Less than fifteen minutes later, at the bottom of the hill…

「Lia, does the kingdom have an anthem?」

Straf asks Cycelia while the officers are assessing and accounting for their men before they mount up on the wagons again.

「Hm?」

She tilts her chestnut head, pulling Straf's trench coat further over her shoulders.

「…Y'know, music that you associate with the kingdom and its people? A song? Or just something really popular that everyone and their vampire knows?」

He shrugs, spreading his hands while Cycelia blinks at his face with mildly confused emerald eyes. She turns them up to the gray sky, thinking.

「Hmmm… I think it would be fair to say「Fields Vast, Mountains High」is pretty well known. It's a love song for the kingdom's land, essentially. Why?」

She replies, smiling a little as she explains with her index finger extended.

「Do you know how it goes?」

He asks with his brows rising slowly.

「Well, ah… I forgot the words…」

Cycelia replies after an awkward smile after a short giggle, caught red-handed. With his fists on his hips, Straf's mouth slides sideways and scrunches up.

「But I know the song itself! The melody goes something like this!…」

In attempt to save face she extends her finger again, looking at Straf while speaking with full confidence in her voice.

「…Toot too too toot toot too~! Tootootootootoo too too toot~!… Toot tootoo too too too~!…」

Cycelia does her best to melodically vocalize the song's tempo and tone, waving her finger around like a conductor's baton. Straf stares on silently with a tight-lipped grimace.

「…Does that help?」

She asks, tilting her head slightly and innocently blinking her large green eyes at him. He lets out a large sigh.

「…I'll think of something.」

He shrugs, then turns for the soldiers in formation and the officers counting them.

「Listen up!… Everyone who knows「Fields Vast, Mountains High」raise your hands!」

Straf exclaims as he approaches the soldiers. Though a little surprised by his request, practically all of them raise their hands along with all of the officers.

「Okay, good start…」

He nods his head in approval, grimacing slightly as he looks at the forest of hands.

「…Now, which one of you who raised your hands also know how to play a trumpet!?」

Straf shouts a deforesting question. All of the officers lower their hands, and only a handful of the soldiers keep theirs up.

「…Great. How about trombones!?」

He asks. Some of the hands raise, and some are lowered, but the overall number is abysmal.

「…Bugles!?」

All the officers raise their hands, along with a large bulk of the men.

「…Vuvuzelas!?」

Everyone lowers their hands, and the troops exchange confused glances.

「…Right. I expected as much! Fuck it, we'll wing it!… Craft. Bugle.」

Straf shrugs and walks up closer to the men. After a few seconds of tapping through the thin air in front of him, dozens of bugles materialize out of nowhere, followed by trumpets and trombones. The men stand awed and amazed by this casual display of magic, and the large quantity of instruments on the grass in front of him.

「Okay! Everyone pick up an instrument you can play! If you can't play any, just pick the one that looks the coolest!」

He shouts at the soldiers and the officers while pointing his hand at the pile of brass bent in all sorts of flaring shapes. Somewhat excited to try the magic instruments, the men jog up and swarm the pile, only to be quickly disappointed by how mundane the instruments really are. Some of the soldiers give them a few test blows.

「Okay! Everyone form up and let's give it a go!… On my mark, you're going to play the song! Ready!?…」

Straf rounds the men back into semi-coherent blocks. They stare at him and his raised arm, instruments at the ready.

「Three! Two! One!-」

Toooooo~oot!- Tooooo!- T~ttooooooooottttt!- Toooo!…

He counts down on his fingers raised high in the air, and when he forms the last one into his fist, the air fills with the sound of many elephants dying in agony, or perhaps a horde of depressed clowns. The dragon cultists cover their ears and quickly run up to Cycelia to do the same for her, while the king's captured royal guard writhe in their restraints, visibly cringing in pain. None of the notes are in sync, as if the conductor was a masterful demon that takes great joy in tormenting every living being with discordant noise.

「Enough! Enough! Eeeeenoooooough!」

Tooooooooot…

Straf screams, clenching his teeth and covering his ears. The chaotic band stops, lowering their instruments after the late trumpet trails off into silence.

「…Dogshit! I'll give you ten minutes to learn how to play at a tolerable level before I find an angry bald man to scream at you!」

He shouts, still wincing as he points his finger at the confused soldiers in front of him.

「Officers! Your task is now to get these fucking guys to play half-decent! You have ten minutes! Chop chop!…」

Straf turns his attention to the officers and hurries them with a wave of his arm. Without delay the mustached officers scramble around the soldiers and begin barking orders…

…

Ten minutes later…

…Tooooot tooooo tooooo toooooot toooot toooooo~! Totootototoo tootoo toot~! Toot tootoo too too too~!…

「A note or two lower!」

Straf shouts, then heavily scrunches his mouth to the side.

King Telas dismounts from his horse, startling the guards assigned to watch him.

「…Queen Redwing, what is the point of this? Why aren't we riding towards the capital yet?」

He asks, watching Straf with Cycelia by her side.

「…To be honest, I'm not quite sure.」

She replies with a small, polite smile, shrugging her coat-covered shoulders.

「Alright! Enough! That's ten minutes! I'm not spending any more runtime on this!…」

Straf waves his arms above his head, abruptly cutting the wobbly, off-tune, and off-tempo music off.

「…It's good enough, and good enough is good enough for me!」

He declares with his fists on his hips.

「Next up, marching! Now observe!…」

Straf turns aside and raises his foot.

Thud. Thud. Thud Thud… Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud…

「One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!…」

He marches loudly, stomping and raising his feet again and again. He turns the other way, and repeats his high-legged steps.

「Remember that! Even you without instruments are going to march like this! And remember to keep the dragon banner high and proud!…」

Straf points at the few men men who don't know the song. The rest all glance at each other when he walks back to Cycelia.

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「…Alright. They're ready… I think.」

He shrugs, placing his hands in his pockets.

「Ready for what, Straf?」

She tilts her head slightly.

「You'll see. Let's go…」

Straf nods towards the wagon with Stripe already waiting. King Telas returns to his horse, and the two board the wagon.

The rest of the troops soon mount up on the wagons as well, and they roll out towards the Telas Kingdom capital…

…

A few hours later, at the gates of Altenburg…

The gates are closed and the portcullis is lowered. The garrison is standing on the walls, alarmed by the presence of the Redwing Kingdom's army.

Straf and King Telas approach the gates while the troops are dismounted from the wagons. The king looks towards one particular man staring back at him.

「The war is over!… Open the gates!…」

King Telas shouts at the man above. He looks aside at the men standing near him, then stares at the king with visible confusion in his eyes. After a moment, he motions something with his arm to someone on the other side of the wall, and the portcullis starts rising with a loud, steady clattering of metal on stone. Straf and the king return to everyone else, and a few moments later, the heavy gate slowly swings open.

「…Do it!」

Straf points at the column of men with instruments waiting on the road. On his command they ready the instruments and begin playing the briefly rehearsed song.

…Toooot tooo tooo toot toot tooo! Tootootootoo tootoo toot! Toot tootoo too too too!…

Intentionally playing it on a lower note, the cheery love song turns extremely ominous as the band of soldiers marches in lockstep towards the open gates. A banner with spread-wing dragon flaps high above their helmeted heads, and their boots loudly stomp on the road. Straf rejoins Cycelia and Stripe on the wagon, the king mounts his horse, and they follow the marching soldiers into the city.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!…

Altenburg's citizens make way for the soldiers, watching the strange procession from the sides as the column heads straight for the palace in the distance, making its presence known by playing the ominous song for all to hear. Some of the citizens and people staying in an inn nearby peek out of their windows, staring at the soldiers, the wagons, and the grim king who does not seem to be glad to be home.

「Straf, I still don't understand… What is the point of this? What is there to gain from playing our song to the citizens here?」

As they pass by, Cycelia asks while looking around at the confused people staring at them.

「It's to implant the idea in their heads that resistance is futile, Lia. I mean, look… You have all these armored and trained men, the resources to feed them…」

He looks at her, and Cycelia meets his bored gaze.

…Toot too too toot!…

「…And then you have the time to teach them how to play a trumpet.」

Straf says, pointing at one of the soldiers ahead of the wagon playing a grim-sounding tune. Cycelia briefly looks at the man.

「…It gives them a very strong idea that if they try shit, they'll be slaughtered, and then the guy will play a sad trombone over their corpse. Psychological warfare, Lia.」

He adds with a slanted mouth on his face, shrugging his hands.

…Thud! Thud! Thud Thud!…

「…I see. It makes sense when you put it like this. I suppose it's better than having to violently put down a loyalist rebellion.」

She furrows her brows for a second, then nods, seemingly understanding Straf's point.

As they ride through the city, Cycelia notices the architecture is much different than in Draconis. There is a significant and plainly apparent lack of old building styles, and the entire city seems to be devoid of nighttime illumination such as vampire lamps. It also appears to be incredibly clean and well maintained, with not even a hint of disrepair in the buildings, at least on the main street.

…Tootoootootooo toot!…

They continue riding on the wagon towards the palace, with King Telas unwilling to wave back to any of the citizens, staring back at them with a grim expression…

…

An hour later, at Telas Kingdom's royal palace in Altenburg, in the throne room…

Straf, Cycelia, a handful of armored dragon cultists and King Telas enter the throne room.

The palace guards at the sides of the room glance at each other, heavily confused by the large presence of armed men.

「…This is a nice throne room. Very fancy. Mine is quite plain and to-point.」

Cycelia remarks as she looks at the taxidermy animals, large paintings hanging on the walls, beautiful ornate vases, and the gold-capped stone throne with a velvet pillow.

「Your highness, you praising my throne room in this situation is like saying I have a beautiful house while it's on fire.」

King Telas replies in a grim and resigned tone, throwing his hand up.

「It's not that bad, King Telas. I intend to leave you in control of your kingdom, but in service to me…」

As she turns to face him, she shrugs her coat-covered shoulders.

「…Bring your regalia for the ceremony. I will be taking your crown. You will be allowed to have a smaller coronet instead. Bring your aides as witnesses too.」

Cycelia demands in a polite, but stern tone. The king takes a deep breath and lets out a long, disappointed sigh.

「…As you wish. Guards! Bring my regalia! And get the chancellor, the steward, spymaster, and the marshal!」

King Telas shouts at randomly selected guards. They nod, and run out of the throne room.

Cyceelia nods in approval and walks up the steps to the throne, and simply takes a seat with a large, content smile verging on smugness.

「How's that, Lia? Comfy? Better than yours?…」

Straf grins as he approaches the steps, spreading his hands.

「…It's actually really, really hard and uncomfortable. I hope they get here soon. I want to be done with this already.」

She shifts around on the velvet pillow with a face of mild discomfort.

「Wow, fancy important chairs are actually uncomfortable? What's next, a throne made of swords just to prove a point?」

He scoffs, casually walking up to Cycelia's side while she continues shifting around with a tight-lipped grimace on her face…

…

Ten minutes later…

The guards return with a golden scepter and a crown on red velvet pillows. They hastily jog up to King Telas.

「…Your highness, your regalia-」

「Hand them to me.」

Cycelia cuts in and demands with a serious expression on her face, holding her armored hand out. The two men ignore her, only sparing her a brief glance.

「…Do it.」

The king reluctantly says, nodding his head towards Cycelia.

「Your majesty?…」

Utterly confused and furrowing their brows, the guards glance at each other.

「I said do it.」

He repeats in a stern tone, clenching his teeth. The men glance at each other again, then walk up the steps to Cycelia.

She plucks the golden crown off their velvet pillows and places it on her head, then takes the heavy scepter into her gauntlet and rests it in her lap on her skirt of armor

「King Telas, I am ready whenever your aides arrive.」

Cycelia announces with her crowned chestnut head held high. The king sighs loudly as the confused guards look on the entire scene. Soon after, a group of men between the ages of late 40s to early 70s arrive to the throne room. They join the king's side, ask him something, he replies with a shrug of his shoulders, then the entire group of new arrivals stares in wide-eyed disbelief at Cycelia.

「…Can we begin now, King Telas?」

She asks, pointing her armored hand at the space before her throne. The king lets out another sigh, and walks up the steps to meet her, and drops to one knee.

「With Mercia watching, speak your mind.」

Cycelia holds her free hand out for King Telas. With his head lowered, he takes it.

「…I, Marion Telas of House Telas, renounce my sovereignty for Redwing Kingdom and acknowledge Queen Cycelia Redwing as the successor of the throne…」

The king announces with a loud, monotone voice. His aides begin whispering amongst themselves, and the guards exchange perplexed glances.

「Do you swear fealty and loyalty to the Redwing throne and all its heirs?」

Cycelia asks in the same loud and monotone voice.

「…Under Mercia's watchful gaze do I swear loyalty to Queen Redwing and the Redwing throne, lest freed from this obligation at her pleasure.」

King Telas replies, although it seems more like he is simply continuing his rote lines.

「Then I accept your oath of fealty and swear to be a just and rightful liege.」

Still held in his hand, Cycelia raises the back of her armored hand towards him. King Telas lowers his head and kisses her gaunlet, then stands back up.

The king's aides silently glare daggers at Cycelia from across the room, all very obviously displeased by this development. Cycelia stands up from the throne.

「Straf, could you?…」

She takes the crown off of her head and holds it out for Straf after he watched the whole scene with his fists on his hips.

「Y'know, now that I think about it, this is the first time I'm outside the Redwing Kingdom…」

He lets out a little sigh, takes the crown, then throws it in to his [Portable Storage].

「…It's also a pretty hilarious and lazy way to make it back inside of it.」

He adds with a snide smirk as he looks at King Telas, placing his hands back on his hips in fists.

「…The scepter is mine, and it's in your care. Remember that.」

Cycelia says in a stern tone as she holds the heavy golden scepter out for King Telas and meets his defeated gaze.

「Yes… My liege.」

The inferior king nods his head, and reluctantly confirms his fealty after a short sigh, taking the scepter back…