried to reassure Nelia. “It’s just… I just realized how hard Fabius had fought. And how futile his effort was.”

There was a silence between the two before a response came from Malena’s radio and broke it. “3-14, Checkmate. Be advised, we have a new directive for you. That girl now has an HVI status. Take good care of her. Interrogative, are you able to go ahead of the convoy to Havcristen ASAP? Over.”

Lartia tensed up when her name was mentioned by the voice on the other end. 'What does 'HVI' mean? What will they do to me?' Lartia thought to herself.

“Uhhh… What does ASAP mean?” Malena mumbled to herself again, fiddling with her notebook before replying to the radio. “Uhm… Negative, my team is the only one escorting them at this time and we have no horses. Over.”

“3-14, Checkmate. Roger that. We’ll divert a helo for your team and the HVI’s extraction, and we’ll also send a unit from the Army stationed at Dolis to take over your escorting role. Stay where you are until they arrive. How copy? Over.”

“Wait, does that mean we have to come with her? Over.” Malena asked.

“3-14, that’s an affirmative. We need to get a statement from you and your team. Nothing big, just about how you came across her. Just think of it as a normal debrief. How copy? Over.”

“Roger that, Checkmate. We’ll keep her safe. And tell them to hurry, you do not want to miss out on this intel. 3-14, out.” Malena then put the small box in its place, ending the radio transmission.

“Whoa.” Nelia chimed. “I said this before, but you handled that radio chat so seamlessly.”

Malena sighs before she grabs the radio and all her belongings off the wagon. “I’m still far from ‘seamless’, Nelia. Now if only you could at least, also, do this as well.” Malena replied. “Alright, team. Gather up!” Malena ordered her companions. Not long after, all her teammates gathered next to her. “Okay, there’s a change of plan. Mis-... Madam Lartia here is now our HVI, High-Value Individual. That means it’s important to not let anything bad happen to her. The Americans are sending their helicopter to pick us up and a ground unit from their army to take over the escorting mission. So, pack up your bags, and be ready for the pick-up. I want us to get on the helicopter the moment they touch down. Got that?”

“Got it!” All of Malena’s teammates responded before heading to the wagons where they stored their belongings.

"Does that mean we are going to ride on a helicopter again? Alright! I'm so excited now!" Kryuune exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know how you can get used to riding that thing, Kryuune. I feel like I'll never get used to it." Aldon replied.

"Aldon, you are a… I believe the American term is 'pussy'. Look at me, I fly all the time and I'm also excited to fly in a helicopter again. I can fly higher than ever before when I'm riding it!" The Fairy exclaimed.

"You're a fairy, Sebille. You fly as often as we walk. That's an unfair advantage." Aldon defended.

"Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I can't wait to see Elise's night view from up high. And the view of you hanging on to dear life as we fly!" Sebille teases.

"Please, shut up." Aldon sighed in defeat.

Lartia watched Malena's teammates chat with each other as they walked to the second wagon in the convoy. Malena, who got her belongings stored in the wagon she and Lartia were in, also started to pack.

“Don’t worry, Lartia. I’m not going to let you go. Not again.” Nelia promised as she packed her belongings.

“Yes.” Lartia responded. “Thank you, Nelia.”

Malena then turned to the leading merchant. “Sorry for this change of plan, sir.”

“Hey, as long as we are safe, you have nothing to be sorry about.” Replied the merchant nonchalantly.

Now, all they could do was wait. Lartia looked at the starry sky, wondering what would happen next.

***

--- Barrack Lounge, Fort Minick, Alnus ---

Date: July 31, 2026

“Is that really him?”

“Yes, he is,” Pina replied as she looked up at the young man; O'iloiat Dussie, son of the powerful senator Gnaeus Dussie. He recently joined the Rose Knights in the quest to bring honor and reform to the Empire. Before, he had been hesitant toward joining the Americans and their allies, being honor-bound to the Imperial system. Recent events and his trip to Earth had cracked that shell to some degree.

At some level she found O'iloiat’s reaction cute, reflecting what she once was; young, arrogant, corrupted, sheltered from the world. If it was not for the events at Italica, she probably would be just like her brother Zorzal. Watching someone going through the same transformation had been joyful to watch.

Looking back to her lap, Pina continued to play with Tenchi, her baby nephew. His mother, Noriko, agreed to let him spend the day with her. While both ladies don't fully see eye to eye on Tenchi’s future, they both agreed that he could not and should not become like his father.

“This is my brother’s son,” Pina said while wiggling her finger as the baby held on.

“So, the rumors are true,” O'iloiat commented, nearly whispering with the realization. “His son has been living here all along. The future leader of your Republic.” Leaning toward the baby to get a good look, he added, “And he looks to be a lively one, I am sure he will do the Republic proud.”

“If his mother has any say about this, then the answer would be no,” Pina replied. “But yes, he has been growing up here this whole time.”

“It does not matter what his mother wants,” O'iloiat arrogantly responded. “Being a part of the royal bloodline, and being a male, he has responsibilities and a claim to the throne.”

“You assume that” Pina said. “But my brother raped so many women, there are probably a dozen bastards out there in the world. It might be wise not to pick leaders based on bloodline for our revolution to work. Besides, it should be his choice in the end, not ours.”

“You are breaking a lot of traditions here, Pina.” O'iloiat pointed out.

“This isn’t the only time the Empire broke from its traditions, O'iloiat.” Pina countered. “You want to talk about breaking traditions? Zorzal forcefully took the throne from my father and Krysist, who was the legitimate inheritor of the throne. And did the Senate do anything to stop him? Did they try to denounce him? No.”

Pina saw O'iloiat only sat in silence, clearly reflecting on her remark. “And speaking of which, my father also kept trying to get rid of Krysist just to maintain his throne. And you know that it’s an open secret within the senate that Krysist wasn’t the only one my father tried to get rid of, and that’s not even accounting Zorzal’s bastard children.”

"Very well. You got a point, Pina," O'iloiat sat on his seat stunned for a moment before replying. “I almost forgot about the Gladiator General, to be honest. Being an outsider and all.”

“Yeah. A lot has happened, so I don’t blame you,” Pina responded. “Besides, I only want to get rid of the bad ones. I still believe in my heritage. The problem is that we strayed from our path. We only care about self-empowerment rather than what is best for our people. It is time that we go back to our old ways, back to what made us strong, but also reformed to a modern era. The Empire, militarily, was powerful. No one dared to openly challenge our might, but politically, socially, we were on a decline. Sooner or later, with or without NATO, the Empire would have collapsed. I want to change direction, establish a government, a nation, that its citizens can be proud of again. I want to bring us back to a prominent power once more.”

“You really do believe in all that?” O'iloiat said, sitting down. “Even if you win the war, a lot of people will oppose you. Politically, I mean. My father once explained to me the key differences between being a soldier and a politician.”

“What is it?”

With a humble chuckle, O'iloiat spoke, “In war, you can only be crucified once. In the Senate, you can be crucified many times.”

Confused, Pina looked at O'iloiat. She has enjoyed watching him become more active in her cause. While it was a pain listening to someone countering her at every turn, she realized for her reformed Empire to become successful she had to listen to criticism.

Laughing at the joke, Pina fully understood the meaning. Any political opposition could remove her once the war was over, so she needed to carefully consider who her allies were now. Any opposition will be hard to dislodge once they gain power in the new Republic.

“I cannot believe I am going to say this, but war seems simpler.” Pina groaned.

“Speaking of war, what is the status of your new Imperial Legion?” O'iloiat asked. “No disrespect, but it will be challenging for the Imperial Army to listen to a woman. That will be an issue you will face going forward.”

The story of her life.

Pina had to deal with sexism all of her life. From her own peers, other houses, the senate, even her own late father. Just getting her own Knighthood established was exhausting. Growing older, she understood why most women wouldn't want to be a soldier. But that only made her and her fellow Knights bolder, to prove to themselves and the world. At least she could reflect on how those experiences have made her stronger, preparing her for this war.

“It is either me or my brother, and I don't think that is a hard choice,” Pina said. “We are at a turning point in our history here. If our leaders and allies want to follow such a strict tradition, then I will replace them. I’m not going through all these troubles and efforts only for us to go back to our strayed, stagnant, and rotten self again. There is so much at stake for such gains. But, I think General Pepreos won't care about such things. He is a traditionalist, sure. But with what happened at Rondel, he is completely devoted.”

“One General with one Legion does not make an army,” O'iloiat replied. “To increase your legitimacy, you will need others. Assuming there are any left.” He walked to a table and poured black coffee into a mug before continuing, “And speaking of which, where is the General?”

“He is still at Rondel,” Pina replied. “He is assisting in clearing out the remaining infected horde in addition to helping to coordinate the city’s restoration.”

Pina couldn't help but smile, watching O'iloiat adapt to Earth drinks. It was clear he picked up some interests while he was visiting Earth. “By the way, how was your trip to Earth?”

Setting the mug on the counter, O'iloiat thought before replying, “It was… different.”

Hearing that, Pina laughed which upset Tenchi. To stop the crying, she began rocking him with her leg and commented, “Wow, don't spill out all your feelings on the matter.” She then noticed the hesitant facial expression, realizing he was worried about speaking his mind. “You do realize you can speak frankly with me.”

Hearing the word 'frank', O'iloiat looked toward his Empress in confusion.

Noticing his confusion, Pina rolled her eyes and used a rattle to distract the baby. “I know. I have no idea why Americans use a person’s name to mean, 'speak the truth'. I honestly think they stay up all night to come up with terms and phrases just so they do not have to say what they mean.”

For once, O'iloiat chuckled. “Yes. I noticed that myself.” Taking his mug, he sat at the table with Pina. “I would be lying if I did not say their world was wonderful. It is so different in many ways that it would take a lifetime to experience it all.”

“I like how quickly you can move around. The power of those... cars, I think they are called, felt amazing. They are so fast and yet so comfortable; I didn’t have any trouble sleeping in one during travel. Then there is the convenience of everything. If I needed anything, I could just go to the market, and it was there. And my favorite part, one of the House Representatives took me shooting, and that was amazing. While I will always love my sword, the raw power, and skill needed to master such a weapon. There is no equal to those fire-spitting death dealers.”

As he spoke with such enthusiasm on the topic of guns, Pina couldn't help herself but chuckle. Now she understood what Sarah meant by 'boys and their toys'. “I am glad you enjoyed your trip. Was that it?”

“No,” O'iloiat said. “The one major thing that bothered me is how powerful the mercantile is. It is strange seeing the one of the lower classes be the dominant force on their world. While it did bring much wealth, there were so many families just staring at their devices, ignoring their loved ones. People seem to value objects more.”

“I noticed that too,” Pina said. “I guess there is always a downside to progress. But I think if we are careful, we can learn from mistakes like that.”

“Assuming it is possible,” O'iloiat commented thinking on how quickly Earth’s influences were seeping into this world. “But first, we have to win the war.”

A statement easier said than done.

“Speaking of winning the war, what do you plan to do afterward?” Pina asked. “With the war over and a new government, you won’t have to follow in your father's footsteps anymore.”

“Not an option.”

“Yes, it is, you will be free to reform your life to what you want.”

O'iloiat waved his hand, rejecting the Empress’ idea. “I was being groomed to take my father's seat in the Senate. I have my responsibilities to my family and the Empire. Besides, I think you will need my help.”

“What about your social life? Don't you at least have thought of a hobby you would like to do?”

“A truck,” O'iloiat smirked. “I would like to go to the countryside and see more of Falmart. I would like to experience going out there and not fear of being attacked by random monsters and bandits. Just me, my truck, and the road. During my trip to America, I heard the truckers called driving their trucks on the road as their 'freedom', so I want to have a taste of their version of it. Outside of that, I do not know what else I want, so much is changing so it is hard to figure things out.”

Remembering Duran’s experience with his truck, and his outlandish tales of the beast, Pina couldn’t help but chuckle once more. Noticing that Tenchi grabbed a mug, Pina took it away before he hurt himself. She then grabbed a baby bottle and began feeding her nephew.

“Do you want one?”

“One, what?”

O'iloiat pointed toward Tenchi. “To be honest, I always wondered if you were going to reject wife and motherhood. It was a major gossip point among the royalty.”

Looking at the baby, she remembered her time back at the Royal District. Most of the women there, all they talked about was having their first one. It was when she first learned she was different as her interests were different from the others.

“I just did not want to live in the shadows,” Pina said. “Just being locked up in a house and being married to a house I barely recognize was not what I wanted. I wanted to be remembered like in the stories, so I brushed family aside and focused on my Knighthood and now this happened.”

“That is what I thought,” O'iloiat said. “Even after the war, you are going to forfeit family life.”

Pina wanted to respond but no words formed. With how little she has thought about the topic in recent years, she assumed she would either marry in the future or not, seeing no time for such personal interests.

The answer she wanted to give agreed, that family should be put aside for the greater good. But seeing how many of her Knights enter relations, especially Hamilton. And in addition to her warrior mentor, Sharpe, who also has settled down during the war, she started to wonder if the topic isn’t as far-fetched as she once believed.

Looking down at Tenchi, now carefully thinking about the future, she remembered a conversation she once had with Sarah. “I honestly don’t know anymore. Sarah once told me the reason she built her school was to invest in the future, that there was no value in fighting now if there was no long-term future.

“I honestly do not have any answer for you,” Pina continued. “I would have normally agreed with you, that my only focus should be being the Empress and rebuilding the Republic. But, maybe there is more to it. But now that I think about it, what is the point if I have nothing to pass it on to? Isn’t that the point, making the future better for the next generation like for this little one?

“I guess I am still figuring it all out.”

Hearing a vibration coming from her cell phone, Pina saw the caller’s name that appeared on the screen, Captain Sarah Sharpe. “I wonder what she is calling for.”

Answering the phone, she asked, “What can I do for you, Captain?”

“Sorry to bother you but tell your Knights they're going to be deployed and then report to VRTF-2 in one hour,” Sarah said. “You and Vanguard-7 are being deployed to Legrath.”