Navigating Through and Around Discussions

The interior of Zerax’thum’s skull made the King Cloudbark Worm seem small. George looked like a strand of noodle wriggling around fossilized canines. But that only made him realize that he, compared to this permanently smiling creature, was like a particle of food stuck in the gums of this dead dragon, too small for a toothbrush to pick.

In other words, he was completely baffled. And as always, Xiv was in the same boat, and their companions were smiling at them with proud satisfaction. The addition of Kento and Scuti made the stares quite a bit more embarrassing than Frein cared to admit.

“He always has that reaction,” Kristel told her sister.

“He’s like a kid on a field trip,” Scuti said.

“Bet you look like it sometimes,” Frein teased back.

When the Second Princess’s face withdrew aghast, he looked at the First. “She usually doesn’t get this treatment from other people?”

Kristel nodded with a smile. “She’s a princess, Frein.”

“Just from you then?”

She nodded again. “I’m also a princess, but she’s more of a princess than I am.”

“Well, we’ve had that entire talk a long time ago. I’ve never seen a princess fighting in the frontlines, or eating with her hands, or sitting carelessly, or—”

“My sister is every bit of a princess as I am!” Scuti stomped, kicking up dust. It drew Frein’s attention to the dusty ground that was probably filled in by cement to give proper footing.

There was something weird about it. Frein looked around, ignoring everyone.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Scuti yelled, her voice echoing in prolonged delays.

“It’s alright, Scuti. Calm down.” Kristel was alert enough to stop her sister. She noticed the Visitor’s strange behavior. “What is it?”

“There’s too many footprints,” Frein answered, turning to Katherine. Both of them enhanced their awareness using Siffera.

Along the way, the Princesses had said that the interior of the skull had always been prohibited to anyone, other than the royal family and whoever they had decided to bring with them. Advisor Kento had been generous enough to confirm that the Monarch hadn’t graced this place with his presence for a long while now.

To his knowledge, at least, Frein made sure to remind himself. With these extra sets of footprints, things might have well been different.

“It could’ve been any of our footprints from the past,” Kristel said.

Just to double check, Frein checked the wind. “It’s odd enough that there’s even dust here, Kristel. I’m not exactly knowledgeable by how much dust a fossil could produce. With a size and scale like this, anything’s possible, really, not to mention we have an entire civilization up top. Still, the wind is no mistake.”

He pointed to some footprints where he felt the wind the strongest. “Some of our own tracks are disappearing already.”

“So these are recent footprints?” Kento ventured a guess. “There’s too many of them to trace.”

In the end, Katherine gave up and Opened her meiyal core to use I, Alone, Am the Center. Frein felt the Lady’s scan. He paid it no mind and patiently waited for her results. She shook her head.

“No one but us.”

“No sneaky Nature’s Favor people?” he confirmed.

“They can’t hide from that Void Control Technique.”

Frein shrugged. “Just making sure.”

With that, the Visitor dismissed his theories altogether. It was a waste of time to bother with what had been happening in this place, at least for now. Since Katherine had verified that they were alone, it was time to discuss private matters. He looked to Kristel to begin.

“Are you sure we don’t have to check first?” she asked.

“We can track them,” Frill volunteered, pulling Xiv to her side. “It’s not like you need us for this, right?”

“Take this,” Katherine threw her M.O.B.I.L.E., Sam. The sentient device didn’t bother activating, since there were new people about. “Jam made some upgrades.”

The Lady’s move essentially fast forwarded any concerns others might have. Frein appreciated it.

With a sigh, Kristel turned to Advisor Kento Valmas and Princess Scuti Irista. She crossed her hands, not exactly hesitating, just pondering over her words.

She sighed again before turning towards Frein. “I think you should go first, just in case.”

“Alright.” Frein, in turn, directed his attention to their two new companions. “Aside from Scuti’s Blessing, do you two know of anyone else possessing one, and what kind?”

“We didn’t go all this way just for that, right?” Kento asked, skeptic.

“Me and Maff, as far as I know,” Scuti answered.

Frein nodded towards the Second Princess and addressed the Advisor. “We’re leading towards it. Depending on your answers, we might need to withhold some information.”

“Afraid we might bump into someone with Heart’s Will, eh?” Kento crossed his arms and thought hard. “Well, there’s Tryvinal Bree with his Monarch’s Law. It’s become increasingly obvious with all the additional support he’s been gaining.”

Frein nodded. “We know about him as well, but thank you. Anyone else? Anyone you know with Heart’s Will?”

“No one, fortunately… or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it. I don’t suppose any of you have it?”

“I can talk to meiyal-attuned creatures, like George or my yuma, but I don’t think that’s one of the Blessings. It’s most likely just a Visitor thing.” Frein gestured towards Kristel, smoothly navigating through Kento’s question. “I think our only concern at this point would be Tryvinal, then. I don’t think we need to hide any information.”

“Alright, then.” Kristel’s hands flopped before locking on her waist. “I know this might sound crazy, but there might be a Nightmare Incursion coming for us any time within this week.”

Advisor Kento’s jaw slackened while Princess Scuti frowned. Two different reactions, but both were expected, as far as Frein was concerned. He studied them subtly, reading their expressions and body language. It was a quick process, creating a baseline profile of what he concluded was a genuine response to the situation.

Katherine pressed her lips into a slight curve, showing a smile on one side. They were in agreement.

Kristel, then, went on to explain almost everything they knew about the incoming Nightmare Incursion. From the warning given to them by the Letterman—which led to a tangent of explaining who he was and what he had done for their survival—to the fact that the reason why she brought Frein here to the High Palace was for the location’s supposed capability to suppress such an outbreak of Nightmare Influence.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“But we’re not sure if it’s one-hundred percent guaranteed,” Kristel concluded. Frein noted how she skipped the parts about Brymeia and Destiny, and how she was looking his way as she navigated around those topics.

He picked up on it. There was something she wanted to tell him, but couldn’t say it in front of the Advisor or the Second Princess.

Speaking of, those two were in shambles. Advisor Kento had the composure to remain calm, analyzing their story carefully, but he was clearly taken off balance by this sudden reveal. At this point, Frein realized that the old man was not one to dismiss the First Princess. In fact, there was no hint of skepticism in his face anymore, just mere disbelief of how daunting the threat actually was.

Princess Scuti, on the other hand, was in a state of utter collapse. “How are we going to fight them?”

“Well, the idea is that we shouldn’t have to,” Frein answered. “Zerax’thum’s skull should prevent it from happening.”

“But that’s contradictory to how you’ve been explaining the Letterman’s accuracy,” Kento pointed out.

Scuti jumped on it. “That’s right! And we have no proof that the skull actually works!”

“That’s why we wanted to let you know in the first place,” Kristel said. “You, Uncle Kento, not you Scuti, but at this point, we might as well tell you to show you our trust. You can be discreet with this, right?”

“I… I can!” Scuti nodded, keeping a hand close to her chest. “As long as we think of a plan in case the skull can’t prevent a Nightmare Incursion.”

“I can move a few positions without raising any suspicions,” Advisor Kento suggested.

“Anything immediate?” Katherine asked.

“Yes, I can have them move closer to the royal palace tonight.” Advisor Kento nodded. “The more time we have, the better. I also plan to have you stay in the palace regardless. If the Incursion actually hits, it wouldn’t matter how far you are from the Monarch; we’ll all be in trouble. So, it’s better to have notable people such as yourselves protecting him.”

At that Frein disagreed.

“Our only priority is for Kristel to survive the Incursion,” he said with finality. The Advisor turned to him and he stared back at those worried eyes. “You need to know what you’re getting for you to plan accordingly, Advisor. This is what I’m offering; If we end up choosing between Kristel and her father, you know now what to expect.”

“The only one that needs to survive this fight is Kristel, Advisor Kento,” Katherine added.

“Guys…” the First Princess reached out to them. “It’s not—”

“You folks worry about trying to find a compromise,” Frein interrupted. “I’m not against it. In fact, I prefer that we all survive. You can let us stay focused on the objective. Besides, we’ve adjusted enough already.”

“Because the Letterman said it?” Scuti asked, her tone was accusatory. “You haven’t even met the guy.”

“He’s our strongest lead,” Frein reasoned with a controlled voice. “He’s saved us numerous times, prevented complications that would otherwise hinder us, and has been spot on in everything.

“I get what you’re trying to say, trusting a complete stranger sounds dumb. But the Letterman has been a more reliable source of help to me than either you or Kento have been so far.”

Katherine held his shoulder. “Ease up.”

“Yeah, I know.” Frein conceded. “Sorry about that. I meant no offense.”

“No, I…” Scuti took a step back. “That was reasonable. You’ve made your point.”

“Fair enough, Frein,” Kento said, rubbing his chin. “I suppose I’m to formulate and execute a defensive plan without bothering any of the other Advisors?”

“Yes,” Frein answered. “But I don’t think it’s a problem if we involve the Monarch himself. This way, we’ll have no issues if all of these backfires.”

“I suppose that’s a job for the princesses, then?” Advisor Kento suggested. Frein nodded at that.

“Why just Father?” Scuti asked.

“We think there are spies within your ranks.”

“Now that’s—!”

“I know about the reports of the missing officers and knights,” he quickly added on top of Scuti’s words. “Ashtine came to us for help when her brother disappeared. If that’s not enough evidence that there’s something wrong with your security, I don’t know what is.”

“Where is Ashtine?” Kento asked.

“She fell ill. Void Sleep,” Kristel explained. The fact that she withdrew at the mention of talking to her father didn’t slip past Frein. But as always, he decided not to point it out. “She’s resting in the Sky Knight Tower. We sent for a team to retrieve her earlier, but we intend to check on her later today or tomorrow.”

“Void Sleep?” This time, Scuti managed to finish her sentence. “How?”

“We don’t know,” Katherine replied, knowing that her answer on the matter wouldn’t raise any questions. “But we have better equipment here. We’ll find a way to wake her up.”

Kento sighed. “Alright, I think we have an initial plan to make some proper moves. Everything I’ve heard today will remain a secret. I’ll do my best to develop the plan further, but I would prefer to have more input regarding this matter later, Kristel. If needed, I’m prepared to make an oath.”

“No need!” Kristel was quick to deny. “We trust you, Uncle. Don’t worry.”

“But this won’t do,” Kento insisted. “At least let me reveal my own secret in return. It might not be as drastic or groundbreaking as yours is, but let me reciprocate the trust.”

“Alright,” Kristel said, confused.

“Venry is my adopted child,” the Advisor began. His words were somber, but the Guard Knight’s name was enough to grab everyone’s attention.

“I didn’t know…” the First Princess said.

“His parents were full-fledged elves who were killed by a barbarian raid on the day he was born. I happened to be in a nearby town, so I went immediately to help.

“In any case, it was upon his own request to enter the academy under a different name. He didn’t want any special treatment during his training. So we kept his adoption a secret. The rest… well, you know the rest.”

Frein felt the shared secret wasn’t exactly in order to return the gesture. The man had been keeping his secret all this time, honoring his adoptive child’s request for as long as he could. He must’ve been going through such a difficult time since after the Battle of the Vanguard. He didn’t know the entire truth, though.

“He’s alive!” Kristel proclaimed, as expected. “Venry’s alive, Uncle! We have evidence!”

“What! Where is he, then? How?”

Kristel produced Venry’s insignia from her Spatiera and gave it to him. At the same time, Katherine relayed their findings on the Guard Knight’s situation.

“He’s currently with Mother Selfiya,” she said in conclusion. “We’re not sure exactly where they are or what their plan is currently, but you can rest assured that he’s out there still alive.”

Kento relaxed like a deflated balloon, as if something heavy was lifted out of his shoulders. He breathed and exhaled slowly. “Thank you. This is the most wonderful news I’ve heard for a long while. Out of everything you’ve told me today, I didn’t expect this one at all.”

With that, the princesses asked George to escort the Advisor back to the surface. Frein found it odd that they were technically considered as being underground, despite floating above the clouds.

“So it looks like they don’t know about your Heart’s Will,” he said to Katherine.

“Told you Kristel and the others could keep a secret,” she smiled with a smug grin. “I don’t think he noticed I was using it on him the entire time, either. He’s clean, by the way.”

“That’s good.”

Their private conversation was kept short as soon as Kristel and Scuti returned. Frill and Xiv joined them at the same time.

“The tracks led to nowhere interesting in the end,” the Aria said.

“No hidden letters or anything?” Frein asked.

“We looked under rocks and fossil debris,” Xiv explained. “Nothing. Besides, the letters just appear when you least expect them.”

“Alright, I guess that’s fine. Still, don’t stop trying to look for them. Just in case.” The Visitor turned to Kristel next, who was clearly trying to say something a long while ago. “What’s up with you?”

“Eh?”

“You’ve been acting strange the entire time we were talking with Advisor Kento,” Katherine said. “What is it?”

The First Princess conceded at the fact that they could read her like a book even without resorting to Heart’s Will. She sighed.

“I didn’t think much of it at first,” she began. “When I met the Entity, it didn’t stop making its presence known. I had to deal with it the entire time. But after Liona’s Ritual of Peace, I couldn’t feel it anymore.”

“What’s the Entity?” Scuti asked.

Frein pondered to himself while Kristel and the others tried to explain to the Second Princess who or what the Entity was. This time, they didn’t hide anything, telling her about Destiny, Brymeia, and everything else.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Frein asked. It was a rhetorical question. The Second Princess was already slack-jawed from the information overload.

“We had agreed about this beforehand,” Kristel pointed out.

He didn’t bother to argue. His mind was more towards the possibility that the Princess might have unleashed something too damning to be ignored. Of course, it wasn’t her fault. Tracing it back to the roots of the issue, it was his own carelessness that had led Kristel towards desperation in the first place.

The others, then, noticed his serious expression. He sighed and waved his hand.

“It’s fine,” he said. “We can’t spend our time on what-ifs and what-if-nots. Let’s concentrate on what we have and go from there.”

“What do you have in mind?” Kristel asked.

“Anywhere I can study or something?” he asked. “Books about Nightmare Incursions, preferably. Or maybe just give me somebody to spar with.”

“Why don’t we get back to the surface first?” Katherine suggested.

While they waited for George to come back, Frein’s boredom had led his thoughts back to their earlier conversation with the Advisor. They didn’t miss anything significant.

Speaking of, Frein also checked on Elizzel for a bit, but the faunel was still asleep. In the end, he pondered something that wasn’t as crazy as the Entity or the mysterious footprints.

“Any chance we could reach Venry?” he asked to the group. Just a whim. They were in a different place now, so things might’ve improved.

“I’ve been checking constantly,” Kristel said, ignoring Frein’s raised eyebrows. “His M.O.B.I.L.E. won’t respond.”

“You’re wondering what he’s up to?” he asked, implying a different question.

Rather than withdraw, the First Princess confidently smiled. “I’m sure he’s taking care of himself.”

Impressed, Frein allowed his own thoughts to take over. “Would be epic if he just suddenly shows up here with Mother Selfiya and tells us everything we need to know.”

“Don’t jinx them,” Katherine said.

Before Frein could reply, he felt a great presence towards the east. It was there again, that same thing he felt before back in Atlas Sid during the Jump. Something sinister, observant. Something powerful.

And then it was gone.

“What is it?” Katherine asked. “You’re sweating…”

“You’re not going to believe it.”