Next morning, in the capital's adventurers' guild…

While Greaves and his party are browsing through the available tasks, the guild's door opens. The two pay it no mind, but Lian and Alicia take a quick peek at the person who entered.

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack…

A large, heavily armored man with a tower shield in his hand approaches the guild girl's counter. His flanged mace bounces on his belt with each heavy step.

Crrrreaaaaaak.

The wooden counter screams in pain as he leans onto it.

「Uwa- Huge.」

Greaves looks at him over his shoulder, brows raised in surprise. Will adjusts his glasses as he takes a look too.

「Morning… Any parties looking for new members?」

The man asks the woman awed by his sheer physical volume, voice echoing underneath his helm.

「Not that I am aware of… Uh… And who might you be?」

She asks, snapping out of her initial shock. His armored fingers reach beneath his armor, and he shows the guild girl the copper plate hanging off his neck.

「…But I go by Roland the Wall. If anyone asks, let them know that I'm available for a fair share.」

Roland straightens out with one more strained creak of the counter as he slips the plate back into his armor, and takes his shield back into his hand.

「…You're that guy who fought in the tournament!」

Greaves exclaims as he points at him. Will sighs while he adjusts his glasses, shaking his head.

「Yeah, I am. Got the third place prize. I heard there was a war coming, but by the time I got here it was already over…」

Clank!

Roland nods, then loudly slams his armored hand on top of his shield.

「…Back in the day, wars used to take months, years, even. Now? Now by the time you hear the news, it's already over. Ridiculous.」

He adds, shrugging his huge armored shoulders.

「You're a mercenary? What made you turn to being an adventurer?」

Will asks, adjusting his glasses as he peeks up at him.

「I'm both. I used to be an adventurer back in the day. I needed a change of pace, so I thought I'd pick up adventuring again…」

Roland replies, then looks over Will and the rest.

「…Say, you don't need another member? I'm called the Wall for a reason.」

He asks while his gaze jumps between Greaves and Will.

「We're fine with a party of four, but I wish you luck.」

「Yeah, we're full.」

Will shakes his head while adjusting his glasses again, and Greaves nods with his arms crossed.

「I see. Well then, I'll hit the inn… People say the greatest adventures start there. Good luck to you too.」

Roland scoops his shield away, grabbing it by its grip, and departs with a nod directed towards Greaves and his party. The two resume browsing through the noticeboard…

…

In the late afternoon…

Lazily slouched over his wagon's backrest, Straf is staring at the slowly darkening sky as he rolls into the kingdom's capital.

「Ah. We're back, huh?」

He straightens out when he sees the gate and buildings' rooftops.

「We're in Draconis, yes. Where would you like me to drop you off, sir?」

The gaunt man in the driver seat asks.

「The palace… Man, work just never ends, huh?」

Straf replies, then sighs as he slouches in the back of the wagon again. They roll past a town crier standing at an elevated platform.

「…Their king swore loyalty to the Redwing throne, and Telas Kingdom is now a part of our kingdom, retaining a certain degree of autonomy!…」

The man on the platform shouts towards the small crowd listening. The driver's eyes snap to him.

「…Huh? What is this about? What is he talking about?」

The driver remarks with his brows greatly confused, looking back at the town crier.

「Yeah, you heard it here first… Literally. When you get back to your kingdom, be sure to let everyone know… It's your duty as an overly talkative taxi driver.」

Straf smirks at the driver, then hops from the back of the wagon to the front seat while they draw closer to the palace.

The plumed guards stop the driver ahead of the gate, and Straf jumps off. Shrugging, the man turns the wagon around and rolls back down the main street.

Straf stretches out for a few moments, groaning and grunting before placing his hands in his pockets.

「…Man, my life is pretty sad if all I look forward to these days is sleeping. Some fucking wish fulfillment this is.」

He walks past the gate and the guards, grumbling under his breath as he heads for the palace doors…

…

A few minutes later, in one of the guest rooms…

Two maids are standing nearby while Cycelia is sitting at a table with Stripe. There are platters of various baked snacks between them, some with colorful jelly.

「…And the central authority stays out of the kingdoms' business, unless it concerns the Eastern Kingdoms as a whole. That's when her Divine Embodiment comes in.」

Stripe explains with her arms crossed while Cycelia listens and nods along, sipping tea from her cup.

「…And she's the queen of all kings? That sounds like the Eastern Kingdoms are actually an empire.」

She asks, tilting her chestnut head.

「No, that's not it. She does not proclaim herself as the ruler… More like a guide to all. Her decrees are rare, but all kings must respect her will.」

Stripe shakes hers, briefly glancing aside as she thinks before continuing her explanation with a shrug of her shoulders.

Clink.

「Why is she called like that?… Divine Embodiment. Is she your deity?」

Cycelia blinks her emerald eyes at hers, setting her teacup down on the saucer with a soft ceramic clatter.

「We believe that her Divine Embodiment is Mercia. It's her physical body that guides the Eastern Kingdoms to prosperity, and away from tragedy.」

「You mean it's Mercia that we know? One and the same?…」

Stripe replies, and Cycelia's head perks up in surprise, furrowing her brows.

「Technically, yes… But we believe it's her next incarnation after the previous one. There are entire family lines dedicated to searching for her next embodiment.」

「Incarnation?… You mean she dies?」

「Her Divine Embodiment is a physical body after all. She lives and dies just like normal people do, and those families search for the next one as soon as her current body dies.」

Stripe nods, elaborating while Cycelia nibbles on some of the snacks.

「That's… Unique. But how do you know it's Mercia in her physical body? What if it's a liar?」

She asks, tilting her head as she lifts her teacup again.

「…We have no choice but to trust the seekers, however…」

Stripe shrugs, reluctantly acknowledging the predicament.

「…There have been multiple instances of her Divine Embodiment issuing a decree just before a tragedy would strike. The most well-known example is the Second Era Flood.」

She adds with her clawed index finger raised.

「You had a flood?」

Cycelia tilts her head and takes a sip.

「Yeah… And a pretty bad one, too. Her Divine Embodiment decreed that all people living in the lowlands shall move into the mountains, and lowland kingdoms be evacuated…」

Stripe nods as she crosses her arms again, explaining further.

「…Just a few weeks later, a terrible rainfall descended on all of the kingdoms. Her last incarnation died just before it began. Her decree saved an entire kingdoms' worth of people.」

She concludes with a shrug of her shoulders.

「I see… And nobody dares to disobey those decrees in fear of something like this happening again?」

Cycelia asks as Stripe takes a gulp of her tea. She quickly nods in response.

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「Exactly. Everyone is convinced disobeying her is suicide. Of course, people still died from the post-flood food scarcity and the resulting banditry, but…」

Stripe shrugs again with a light tilt of her head.

「I understand. Not letting people die in the flood is one thing, but feeding them is another…」

Cycelia replies, nodding.

「…Thank you for telling me a little about the Eastern Kingdoms. I wonder what the Church of Mercia would have to say about her.」

「Yeah…」

Stripe nods back with her arms crossed, turning her golden gaze away towards the door.

「By the way, did you give what I told you some thought?-」

Cycelia asks, but is distracted by the door suddenly opening.

「There you are.」

Straf smirks as he enters.

「Straf! Welcome back!」「Tsk…」

Cycelia shoots up to her feet, smiling. Stripe's head snaps away from him.

「…Did you actually order her to have a tea party with you?」

He asks with an amused grin on his face, nodding towards the teapot in the center of the table.

「No, I didn't order her to do anything… I just asked if she could tell me a little about the Eastern Kingdoms over tea and snacks.」

Cycelia shakes her head with a smile, and glances at Stripe who looks rather displeased by Straf's arrival.

「Hey, kinky kitty, I've got a job for you.」

He says with a grin as he approaches Stripe's chair.

「…Do not call me that!」

She grits her teeth, glaring at Straf's smug face with her arms angrily crossed.

「You're being promoted. Starting tomorrow, you'll manage the consumer goods factory down by the printer. It's right across the street, can't miss it.」

He casually explains with a shrug of his shoulders.

「…Promoted? You mean I'll be getting paid?」「Pft.」

Stripe asks with a wary, narrow-eyed gaze. He sputters loudly.

「…You're smart, cute, and funny! What a catch!」

Snap!

Straf replies, then snaps his fingers and points at her confused face.

「…So am I going to be paid?-」

「No?… I'm a good employer, and I don't underpay people… The simplest way to not underpay you, is to just not pay you at all!」

Spreading his arms with a grin, he proudly replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

「Tsk… Bastard…」

Stripe clicks her tongue in frustration and snaps her head away from Straf.

「…So? What will I do there? If it's consumer goods I assume it has something to do with production of stuff?」

She asks, turning her displeased golden eyes back to his.

Snap.

「Right. Your thinking is correct, you'll produce stuff. Actually, scratch that, you'll show others how to produce stuff… And when I say factory, I mean more like a sweatshop.」

Straf nods, snapping his fingers and pointing at her again. Cycelia tilts her head with her brows gently furrowed in concern.

「Huh?… But what will we make? Food items? Clothing? Furniture?」

Stripe asks, slowly growing confused by the alien dictionary.

「It's a consumer goods factory, so you'll be making IEDs-」「What!? How is that consumer goods!?」

He nonchalantly replies with a shrug of his shoulders as he places his hands back in his pockets. Stripe shoots up to her feet with an outraged shout.

「IEDs?…」

Cycelia looks at Straf, blinking at him with confused emerald eyes.

「Well… Depending how you look at it, they are consumed when used, making them consumer goods.」

He rubs his chin while looking aside and nodding his head.

「I would have never guessed those things are going to be labeled as consumables! You are their sole consumer! Their main purpose is war!」

「Straf, what are IEDs?…」

Stripe shouts back, throwing her arm aside as she screams in his face. Cycelia chimes in with the concern on her face growing.

「Innovative Energy Devices, Lia. They solve peoples' energy needs for the rest of their lives. We're going to mass-produce them for the purposes of mining, construction, deconstruction…」

Straf turns his eyes to Cycelia as he calmly explains, and begins counting their uses on his fingers.

「And war! You are forgetting war! How is that a consumer good!?」

Stripe continues shouting, pointing her clawed finger in Straf's face. He scoffs.

「Hey, I never specified who is going to be doing the consuming, and war is the biggest consumer, after all. The guild's mages will be doing the charging, so don't worry about that.」

With his fists on his hips, Straf replies with a smug grin on his face. The door opens again. Stripe's frustration deflates as her attention turns to the new arrival.

「Ah, Straf… Welcome back.」

Lily peeks her golden head into the room, then walks in.

「Lily… Yeah, we're not going to do that sappy stuff again. Missed me?」

He asks with a smirk as he turns to the little vampire.

「Hmpf… A little.」

She crosses her arms and turns her pouting face aside.

Pat.

Straf places his hand on top of her head and ruffles her hair with his palm.

「I was thinking about going to new places and seeing more stupid towns with rivers running through them, Lily. What do you say we go on a world travel sometime?」

He asks, then glances at Stripe.

「See? I can pet her and she doesn't make it a huge deal.」

Straf remarks with his mouth scrunched heavily to the side.

「Alone?…」

Lily turns her expectant scarlet gaze up to Straf's eyes.

「No. With Lia, the kinky cat over here, and maybe Carrothead and his friends…」「Tsk…」

He bluntly replies, then turns to Cycelia.

「…How about it, Lia? You haven't traveled much, right? Why not leave this mess in that spiritually bald prick's hands and see the world?」

Straf asks, shrugging his shoulders.

「…I'd like to, but I don't know if I can afford to.」

She nods her chestnut head, fidgeting with her medallion in her fingers.

「Why not? I've got the printers at my command-」

He shrugs his hands, pulling one of them away from Lily's golden head. She looks upset by the fact.

「I don't mean financially, Straf. What if something happens and I'm not here?」

Cycelia cuts in, furrowing her brows at him.

「Then it's literally not your problem, Lia. The kingdom survived you eating nuts and berries in a forest with a psycho king, it'll survive its queen's vacation… I think.」

Straf casually replies with his hands in his pockets, shrugging his shoulders.

「You think?…」

Cycelia's face gains a mixed grimace of worry and confusion.

「…To be honest, things have been accelerating around here. It feels like I have a brick on my pedal, I believe this is what you call breakneck pacing.」

He looks at Cycelia with a tight-lipped expression as they stretch to the sides of his cheeks.

「…Huh?」

Only further confused, she tilts her head.

「…My point is, I think we both deserve a little break, Lia. Maybe we could have a hot springs episode, or visit those islands now that the kraken is dead. We'll see.」

「Well… I'm fine with it…」

Cycelia meekly nods along.

「Hopefully I'll wrap everything up quick, and absolutely nothing unexpected will happen!…」

Straf shrugs his arms and takes a look at the snacks on the table. He reaches for them, but stops himself.

「…These aren't poisoned, are they?」

He asks, glancing at the two maids standing nearby while pointing at the cookies on the plate. The maids look at each other, furrowing their brows, indignant and confused…