Before dinner, everyone gathered by the shore and held a memorial service for all the lost crew of Vhlad and Alexander’s ships. They held a funeral pyre for them by the shores of the beach, with Baldric leading the prayer for the departed. Elizabeth and Annie held on to Luna as all of them listened to the prayer. She also prayed for the other innocent lives that got dragged into the war she created.

After that, the village held a massive feast for all of them where food and drinks flowed freely and everyone gave a toast to the fallen. Combined with Alexander and Vhlad’s crew, Solomon’s knights and enforcers, and even Max’s few guild members, it seemed that there was a festival.

It was almost midnight when mostly everyone retired for the night, but in the large house they were using as a hospital, Baldric, Max, Gerwulf, Ada in her original head, Tinkerton-G, Vhlad, Alexander, Solomon, and Oichi had just finished listening to Luna as she told them everything Merlin had briefed her on. The small dining room was incredibly packed as she told them of the current status of each nation, the first family, and the oncoming Silvus invasion.

"It seems we are in the end times, ladies and gentlemen." Alexander said, the woolly mammoth bestian towering over all of them, drinking deeply from his mug. "This is it. The world is starting to tear itself apart."

"So what should be our next move then?" Max said. "If what you said is true, then we need to act fast before Silvus begins its invasion."

"Silvus would not dare move now." Gerwulf said as she sipped her tea. "Winter is starting to set in. Demophon would be insane to send his forces north at this time. His army would freeze and suffer from attrition alone."

"Although I sympathise with the state of Aelmion and Miyax, I think we need to focus on threats that are directed at us." Alexander said. "We have two fronts we need to focus on; Ablan and Maurius. I say we concentrate on Ablan first. The longer we delay, the harder it is to flush them out of the country."

"Treese is dead and the traitors are running around like headless chickens." Solomon said as he pushed a cheese board towards Oichi, who took a piece of grape. "Also Ablan is under a strict military occupation with most of its citizens not eager to fight for its liberation. Making it a priority would be foolhardy, and may I add suicide with our current numbers."

"Yarr, plus the citizens of the diamond ring and the iron ring, have already sided with Silvus. They are spineless cowards, but let’s face it, they have control over the city." Vhlad said to them.

"Vhlad I have been meaning to ask what happened to my house?" Baldric asked.

"Excuse you? Your house?" Luna cut in.

"You know what I meant." Baldric said it back.

"Yarr been meaning to tell you two. When the invasion started, your house stood up and left."

Everyone just looked at Vhlad incredulously. Luna broke the silence first.

"You burned down the house, didn’t you?"

"I’m serious. The whole hill stood up, on two legs and walked away."

Everyone looked at Vhlad again, as if the old man had gone insane.

"It’s true! I did not even get the chance to save the sunbathing magazines-"

"You bastard!" Baldric pointed his mug at Vhlad. "You went into my vault?!"

"Focus everyone." Gerwulf brought them back to their topic.

"Anyway… Solomon you think Maurius should be our priority?" Tinkerton-G said putting them all back on track.

"Indeed him. Maurius has powerful connections, especially with Silvus, and he can no doubt cause a lot of problems, especially now that he is offering the rogue syndicate and Ablan directly to Asterion." Solomon replied.

"What about the syndicate’s resources?" Alexander asked.

"Filias has managed to cut them off and divert all of the syndicate funds toward Defiance. It should stop their progress significantly, but it won’t be long until they go on the offensive once again."

"Luna, what about you? What do you think?" Oichi asked.

"Ablan… is a lost cause." Luna answered.

"What?" Alexander said.

"Let’s face it. Without a large army, it’s lost. Silvus has full military control of the most highly defensible city in Aelmion. The powerful citizens sided with their occupiers, and with no foreign aid, it’s as good as lost. I’m sorry, but that’s how I see it. You were all right. I… I did this. Because of me, we lost Ablan."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Enough of this pity party." Ada said. "It was Asar and Treese, not you, who betrayed Ablan."

"Ada is right, you had nothing to do with it, Luna." Alexander said. "It was a long time coming. The bounty hunters have become too comfortable acting like kings in that city. We have become so used to comfort, to money and power that when the time came to fight, no one wanted to lose their status, so the powerful citizens made a deal with Silvus, leaving the poor and destitute to suffer. If Fenia was here, she would say the same."

"Still there are a lot of citizens and bounty hunters who are against it right? Against the occupation?" Max said.

"There is a silent majority, but against Silvus it hardly matters. Numerous citizens, bounty hunters, and hunting guilds are still on our side, but as of right now, they are currently on the run or in hiding. This is where our proposal comes in, Luna. Solomon and I have been talking, and the only safe place now left, it seems, is Defiance." Alexander said, and everyone looked at her.

Luna did not even need to think about it for long.

"I understand. I will message Gaatz to land the city. Solomon, you can move your new base of operations there. Same with you, Alexander. Tell Fenia and Theobald to rally as many hunters, hunting guilds, and refugees from Ablan as possible and tell them to be ready. It cannot stay in one location for long."

"Lunabeth, you do know what this means if you involve Defiance."

"You were right, Solomon. We cannot stay neutral forever. Sooner or later, Silvus or someone else will come for it or force us to choose sides. It’s time we make it official where we stand." Luna replied.

"Well, if you are really keen on making Defiance official, you will need machines, and luckily you all have me." G said to all of them as he sat on Vhlad’s box of matches. "I will convince the other Tinkertons to come out of hiding as well. If we are truly heading into a world war, then let no one say we Tinkertons chose to hide away. But someone needs to fly my laboratory out of the forest."

"Yarr, I’ll be doing that." Vhlad raised his mug.

"We don’t just need machines. We need allies. And it’s time we started building bridges." Luna said. And with it, everyone knew what she meant.

"Luna… are you sure about this? You will escort the princess alone?" Max asked.

"I am."

Everyone started to try and talk her out of it, with all of them talking over each other, but Luna raised her hand, silencing them all.

"I know what will happen, but this is the only way to clear our name. Aspana needs allies, and so do we. Without any help, we will remain a rogue state forever. We cannot fight Silvus, and the Coalition of Nations alone. Also, I will not allow anyone else to get captured because of me. I have decided I will escort the princess alone."

"They will imprison you, Luna. They will throw the whole book at you." Oichi said to her.

"Luna, aside from this, remember that you have a lot of history behind you. You are wanted on numerous grave charges and offences in Aspana and Braenarim. You are lucky if they won’t shoot you on sight!" Gerwulf said.

"It will not come to that." Luna insisted.

"How could you possibly know that?! Luna you will get killed!" Oichi pleaded, her voice cracking at the end.

"It will not come to that. I will surrender. I will show them I am unarmed. They will not kill me, I swear." Luna looked at Oichi, but she still was not convinced.

"What if they never allow you to even meet Nikolaus?" Solomon sided with his wife. "What if all this resorts to nothing?"

"I am prepared for that. Listen, I understand everyone’s concern, but we need to take the risk. It is the only way we can get the iron chancellor to hear us out. We need allies, and so will they."

"You really think he will even talk with you? The Chevaliers will just throw you somewhere and let you die." Alexander said to her.

"I know but... I got an ace in my pocket."

Only Baldric picked up on her hint as he continued to drink from his mug.

"Also I promised the princess I would escort her personally. I will not leave her alone anymore."

“Honestly, I don’t know why you are all bothering trying to talk some sense into this thick-headed moron." Ada said to everyone. "Once she sets her mind on something, it’s impossible to convince her otherwise."

Everyone looked at each other with concern. For the past two days, everyone tried to convince Luna, but she remained adamant about her decision. Knowing they had no way to convince her otherwise, Solomon was the first to speak again.

"Then it seems we all know what we need to do then, with so little time to do it."

"On that, we can all agree." Gerwulf took another sip.

=0o0=

It took another day for Vhlad and Alexander to organize their ships and make them travel-worthy. And by the sixth day, everyone was ready, with only Luna and Elizabeth not joining them back to Defiance.

While everyone else was travelling in fully armored dreadnaughts, Luna decided that both of them would be travelling all the way to Richtenguard in a yak-pulled carriage. Everyone insisted on something, anything else, with Alexander even insisting she use Caesar on their travel but she and Baldric knew that if she does get arrested, Caesar will be confiscated and no doubt destroyed.

In anticipation for her arrest, Luna has been given a new arm by Tinkerton, which was just a simple design made of mainly reused scrap metal.

They held one more feast inside the large house before they all left late in the afternoon, and while everyone enjoyed their meal, Vhlad’s and Alexander’s crew, Max’s guild, and Solomon’s enforcers introduced themselves to the princess. Baldric, Max, Annie, Tinkerton-G, Willow, and Ada were beside Elizabeth, while Luna and Oichi were at a separate table watching the commotion.

Luna had her head rested on Oichi’s shoulder; while beside them, Shinaki and the two handmaids, along with Shiny, were watching over the sleeping newborns, with the ball of light softly circling around them.

"Should I tell her?" Luna said as both of them watched, Elaine and Groti handed Elizabeth some sweets, which the child happily took, while Willow jumped up on her lap and absorbed some sweets she gave him.

"That is not your call to make, Luna." Oichi leaned her head on her’s. "I know you mean well, but this is more of their family affair."

"Her family is in shambles right now."

"You already have enough on your plate. Personally, I think you should just let Chancellor Nikolaus tell her regarding what happened to her family."

"What if she finds out... that I knew all along and did not tell her? She will be angry at me again. She will be-"

Oichi flicked her head.

"Ow!’

"You always overthink things, you know that."

Luna smiled as she adjusted her head so it was more comfortable on Oichi’s shoulder.

"I missed you so much, Chi."

Oichi just smiled as she stroked Luna’s hair, both of them silently watching the princess.